Year 5 Trip to Bovington Tank Museum
Year 5 had a wonderful trip to the Bovington Tank Museum on Tuesday 14th November.
They learned more about the Great War, which they have been studying in class. They also got to experience what life was like for the soldiers in the Western Front trenches, with all the challenges, emotions and dangers they faced. They followed the journey of young men who joined the army in 1914, and deepened their understanding of the causes of the First World War. They then travelled to northern France and got ready for the trenches. They explored the experiences of soldiers and how shell-shock, or PTSD, was not well recognised at the time. They looked at the Lee-Enfield rifle, uniform and grenades, and thought about the impact of the war on the soldiers and their families. The Great War gallery was an amazing place to discover, with many original tanks from the war on display. The museum is the only place in the world where school groups can go inside an original early tank. The staff and volunteers at the museum were very helpful and informative, and being inside the tank, hearing the sounds of combat, was quite an adventure. All of the year group took part in a workshop where they examined artefacts from the Western Front, focusing on the horses that were also there. The gallery also had a special section about the role of animals and how they helped the soldiers to fight and survive, despite the terrible conditions. The museum had much more to offer and a treasure hunt allowed a closer look at later tanks, including the smallest tank in the collection, a miniature remote-controlled tank.
We are very grateful to the staff who came with us on the trip, and especially to Mr Jenkins, for arranging such an enjoyable, educational and exciting trip. We were very proud of our pupils, who behaved very well and showed great interest and knowledge. The museum staff complimented them on their manners, questions and understanding.
