THEN& NOW
Gryphon School History Student Forum
The Aftermath of Hiroshima
Also in this issue
The Gryphon’s Passage to India
A visit to Hiroshima Left: The immense heat of the blast leaves the shadows of living things engrained
Right: A recovered child’s tricycle
War is the work of men War is the destruction of human life War is death To remember the past is to commit oneself to the future To remember Hiroshima is to abhor nuclear war To remember Hiroshima is to commit oneself to peace 25th February 1981 John Paul II Having studied Hiroshima and its destruction by atomic bombing in 1945 at both GCSE and A-level, I half expected the city to be a post-apocalyptic waste land, as if the bomb had gone off days rather than years ago. Hiroshima looked like any other city, with busy streets and tall apartment buildings. But there were a few things that caught your eye; many statues of children, adults, plaques and other monuments. The only building preserved of the old city may be the atom dome but that doesn’t mean that the city will ever forget. Colourful paper cranes hung in glass boxes (pictured) and in front of the memorial museum was a large water fountain, giving an unobstructed view of the dome. Everything was designed to lead both your eyes and mind back to the past. The museum itself was split into two, the memorial half and the peace museum. The first of these dealt with when it happened (August 6th 1945), why it happened (because America needed to make a statement),
how it happened and finally, the aftermath. It was easy to walk through this part unaffected; a silent, sombre mood shrouded the place. This was because they were just facts; statistics of deaths, a model of the bomb and aerial drawings showing the scale of destruction. The next part took a very different approach. Behind glass there were hundreds of artefacts, everything from bits of discoloured brick and melted glass to a child’s tricycle and everyday clothing. Each and every piece had a name and a story. Those that had survived died later from radiation and those that remain as a shadow, blasted onto a building. The crane is a symbol of the desire for peace due to Sadako Sasaki’s story. At two years old, she survived the blast but later contracted leukaemia. As her health deteriorated, her mother told her of a myth. If you made a thousand paper cranes then your wish would come true. So by the time she died age 12, she’d made thousands of them, making cranes become Japan’s symbol for peace and hope. The hope is that their city will serve as a reminder of the past and an inspiration for world peace, and that for every crane made, another person joins the battle against nuclear weapons. Liz Gallimore Year 13
History Facts… In North Korea you are only allowed to have 1 of 28 Government approved haircuts.
and… There are 92 known cases of nuclear bombs lost at sea.
Ötzi of the Neolithic Period
The 4th of July
One of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century was made on 19th September 1991, when two German mountaineers spotted a frozen human corpse on a high ridge in the Alps: the Iceman. With most of his clothing and possessions still intact, this insight into pre-history is one of the most important mummies ever discovered. Once the Iceman was freed from the ice, he was transported to Innsbruck, Austria. It was debated about how old the Iceman, now nicknamed Ötzi (referring to the Ötztal valley where he was found), is. The artefacts found with the corpse, including a metal axe, wood, flint and leather, dated the Iceman back to the Copper Age, meaning Ötzi is about 5300 years old – even older than the Great Pyramids of Egypt. The discovery of Ötzi also meant the Reconstruction discovery of the earliest known crime. X-rays revealed a flint arrowhead in Ötzi’s left shoulder, showing he had bled to death after being in conflict with another human being. Ötzi’s apparel gives us a fascinating insight into his culture and daily life. The kit that he carried allowed him to be self-reliant over long periods away from his tribe. It included a dagger, an axe, some arrows, and a net among others. Clothing was also discovered, but it would have deteriorated quickly. No one knows exactly what Ötzi’s role was, but it is possible that he was a shaman (healer) because some of his artefacts were parts of a fungus, Piptoporus betulinus, threaded on two leather thongs, which may have had some medical and ritual uses. However, the possibility that Ötzi was a Shaman, ordered to the mountains to carry out religious duties, is questioned because not enough belongings indicated any religious status. The people living in Central Europe during the Copper Age inhabited settlements with a several large family households. A thousand years before Ötzi’s time, they were living like this permanently, as they weren’t nomadic. The Iceman can now be seen in the Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy.
