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WW1AHT Flying Day 10 May Cambridge Aero Club from one of the Mum’s.


Big thanks from all of us, especially our daughter for arranging such a fantastic experience – it exceeded expectations and she was blown away by the flight. From the VR flight simulator to the flight itself, everyone involved went above and beyond, and after the flight (with the ever so talented and inspiration Amelia) she had a big smile on her face.

The weather was perfect, the views over Cambridge were stunning and the opportunity has definitely inspired her and our youngest daughter who came along too (we have talked about aviation so much this weekend) – I can imagine that a great deal of work goes on behind the scenes and your charity has inspired many, and I hope you secure funding for future years.

The Poetry Plane – a Unique Act of Remembrance

To all the children from around the World who wrote such moving poems in the last 12 months about the sacrifice in WW1 and their hopes for the future in the knowledge of this sacrifice, this video is for you. The WW1 Aviation Heritage Trust is pleased to report that all your poems made it to Northern France on 1 July 2025 for the Commemorations for the Battle of the Somme and separately to mark the liberation of Le Quesnoy by the Kiwis in the last week of the War. This is our story.

We seek to make this an annual global commitment but to do this we need your help to write even more poems. You can find all you need by way poem paper, lesson plans, videos and slideshows at https://ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/index.php/ww1-poetry-registration/

#WW1 #History #Poppy #Somme #LestWeForget #Essex #PrimaryTeacher #PrimaryEducation #Poetry #ThePoetryPlane #aviation

The Poetry Plane 2025 – The People, Céline Plantain

The People – Céline Plantain

Céline is a dynamic and inspiring teacher based in Hautmont in NE France. She is just the kind of person that you need in a voluntary project. Living in a part of France where the sacrifice of WW1 is all-around in the many cemeteries, she is dedicated to ensuring that her own students and others understand and respect the history of the Great War.  She is a staunch advocate of the Poetry Plane and by her own efforts has reached out 8 French schools who are all writing poems.  Not content with this, she has engaged 3 German schools, one Polish and one school in the USA.  She is a fantastic Ambassador who in her own words is seeking

‘to bring to life the memory of World War I by embedding a strong message of peace, friendship, and brotherhood into a concrete, collective, and symbolic action. Through writing, nature, and connections with other children around the world, students will become carriers of memory and hope, both today and for the future.’

Want to know more? Want to join in?

https://ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/the-poetry-plane-v2/

Buy Poem Paper?

https://roamwildproducts.co.uk/collections/seeded-paper/products/roamwild-seeded-paper

Download Lesson Plan, Video and Slideshow?

http://ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/index.php/poetry-plane-resources/

Help us fund the project.

https://wwoneaviationheritage.enthuse.com/cf/the-poetry-plane

WW1AHT Flying Day at Cambridge Aero Club 10 May 25

From two of the Mums

Big thanks from all of us, especially our daughter for arranging such a fantastic experience – it exceeded expectations and she was blown away by the flight. From the VR flight simulator to the flight itself, everyone involved went above and beyond, and after the flight (with the ever so talented and inspiration Amelia) our daughter had a big smile on her face.

The weather was perfect, the views over Cambridge were stunning and the opportunity has definitely inspired our daughter and her younger sister who came along too (we have talked about aviation so much this weekend) – I can imagine that a great deal of work goes on behind the scenes and your charity has inspired many, and I hope you secure funding for future years.

Thank you so much for a wonderfully memorable day on Saturday.  It was so well organised and everyone involved was so happy and helpful, they all had time for the children and answered any question big or small with so much enthusiasm, it was lovely to be a part of.

We really do hope you get the funding you’re hoping for.  Her sister will be one of the children who would hopefully get to take part in 3 years time when she’s in year 6 and after witnessing the flight and seeing how buzzing her older sister was, shes super excited to hopefully be given the same opportunity!! 

These things are so important to expand the children’s worlds and show them what else is out there as a potential hobby or career.  

You can see from the photos that the smiles speak for themselves. 

Thank you so much again, it was great to meet you all 

WW1AHT has agreed with Cambridge Aero Club to offer 2 flying days a year in May and September, 2026-2029, if we can get the funding. Your letters will help. Thank you.

The Poetry Plane – A Childrens Story

Our Poetry Plane will be flying to the Somme on 1 July 2025 to drop poems written by children from many countries at the annual commemorations for those lost in the Battle. We will follow English, French and German children as the story unfolds. If you would like to join in and write poems, follow the link

ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/index.php/ww1-……

Meet Kelly and Alex two of many children in Essex writing poems as part if WW1AHT School visits.

#WW1 #History #Poppy #Somme #LestWeForget #Essex #PrimaryTeacher #PrimaryEducation #Poetry #ThePoetryPlane #aviation #plane

The Poetry Plane – a Unique act of Remembrance

Meet Kelly and Alex, children from Essex who have been writing poems. If you would like to join in, follow the link below.

