Crest's Hidden History...
In each edition of this magazine, I will be writing a short story about how Crest, and our local community has been important in changing the world around us.
Exactly 99 years ago, one of the largest battles in history happened – The Battle of the Somme. On 1st July 1916, British soldiers attacked the German army at the Somme, in Northern France. It was part of the First World War, and this was Britain’s big chance to try and win the war. On the first day, 60,000 British soldiers were either killed or wounded. By comparison, Wembley stadium holds 90,000 people.
However, what has this huge battle got to do with the Crest Academies? The answer is, a lot!
In the First World War, there was no way of moving quickly while protecting yourself. Most soldiers were cut down within a few second when they were fighting. In 1916, the British tried to think of ways to defeat the Germans more quickly. They came up with a top-secret weapon. They called it the Tank.
The new tanks were built and tested on the site of Crest Academies. The hills provided an excellent opportunity to test how well the new machines could move on difficult land. They were also tested at the nearby Welsh harp reservoir, to see if they were waterproof.
The new machines, built next to Crest, were first used exactly 99 years ago, at the Battle of the Somme. The Germans were terrified. Many ran away because they were so frightened of the new machine.
Although almost a million people died during the battle, the invention of the tank was a huge step forward in modern warfare. At the start of the war, soldiers still used horses and carried swords. At the end of the war, soldiers drove tanks, aircraft and fired poison gas at each other. The area around your school had a huge part to play in that change. Whether it was a good change remains to be seen.
Words: Mr Taylor