Great War Centenary

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Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   Text © Copyright July 2016, John M; licensed for re-use under a Creative Commons Licence.
Images also under a similar Creative Commons Licence.


Contents

Introduction


As a collaborative project Geograph contributors have many diverse interests and over the last decade have taken photographs of the Great War sites, memorials and centenary commemorations throughout the British Isles. This article will try to bring together for a larger audience the main themes with links to more detailed articles and studies prepared by contributors. I aim also to pick up some of the local and hidden stories discovered by chance along the way.



The Roll of Honour at tanners, Robt. Jowitt and Sons, Highbury Mill in Bradford shows the impact on the working man caught up in the conflict. Of the forty eight employees that went to war only thirty nine survived. What is not recorded is that of the survivors two thirds would have been wounded or have long-term disabilities.
SE2837 : War memorial in the former Highbury Works by Stephen Craven

In the parish of Rendlesham in Suffolk, forty one of the forty eight listed men returned. Five had been prisoners of war, three wounded and three invalided out.
TM3252 : Roll of Honour at Rendlesham church by Adrian S Pye

In the parish of Llanhawden in Pembrokeshire forty three of the fifty one listed men survived. One was taken prisoner, three wounded and two invalided out.
SN0717 : Llanwhaden Church - Roll of Honour - WWI by welshbabe

By 1918 almost everyone would have a personal connection to a family that had lost a son or husband or someone who had been severely injured.

The impact could be very high in some communities such as Forncett St Mary in Norfolk where one third of the listed men did not return.
TM1693 : Forncett St Mary - WW1 Roll of Honour by Evelyn Simak

History


The British Government declared war on Germany on the 4th August 1914. After five years of hostilities an armistice was called on 11th November 1918. The Treaty of Versailles signed on 28th June 1919 marked the end of the war. Dedication of memorials and acts of remembrance continue to this day with special events to mark the centenary.

SJ8097 : First World War Field Gun, Imperial War Museum North by David Dixon SJ8097 : WW1 Field Gun by John M

War and peace at IWM North





July 2014 sees the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War (World War I). This "timeline" at IWM North reminds us of the scale of the conflict and the horrific suffering of the soldiers involved in the combat. It was the fifth-deadliest conflict in world history. More than nine million combatants were killed: a scale of death impacted by industrial advancements of the age, geographic stalemate and reliance on human wave attacks. Thirteen million civilians also died during the war.
by David Dixon
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