The Faculty of Mathematics, ICT & Computer Science The Department of History

“The War was decided in the first twenty days of fighting, and all that happened afterwards consisted in battles which, however formidable and devastating, were but desperate and vain appeals against the decision of Fate.”

Winston Churchill

It has become something of a tradition to begin the History report in each edition of the Olavian magazine with a quote and given the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the start of World War 1 in 2014 Winston Churchill’s words feel particularly apt. Optimistic thoughts of a quick victory in 1914 quickly dissipated and the 2013-14 edition of the History Society magazine focused on the causes of war including Joe Cox’s (13H) analysis of the situation in Europe prior to July 1914. The department bid a fond farewell in July 2014 to Dr Sarah Wallace who did so much to promote History across the school particularly in her work editing the History Society magazine and in organising a range of trips across year groups. She was also the driving force behind the first Year 9 cross curricular day which focused on World War 1 as the History department worked alongside English and Art to focus on the plight of conscientious objectors and the way in which they have been commemorated. 2013-14 also saw a record as Year 11 students achieved a department record with 99% achieving A*/A grades including 80 A*s!

2013-14 saw the department return to the World War 1 battlefields around Ypres and the Somme for the first time in two years as all of both Year 8 and 9 were able to experience the trench warfare which dominated the western front between 1914-18. While the First World War provided a focus for the year, Year 9 were also able to enjoy a day trip to the historic dockyards at Chatham which included the opportunity to explore a Cold War era submarine! These extra-curricular ventures were supplemented by the work of the History Society. Aiyan Maharsingham ablely presided over its speakers which included a talk led by the irrepressible and irreverent Old Olavian Godfrey Bloom which attracted a sceptical audience of almost 100 pupils in rm21! The society will only continue to grow in the coming year.

With the addition of David Gonsalves from Dover Grammar School 2014-15 promises to be a year to rival the last!

Daniel Espejo

History Society Magazine

The latest edition of the History Society Magazine, entitled ‘Causes of War’, features excellent articles on the First World War, the 1066 Succession Feud and the intriguing if slightly ridiculous War of Jenkins’ Ear. Well done to Lucas Bertholdi Saad (13N) for editing and Leon Brown (13J) for design

History Trip

Year 8 & 9 students visited the National Army Museum to see Napoleon’s horse’s skeleton and equipment used in both World Wars, before museum staff described how the weapons have evolved.

Olavian Scolarship

For another example of Olavian Scholarship, you may be interested to look at the following link: http://goo. gl/tYD7AR where Matthew Roberts (12Q) and Samuel Luker Brown (12O) have prepared the first edition of an historical vignette.

History Society Welcomes Old Olavian Godfrey Bloom

Old Olavian, explorer, philanthropist, thespian, current MEP and ex-member of UKIP, Godfrey Bloom, kindly visited as a guest of St Olave’s History Society recently. A crowd of almost 100 students was eagerly waiting to hear his interesting political views. He discussed the nature of democracy and the role of an MEP before being subjected to a variety of well researched questions from the floor, covering his views on women in British society, Bongo Bongo Land and the importance of the minimum wage. We are grateful to Mr Bloom who, despite not winning over the entire audience, certainly informed and entertained with his sharp wit and clarified several of the more controversial statements attributed to him.

Year 8 Battlefields Trip

Year 8 spent 3 days in Belgium and France exploringsites from the first and the second world wars, on a very enlightening trip. Our first stop was Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, where we were struck by the rows upon rows of graves, containing the bodies of soldiers of all nationalities, from British to Chinese, proving that it really was a “world” war. We visited a German cemetery next, where we were struck by the marked contrast between the Allied and German ones. German cemetries contain mass graves and are more gothic than allied ones, as the German government bore the brunt of the cost of the war. We observed the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres in the evening too, during three Olavians laid wreaths.

After a night where we realised that European tv often makes no sense at all, we boarded our coach and drove down to the Somme in France. We visited many important destinations including the Ulster Tower and Thiepval Memorial. We also visited Newfoundland Memorial Park, a Canadian memorial which includes a great view over part of the Battlefield and wellpreserved trenches. One of the most visually stunning places we visited was a 60 foot deep mine crater, set off immediately prior to the British attack at the Somme. The explosion when it went off was so loud it apparently could be heard in London. There is still an unexploded mine out there somewhere at the Somme. We visited Dunkirk on the final day, but first we went to Cassel, a tiny market town with really good views over Normandy and the French countryside. It had been defended by the British army as they retreated toward Dunkirk in 1940 at the start of World War 2. For many, the highlight of the day was having lunch at Dunkirk beach, looking over the clear blue sea. After playing (and laughing at people falling over on) the sand dunes, it was time to leave, and now it was time for reflection. We laid a wreath at a small cemetery on the outskirts of Dunkirk. Some of us had also been able to remember dead ancestors that had been here before us.

Year 9 Battlefields Trip

Year 9 visited the WW1 Battlefields of Ypres and the Somme along with the beaches of Dunkirk which saw the evacuation of the British Army in 1940. They learned about the nature of the Great War itself, experiencing the trenches which dominated the fighting on the western front. 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1, so commemoration and remembrance were at the heart of visits to British and German cemeteries and memorials which allowed pupils to reflect on the nature of the sacrifices made by men often not much older than themselves. The visit to Dunkirk presented a compelling lesson in the way warfare developed following the end of WW1. Pupils visited the small town of Cassel, where the British Army was forced to retreat toward the sea by the rapidly advancing German Wehrmacht. All 3 days enabled pupils to reflect on WW1 and WW2 and the experiences of the millions of personnel that served during them.

History Visit to Chatham Dockyard

Year 9 enjoyed a day at the Chatham Dockyard where they toured three vessels: the Victorian sloop HMS Gannet, a World War Two Destroyer (HMS Cavalier) and HMS Ocelot, a claustrophobic but impressive Cold War submarine. The boys also got to see the ‘Rope Walk’, a quarter-mile long ropery which is still producing rope today.

More photos from the Year 8 and Year 9 trips to Belgium and France