Members of Scout Troop 12 from Ramstein, Germany learn about the trenches at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial Park during a research trip to create a new historic trail focused on the Battle of the Somme. (Dean Berck)
Eagle scout Scout candidate Jacob Berck, 14, recently put the finishing touches on his yearlong Eagle Project. He spearheaded the development of a new historic trail by Troop 12 in Ramstein, Germany.
Last year, Berck’s family took a trip to northern France during spring break. Visiting historic World War I memorials and museums inspired him to share what he learned with others.
“I didn’t know a lot about World War I, and it’s not really focused on as much in school as World War II,” said Berck.
Trenches at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial Park are one of the many checkpoints on Berck’s historic trail. (Dean Berck)
The experience motivated him to pursue creating a historic trail about the Battle of the Somme for his Eagle Scout project. Berck focused on the many military units who came from geographical areas outside of Europe and incorporated stories of lesser-known people who fought in the Somme offensive.
One of the deadliest battles in history, the Germans defended their trenches in the vicinity of the Somme River against French and British forces, many of whom were from French protectorates or British dominions like Australia, Canada, South Africa, Newfoundland and Morocco.
Scouts from Troop 12 with Jacob Berck, far right, visit the Canadian National Vimy Memorial Park. (Dean Berck)
The Somme American Military Cemetery is the first checkpoint along the Somme 1916 historic trail. (Dean Berck)
To immerse visitors in those unique stories, Berck selected 17 checkpoints at historically-rich locations along the 100-mile driving route. Many of the sites are battlefields, museums and memorials; one is uniquely dedicated to war animals. The trail ends at the Sir John Monash Centre (SJMC), the beneficiary of Berck’s project. This free interpretive center is named for the commander of the Australian Corps and managed by the Australian government’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
“It’s an amazing center with a lot of information,” says Berck.
The SJMC sits within the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, one of the many burial grounds managed by the British Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). It is a fitting ending to a tour of the region “where all you have seen will be placed into context,” according to the field guide Berck organized and edited.
As part of his Eagle Scout project, Berck helped with an official troop outing to the sites included along the historic trail. He then managed a publishing team; he gave out assignments and acted as the final editor. “Pretty much every checkpoint was researched and written by one of the Scouts or volunteers,” Berck said.
Jacob Berck, kneeling, assists a volunteer with research for the Some 1916 historic trail Field Guide. (Dean Berck)
Jacob Berck, standing by the window, managed a team of Scouts and volunteers who researched and wrote segments of the new Somme 1916 Trail Guide. (Dean Berck)
Managing such a large project also had its challenges, especially ensuring each volunteer accomplished their tasks. His solution: “We met up at the library. I was able to get the computer room there. So, we’d have enough computers for everyone to do their work.”
Berck also designed a patch for Scouts who complete the historic trail. It features a statue of Sir Monash with blue (for France) and red (for Britain) poppies surrounded by the flags of countries involved in the Battle of the Somme.
Berck is passionate about bringing people into contact with this underappreciated part of history. He discovered for himself how important it is to be immersed in a historical landscape to help grasp the realities of war. “I was really interested in the project the first time I went through [the area] and even more the second time.”
During the troop outing, he saw first-hand how his fellow Scouts became more captivated when learning about WWI while walking around the region, and how excited they were to go home and tell their families about it.
Members of Scout Troop 12 from Ramstein, Germany visit the Delville Wood South African Memorial site while researching to create a new historic trail. (Dean Berck)
Berck poses in the town of Albert, France by a mural commemorating the 1916 Battle of the Somme. (Dean Berck)
The historic trail will be published as a 36-page field guide, which can soon be downloaded as a PDF from the Scouting America Transatlantic Council website. It includes an informative overview about each location while encouraging visitors to discover a personal connection to the history for themselves.
In addition, the guide includes a 111-mile cycling route option, two hiking trails, additional reading and information for Scouts pursuing merit badges related to the activities.
Jacob Berck poses with a draft copy of the Some 1916 Field Guide he developed for a new historical trail as part of his Eagle Scout project. (Kat Nickola)
The Some 1916 Trail Guide includes details for visiting the 100-mile driving route to visit 17 checkpoints related to the Battle of the Some, plus a 111-mile cycling route option, two hiking trails, additional reading and information about Scout achievements. (Kat Nickola)
For Berck, this project was a positive endeavor allowing him to help educate and inform the U.S. military community in Europe while supporting the Australian veteran community through his involvement with SJMC.
