Between the Lines
Issue 48
Spring 2013
Great War Pension Record Cards
The Western Front Association has secured the safe storage of over 6 million
Great War soldiers' pension record cards as the Ministry of Defence was no
longer able to retain and manage its archive. The WFA has catalogued the
primary information for each group of records, and arranged the safe transfer
and storage of the records to secure premises. These include Other Ranks
who died, widows and dependents, Other Ranks survived, Officers survived
and Officers’ widows and Merchant Navy cards. Dependents of each serving
WW1 British soldier, sailor, airman and nurse who was killed were entitled to
a pension, as were those service personnel who were wounded or otherwise
incapacitated due to the conflict.
The Pension Records cards were held regionally because many claimants especially those who were wounded or suffered ill-health - had to attend
regional assessment boards to ensure their entitlement remained valid.
These assessments, known as the Army, Navy and Air Force Registers, are
held in ledgers which also recorded the outcome of assessments. The key
aspect of the records is that they unite genealogical information such as
details of children with military information important to matching up other
records such as census returns and parish registers. Together with CWGC
records and Medal Index Cards the Pension Cards will now provide the fullest
possible picture of each individual who served.
The records also provide information on those who came back who were
entitled to a pension, for whom there is often scant detail. The Pension
Records will be invaluable to Great War historians and for academic
research.
The WFA will seek other funding for the task, and launch a fund-raising
campaign to help preserve the records in the meantime. Until the records are
available online, the WFA will offer a manual look-up of records through
application via their website.
Between the Lines
Issue 48
Spring 2013
www.warmemorialsonline.org uk
At the January meeting member James Brazier told us about War Memorials Online which will bring
together, for the first time, information on all the UK’s war memorials. You can upload your own content,
photos and condition reports to create a complete picture across the country. War Memorials Online is a
collaborative project between the War Memorials Trust, IWM’s War Memorials Archive and English Heritage
working together to plan for the future conservation of local and community monuments
.
.
THE FIELD OF REMEMBRANCE at ST. MARGARET`S WESTMINSTER
By John Websper
In these days when security is the order of the day it is no longer possible for members of the public
to attend the opening of the annual Field of Remembrance in the grounds of Westminster Abbey. It is
strictly an all ticket occasion and I was fortunate to receive one of only twelve allocated to the
Machine Gun Corps O.C.A. Deciding to make the most of a rare visit to the capital I was, thanks to
the high speed train service, wallking through Green Park before 8.30am. On a beautiful crisp autumn
morning with the ground ankle deep in the fallen leaves of London Plane trees I strolled towards the
recently opened Bomber Command Memorial, a fitting and long overdue tribute to those 55,000
members of Bomber Command who lost their lives. The memorial is situated a few hundred yards
from the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill which were inaugurated in 2002 to those members of
Commonwealth countries who lost their lives in the two world wars. Photographs safely taken I was
soon crossing the Mall & entering St James` Park. Just time for a very expensive breakfast and a
glance at the newspaper in the cafeteria before heading for Horseguards and the statue of Kitchener.
Disappointingly it was surrounded by a wire cage as it was being re-pointed thus making photography
impossible, but thanks to a fully armed but very friendly London `Bobby` who suggested that if he
opened the cage an uninterrupted view would be possible. Time was moving on and scattered groups
of soldiers across this famous parade ground were already moving purposely towards Westminster
Abbey. Just time for a walk along Whitehall pausing at various statues, Women at War, Field
Marshalls Slim, Alanbrooke and Montgomery among them. Workmen were cleaning and scrubbing
the base of the Cenotaph preparing for the annual service in three days time on the 11th. I joined the
long line of people in front of the Abbey as it moved steadily towards the security marquee; tickets
produced, names checked, phones, keys, cameras all scrutinised and then that familiar site, countless
thousands of poppies set out in their respective plots representing every imaginable group of British
and Commonwealth Servicemen stretching back almost 100 years. The ever increasing crowd was
wearing a mind boggling array of Regimental ties, medals and other insignia. Field Marshalls were
talking with Private soldiers, Admirals with Able Seaman - a stark reminder perhaps that rank held no
precedence among the dead in the countless WW1 cemeteries with which we are all so familiar. Sharp
at 10.50am we were asked to take our places behind the respective plot of which ever group of
servicemen we were representing. A fanfare followed by a royal salute announced the arrival of the
Duke of Edinburgh and, as the first stroke of Big Ben boomed out, the silence began. An almost
furtive glance along the rooftops of the Abbey and surrounding buildings and one could see the
almost shadowy figures of ever vigilant armed police officers. The Duke dressed in the uniform of
Admiral of the Fleet now began his walk about, working the crowd ever the consummate
professional, speaking with serving servicemen who stood ramrod straight while the “old sweats”
were more relaxed often sharing a joke. Among these was long time East Kent branch member Joe
Hubble from the Black watch, ever present at such occasions. At close quarters the Duke showed no
sign of his recent spells in hospital and it was the best part of an hour before he completed his circuit
of the field. The crowd now began to disperse many to local hostelries and clubs where, over lunch,
old friends would be remembered and almost forgotten events recalled and no doubt embroidered
upon. The destination for the MGC delegation was a few minutes drive away in Pimlico for a well
earned pub lunch. Later in the afternoon I was able to return to the scene of the morning`s service and
while a military presence was still visible the general public was now in the majority some seeking
out a particular regiment or Squadron to add yet another tribute to the massed ranks of poppies as they
wandered through this fitting field of remembrance. A reminder perhaps that remembrance is an all
embracing and often personal emotion.
DECEMBER 2012 BRANCH MEETING
Our guest speaker was Nigel Crompton, who had travelled from Buckinghamshire to tell us
about the Munitions Industry in Kent during the Great War. He is part of an ongoing project
investigating munitions production in World War One as many of the records of workers in
national filling factories have been destroyed.
Directly following the outbreak of war the first version of the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) was
published 8 August 1914. However, the magnitude of the war and its hunger for materiel was about to
grow out of all expectations - all production and planning schemes would be unable to keep pace.
Instead of the war being over by Christmas, the British Army had suffered the tribulations of the
retreat from Mons, the mobile struggle of the mis-named 'Race to the Sea' and the struggles of First
Ypres which saw the end of the original BEF. The onset of winter allowed the troops the opportunity
to draw breath and both sides dug in to the siege conditions of trench warfare. All efforts had now to
be concentrated on training and equipping Kitchener's New Armies.
