This Remembrance Day, students from the Royal School for the Deaf Derby (RSDD) will sign the words "we remember them" in British Sign Language as part of the city’s commemorations. Archived newspaper reports reveal that Derby's school for the deaf, then known as the Royal Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, was closely tied to Britain's First World War effort, despite deaf people historically being barred from the front line.
The school's founder, Dr William Roe, provided a firsthand account of his journey home through France in August 1914, witnessing the war's early impact. He recounted a Paris hotel manageress's prediction that the war would "almost certainly bring bereavement to nearly every family", a sentiment that resonated deeply.
The war soon affected the institution's staff, with six men serving in the Army by 1917. Not all returned. Corporal A. Holman, who taught woodwork at the institution and was a known Derby athlete, died in hospital after being sent to the Dardanelles. Signaller Charles Beecher, who qualified as a teacher of the deaf and was the institution's first scoutmaster, was killed in action in France on 11 April 1918.
The war also impacted those who returned. In August 1917, the institution was asked to help soldiers who had lost their hearing learn lip-reading. Remaining teachers volunteered to assist in the evenings, free of charge, as many staff had enlisted.
Despite the challenges, a message of hope persisted. Children were told in 1917 of faith that they would surmount their troubles and "before very long live in a more peaceful atmosphere". This hope continues to resonate over a century later.
“"In that moment, hundreds of people will remember together in a language that is so important to our Deaf community. Remembrance belongs to everyone, and by inviting the audience to learn and sign the words together, we hope to create a powerful act of collective remembrance and inclusion."
Paul Burrows, Headteacher of the RSDD, stated that the act of signing together creates a powerful moment of collective remembrance and inclusion. Derby’s Remembrance Day service and parade will take place on Sunday 8 November, with a ceremony at the War Memorial on Armistice Day, Wednesday 11 November, at 11am, including a two-minute silence and laying of wreaths. Those unable to attend can watch live on the Council’s YouTube channel.