July: for most of the Western World, it is a completely inconsequential month, hailing nothing more than hot weather, barbecues or for us, disappointment as we experience nothing but torrential rain. However, for one continent, it holds a historical date so significant it causes people to break out in a patriotic fever, launch fireworks and burn meat over hot grills. I am, of course, referring to America and the 4th of July. This date, I believe is shrouded in mystery and its real significance is often lost. The 4th of July, known as Independence Day, is the day, during the American Revolution, when the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred. This also marks the end of the American Revolution, which can be seen as either a grand uprising against Britain or the day where Britain lost, what would be, the most powerful nation in the world, depending on your viewpoint. Contrary to popular belief, the true legal separation occurred on the 2nd of July where the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a Resolution of Independence which would separate the United States from Great Britain. While this is the day that represents official independence, it is not celebrated; the 4th of July is the day when the Declaration of Independence was approved by Congress. Why this day is chosen to be celebrated over 2nd July is probably because the Declaration of Independence was far more publicised. However, there is an even bigger debate surrounding the 4th of July as the supposed date on which Independence was sealed. It is now believed that the Declaration of Independence was actually signed in August of 1776 and this is backed by many historians, despite Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin among others later writing that they had signed it on that day. So there you have it - July 4th or Independence Day, a long staple of American history and culture and, though the debate around it rages on, the USA seems content to continue to grill its hotdogs and launch its fireworks. Cameron Thrower Year 13
Katherine Whitcher Year 7
Did you know? In 1938, Time Magazine named Adolf Hitler as Man of the Year.
and… Ireland’s first ever Olympic medal was for painting.
The First
Its causes
The First World War started in 1914 in Europe and killed 8.5 million soldiers over four years of warfare. What happened in the trenches of Belgium and France is well documented and publicised, even 100 years on but what is less well known is the murky politics that sparked the ‘War to End All Wars’. The cause of the war cannot be pinned down to one factor, but is a combination of several factors. The first long term factor is militarism which is all of the countries in Europe taking part in a huge arms race; accelerated by the creation of the massive HMS Dreadnought in the UK. When a country has many big guns sitting around, the leaders have a pressing desire to ‘test’ them, particularly in the case of the insecure Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Another underlying factor is that of Imperialism, empire building which caused Jealousy. Again, the young Kaiser was a major player as he hankered after the huge British Empire The Glanvilles for himself. The third reason is the Wootton war upsurge of Nationalism in Europe. memorial Nationalism is extreme pride in one’s country and a wish to assert it above all others. The final reason in part sprang from the others: alliances which grew from the military tension. So if a war broke out, every country involved would be dragged into the war by having to support its allies. Although these long term factors contributed to the start of the war, none alone was the trigger for the war’s outbreak. That trigger was the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who was touring Bosnia, which at that time was controlled by Austria-Hungary. He was assassinated by a Serbian group known as the ‘Black Hand’, who wanted to restore Bosnia to Serbia. Austro-Hungary was outraged at the assassination and declared war on Serbia. After this, the conflict spiralled out of control. Russia supported Serbia, while Germany joined on the side of Austria-Hungary.
Germany had been anticipating this war and immediately put onto action its Schlieffen Plan, which dictated that they should declare war on Russia’s ally France and crush them before facing the slow and cumbersome Russian army. Unfortunately, the plan failed due to it being decades out of date and the brave intervention of the tiny Belgian army. This delayed Germany long enough to allow Britain to join France and hold Paris, while the Russian army mobilised much faster than was anticipated, condemning the whole of Europe to the horrors of four years of stalemated trench warfare. Rowan Preston Year 10
The 1914 Christmas Truce It was Christmas Day in 1914. The War had been going on for months and the trench monotony had sunk in. But in the Ypres salient, the two sides of the trenches lay down their weapons, temporarily, to meet and greet each other. There was no blood drawn; instead a friendly greeting between two sides- even a game of football (no doubt the Germans won on penalties), along with exchanges in food. This sort of contact with the enemy could be punishable by death but the officers in charge turned a blind eye to this act of defiance. With the use of propaganda, the Germans had long been portrayed as monsters; the ‘Hun’. This idea of fighting a monstrous enemy was given added effect by soldiers not seeing their enemy. But some trenches were only 50 yards away from each other; enabling men to talk sing and chant to one another, defying this mind-set. Despite how the Germans were portrayal, they were still human. This truce did not last long however. The guns continued on Boxing Day; a return to the terror of the trenches. It makes you wonder how misjudgements of people can quickly escalate into suffering. If only this kindness could be shown before any violence can escalate. Ian Dawes Year 13
Did you know? There have only been about 230 years of peace out of the last 3,500 years throughout the civilised world.
and… All British war tanks have tea-making facilities in them.
