On 21st November the Yr 6 classes visited the HMS Belfast and the Britain at War Experience as part of their study of the Second World War. On the ship, they heard a talk about the Belfast’s role in the Second World War and what life was like for sailors on board ship.
They then explored the ship, seeing, amongst other things, models of the hospital, the canteen, the officers’ quarters, the sailors’ mess slung with hammocks, the punishment cells.
This really gave the girls a strong understanding of the conditions for the men who fought at sea during the war. Afterwards, they all went over to the museum, the Britain at War Experience, to find out what life was like for people in Britain during the war. Amongst other activities, the girls sat in an Anderson shelter, listening to the sounds of bombs, tried on gas masks, worked out rations for one person, examined propaganda posters, and found out about the role of women.
It was a very successful trip that really helped to bring history alive for the girls.
