Royal Newfoundland Regiment honours Beatrix Potter school
Regiment dedicates classroom to English students who tend Newfoundlanders' graves
The connection between the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and a London, England primary school deepened even further on Friday, with the renaming of a regiment training classroom in honour of the school's efforts to keep the memory of some of its First World War soldiers alive.
"Remembrance is something, I think, that has to be a living concept," said Lt.-Col Kyle Strong, the commanding officer of the regiment's First Battalion.
Students attending Beatrix Potter School in London have been placing paper poppies on the graves of 17 Newfoundland soldiers, and one nurse, since 2003. The twice-annual marking at Wandsworth Cemetery — on July 1 and November 11 — came about after its head teacher grew curious as to why no one was honouring the war graves as per British tradition.
"What the school does in England speaks volumes about how important it is to remember what soldiers did so many years ago, and continue to do. And the fact that it's being done by school-aged children, I think, that's a lesson for us all," said Strong.
Friday morning, the regiment returned the honour to the school in a ceremony in St. John's in the newly-minted Beatrix Potter School Training Room, which now features nine commemorative panel displays about the Transatlantic bond.
Family members of the fallen soldiers and Nurse Bertha Bartlett, Head School teacher Steph Neale, CO 1st Battalion LCol Kyle Strong, members of the Regimental Association, Advisory Council, RNfldR museum and the Regiment attended. <a href="https://t.co/Z8VFAFPpln">pic.twitter.com/Z8VFAFPpln</a>
—@rnfldrassociatnSoldiers 'have become alive'
The school's head teacher, Steph Neale, who also spearheaded the Wandsworth Cemetery ceremonies, travelled from England to attend the dedication.
In an emotional speech, Neale said he "never dreamt" his initial curiosity over the untended graves would lead to such a connection between the school and Newfoundland.Not only have the children continued their remembrance ceremonies, but students have also created research projects and a play, and in the summer of 2018, a group travelled to Newfoundland to see the soldiers' homes and walk in the Memorial Day parade in St. John's.
Listen to the documentary by Ted Blades, host of On The Go, that profiles the students in England.
"The soldiers themselves have become alive to the children and their families," he said.
"They now know the soldiers. They have their pictures. They know their stories. And now they have a room, where they can say, 'we have a room where those soldiers stories continue.'"
The entire effort, now in its 16th year, began as a teaching moment, Neale said, and continues to be one.
"The important thing is that children still remember the past. From the past they'll learn lessons for the future. They will become the leaders that say no to more wars," he said.
Neale was presented with a personal honour at the ceremony, invested as the first-ever honourary member of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Association.
"I feel very privileged to look after your fallen soldiers," Neale told the crowd.
With files from Ted Blades and Gary Locke