We are on the coach now back to the Château after a very moving and informative afternoon led by Mr Brown.
Our first stop was the Lochnagar Crater…
Next was a visit to Thiepval. Mr Brown had done a lot of research before we visited, which meant that we quickly found the name of a soldier from Rainford engraved on the memorial. We learned that John Thomas was born in Rainford in 1876. He worked on the coalfields of East Lancs as a miner before enlisting in the Army in the Royal Engineers as a ‘tunneller’. His company helped to blow the Lochnagar Crater on the morning of 1st July 1916.
Finally, we visited the Newfoundland Memorial, which was also very moving. We walked through the trenches and reflected on what it must have been like for the soldiers.
Rainford High Picardy Trip 