Remembering George Henry Bennett
A year ago, a school in Le Cateau Cambrenesis France contacted us asking if we would like to do a video conference with them. They had particularly sought a school in Shrewsbury because it is where the poet Wilfred Owen was born and they are from the town where Wilfred Owen died.
As a result we have done a few videoconferencing sessions with them. A museum to Wilfred Owen was opened there last year and our students were invited by the mayor of Le Cateau and the staff at Lycee Camillee Desmoulins to visit during November. Wilfred Owen was famously a Shrewsbury School Boys – the private boys' school. The link with France led us back to our own war memorial board in the college which we have all walked past for a number of years without much thought. In 1918, our sixth form was called Priory School and we still have the memorial board in the college. I found a name on the board – George Henry Bennett, who was buried less than 30 minutes away from where our students were visiting. I did some historical research into this soldier who died aged 18 (same age as our current students)
November Rembrance wreaths were laid by our students on Wlifred Owen’s grave and also on the grave of the almost forgotten George Henry Bennett. Both soldiers died in France – one is a famous name and one nearly forgotten. Both died to help forge a modern Europe. That weekend we honoured this little known soldier who was educated at this site with a wreath on his grave at Villiers Bretonneaux and in Minsterly, Shropshire where he was born and is commemorated on the war memorial. Parishioners at the memorial service heard about a long forgotten solider of the parish and are now inspired to go and find out more about the names on their monument.
All because of video conferencing!
Sian Squire
Video conferencing Project Co ordinator
Shrewsbury Sixth Form College.