World War
Remembering a family member who died
Precisely 100 years ago, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria triggered the start of the First World War. To commemorate this, I researched into my family’s past to discover their involvement. Hours of research came up with nothing on my father’s side -apart from my Great Grandfather who was the village’s night warden and Great, Great Grandfather who was a soldier during the Second World War- so by the time I delved into my mother’s side I was rather desperate to find something. Luckily enough, only 5 minutes into reading a genealogy report for my mother, I found a Great (x3) Grandfather who was actively involved in the war. Aubrey Williams was born in 1891 to father Walter Williams and mother Joan Draper, and lived in Somerset with mother Joan, brother John and sister Florence Emma until he joined the British army in 1915. In September that year, he went to serve in France. Aubrey’s number was 15966, and he served in the 1/6th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’ Own).
After his death, his mother was informed and he was awarded both the Victory and Star medals (although we are unsure as to the whereabouts of these medals) - he is currently buried at the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium. Whilst serving in the British army, Aubrey sent two postcards to his brother Alfred Williams; one of them shows him with members of his regiment and the other displays a poem to cheer worried family members. On one, it reads: ‘Dear Emma & Alf, was pleased to get your letter- didn’t have much time to write a letter and forgot your address; hope this will find you. Am getting on alright, hope you are keeping well. I hear you have Doll back home again- I don’t suppose I shall know her the next time I come home. Now goodbye for the present, from your loving Brother Aub.’ This was one of the last postcards he sent before being deployed to France to fight.
One of 2 postcards sent to Alfred Williams from Aubrey
The 1/6th battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment
Unfortunately, on the 25th April 1918 during a major German offensive in Belgium at Grand Boishe, he was killed in action. He died as part of the British push towards Passchendaele, aged only 27.
Aubrey Williams was one of approximately 16 million men, women and children who died in total during WW1- about 1 million of whom were British. Considering that this catastrophic event began 100 years ago, we should all take a moment to remember family members and loved ones who gave their lives in order for us to have one; after all, would you be prepared to sacrifice yourself for your country and the people that you love as they did? Grace Ryall Year 10
Did you know? MI6 once hacked into an Al-Qaeda website and replaced instructions on how to make a bomb with a cupcake recipe.
and… Approximately 30 different poisonous gases were used during WW1
A ‘Gift from the Nation’ Among the horrors of trench warfare that World War 1 brought on Europe, there was one act of kindness (of many) in 1914, given to all British soldiers.
with people donating the gifts. Every tin contained a Christmas/New Year’s card and a photo of Princess Mary. Due to the sheer number of tins, they were distributed at different times to different theatres of war which is why it was either a Christmas or New Year’s card.
Above: The front of the tin Below: The bullet casing holding a pencil
It was a small brass tin containing small gifts, depending on what part of the Armed Forces the person was in. For example, Indian soldiers would receive sweets and spices; nurses would receive chocolate; men on active service received a combination of a pipe, 20 cigarettes and tobacco. Young non-smokers would receive a bullet pen (pictured), a packet of sweets and a writing case. The initiative was put forward by Princess Mary. The purpose was to provide every person who would be wearing the King’s uniform a gift for Christmas. A huge amount of support was found in the British Empire,
This tin was distributed in early 1915 for a nonsmoker. The greetings card reads: ‘With best wishes for a victorious victory, from The Princess Mary and friends at home.’