Lloyd George had shown an interest in munitions production as early as September 1914, but he had
reservations about the War Office's ability to produce sufficient supplies, having visited Woolwich
Arsenal and witnessed stacks of empty shell cases waiting for tedious filling one at a time with ladles
from cauldrons of seething fluid. Kitchener, however, would brook no interference from civilians and
relations between military and political camps deteriorated. The munitions system inherited by
Kitchener was patently incapable of keeping up with the demands of modern war and pressure from
Lloyd George and his supporters led to Asquith founding the Munitions of War Committee on 8 April
1915 in the hope that co-operation between civilians and military might be forthcoming. By May
1915, however, Lloyd George had been approached by representatives of Sir John French with
documents from GHQ showing that urgent demands for more ammunition, particularly highexplosive shells, had been ignored by Kitchener for months. Kitchener's War Office had been
assuring the government that the supply of ammunition was sufficient. Sir John French also 'leaked'
his shortage of reinforcements and ammunition story to the most influential war correspondent of the
day – Repington of The Times – hoping the scandal would seriously discredit Kitchener. Repington
blamed the setback at Festubert on the shortage of shells and a press campaign against Kitchener took
off.
The shell scandal threatened Kitchener's position at the War Office but even Lloyd George's supporters did not
see him as a suitable replacement. Kitchener still had enormous public support as a soldier and Asquith kept
him as head of the army but moved Lloyd George from Chancellor of the Exchequer to head up a new Ministry
of Munitions. Lloyd George's business and industrial expertise would rapidly prove invaluable in gearing up
munitions production for the requirements of modern, technological war. Certainly the formation of the new
Ministry would prove even more valuable than the recently published DORA Amendment Act (No3) which
sought to improve munitions output by keeping the workers as sober as possible. Alcohol was to be controlled
on sites and those areas concerned with munitions industries; the sale of alcohol on transport was banned and it
even became illegal to buy a round for others in a pub – something some people feel is still forbidden today! In
June 1915 the Munitions of War Act restricted strikes and profiteering in addition to existing DORA
restrictions which were becoming even stranger: no flying of kites; no feeding wild animals and no bonfires!
We then looked at the personalities involved as ministers: Lloyd George; E S Montagu; Dr Colin Addison;
Winston Churchill and Lord Inverforth. They were certainly an effective, if somewhat colourful and
Machiavellian team. Their influence embraced not only explosives, projectiles and weaponry, but such diverse
essentials as sawmills, cotton waste, lenses, bedding, first aid and nursing equipment – even the 'death penny'
memorial plaques. There were 1,867,112 munitions workers in their various occupations by October 1916 and
a year later that number had grown to 2,146,375.
In Kent there were explosives companies' factories in Faversham, Dartford, Cliffe and Tonbridge plus many
factories under direct government control. As well as filling mortar bombs there was a need for boxes to be
made and repaired for the transport of munitions thanks to factories at Slade Green, Belvedere and Maidstone.
Vickers had a major presence in Kent at Dartford, Bexleyheath, Crayford and Erith. As well as the machine
guns, aeroplanes and aero engines associated with them, they also produced ammunition, bombs, fuzes,
bayonets and sundry components including naval gun mounts. There were also numerous sub-contractors
throughout the county – shipbuilders, iron and brass foundries, engineering and vehicle manufacturers plus
companies producing grenades, prisms and binoculars, pumps, telephone cables, shells and photographic
printing machinery all crucial to fighting the war. The diversity of Kent's munitions industry was demonstrated
by a comprehensive library of photographs showing existing factory buildings, many recognised by branch
members, and their role in the Great War, as well as photographs of wartime industrial activity: The
Canterbury Car factory; concrete barges; filling shells; producing gas masks; engineering; tanks and aircraft
production.
Nigel finished with perhaps the most notorious Kent factory event. At 14:20 on Sunday 2nd April 1916, 109
men and boys were killed by an explosion at the gun powder works at Uplees, near Faversham. 200 tons of
TNT blew up when some empty sacks caught fire. So great was the explosion that windows across the Thames
estuary in Southend were shattered and the tremor was even felt in Norwich. The crater made by the explosion
was 40 yards across and 20 feet deep. A brave attempt was made to extinguish the fire before it got out of
control, but factory manager George Evetts ordered everyone to leave the site when the situation became
hopeless. However, the explosion occured as everyone was leaving the site. Included in the 109 dead, was the
whole of the Works Fire Brigade. Many firemen died in subsequent smaller explosions on the site. Many
bodies were recovered from the surrounding marshes and dykes, but seven were recorded as missing, most
probably atomised by the explosion. Many of the dead were buried in a mass grave at Faversham Cemetery on
6th April 1916.
Although the Faversham disaster was the worst of the Great War's many munitions disasters, this crucial war
work killed over 400 female workers nationwide through explosions, industrial accidents and TNT poisoning,
as well as affecting the future health of countless other workers. Names of female munitions workers are listed
among the nurses, VADs, mercantile marine, forage and transport service women commemorated on the
Women's Screens in York Minster, but their contribution undoubtedly deserves greater recognition.
The Ministry of Munitions ceased to exist in 1919 but its role in converting an almost cottage industry into the
infrastructure necessary to supply the weaponry and firepower plus all the ancillaries necessary to waging total
war must not be underestimated. The social changes resulting from this industrialisation affected families
throughout the country and Kent's place in the industry was an interesting topic for our discussion. PM
January 2013
Following the branch AGM in January popular speaker Charles Messenger returned to East Kent to
speak about the demobilisation process at the end of WW1. Charles served for twenty years as an
officer in the Royal Tank Regiment before becoming a fulltime military historian and defense analyst.
He has written nearly forty books, including The Blitzkrieg Story.
Planning for demobilisation
There was great pressure on the government to demobilize the troops as quickly as possible but it was no easy
task as when hostilities ended in November 1918 there were 3.6 million men in the British Army, not including
Dominion and Empire troops and volunteers. Approximately 1.5 million men were in France and Flanders and
the rest were widely scattered from India to Italy, Mesopotamia, Egypt and East Africa.
As early as December 1914 serious thought had been given to how best to demobilize troops to benefit the
labour market and no-one wanted a repeat of the problems after the Battle of Waterloo when jobless soldiers
faced famine and chronic unemployment led to political radicalism, especially in the north of England among
the cotton loom workers. It was agreed that 4 weeks terminal leave with a gratuity and one year’s dole money
while job hunting should be paid to each soldier.
In May 1916 a cabinet sub-committee was formed, which included Maurice Hankey and William Beveridge, to
discuss how to rebuild Britain after the war and convert industry to peacetime production. They decided to give
priority to demobilize first those men who had jobs to go to followed by those who had trades which were short
of labour. In May 1917 the Lloyd George government established the Ministry of Reconstruction whose
responsibilities included employment and demobilization.
The new Directorate of Demobilization gave priority to “pivotal men” or those needed to rebuild vital industries.
They also proposed releasing married men before single men regardless of length of service. Field Marshal
Haig was very unhappy with this plan as it failed to take into account the actual conditions in France and
Flanders. Haig claimed that dispersal should take by divisions so there would be no jealousy or unsettling of
morale and discipline. It would take months to clear all the salvage, stores and wounded men from Flanders.
