As part of the preparation for the commemoration of November 11, the students of two classes from the Etrechet primary school came to visit the premises of “les Amis de La Martinerie” on Tuesday afternoon, November 8.

After a presentation relating the history of the base located partly in the town of Etrechet, a brief historical recap about the causes and consequences of the first World War, in France, in the Indre department and at Martinerie, launched the workshops.

The second and third graders (CE1 /CE2 classes) first worked on the model of the base, trying to find the various buildings mentioned during the presentation of the site. Later on, divided into two rotating groups, they worked on the “Bleuets de France” and the evolution of various type items through the years (telephone, calculator, typewriter, water bottles, razors, hair clippers, etc.).

The fourth and fifth graders (CM1/CM2 classes) were divided into 3 groups and worked on the evolution of the soldier's clothing, the objects made in the trenches, the words of WW1, the everyday items used in the trenches, items that can be found in the ground today, helmets from different countries at war, ammunition….

They also enjoyed the model of the trenches made 3 years ago by the fifth graders of the Diors school and the flag room in which is kept the flag of the veterans of their commune.

A beautiful day full of hope.

Thank you to the teachers of the primary school of Etrechet and to the guides for their trust in the association, thank you to Marie, the organizer of this half-day event, thank you to our volunteers, Marie, Sylviane, Bruno , Frédéric, Jean-Jacques and Philippe for their availability and personal commitment in organizing this event.

La NR article of November 11, 2022

Click on images to enlarge
Photo credits: Etrechet School – Bruno Duteil – Jean-Jacques Bérenguier