On it a profile of Princess Mary is in the centre, with each British ally decorated around the outside; Serbia, France, Russia, Montenegro, Japan and Belgium. At the bottom it reads the words Christmas 1914, flanked by battleships. Amid the chaos and violence associated with the First World War, there was human kindness; something that needs to be remembered. Ian Dawes Year 13
We are a… Family is a phenomenon we often take for granted when looking at history. However, its complex fusion of biological and social pressures puts it in a unique position to reflect on the societies and cultures families find themselves in. For instance, the house of Mongolian nomads, the Ger, serves not only as a place for families to live but as a way for society to communicate its values to its members. Prior to the Communist revolution in Mongolia this was seen through the creation of gendered space within the Ger. Women were removed from both religious and academic knowledge. This reflected the conservative, patriarchal society within Mongolia up to early 1900. Conversely, after the Communist consolidation of power in the 1920s the Ger took on new significance. It now communicated the egalitarian objectives of the Communist state; women had access to academic texts and male religious privilege was deemed insignificant. As such, what was once a space designed
to entrench the values of a male dominated, religious state became the mouthpiece for a modern state within a truly global conflict: the Cold War. No idea takes hold independent of the society in which it emerges. Ideas diffuse through social mechanisms and at the centre of this are those things we often take for granted. Often referred to by historians as social history these mechanisms exist in day-to-day life. For Mongolians it was access to religious texts and for Victorian Britons the father’s study. These simple, almost trivial, factors served to communicate the position of an individual within society all through something we take for granted… Family! So next time your history teacher takes you through an event in history take time to think about the insignificant and the mundane. When you pry into these areas of history, it comes alive and throws open the doors to deeper historical understanding. Will Edwards- former Gryphon Student
Did you know? The pyramids of Giza were built during the time of the woolly mammoths.
and… The guillotine was still a form of execution in France until 1977
The Gryphon’s Passage to India After touching down in India’s capital Delhi, the heat was incredible and our senses were filled with the sounds and smells of India. We were given garlands of bright flowers to wear as we set off to our hotel. The organised chaos of India makes rush hour in the UK seem like nothing – horns blaring, animals wandering aimlessly alongside the many people and colourful shops. We then started the tour at the Qutub Minar; an ancient temple which has been adapted to fit different religions, including Hinduism and Islam. It also has one of the tallest brick towers in the world, at five storeys high. This began to reveal how India has evolved into the modern world, while keeping true to its roots.
On the same day we were given a cycle rickshaw ride and saw the Mahatma Gandhi memorial, the incredible Lotus Temple, the Presidential and Parliament buildings and the India Gate which acts as a memorial to the First World War. We then visited the City Palace, the residence of the Royal Family, which is both beautiful and stunning. The heat began to rise into the mid 30s as we visited the Jantar Montar, a huge stone observatory. It was incredible to see how people from ancient times were able to discover and explore the mysteries of space using basic equipment, relative to today. Briefly returning to the hotel, we left for a camel ride near Jal Mahal. These animal rides became, for many, the best parts of the trip. We ended the day in a restaurant, being entertained by some extremely talented folk dancers. Thursday was an early start as we rode on the backs of colourfully painted Indian elephants to the Amer Fort (pictured), the former capital of the Kachhwah Rajput. The fort is huge and majestic, and seemed to glimmer and shine. Later, we visited an Indian McDonalds (not very different to Western equivalents, except for the food!),
before watching a modern Bollywood film in Hindi. Although the language was different, the film was very easy to understand and it was very enjoyable. We rose early and set off to what the group had been waiting for - a sunrise at the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was built by Shaha Jahan, a Mughal emperor, for his beloved wife Mumtaz when she died. It is said that Jahan also wanted to build another; this one in black marble instead; on the other side of the river.
The Taj is all about symmetry
But he was imprisoned by his own relative in the Agra Fort, built on the opposite bank. Jahan died and was buried in the Taj alongside his wife. His marble casket is the only object in the Taj that is not symmetrical. On the morning of our final day, we left the hotel and saw sunrise over the Ganges on-board a boat. This was such a memorable experience and one shared with the local people bathing, worshipping and washing their clothes. We also lit candles, placing them on the river. Tuesday 15th had come all too quickly. We bade our guide Neeraj goodbye, passed through Indian security and before we knew it, we were back on Virgin Atlantic, landing at Heathrow eight and a half hours later and arriving back at school in the late evening. India, with its incredible and unique marvel, wonder and character elevated our senses and enlightened our minds. For many of us, it has changed the way we not only view the world around us, but ourselves as young people in a modern society. The experiences within eleven days helped us to appreciate why India is thriving, yet it still needs support in order to preserve its beauty. Matt Vear Year 10
Did you know? Every year since 1942, Norway has given a giant Christmas tree to the people of London by way of thanks for helping them during WWII
and…. The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.
