They were living history lessons which began in Norfolk before spreading across the rest of the country and then as far afield as Canada and Australia.
And the message being taken into schools and passed down from one generation to another was…there is no glory in war.
These were not readings from history books. Pupils were able to listen to and talk to D-Day veterans.
Members of the Normandy Veterans Association in Norwich launched these pioneering visits to schools in the city and across Norfolk before other groups across the country followed in their footsteps and it also led to veterans across the world marching into schools.
It was back in the 1980s when I first met a gentleman by the name of Redmond Broderick, a former gunner in the Second World War, who wrote to 20 schools asking of any of them were interested in learning about the war…from soldiers who were there.
He had fought as an infantryman on the blood-soaked Normandy beaches 80 years ago and then across Europe.
“I wrote to every school I could think of suggesting that us veterans could visit to tell the children exactly what happened and why,” Redmond explained.
“It was a message of freedom and peace and our motto was always the same…there is no glory in war,” he said.
After a slow start some publicity helped spread the word about how important these visits bridging the generation gap were.
The first visit by Redmond and his comrades was to Sprowston High School in 1988…hundreds more followed.
“There are things the history books don’t tell the children,” he told me
“There was the stink of death in your nostrils as soon as you got to Normandy. We lived like pigs and for six months I slept in a hole in the ground,” explained the retired civil servant.
“I feel it is our duty to the young men who did not come back to pass on the message. The younger generation should not go through the hell that we did.
“We also give a talk on the sacrifices their grandfathers’ generation went through in order for them to live in freedom and democracy now,” said Redmond.
They were also asked to speak to other organisations such as the Air Training Corps and the WI.
Redmond died in 2000 at the age of 87 but his legacy lived on with other Normandy veterans determined to carry on visiting schools.
Former Sgt Major with the 7th Armoured Division, Eric Davies, took over as the schools team leader for the association.
“When we first went to war it was an adventure. We thought we were going to enjoy ourselves and then we found out what war was all about, how horrific it could be,” said Eric at the time.
“A lot of people die in wars, a lot of innocent people. It’s not exciting, it is a terrible waste of life,” he added.
“We tell them that peace is what we want, not war. The children need to know why they have got their freedom and they should know the cost of freedom,” said Eric.
“I think - I hope - it will be a long time before people forget We leave a lot of things to our family when we die.
“Our medals, things we kept, books and when we pass them down, we also pass down our memories,” he said.
D-Day was in June 1944, 80 years ago. So many of our veterans are no longer with us…but we must remember them.
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