The Poetry Plane – WW1 Aviation Heritage Trust

Artwork by Roxane Foucart

#WW1 #History #Poppy #Somme #LestWeForget #Essex #PrimaryTeacher #PrimaryEducation #Poetry #ThePoetryPlane #aviation #plane

The Poetry Plane 2025 – The People, Jean-Philippe Froment, Le Quesnoy

communes.com

The Poetry Plane is about Remembrance – Lest We Forget.

Children from around the World will be writing poems in recognition of the sacrifice of the Great War, The poem papers will be seeded with  Memorial Flowers – the Poppy, the Cornflower and the Forget-Me-Not. We will be making 3 drops of poems written by children from around the World on 1 July 2025 at the Great War Somme Commemorations at Lochnagar Crater and Thiepval Memorial and at the Kiwi Memorial in Le Quesnoy.  We also hope to drop poems at the Remembrance Service at the UK National Memorial Arboretum on 9 November 2025. I will be explaining the Plan, the Planes, the People and your Part in the Programme over the next 3 months. 

Help us build a network to pass the word on. We seek to make the Poetry Plane an annual global act of Remembrance.

Where ever you are in the World, you have a part to play – pass the details of the Poetry Plane on or get involved. To School Teachers particularly, this programme is massively popular with children. You can get guidance, lesson plans, and poem paper at the links below.  If you have a question, contact

 info@ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk. 

The People – Jean-Philippe Froment

Jean-Philippe FROMENT is President of the “Le Quesnoy Nouvelle-Zélande” Association
Our association keeps alive the memory of the liberation of our town by New Zealand troops on November 4, 1918, and the bonds of friendship between our two countries. He is helping to arrange our poem drop at Le Quesnoy.

The full story of the liberation of Le Quesnoy in the last week of World War 1 can be found here The Le Quesnoy Story – NZ Remembers.  The Town was fortified by the great architect, Vauban, and presented a very difficult target given that the towns people were all locked up inside.  However, using artillery sparingly and with the initiative of a subaltern in finding a discrete point of entry, they managed to liberate the town without a single civilian dying.  However it was at considerable cost to the Division as 196 soldier died in the assault.Want to know more? Want to join in?

https://ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/index.php/ww1-poetry-registration

Buy Poem Paper?

https://roamwildproducts.co.uk/collections/seeded-paper/products/roamwild-seeded-paper

Download Lesson Plan, Video and Slideshow?

https://ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/index.php/poetry-temporary-landing-page

Help us fund the project.

https://wwoneaviationheritage.enthuse.com/cf/the-poetry-plane

The Poetry Plane 2025 – The Plan, Thiepval


Chris Hartford

The Poetry Plane is about Remembrance – Lest We Forget.

Children from around the World will be writing poems in recognition of the sacrifice of the Great War, The poem papers will be seeded with  Memorial Flowers – the Poppy, the Cornflower and the Forget-Me-Not. We will be making 3 drops of poems written by children from around the World on 1 July 2025 at the Great War Somme Commemorations at Lochnagar Crater and Thiepval Memorial and at the Kiwi Memorial in Le Quesnoy.  We also hope to drop poems at the Remembrance Service at the UK National Memorial Arboretum on 9 November 2025. I will be explaining the Plan, the Planes, the People and your Part in the Programme over the next 3 months. 

Help us build a network to pass the word on. We seek to make the Poetry Plane an annual global act of Remembrance.

Where ever you are in the World, you have a part to play – pass the details of the Poetry Plane on or get involved. To School Teachers particularly, this programme is massively popular with children. You can get guidance, lesson plans, and poem paper at the links below.  If you have a question, contact

 info@ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk. 

The Plan, Thiepval

The Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval is an Anglo French Monument to those who died at the Battle of the Somme. The French launched their own offensive to the south of the River Somme at the same time. There are over 72000 names of the missing from Britain and South Africa inscribed on the lower supports of the monument.  Those missing in the Battle from Australia, New Zealand and Canada are recorded in their own National Memorials. The Thiepval Memorial which towers over the surrounding Somme landscape was designed by Edward Lutyens and built 1928-1932. It took some time to come into being as there was considerable debate about the scale of structure needed to reflect the enormity of the sacrifice.

The first day of the Battle was a disaster with over 56000 dead, wounded and missing – a figure that seems unbelievable today.  It was preceded by a 7-day artillery bombardment expected to clear paths through the minefields and wire obstacles and destroy the enemy in their trenches.  It did not work and merely signalled the allied intent so the Germans were forewarned.  It churned up the ground and did not remove the wire obstacles as expected. The result was the enormous loss of life on the first day. The Germans tenaciously held on to Thiepval, the first day objective, for 3 months till the end of September 1916. As winter approached, the Germans retreated to the newly prepared Hindenburg Line but there was more fighting over the Somme Battlefields when the Germans launched their Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918. The names on the Memorial include those who died at the Somme up to this date.