D-Day – the 70th anniversary “When somebody fires at you and misses, you hear a crack, like somebody cracking a whip. When you hear that, you either duck or run.” “It was June 1944 and the Allies had landed in Normandy. I was about to light my cigarette, and I looked round the corner of this barn I was leaning against. Running towards me were two Germans, I grabbed my rifle and loaded it. They were both trying to jump over a hedge, I aimed and shot one, and he toppled over the hedge. I aimed again and shot, I couldn’t tell if I’d got the other one. The fields surrounding were crawling with Germans and I’d just attracted their attention. I started running for cover, which was when I heard two cracks. I dived to the floor and stayed there for a few minutes. I took a chance and started running zigzag, making it harder for the Germans to hit me. “All of a sudden I was spun round like a giant hand had grabbed me. I fell on my back. I knew I’d been shot, but I dared not move a muscle-or the sniper would have shot me again. I couldn’t try to stop the blood or anything. I just lay there for what seemed like hours, petrified. Then I heard tanks. They were getting closer to me but I couldn’t tell if they were British or German. They were 50 metres away. Now 20. If they were German they would just run me over. Only ten metres now. 5 metres. I scrambled up as fast as I could. “Then suddenly a head popped out of one of the tanks and said ’Where’s all these bloody Germans you’re shouting about?’ To say I was relieved was the biggest understatement in history.” Hearing this account from one of many veterans I met, Ted Roberts (pictured), was one of the highlights of my trip to the Normandy 70th anniversary of D-Day. He had served in the Glasgow Highlanders and landed on Gold beach on D-Day. Meeting him face to face made me remember those who gave their lives and fought for the freedom that we enjoy today. My trip began at Pegasus Bridge. It was crucial. If captured by the Allies, it would hinder any German activity, whilst providing the allies a point to cross the river and advance into Normandy. I saw Café Gondrée; the first liberated house and the small field, close to the bridge, where three Horsa
gliders had landed with such precision unnoticed. No wonder it was described by RAF Air Chief Marshall, Sir LeighMallory as ‘the finest piece of airmanship of the war’. Major John Howard of the Light Infantry led the attack when the gliders landed on the 5th June. Each aircraft carried 30 men. Within minutes the bridge and its vicinity was under Allied control. They radioed HQ ‘Ham and Jam’, the code for a successful capture. They then received the orders, ‘Hold until relieved, hold until relieved,’ one of the most famous of the war. Major Howard’s men then held out for a day, until they were relieved by Commandos. Lord Lovat’s 4 Commando marched down the road with their bagpiper, Bill Millin (pictured). The Germans, seeing Bill, thought it bad luck to shoot an unarmed man, so Bill survived unscathed. Seeing the American Cemetery (pictured) was especially moving; a sea of 9000 white marble crosses stretched along the cliff overlooking Omaha beach. It put into perspective Pegasus Bridge size in comparison to D-Day overall.
There were over 209,000 Allied casualties in the battle for Normandy, showing how colossal an undertaking D-Day was. All the veterans that I spoke to, like Ted Roberts’ wanted to remember their fallen comrades but also to share their experiences, so that the men and women who gave us our freedom are always remembered. Meeting Ted is one day I shall never forget. Callum Henry Year 9
Acknowledgements Editorial Board Cameron Thrower Grace Ryall Ian Dawes Will Edwards
Katherine Whitcher Matt Vear Rowan Preston Callum Henry
Thanks to Ian Dawes for help with formatting and editing
Get in touch if… You have any comments or thoughts, or wish to contribute to The Gryphon Students’ History Magazine, contact one of our editorial board.