Also what was entered on enlistment papers was not necessarily true. He wrote to the War Office but Lloyd
George ignored him.
The directorate changed the categories for release again. First would be those involved administering the
multitude of forms needed to process demobilization smoothly followed by Pivotal Men who had the trades and
skills needed to re-build Britain’s industry. Next came the Slip Men, those who held a letter or slip promising
employment. A system of release categories was devised with farmers, sailors and fishermen and miners at
the top and students and teachers near the bottom. Those who had volunteered early in the war or enlisted
st
before 31 December 1915, were over 37 years old or had three or more wounds were given priority treatment.
The conscripts were released last with the youngest from 1918 left to the end of the queue. Men who had
enlisted as regular soldiers knew they would be kept on until their years “with the colours” had been served, as
the Army still required about 900,000 men. Most of the soldiers were back in civilian life in time for the National
th
Peace Day celebrations of 19 . July 1919. By May 1920 0ver 4 million men had been demobbed.
The Class Z Reserve was authorised by an Army Order in December 1918. There were fears that Germany
would not accept the terms of any peace treaty so the British Government needed to quickly recall trained men
in the eventuality of the resumption of hostilities. Soldiers being demobilised, who had agreed to serve "for the
duration", were at first posted to Class Z. They returned to civilian life but with an obligation to return if called
upon. The Z Reserve was abolished in March 1920.
Demobilisation Chain
The soldiers would be moved through a series of staging camps to a railhead. They would then spend some
time in a transit camp near the French coast before space on a ship became available. On arrival in England
the men would be moved to one of over 20 Dispersal Centres in a camp or a barracks. One camp was at
Shorncliffe near Folkestone and another in the grounds of the Crystal Palace in Sydenham.
At the Dispersal Centre the soldier received a Z3, Z11 or Z12 Protection Certificate, to prove he was not a
deserter, and a railway warrant or ticket to his home station. This certificate also enabled him to receive
medical attention if necessary during his final leave. Men received 28 days paid leave, an Out-Of-Work
Donation Policy Book for up to 20 weeks unemployment benefit & war gratuity based on rank/service.
Before the soldier left his unit he was medically examined and given Army Form Z22, which allowed him to
make a claim for any form of disability arising from his military service. He was also given an Army Form Z44
(Plain Clothes Form) and Z18, a Certificate of Employment showing what he had done in the army. A Dispersal
Certificate also noted the state of his equipment. If he lost any of it after this point, the value would be deducted
from his outstanding pay. The soldier also received in addition an advance of pay, a fortnight's ration book and
also an Army Form Z50 - for the return of his greatcoat to a railway station during his leave. For this he was
paid £1 which counted as part of his war or service gratuity payment. He could have either a clothing allowance
of 52/6 or be provided with a suit of plain clothes. If he chose the latter he would hand in his Z44. The first to be
discharged were also provided with a cap, collar and tie and could retain the following from the issued uniform,
“cardigan waistcoast, necessaries, drawers, one pair of serviceable boots and kitbag”. All other articles of
uniform and clothing were to be returned to the Quartermaster before leaving the centre. The soldier’s final
leave began the day after he was dispersed. He left to go home, still in uniform and with his steel helmet and
greatcoat.
While on final leave he was still technically a soldier although could now go about in plain clothes. Legally he
could not wear his uniform after 28 days from dispersal. Any other payments due to him were sent in three
instalments by Money Orders or Postal Drafts to be cashed at a Post Office on production of the Protection
Certificate. The man could also take his Demobilisation Ration Book to the nearest Food Office and exchange
it for an Emergency Card, which he could later exchange for a civilian Ration Book.
Before the soldier finally left he would be given ARMY FORM Z21 a certificate of Discharge, Transfer to
Reserve, Disembodiment or Demobilization. This document recorded the usual name, rank and number,
medals and decorations awarded, military qualifications and, if relevant the date of the soldier’s transfer to the
Army Reserve.
Towards the end of 1918 and into early 1919 there was considerable unrest among the soldiers awaiting
demobilization which was stirred up by the press with headlines like the Daily Herald’s “Send the Boys Home!”
The government was uneasy as Bolshevik uprisings were taking place in other European countries. There
were disturbances in Calais and also among the Canadians waiting for ships, as at Rhyl in North Wales. On
Peace Day in July 1919 Luton Town Hall, built in 1897, was burnt down during a riot by ex-servicemen
unhappy with unemployment and other grievances. Tension boiled over into violence when members of the
council arrived to read out the King’s proclamation. Protesters broke through the police line and forcibly entered
the town hall eventually setting it on fire. During the riot people dragged pianos into the streets for dancing and
singing, including the popular song "Keep the home fires burning".
Charles ended his talk by stating that by 1920 there was mass unemployment and the country was in recession
which sounds depressingly familiar to us today. The Land Fit for Heroes was a mirage.LP
The following documents are held by The National Archives and can be viewed on their website at
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Reference
Document
AIR 10/199:
RAF notes for airmen on demobilisation, 1919.
CAB 27/41-42:
Minutes and memos of the Cabinet Committee on Demobilisation, 1918.
CAB 33:
War Cabinet Post War Priority and Demobilisation Committees: minutes
and registered files, 1918-19.
MEPO 2/1962:
Various material on the riot by five Canadian soldiers at Epsom police
station, Jun 1919.
RECO 1:
Various Ministry of Reconstruction files on demobilisation, 1918-19.
From Cantigny to Sedan - May to November 1918
Our lively February speaker was Dr Andrew Thomson, a fully qualified battlefield guide who
lives in Canterbury. His interest in the Americans in WW1 began when he was writing the
introduction to his doctorate in American History which dealt with the experience of ordinary
American troops in France in 1944/45 and their interactions with French people. East Kent
branch is planning a tour with Andrew to Villers-Bretonneux and Hamel in Picardy. For more
information on Andrew’ tours please see www.drttours.co.uk
When President Wilson visited George V in England in 1919 he stressed that America had been an Associate
Power in WW1 not an Ally. When America entered the war in 1917 it only had a comparatively small army
but a large navy. Month by month more and more doughboys were arriving in Europe.
By the spring of 1918 entire American Expeditionary Forces divisions were beginning to serve on the front
lines alongside French troops though Pershing insisted that the AEF fight as units under American command
rather than being split up by battalions to augment British and French regiments and brigades
With the aid of computer-generated maps Dr Thomson guided us through the intricacies of the AEF troop
movements in 1918 starting with the battle for Cantigny in Picardy in May 1918.
