HUNDREDS of schoolchildren sat in respectful silence to watch a film made in memory of a real life hero.
Private John King, from Darlington, died last year while on active service in Afghanistan.
The 19-year-old was a former pupil of Branksome School, now Darlington School of Mathematics and Science (DSMS), which has close links to the Armed Forces.
About 500 students attended a Remembrance assembly on Friday (November 9).
They watched Why We Should Remember Them, a film produced by student Liam Pape and edited by assistant headteacher Steve Parr.
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| POIGNANT MOMENT: Student Liam Pape, producer of a film marking Remembrance Day in memory of former student, Private John King, who was killed on duty in Afghanistan |
One tender moment recounted the famous Christmas Day truce where warring Germans and Allies stopped the fighting to share a drink among the barbed wire.
The film ended with a dedication to Pte King and students and staff shared a moment’s silence to remember him and those lost in war and global conflict.
Liam spent hours working on the film with Mr Parr and six other students, who provided character voiceovers.
"We have a lot of students here whose families are in the Armed Forces and I didn’t want to upset them; but at the same time it is right that we remember those who have fallen.”The 14-year-old said: “I was really nervous watching the film because I didn’t know how it would be received.
Headteacher Calvin Kipling said the school had appointed a teacher to liaise with army families and there was also an official Army liaison officer working with DSMS.
He said: “When John died it impacted on everyone at the school and I know students are keen to do as much as they possibly can to support service personnel with a stream of fundraisers.”
Article from www.thenorthernecho.co.uk origional article here: Students watch film in memory of fallen Darlington hero