School pupils received a history lesson from a medal-winning World War 2 veteran at a Stockton-on-Tees care home.
Youngsters from St Teresa’s RC Primary School, in Ingleby Barwick, visited residents at Ingleby Care Home dressed as children from the 1940s.
Among the residents is John Podsukites, 95, who received the Medal of Ushakov from the Russian Federation in 2016 for his service on arctic convoys in 1944.
Named the ‘worst journey in the world’ by Winston Churchill, the convoys delivered essential supplies to the Soviet Union during the height of the War. John was part of a convoy that fought off 18 attacks in two days by German U-boats and aircraft, before safely arriving at its destination.
He showed the children photos of the ships he served on, shared his experiences and told them stories about the war. He said: “It’s really important youngsters know about the war, even though it was a long time ago.”
Several pupils from the school’s Year 4, 5 and 6 classes wrote notes about their visit to the care home. Year 4 pupil Maddie, 8, said: “The care home was an amazing experience. I loved listening to John and looking at all his amazing medals. He taught me a lot of things about World War 2.”
Kirsty Walsh, activities coordinator at Ingleby Care Home, said: “John loved talking to the children about his experiences. The teachers were even asking if he could go to the school to do a presentation.”
