Pupils see tulips flower in honour of fallen soldiers

Somerby pupils see tulips flower for fallen wartime paratroopers

Pupils at a village primary school are delighted to see the bloom of tulips they planted in memory of fallen wartime soldiers who were stationed locally.

The children at Somerby Primary School planted nearly 100 vibrant, maroon-coloured flowers to honour members of the 10th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, many of whom were killed in the Battle of Arnhem almost 80 years ago.

Bulbs were donated by Friends of the Tenth (FOTT), a charity which highlights the sacrifices made by the battalion and who campaigned to install a permanent stone memorial at Burrough on the Hill.

Pupils have been learning about the history of their village and the story behind the Second World War paratroopers being stationed in Somerby prior to be deployed at Arnhem.

The tulips which have flowered (left) at Somerby School in honour of fallen paratroopers and (right) pupils pictured planting the bulbs

Headteacher, Andrea Brown, said: “It was an honour to see our pupils so engaged and dedicated to memorialising the lives of the soldiers of the Tenth Battalion. A huge thank you to Friends of the Tenth for donating the bulbs and a special plaque.

“Friends of the Tenth and Somerby Primary School have a very special link as our school uniform colours represent FOTT and they kindly donate a PE t-shirt with their logo to every child.

"We also support the group during their annual memorial service, so being able to have these tulips on our grounds is a meaningful way to remember our fallen Somerby soldiers.”

Somerby School is part of Mowbray Education Trust, whose chief executive, Christine Stansfield, said: “Thanks to the kind donation by FOTT and the dedication of the pupils who planted them, all can be reminded of this important sacrifice.”