Remembrance Day Commemorations

This week across our family of schools we have held memorial and commemoration events to honour Remembrance Day.

Cromer Academy

At Cromer Academy there was a service held in Cromer church for KS3 pupils and two of Year 7 pupils laid a wreath on behalf of Cromer Academy as part of the Cromer town Remembrance Service held at the war memorial.

They took 8 of their Year 11 History students to visit Halsey House, a Royal British Legion Home in Cromer for afternoon tea with WWII veterans.  They have 4 residents who range from 100-106 years of age that all served in WWII.

Bill (pictured), the WWII veteran who resides at Halsey House, A Royal British Legion home in Cromer.

Below is some info on Bill collated by Ray Mansell pictured to the right of Bill who is also a Royal Navy Submarine Engineer. Ray is our DT Instructor / CADT Technician

Bill joined the Royal Navy 1943 having previously served in Royal Air Force. Upon completing his basic training, he was drafted to serve in the submarine service and after completing further training he joined HMS Spike, an S class submarine with a crew of 48. HMS Spike was part of the Eastern Fleet, operating in Indian Ocean, where it successfully sank five Japanese vessels. Bill remembers life on board the submarine as being extremely difficult, due to water rationing, the extreme high temperatures, lack of sleep and the constant threat of being attacked.

On one occasion HMS Spike was attacked by an enemy escort vessel and depth charged sixteen times, but luckily for Bill and his crew mates they managed to escape unhurt. Spike also acted as a tow vessel for the midget submarine XE-1, which was assigned to attack enemy shipping as part of "Operation Struggle" in Singapore harbour, an extremely dangerous activity. During his time on HMS Spike, he met Sir Winston Churchill, who was visiting the eastern fleet crew members, an occasion he proudly remembers.  In 1944 with the war at an end, Bill returned to the UK, where upon he was "demobbed" from the Royal Navy. He returned to his family home in North London, after which he married and raised a family. Bill moved to Norfolk in 2023 and is now 101 years of age and a proud resident of Halsey house care home, Cromer.  

Great Yarmouth Charter Academy

In a poignant act of remembrance, head pupils from Charter Academy stood among civic dignitaries and community members at St George’s Park today, laying wreaths on behalf of the 110 boys from the school who gave their lives in the two World Wars.

The ceremony formed part of Great Yarmouth’s annual Remembrance Sunday commemorations, which began with a parade from the Market Place and a two-minute silence at the Cenotaph. Led by Rev Canon Simon Ward, the service honoured the sacrifice of the armed forces and civilians who lost their lives in conflict.

Representing Charter Academy, head pupils placed wreaths at the memorial, ensuring that the names and stories of the fallen remain central to the town’s collective memory. Fade, one of the school’s head pupils, reflected on the significance of the occasion:

“It’s humbling to stand here and remember those who were once our age, who gave everything so we could live in peace. We will never forget them.”

The event concluded with music from Great Yarmouth Brass and a parade to Christchurch, followed by a service at the Far East Prisoner of War Memorial on Marine Parade. Mayor Carl Annison reminded attendees that Remembrance is not only about honouring the past but also about reflecting on hope for a peaceful future in our Town.

To continue marking Armistice Day, Charter Academy will hold special assemblies on Tuesday, November 11, led by the History Department. Poppy sales will continue throughout the week, and all donations will go directly to the Royal British Legion.

King Edward VII Academy

King Edward VII Academy gathered as one community to honour those who gave their lives in service to our country. 

The Great Hall of KES was filled with solemn reflection and pride as every pupil received a poppy and a badge bearing the name of a fallen KES alumnus. In a poignant moment, as each name from the Roll of Honour was read aloud, the pupil wearing that name stood, until the entire hall rose together in silent unity.

Special guests from the parent community who have served, or are currently serving, in branches of uniformed services joined them for this occasion, wearing their medals and ribbons with pride. Pupils affiliated with organisations such as the Army Cadets, Air Force Cadets, Fire Service, and St John Ambulance wore their uniforms, standing as visible representatives of duty, courage, and sacrifice.

Youngest pupil, Issac Rudd, escorted by Head Students, Elosie Chaplin and Josh Johnson laid a wreath in the Great Hall as a symbolic gesture of remembrance and respect.

The school orchestra accompanied the singing of the hymn, ‘I Vow to Thee My Country,’ and the assembly concluded with the National Anthem bellowing proudly throughout the school. Outside, the Union Jack flew high and proud in front of KES, reminding us of the enduring values we honour on this day. 

Thetford Academy

Lots of students from Thetford Academy were in town on Sunday supporting the annual remembrance parade. Head students Jason and Ebony laid a wreath, and our school choir led the singing for the service, with lots of other students involved in the Breckland Brass Band, and as scouts and cadets. On 11th November a 2-minute silence was held in school.

Wayland Academy

Throughout this week, Wayland pupils have led, laid wreaths and attended remembrance events throughout Breckland, with one of pupil also being lucky enough to lay a wreath on behalf of St John Ambulance at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday. 

The armed services are particularly important to the community in and around Wayland Academy. Watton was once home to the RAF Bomber Command and after WW2 also home to the US Air Force. Many Wayland families are service men and women and as such a significant number of our pupils attend uniformed cadet services. 

There are also a number of refugees at Wayland and as part of this Remembrance they thanked the armed services for making our country one in which people can seek refuge from war torn countries. Watton was twinned with Zhovkva in Ukraine last year.

The junior leadership team and principal attended Watton's Remembrance service on Sunday. 

At Wayland, they reflected and remembered through a collective whole-school remembrance service led by Ms Austin, Principal. Ms Austin reminded pupils and staff of the history the armed forces have in Watton and the surrounding areas and reminded the community of the importance of the sacrifice these servicemen and women have given to their country. 

Following this, Mr Jackson, Teacher of Music, played the last post, and a 2 minutes silence was held. Former Serviceman and Head of Geography, Mr Read, addressed the school as part of the remembrance event.

The school recognises the impact on the education of pupils whose families are in the armed services. As such, there is an armed forces support network to ensure that staff and students get the support they need, not just during times of family deployment, but throughout their time at school.

Lucy Austin, Principal, said "I have been really struck over the past few days the extent to which forces are a part of our community. We are a school at the heart of our community and it is events like this that help to bring us together"