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Poole Youngsters Get A Taste Of World War II

On Tuesday 16th May youngsters at the Beacon Youth Centre will be getting a flavour of life on the front line in World War II as war veteran Ted Thurston makes and serves them a typical meal once given to German troops.

The event is part of an initiative led by the Borough of Poole where youngsters from the Poole Youth Forum and the Beacon Youth Centre are working with war veterans to record the personal histories of veterans and gain a greater understanding of the events of World War II.

At the Centre the youngsters will be served Wehrmacht, a nutrient rich stew made with sausage, and bread made of wheat and rye flour which was the staple diet of officers and other ranks alike.

Councillor Tony Woodcock, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Children's Services said: "There is no better way to gain an understanding of important historical events then talking with and learning from those who have experienced it first hand.  This initiative certainly helps to bridge the generation gap and it is great to see the old and the young working together in this way".

Ted Thurston, a war veteran on the project says: "This is a little different perhaps, but is just one of the many opportunities for the youngsters and veterans to learn from each other.  It's funny but yet again working with young people has been positively surprising. I never thought I would join a youth group and end up sharing a meal like this".

Joshua Wood, one of the young people from the youth group said: "Working with the veterans has given us the opportunity to look at some of the more personal stories around World War II that we would not otherwise hear about. Not just the harshness of war, but also some of the more humorous moments as well".

The traditional meal is the latest in a series of projects that the youngsters have been participating in.

The ongoing project is the construction of  a 2/3rd size 'Horsa' glider as used in airborne operations in the last war, which is being built with the help of a local Poole firm. Progress reports will be issued as this eagerly awaited project gets underway.

Last week the youth group made a visit to the Museum of Army Flying at Middle Wallop and in June this year a trip has been organised for a visit to Normandy  to view a mass parachute jump at Marie St. Eglise.

Some of the young people involved also visited the battle areas in Holland at the end of last year to gain a greater understanding of operation 'Market Garden', where airborne troops were used extensively in an attempt to open the back door to Germany via the Arnhem operation and shorten the war.

Peter Cooper, Senior Youth Worker, Pupil, Parent and Youth Services on 01202 633281