Want to know more? Want to join in?

https://ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/index.php/ww1-poetry-registration/

Buy Poem Paper?

https://roamwildproducts.co.uk/collections/seeded-paper/products/roamwild-seeded-paper

Download Lesson Plan, Video and Slideshow?

https://ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/index.php/poetry-temporary-landing-page/

Help us fund the project.

https://wwoneaviationheritage.enthuse.com/cf/the-poetry-plane

The Poetry Plane 2025 – The People -Sally Crabtree



The Poetry Plane is about Remembrance – Lest We Forget.

Children from around the World will be writing poems in recognition of the sacrifice of the Great War, The poem papers will be seeded with  Memorial Flowers – the Poppy, the Cornflower and the Forget-Me-Not. We will be making 3 drops of poems written by children from around the World on 1 July 2025 at the Great War Somme Commemorations at Lochnagar Crater and Thiepval Memorial and at the Kiwi Memorial in Le Quesnoy.  We also hope to drop poems at the Remembrance Service at the UK National Memorial Arboretum on 9 November 2025. I will be explaining the Plan, the Planes, the People and your Part in the Programme over the next 3 months. 

Help us build a network to pass the word on. We seek to make the Poetry Plane an annual global act of Remembrance.

Where ever you are in the World, you have a part to play – pass the details of the Poetry Plane on or get involved. To School Teachers particularly, this programme is massively popular with children. You can get guidance, lesson plans, and poem paper at the links below.  If you have a question, contact

 info@ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk. 

The People – Sally Crabtree

Sally Crabtree was once a world class gymnast, winning a scholarship to train in the USSR at the age of 14, before going on to become the youngest ever member of the GB Women’s gymnastics team, performing around the world. Since then, she has been turning the poetry world upside down with her cartwheeling poems and colourful, quirky performances, interactive installations and projects that inspire whole communities to get involved and discover the poetic heart within themselves.

She is an official Ambassador for National Poetry Day “You advocate beautifully for poetry every single day” (Director) and has been poet in residence for the Matisse Museum in France as well as being invited to deliver creative ‘boosts’ to staff at Spotify’s HQ in Sweden. She writes and design children’s books and as the Creative Director of Artconnexion UK, she devises and delivers award winning creative literacy projects internationally. The latest of theses has been Poetry Postie – delivering poetic inspiration to the Nation and beyond, including to the United Nations. As the originator of the Poetry Plane concept, she is now able to deliver the post via airmail!

Want to know more? Want to join in?

https://ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/index.php/ww1-poetry-registration/

Buy Poem Paper?

https://roamwildproducts.co.uk/collections/seeded-paper/products/roamwild-seeded-paper

Download Lesson Plan, Video and Slideshow?

https://ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/index.php/poetry-temporary-landing-page/

Help us fund the project.

https://wwoneaviationheritage.enthuse.com/cf/the-poetry-plane

The Poetry Plane 2025 – The Planes – Air Clearances



The Poetry Plane is about Remembrance – Lest We Forget.

Children from around the World will be writing poems in recognition of the sacrifice of the Great War, The poem papers will be seeded with  Memorial Flowers – the Poppy, the Cornflower and the Forget-Me-Not. We will be making 3 drops of poems written by children from around the World on 1 July 2025 at the Great War Somme Commemorations at Lochnagar Crater and Thiepval Memorial and at the Kiwi Memorial in Le Quesnoy.  We also hope to drop poems at the Remembrance Service at the UK National Memorial Arboretum on 9 November 2025. I will be explaining the Plan, the Planes, the People and your Part in the Programme over the next 3 months. 

Help us build a network to pass the word on. We seek to make the Poetry Plane an annual global act of Remembrance.

Where ever you are in the World, you have a part to play – pass the details of the Poetry Plane on or get involved. To School Teachers particularly, this programme is massively popular with children. You can get guidance, lesson plans, and poem paper at the links below.  If you have a question, contact

 info@ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk. 

The Planes – The Clearances

Dropping any thing from an aeroplane is regarded as an aerial event in UK and Europe. In UK, you apply to the General  Aviation Department of the Civil Aviation having secured the agreement of the site.  In France, the process starts by circulating a similar form with site agreement to the local mayor who seeks the agreement of the District  and Regional offices (Sous-Prefeture and Prefeture).  It is then forwarded to the DGAC (the French equivalent to the CAA and issued through their regional office – DSAC N in this instance. Once this is approved, an approval for flight in French airspace is given (laisser passer) and the final step is to seek approval for flight of an aircraft in military markings. The approval process takes 4 months. The Trust would like to thank all the officials involved in this process for Lochnagar and Thiepval,  and those approving the Le Quesnoy drop, for their help and support.

Want to know more? Want to join in?

https://ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/index.php/ww1-poetry-registration/

Buy Poem Paper?

https://roamwildproducts.co.uk/collections/seeded-paper/products/roamwild-seeded-paper

Download Lesson Plan, Video and Slideshow?

https://ww1aviationheritagetrust.co.uk/index.php/poetry-temporary-landing-page/

Help us fund the project.

https://wwoneaviationheritage.enthuse.com/cf/the-poetry-plane-0