The objective was to reduce a small salient made by the Germans 20 km south east of Amiens, but also to
instill confidence among the French and British allies in the ability of the inexperienced Americans of the
First Division who were trained for open warfare not for trenches. General Pershing, Commander of the
AEF, had openly scorned the slow trench warfare of the previous three years on the Western Front,
believing that American soldiers’ skill with the rifle would enable them to avoid costly and senseless fighting
over a small area of no man’s land. He said:
The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle!
The Aisne-Marne offensive, or 2nd Battle of the Marne from June to August 1918 was the last major German
offensive in WW1. It marked the turning point of the war and the start of the relentless Allied advance
which ended with the Armistice being declared on 11th November. American forces contributed eight large
divisions, alongside 24 French ones, and the German advance was checked by the Marines and soldiers of
the American Expeditionary Forces at Belleau Wood, allowing time for the French forces to reform. Several
hundred tanks overwhelmed the Germans on their right flank. On 14 July 1918, while surrounding units
retreated, the 3rd Infantry Division remained rock solid and earned its reputation as the “Rock of the
Marne”.
The AEF encountered stiff German resistance along the “Berta Line”, one of four such lines between the
Marne and Aisne rivers, but this proved to be a rear-guard holding action while the main German forces
withdrew. The French Jesuit anthropologist/ geologist/paleontologist Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a
stretcher bearer during this battle and later wrote an essay about it entitled La Nostalgie du Front.
In a week of fighting the AEF captured 17 km of ground in the first real advance made by an American
division as a unit, but at a cost of 20% casualties, the greatest number of battle casualties it would
experience in a single operation, many of whom were gassed and are buried in the nearby Aisne-Marne
American Cemetery.
On 6 August 1918, Foch was made Marshal of France. Along with Field Marshal Haig, Foch planned
the Grand Offensive, opening on 26 September 1918, which led to the defeat of Germany. After a quick
victory at Saint-Mihiel, east of Verdun, AEF commanders hoped to push on eastwards to Metz, but Marshal
Foch redeployed them in launching a major offensive northwards in difficult terrain at Meuse-Argonne,
aided by French tanks.
By September of 1918, the Allied line finally regained some of its territory that it had lost to the German
advance earlier in the year.
Using several ruses to deceive the Germans into thinking the offensive would head toward Metz in the
north, the US 1st Army began to form in the area between the Meuse River and the Argonne Forest.
On September 26th, the American 1st Army went into battle with the French holding their flanks. Following
a rolling barrage of artillery fire, the US 1st Army crashed through the German defences. The US 3rd Corps
pushed its way into the Germans second defensive line but the 5th Corps got stopped at Montfaucon. By
October 6th, however, three British Armies reached the Hindenburg line and General Pershing’s veteran
divisions squeezed out Montfaucon.
The Germans had nothing left in reserve now to strengthen the line, and now the Allies were putting more
and more pressure into the battle. Ludendorff reported to the Kaiser that the war was now lost. President
Wilson was keen to tie matters up before the mid-term elections, and the other Allies did not have the
strength to defeat Germany without U.S. help, so had little choice but to follow Wilson’s lead.
At 11:00 AM on November 11th, the battle ended with the signing of the cease fire and the Armistice. The
US 1st Army had reached the Hindenburg line and was about to open another operation toward Metz. Foch
advocated peace terms that would make Germany unable to pose a threat to France ever again. His words
after the Treaty of Versailles, “This is not a peace. It is an armistice for twenty years” would prove
prophetic.
What was the effect of the American involvement during WW1? Well, it was mainly down to the increasing
numbers of fresh young troops and the fact that the Germans could not be everywhere at once. By the end
of the Meuse-Argonne offensive in 1918, there were 1.3 million American men on French soil.
Their experiences in France in 1917-18 were ideal training for American soldiers for WW11. They were used
to shipping large quantities of supplies and personnel across the Atlantic and learned how to use new
equipment such as tanks and armoured vehicles. LP
Recommended further reading
The AEF Way of War: The American army and combat in WW1 Grotelueschen, Mark Ethan. CUP 2010
The Doughboys: America and the First World War Mead, Gary. Overlook Press 2000
Thanet men lost
Further to Hazel’s article in December’s newsletter about the Live Bait Squadron the following
Thanet men were lost when their ships were torpedoed in the North Sea on September 22nd 1914
Assiter A Chief Yeoman of Signals
Blackburn L Leading Seaman
Brenchley George Charles Able Seaman
Brenchley J C Seaman
Brown H J Seaman RNR
Castle John Shipwright 1st Class
Howes Albert Edward Petty Officer
Morris Stoker J 1st Class
Wheat George Alfred Signalman
White F 1st Class Petty Officer
HMS Aboukir
HMS Hogue
HMS Aboukir
HMS Aboukir
HMS Aboukir
HMS Cressy
HMS Aboukir
HMS Hogue
HMS Cressy or HMS Aboukir
HMS Cressy
CWGC Information panel installed at Botley
In November the CWGC installed the first of 100 information panels in the UK at Oxford (Botley)
Cemetery. 500 such panels are being installed at various cemeteries and memorials over the coming
months to mark the centenary of WW1. The first panels were installed on the Forgotten Front
Remembrance Trail in Northern France.The panels will have general information about the CWGC,
and will explain why the cemetery or memorial is placed where it is together with an explanation of
the historical and military context. Each panel will have a QR (Quick Response) code, to allow
smartphone users to download further information, including stories of some of the casualties buried
or commemorated there.
ww100.govt.nz
This site contains information on the New Zealand Government’s First World War Centenary
commemorations, WW100 New Zealand. You’ll find news, events and historical content on the site plus
details on how to get involved
Don’t forget to bring some books for the branch Book Sale in May !!
WW1 Irish wills on the internet - The wills of 9,000 Irish soldiers who died in the First World War have been
put online by the Republic's National Archives. The documents reveal the last wishes of the soldiers, many of them Ulster
men. Although about 35,000 Irish men died in action, only 9,000 wills have survived. The fallen never came home, but
their wills, which were written in a page of a pocket service book and tucked in their uniform, did. Those who could not
read and write asked someone else to write it for them then signed it with an X. Many of the soldiers were very young,
and they did not have wives or any children, so they left everything to a parent, siblings or friends serving with them.
One soldier wrote to his brother cutting his father out of his will because “he’ll just drink it”. Staff at the National
Archives felt quite emotional reading letters and wills of men who died but who had written them thinking they were
going to come back. There was an element of shame for some of the men who fought in the First World War. Some were
ostracized by their families for joining the British Army, even if it was for financial reasons. Others would have been
enlisted automatically after serving in the Boer War.
