Once again, the S. Anselm’s History Society were enthralled by Mr Asher’s presentation on a Second World War battle.
This time, Mr Asher carefully explained the intricate planning of what was the largest amphibious invasion in history. D Day was a pivotal moment in the war and a vastly complex event that relied heavily on innovation and collaboration. The botched Dieppe raid, the clever misdirection tactics and the sheer scale of the logistics were unveiled skillfully through Mr Asher’s own words and through the use of contemporary footage. Society members were given vivid details regarding a range of critical engineering innovations from Mulberry Harbours to PLUTO and much more. Moreover, Mr Asher brought in a wealth of artifacts including de-comissioned weapons, maps, pictures, letters, medals and uniforms.
It was a full house of pupils from Year 6 to Year 11, with a number of staff eager to support. Everyone saw the parallels between this massive national and global effort nearly eighty years ago and our current global efforts to defeat Covid-19. Great things can be achieved through the pooling of resources, skills and manpower!
Our very grateful thanks go to Mr Asher for his time, skill and knowledge. He took everyone through the build up in a clear but fascinating manner and his personal experience ensured that he provided a very real understanding of the whole process.
Our many thanks also to the catering team for the lemonade and biscuits!
Next term we hope to host an external speaker who will talk about the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, and Mr Mace is also hoping to deliver a talk on a topic of interest. Pupil presentations are warmly encouraged and Mr Asher has kindly promised to deliver a full critique of the 1944 invasion itself.
It is important to note that we very much hope that we can open our doors to parents again at the next society meeting. Watch this space and thank you for your support of this fledgling S. Anselm’s society!
