Lines of Communication

ECHOES ARE PICKED UP IN COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FRONT

Students from Hammersmith Academy partnered with the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists to explore the stories behind the lines of communication. A guided visit by the museum curator at the Royal Signals Musuem at Blandford Forum showed them communications from flags and lamps through to the modern day. Students were able to imagine the challenges which poor communication brings and discovered that one brave pigeon survived the war after delivering crucial messages behind the lines.

The students walked through a mock trench and sketched as they listened to the explanations. This proved to be a very popular alternative to note-taking.

Returning to school, inspired by what they have discovered and understood, students began work with heritage artist Jane Churchill to put communications in WW1 into context. They looked at the postcards, sent from the Front which had been censored. They considered the impact of censorship on soldiers and conducted their own exericse in censorship. They reflected on how the censors themselves might have felt and how such simple procedures would be so much more complicated nowadays. They designed their own postcards and censored their fellow students’ messages.

During this work, students were learning how to use new art techniques to express their understanding. Students remarked “I didn’t know that there were soldiers specially dedicated to Signals. I learnt about the different means of communication they used.”  and  “We studied WW1 artefacts at the Signals Museum and we learnt about the tactics they used to help them win the war.  My impression is that the trenches were not comfortable and that the Signallers needed to be accurate and focused. I have learnt loads of new stuff - polyfilla and ink and the way you can make different patterns. Layering stuff makes the image pop out and feel more realistic and more interesting. The project helps us understand how the soliders back then who fought for our cause and deserve to be remembered. I feel lucky to be chosen for this project.”