The wills were originally processed by the War Office in London, then sent to the Probate Office in Dublin. From there
they were sent to the National Archives where until now they were inaccessible to the public. www.nationalarchives.ie
Votes for 100 First World War Objects
In November The RAF Museums in Cosford and Hendon began asking the public to vote for what objects they felt
should be displayed in their exhibition about the role of Air Power in the First World War. The Top 10 objects so far
are listed below but other objects can be seen at [email protected]
1. RFC dog jacket
3. 'Fums Up' lucky charm
5. Aircraft watch
7. Flying Mask
9. Belgian banknote
2. Anti-airship incendiary
4. Kite Balloon Observer
6. Tealby medals
8. Camouflage aircraft fabric
10.Painting 'Night Raid 1916'
Europeana is collecting stories and artefacts from across Europe to create a unique and lasting online
archive of the 1914-1918 period. Stories will be shared, read by others worldwide and saved for future
generations. Part-funded by the European Commission, Europeana makes over 24 million items from
Europe's galleries, libraries, museums and archives available to the world online. This extensive 19141918 archive will be available through the website at
www.europeana.eu
Jumping the Bags
As we approach the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War there will be a flurry of new
books and scholarly volumes about the conflict. Both these newly published books about the
language of WW1 will appeal to scholars and enthusiasts alike as they combine research with
close observation.
WW1 is responsible for hundreds of words and phrases being used today in the English language.
Terms believed to have become common parlance because of the war include 'cushy',
'snapshot', 'bloke', 'binge drink' and 'pushing up daisies' Many of the phrases had
previously been used by just one geographical region or social class before the war – until
thousands of British men were forced to mix with one another in the trenches. The war brought
military slang into the mainstream, and imported French and German words into English. WW1
was a melting pot of classes and nationalities, with people thrown together under conditions of
stress. The British army in WW1 was a citizen army - and also the first really literate army, and
at the end of the war, those that survived took their new words back to the general population.
Military historian Peter Doyle and social linguist Julian Walker analysed thousands letters from
the front, as well as newspapers and diaries to trace the striking development of the English
language between 1914 and 1918. Their book 'Trench Talk: Words of the First World War'
published by The History Press Ltd , reveals that many of the words were created by soldiers to
describe their unfamiliar surroundings and circumstances, while they had to come up with names
for new items like 'trench coats'. The book traces the changes in word usage by soldiers,
newspapers, politicians, writers, and diarists. Words moved between languages, creating hybrids
- English to Arabic to English, German to English, French to German – and of course
mistranslation.
Christopher Moore, a BBC producer, has also just published a book containing a fascinating
miscellany of trench lingo called Roger, whippet, and sausage: A miscellany of Trench
lingo from the Great War published by Headline Books.
Just for fun how many of these expressions do you know?
Belgian rattlesnake, canteen medals, grey hen, devil dodger
Toby’s Room
Durham author Pat Barker returns to World War One in her latest book Toby's Room. Elinor Brooke
is attending the Slade School of Fine Art in 1912 studying under the famous Dr. Henry Tonks. Her
fellow students include Paul Tarrant and Kit Neville. In 1917 Elinor’s brother Toby is reported missing
believed killed, and Elinor becomes obsessed with learning the truth about how her brother died. Kit,
severely injured at the front, is sent to Dr. Tonks' hospital, which specializes in facial reconstructions.
Certain that Kit knows something about Toby, Elinor seeks the help of Paul, also injured in the
fighting and now working as a war artist, to find out what Kit is refusing to tell. Pat Barker blends
actual characters with fictional ones. In real life, Tonks produced a series of pastel drawings of the
faces of injured soldiers, both before and after reconstructive surgeries. While she describes WWI
battles, Pat Barker is more interested in the complex psychological traumas and conflicts
experienced by the people affected, to varying degrees, by the war. Elinor Brooke provides a
feminine perspective on what is usually perceived as a male-dominated historical event. She sees
women handing out white feathers to all men not dressed in military uniform and also sees women
hurl bricks through the windows of shops owned by anyone with German-sounding names. Toby's
Room is self-contained, but ends in 1917. Hopefully a third novel will be forthcoming to continue the
stories of characters first encountered in Pat Barker’s novel Life Class.
Coral-encrusted HMS E14 discovered off the coast of Turkey
The final resting place of a WWI submarine, whose two captains won the Victoria Cross, has been found after
94 years near the town of Kumkale just 800 feet from the beach. Sunk by heavy shellfire, the E14 was lying at
a depth of 65ft at an angle of almost 45 degrees and covered mostly in sand. One shell hole was visible near
the bows, but that appeared to be the only damage and the British government has asked the Turkish authorities
to preserve the site as a war grave. E14 was sunk in January 1918, with the loss of 25 lives while on a mission
to torpedo the flagship of the Ottoman Empire’s navy. She had navigated 20 miles through dense minefields
and past a string of enemy positions into the heavily fortified Dardanelles. The raid went wrong when one of
the torpedoes exploded prematurely. E14 was damaged and forced to surface where it was bombarded by
Turkish coastal artillery. Capt White knew his submarine could not reach the open sea, and directed her
towards a nearby beach, in an effort to save the crew. Captain White was posthumously awarded the VC. Only
seven of the crew survived.
Just in time for Christmas!
A World War II post card sent from the occupied Channel Islands 71
years ago FINALLY made it to its destination in December 2012. The
Christmas card was sent in 1941 to Germany from German soldier Emil
Adam, who was stationed on the Island of Jersey and has now been
delivered to one of his very surprised but delighted descendants.
War dogs - War horses have received much media coverage recently but the Allies also
employed thousands of dogs in WW1, and the most essential part of their work was not to kill
but to save. As Red Cross workers dogs were daily doing stunts that if they had been human
would have brought them medals, and they were often wounded, and sometimes died. Some
dogs were trained to watch the sky with keen eyes and bark upon the appearance of an enemy
plane. Some dogs were used as guards for captured property such as ammunition, put in
command of prisoners, used to track fugitives or to arrest anyone who fell under suspicion.
Other dogs acted as alarm clocks to warn of the stealthy approach of the foe; others were
trained to give notice of the presence of poison gas when the human nose could not scent it or
employed to haul light ordinance or carry ammunition. A war dog was also an excellent message
carrier, or listening post assistant, and was even entrusted the extremely hazardous duty of
carrying timed explosives, placing them upon the right spot and then scampering away before
they exploded. Some dogs were taught to give first aid to the injured, then to return to
headquarters and report the case, thereafter leading the surgeons and stretcher bearers to the
sufferer or sufferers. In nosing out the injured men who have fallen in out-of-the-way places his
aid was invaluable. If a man was dead upon the battlefield the dog paid no attention to him, but
if he was alive the dog stood over him so that the wounded one could remove the first aid
package he carried about his neck, then he hastened back to headquarters regardless of the
thickness of machine gun or shell fire and reported to his superior officer. The war dog was given
credit for saving Verdun by carrying messages when the wires were all shot away and
communication cut off. LP
Adrian Van Klaveren to oversee BBC WW1 centenary coverage
Former BBC Radio 5 Live controller Adrian Van Klaveren, is to oversee the corporation's coverage of
the 100th anniversary of WW1 which will include a landmark documentary fronted by Newsnight
presenter Jeremy Paxman. BBC Radio 4 is marking the anniversary with a drama to be broadcast
over the timespan of the original conflict – four years. The drama, which has the working title
Tommies, is believed to be the UK's biggest ever one-off radio drama commission, and will tell the
story of signals corps soldiers' experiences during the war in real time. The signals corps was chosen
because these units, responsible for communications, were more mobile than most. The as yet
uncast drama will follow the trajectory of the conflict in real time and finish broadcasting in the
autumn of 2018, the 100th anniversary of the end of the conflict, which claimed about 900,000 British
lives. Some of the soldiers featured in the drama will inevitably be killed as the war progresses.
