TWO Tottington High School students had the chance to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme by visiting the First World War battlefields of France and Belgium.

Tahlia Greenhalgh and Hannah Smalley were joined by teacher Hayley Klee and other students from across the country on the trip last month, which was organised by the First World War Centenary Battlefield Tours Programme.

The students and teachers were accompanied by serving officers in the British Army who provided battlefield insight and a comparison between a soldier’s experience now and 100 years ago.

They visited sites including Ypres, where Tahlia was selected to lay a wreath during a remembrance ceremony, at the Somme, and Tyne Cot Cemetery.

July 1 marks the centenary of the first day of the battle, which saw 20,000 British Solders die on the first day alone. Tahlia, from Radcliffe, said: “I found laying the wreath haunting. Looking around at all the names of soldiers who have no known grave made me realise that I had been given an amazing opportunity to personally commemorate them.”

Hannah and Tahlia, both 14, were also among a small group who got to work with artists in order to create a pottery figure of a soldier which will be displayed by the Belgian government in 2018 to remember the 600,000 soldiers who died on Flemish soil.

Hannah, from Bury, added: “The opportunity to participate in this activity was an honour and highlighted another way to remember those who died in WW1.”

At Tyne Cot Cemetery, Tahlia and Hannah were asked to research Grimshaw Kay, a Lancashire Fusilier from Tottington who died in 1917 and and was the son of Thomas Kay, of Club Row Street.

Mrs Klee said: “This focus on an individual was both insightful and moving. It made the trip meaningful to my students and if anyone has any further information about Private Grimshaw Kay, the students of Tottington High School would love to hear about it.”

A school spokesman said: “The students will remember this trip as an amazing educational opportunity and as July approaches Tottington High School’s community will be working together to create a chain of 20,000 poppies to commemorate those who died a century ago on the first day of the battle.

“At Tottington we teach the significance of Remembrance and although Mrs Klee has been on many Battlefield trips in her career, the fresh perspective provided by this trip through the serving soldiers, artists and knowledgeable guides meant that the students were offered an invaluable and unique opportunity to engage with the past.

“It was a pleasure to take part in the trip and Hannah and Tahlia were a credit to the school.”