Primary school children visited Reading’s war graves to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.
Pupils from Caversham Park Primary, Micklands Primary, St John’s Primary and Hemdean House School, visited graves maintained by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC) at council-owned cemeteries.
They visited the Henley Road and Victoria Road cemeteries in Caversham and Reading Old Cemetery in east Reading.
At each site, children learnt about the importance of remembrance and commemoration and why the sacrifice of others is still remembered. The children were also offered a poppy to place on a grave.
The tour of Victoria Road Cemetery included the story of four soldiers from Caversham and explored the impact of war on the small village.
The children learned about how Huntley and Palmer War biscuits were so notoriously hard to chew, they were often written on and sent home to families like letters. They were then inspired to write their own messages home.
Cllr Jason Brock, Reading’s lead member for corporate & consumer services, said: “This has been a great opportunity for local school children to visit Reading’s war graves, discover the human stories behind them and help honour the memory of the war dead as a fitting way of marking the centenary of WWI.
“These graves and monuments across Reading’s cemeteries commemorate the ultimate sacrifice made in service of our country and it is important we keep that memory alive for future generations to come.”
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