Victoria Cross sold
The Victoria Cross given to Boer War hero Sgt William Traynor , who was so badly injured his wife
was told he died in battle, sold at auction in December 2012 for £192,000 after 111 years. He was
awarded the medal after being shot in the leg and chest while saving the life of a soldier.
Treasure trove of photographs
Found in an old camera - Anton Orlov, a US collector of vintage photography equipment, got a
surprise when he picked up a French camera for $100 at an antique store in Los Angeles which
contained unseen images of France in World War I. Orlov opened up the film chamber and found the
negatives on a stack of glass plates. The black-and-white photos were taken in France, and document
some of the destruction of the countryside. All eight photos from the 1901 Jumelle Bellini
stereoscopic camera can be seen here:the photopalace.blogspot.com.br
WWI photos of soldiers at Shepreth hospital published
When a woman said an uneven floor was ruining her carpet bowls meetings,
she had no idea her complaint would reveal some fascinating wartime history. Carpenters called in to rectify the problem
discovered a postcard addressed to a WWI soldier, hidden behind a panel in Shepreth village hall in Cambridgeshire. The
building had been used as a military hospital and it is thought the card, dated 1915, was sent to a soldier while
convalescing. The postcard was addressed to Pte Edward Wolstencroft of the Royal Fusiliers, from a woman named
Nellie, believed to be his elder sister Ellen. Edward returned to France where he died on 7 July 1916 during the Battle of
the Somme and is remembered at Thiepval. A nephew Paul Wolstencroft has been traced and reunited with the postcard.
You can see all the photographs at www.oldshep.co.uk
Aerial photographs on display !
Images from the First World War will form part of a special exhibition opening on February 12th at
the TIC in Appleby in Cumbria this year. The aerial pictures, include views of Britain, France and the
Middle East showing what life was like as an observer flying early aircraft in the RFC in a war when
life expectancy was short. John Fielding has spent years building up his collection and now they will
be exhibited to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance. Mr Fielding’s collection also features
postcards and autographs from the 1910 Blackpool Aviation meeting, which included pioneers Claude
Grahame-White, AV Roe, and Hubert Latham, who made the first attempt to fly across the Channel.
The rest of the exhibition includes autographs from astronauts and a collection of NASA mission
badges. Phone 017683 51177 or email [email protected] to check opening times before
visiting Appleby Tourist Information Centre.
Hospital refuse reveals glimpses of life in WWI Thessaloniki
Treasures have been found in an old refuse tip of a WWI military hospital used by the Army of the Orient, which had
become overgrown with weeds, and was rediscovered in 2007. Dozens of empty champagne and Burgundy wine bottles,
eating utensils, cookware, military uniforms, buttons, shoes and coins, among many other things, began reveal the
everyday life of men who served in Macedonia during WWI. Some artefacts have featured in a recent exhibition at the
award-winning Museum of Byzantine Culture.
Archaeologists first thought the finds were from an officers' club but after research they discovered that the bottles found
were re-used to store medicine, to supply the very sizable needs of the 16 military hospitals set up in Thessaloniki at the
time. The remnants of the military hospital of the Army of the Orient, not only shows what life was like for the soldiers
and medics on the front, but also the evolution of the science of medicine as well. Finds include a 10-drachma piece,
found with a bullet hole in its centre which may have saved someone’s life. The collection of buttons is also interesting,
as they come from the uniforms of French, Russian, Serbian and British soldiers, showing that exchanges between
armies, hospitals and camps were constant.
www.mbp.gr/html/en/mouseio.htm
Edith Cavell charity aims to raise £3m
A charity set up in memory of Norfolk WWI heroine Edith Cavell in 1917 is aiming to raise £3m by
the 100th anniversary of her death. Edith helped more than 200 allied soldiers to escape from
German-occupied Belgium before she was shot by firing squad in 1915. Edith Cavell's remains were
brought back to Britain after the war, and a memorial service was held in Westminster Abbey on 15
May 1919. Her coffin was then taken through packed silent streets to Liverpool Street and then by
train to Norwich with people lining the track all the way. Her remains were interred at the east end of
Norwich Cathedral in keeping with her family's wishes.
Today the charity supports the UK's 650,000 registered nurses, midwives, health care assistants
together with retired and student nurses who need financial help following illness, injury and other
difficulties. A nurse recently had to give up nursing after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and
the charity provided her with a specialised wheelchair. During 2012 the number of requests for help
doubled, and by the 100th anniversary of Edith's death in 2015 the trust wants to double the number
of beneficiaries to 2,000.
When Edith Cavell was killed in Brussels in 1915 she left behind her beloved dog Jack. After his
death in 1923 he was stuffed and given to the Norfolk Branch of the Red Cross. He has been on
display at the IWM London for the past 37 years and will be a key exhibit in the museum's new WW1
Gallery in London due to open in spring 2014.
www.cavellnursestrust.or
The Making of the First World War by Ian F. W. Beckett (Yale University Press)
A century has passed since the assassination of Austria-Hungary's Archduke Ferdinand, yet the repercussions
of the devastating global conflict that followed echo still. Ian Beckett turns the spotlight on twelve particular
events of WW1 that continue to shape the world today. Focusing on episodes both well known and scarcely
remembered, the story of the Great War is told from a new perspective, stressing accident as much as strategy,
the small as well as the great, the social as well as the military, and the long term as much as the short term.
While war is itself an agent of change, Beckett shows, the most significant developments occur not on the
battlefields or in the corridors of power, but also in hearts and minds. Nor may the decisive turning points
during years of conflict be those that were thought to be so at the time. With its wide reach and unexpected
conclusions, this book revises—and expands—our understanding of the legacy of the First World War.
Ian F. W. Beckett is Visiting Professor of History at the University of Kent. His many books include
Ypres: The First Battle, 1914 and The Great War, 1914–1918.
