YEAR eight students at Droitwich Spa High School had a very special assembly last week as part of work they’d been doing on Remembrance Day.

Head teacher Natalie Waters told the pupils the story of local man Frank Rawlins, who came from Manning Road in the town, and was called up to fight in the second world war in 1939.

Mr Rawlins was sent to France with the Worcestershire Regiment in 1940, and he was killed on the beaches of Dunkirk in May 1940 at the age of 21 leaving behind his fiancée Joan.

After telling Mr Rawlin’s story to the assembly, Mrs Waters introduced them to Mrs Joan Jacobs, Mr Rawlin’s former fiancée, and his niece Glynis Smith, who had a chance to talk about him to the students.

At the end of the talk, students filed out of the hall, placing poppies in a specially created board to spell out the word ‘remember’.

The idea for the assembly came from head boy Louis Holiday. He said: “I was really pleased that two people so closely associated with Frank could be with us on Monday to see our poppy tribute come to life. Hopefully the whole event will make the younger students realise just what a sacrifice men like Frank made on their behalf.”