From the Front

How typical was Albert Edwin Rippington’s experience of war?

‘…if you ever meet a chap that says he wants to go back call him a liar’.

These are words penned by Albert Edwin Rippington, an employee of the Audit Office for the Great Western Railway. Albert, along with many of his colleagues, had enlisted to fight in the First World War. He was wounded in action and wrote about his experiences from his hospital bed back in England. Albert was clearly deeply affected by his time in the trenches, but how typical was his experience?  

In the online workshop in your classroom students will explore a range of letters written by soldiers who enlisted from the Great Western Railway to fight. The session gets pupils to compare experiences of war, along with evaluating the strengths and limitations of using letters to learn about soldier’s experiences in the First World War. The one-hour online session is led by an experienced history educator, you only need a microphone, large screen and webcam to take part. Interactive activities encourage students to discuss their ideas and work in groups using high-quality materials provided in advance by the Education team.

Connections to the curriculum:

• KS3: Challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day
• KS4: Edexcel: Option 11. The British Sector of the Western Front
  

Available as: Online workshop. Find out more about the types of session we offer.