Schlieffen’s Plan Lives On
On January 4, 1913, Count Alfred von Schlieffen, the architect of Germany’s plan of attack on France, died aged 79 just 19
months before the flawed implementation of his plan, and the ensuing failure of the German offensive in the west. Shlieffen
was born in 1833, joined the Prussian army in 1854 and served for 51 years. Considered a brilliant strategist and military
theorist, he was appointed chief of the German General Staff in 1891, and began work on the Schlieffen Plan, which he
worked on almost obsessively for the rest of his life, continuing through his “retirement” until his death in 1913.
The Schlieffen Plan was essentially a surprise attack on northern France through Belgium, allowing the
Germans to avoid the impregnable line of French fortresses which included Verdun and Belfort. Schlieffen’s
vision was that seven armies containing almost 1.5 million troops would be divided into two wings of uneven
strength. While the smaller southern (left) wing defended Germany’s border with France, the larger northern
(right) wing would advance through Belgium and Luxembourg into France along a broadening front, wheeling
southwest towards Paris, with the westernmost army skirting the English Channel and encompassing Chartres.
He hoped the French would concentrate their troops along the Franco-German border and engage the German
left wing to try and regain the former French provinces of Alsace-Lorraine, so that the right wing could pivot
through northern France to complete a massive encirclement, closing the trap behind them.
Schlieffen modeled his strategy on Hannibal’s destruction of the Roman armies at Cannae saying that the
essential thing is to crush the enemy’s flanks and complete the annihilation by attack upon his rear. The whole
thing was to be achieved in six weeks giving Germany enough time to redeploy its troops to the east to fight
France’s main ally, Russia, which would take longer to mobilize its forces. The plan disregarded the neutrality
of Belgium and Luxembourg raising the possibility of intervention by Britain, which had guaranteed Belgian
neutrality in 1839. Schlieffen was confident that Germany could defeat France before the British arrived. The
most important thing was to avoid the nightmare scenario of a war on two fronts, and this meant finishing off
France before Russia could mobilize, which meant violating Belgian neutrality.
The Schlieffen Plan reflected the scientific rationalization of warfare during the 19th century, with rail
transportation playing a central role in getting troops to the front. Strategy was based largely on railway
timetables, how long it took to board troops, move them a certain distance, disembark them, and then send the
train back to re-load. Once armies were in the field, the speed of attack depended on the condition and width of
the roads to accommodate marching columns of troops, and the likely bottlenecks. His critics called his plan
mechanistic, schematic or too ambitious and field commanders resented their loss of freedom of action which
the plan entailed. Schlieffen had his own doubts about the plan. Despite all the train scheduling and related
logistical issues he still foresaw weakened German forces having to face more numerous French forces
occupying strong defensive positions along the River Marne east of Paris. He needed another eight army corps
of around 200,000 men, but there was no room for these troops on the trains and roads between Germany and
France, according to his plan.
Schlieffen’s successor, Helmuth von Moltke, was not convinced of the need for such a concentration of
German strength in the right wing, and also feared a French victory over the weak left wing. In Moltke’s
modified version of the plan he ignored Schlieffen’s plea from his deathbed to “Keep the right wing strong” and
Germany eventually lost the war.
Which famous anti-war novel begins with the words:-
We are at rest five miles behind the front. Yesterday we were relieved, and now our bellies are
full of beef and haricot beans. We are satisfied and at peace.” (Answer on Page 19)
A Wail from the Wounded - ( Published in the East Kent Times Nov 15th 1916)
I’m first a British soldier and have watched the Army grow
From a few thousands to five million men or so
I was in the early fighting and at Mons I first got hit
And then back again to Blighty, and soon was passed as fit.
I next went to the Dardanelles but the Huns had me again
It took a longer period then to get me free from pain
But a change of atmosphere ‘twas thought might give to me some peace
And without a word of warning I was just packed off to Greece.
Still no matter where I’m sent to, my luck is always out.
I’d scarce got on the trenches when I had to turn about.
I suppose I’ll have a season for dear old Blighty’s shore
Should I again get sent off and am wounded any more.
My story is not ended for I’m back again from France
With a shattered arm and shoulder which fairly made me dance.
But one thing always puzzles me each time that I come home
That’s to see the men in khaki who have never crossed the foam.
I am but a simple soldier but give my views I must
To keep on sending wounded back to me seems hardly just
When there are thousands other men I am sure you will agree
They might send some of them across instead of sending me. CEM
A chaplain at Gallipoli Most books on the Gallipoli campaign focus on military strategy and the
mistakes that were made, but a refreshingly different view is provided in “A Chaplain at Gallipoli: The
Great War Diaries of Kenneth Best” which focuses instead on the ordinary men, whom Atatürk described
as “heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives.”The editor Gavin Roynon, whose great-uncle died at
Gallipoli concentrates in this moving account on the letters and diary of Kenneth Best, chaplain of the
42nd East Lancashire Division. Aged only 26, the padre was a brilliant Cambridge mathematics graduate
who had gone into the priesthood. As chaplain to the troops he was privy to their darkest fears and
deepest hopes. His task was to provide spiritual comfort and support to the living, as well as perform the
final religious act for the dead. Kenneth Best had little time for officers and support staff who stayed back
at base in comfort. His place was right by the men sharing the lice, the sleepless nights, the shelling, the
grief, the fear and the fever. He saw it as his duty to rescue the wounded from no man’s land and bury the
dead wherever possible, not counting the risk he was running when shells came too close.
A Chaplain at Gallipoli: The Great War Diaries of Kenneth Best Published by Simon & Schuster 2011
War and Peace show on the move
Organiser Rex Cadman has decided this year to move his Kent show in July from Paddock Wood
Hop Farm to Folkestone Racecourse. The show which began in 1982 as a small club event run by
the Invicta Military Vehicle Preservation Society now attracts thousands to displays of military
vehicles, battle re-enactments and a rare opportunity to meet war veterans.
The RAF Museum is going digital!
Thanks to a generous grant from the Esmee Fairbairn Collections fund the RAF Museum has secured
funding to preserve, digitise and provide public access both online and in the gallery to around
300,000 WW1 personnel records from the RFC, RNAS and RAF as part of a new permanent
exhibition “The First War in the Air” which will tell the less well-known story through a diverse
range of human stories and exhibits.
Exciting excavations planned in Staffordshire
The ASC field bakery at work
Staffordshire county council has received a grant of £80,000 from Natural England to carry out
an excavation of two training camps on Cannock Chase. Brocton and Rugeley Camps were
constructed in 1914 to hold 20,000 men each – the size of an infantry division at the time. To
train troops properly for the horrors of the trenches a life-size replica of the Messines Ridge near
Ypres was re-created using aerial photographs. The main aim of the project is to remove scrub
and brambles and excavate the practice battlefield which will then be carefully researched and
then covered up again. The interpretation of the Messines model and the training camps will be
based at the Marquis Drive Visitor Centre housed in an original WW1 barrack block. Visitors will
be able to experience an actual or digital model of the Messines trenches, and understand how
the were used to prepare the troops for battle.
Round and about in Kent
SMS Grosser Kurfurst was an armoured frigate launched in 1875 in Wilhelmshaven, following her
sister ships SMS Preussen and SMS Friedrich der Grosse. Subsequently reclassified as Panzerschiffe
they were the first armoured ships with gun turrets built in Germany, as the new Imperial Navy
sought to be independent from foreign shipbuilders. The crew numbered 46 officers and 454 men.
During exercises off Folkestone in Kent in May 1878, a squadron of German navy ships was sailing
in two columns destined for Plymouth, with the flagship SMS Koenig Wilhelm and SMS Preussen in
one division and SMS Grosser Kurfurst making up the other. As they were sailing under the cliffs,
two small sailing craft crossed the bows of the German ships, provoking both Koenig Wilhelm and
Grosser Kurfurst to make emergency manoeuvres. The unfortunate result was that both ships swung
inwards and the larger SMS Koenig Wilhelm tore into the side of the other ship, spilling sailors into
the sea, ripping off armoured plating and tearing large holes in her side. SMS Grosser Kurfurst
rapidly began to sink and despite numerous rescue craft despatched from Sandgate and Folkestone
pulling as many sailors from the wreck as they could 284 of her crew drowned. Many are buried in
Cheriton Road Cemetery in Folkestone, where a rather splendid memorial can be seen.
WW1 anniversary - Remember, question and re-evaluate
Hew Strachan is the Chichele Professor of the History of War and a member of the WWI Centenary
Advisory Board. In January he wrote an article in the Daily Telegraph arguing that the national
commemoration of World War One is in danger of becoming sterile and boring if we just rework the
familiar themes of remembrance and must not just be a more elaborate version of Remembrance
Sunday. The commemorations will last more than four years so perhaps we should have different
themes planned for different years. He feels we also need to recognise the degree to which this war
shaped our thinking about all war and our notions of when it is right to fight and when not, of warfare
as simultaneously necessary and wasteful. He suggests that if we do not emerge at the end of the
process in 2018 with fresh perspectives, we shall have failed.
We must not forget that the vast majority of those who donned a uniform did return and we must not
neglect the contribution made by those men and women who may have supported the war effort in
other ways, through munitions and food production, charitable work and refugee relief. There must
also be sufficient awareness of the contribution of the other Commonwealth and European countries
to the war. (see below)
For Britain, this is a crucial challenge, both psychologically and politically: we find it very difficult to
elevate our gaze from our parochial preoccupations with the mud of the Western Front. So the big
challenge is not the principle of commemoration but the practice of education. It is the institutions’
task to provide the framework within which these debates enhance knowledge and understanding –
both of the First World War and of war more generally. The major challenge is to produce an
educational legacy that lasts and is more pervasive, originating in the classroom and stimulated by big
and new ideas. Professor Strachan feels that the plans for the centenary are still conceptually empty.
Professor Mark Connelly at the University of Kent wrote in the local paper at the end of January
that the massive conflict known as the Great War shaped the 20th Century and its repercussions are
still felt today. It was an immensely complex phenomenon influencing lives worldwide in many ways
and has fascinated historians and the wider public ever since. Historians point out that many of the
judgements applied to WW1 are made in the light of WW11. WW1 was not a squabble over nothing
and the vast number of war memorials across Britain and its former Empire reflect the grief and pride
felt in the immediate aftermath. As the anniversary approaches Professor Connelly asks us to question
our understanding of this momentous four years and to think about the numbers mobilised, the home
front, the vast expenditure, the advances in science, technology and medical knowledge and the rise
and fall of states.
What do you think?? How do you think we should commemorate the centenary?
What legacy should we leave for future generations? The editor would love to
hear your views on this important matter.
The West Indies in the Great War
MaedaSan Productions is working on a documentary entitled The West Indies in the Great War: 1914-1918
and is seeking help from scholars and students studying this period. They are particularly interested in the
West India Regiment and any Caribbean soldiers who fought in American and Canadian regiments, as well
as any other relevant information including images, letters, army records etc..
Project about Sikhs in First World War wins HLF support
The UK Punjab Heritage Association (UKPHA) has received support from the Heritage Lottery Fund for its
project Empire, Faith & War: Sikhs in World War One which will also highlight the wider role played by ‘nonwhite’ Commonwealth soldiers. Sikhs made up a tiny percentage of undivided India and yet at the start of
WW1 contributed some 22% of the British Indian Army. Sikhs fought in all the major theatres from the
Western Front to the Middle East. Several panels on the Menin Gate list many of their casualties. They hope
to involve younger people in the project to explore the remarkable Anglo-Sikh relationship of the last 150
years and to find out how one of Britain's most recognisable minorities came to be a part of the British
Empire. UKPHA is a non-profit voluntary organisation based in London which was founded in 2001 to foster
a greater appreciation of Punjabi Heritage in Britain. UKPHA is a registered partner of the IWM's Centenary
Project. For more information visit www.ukpha.org or the IWM website
Important meeting
At the end of January Belgian Defence Minister Pieter De Crem met in
London with the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative for the
Centenary Commemoration of the First World War, Dr Andrew Murrison
MP. The two men discussed British and Belgian plans to celebrate the
hundredth commemoration of the First World War between 2014 and
2018. The four-year programme will include national commemorative
events and the opening of refurbished WWI galleries at the Imperial
War Museum. At least £15m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, including
a new £6m community projects fund, will be given to young people to
conserve their local heritage of the First World War. The National
Heritage Memorial Fund will grant up to £1million to support HMS
Caroline, the last surviving warship from the WW1 fleet.
© WFA East Kent Branch March 2013
Answer: The novel was All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Western Front Association’s East Kent Branch
Meetings are held on first Tuesday of the month at the
Drill Hall, TA Centre, Sturry Road, Canterbury
Gates open 7pm for a 7.30pm start
Future Speakers
2 April
7 May
4 June
The Soldier in Art
David Cohen
Gas and the RAMC’s Response
Pete Starling
Commander Campbell and the Q Ship VCs
Ian Cull
Committee
Hazel Basford
Linda Swift
Peter Gausden
Richard Young
Edward Holman
Michael Dadson
Tel 07768 872371 [email protected]
Tel 01227 276583 [email protected]
Tel 01843 825374 [email protected]
Tel 01227 769580 [email protected]
Tel 01227 789311
Tel 01227 450544
Editor:- Laura Probert Tel 01843 599229
[email protected]
Articles , reports and other information on museums etc. for the branc
newsletter always welcome. This issue can now be seen on the WFA
website under “Branches”.
Deadline for next Issue is:- 20th May 2013