WW1 Remembrance Centre

21/05/2026

The romance that blossomed through the letters of Oxford University student Vera Brittain and the poet Roland Leighton, a friend of her brother, is one of the great love stories of

They fell in love just as Roland enlisted in 1914 and became engaged in the summer of the next year while he was on leave.

But just days before Christmas 1915, the 20-year-old lieutenant in the Worcestershire Regiment was shot dead by a sniper on the Western Front.

Vera poured her grief into her classic memoir, Testament of Youth, immortalizing their fated love.

20/05/2026

Today in 1915, the Battle of Festubert began. British, Canadian and Indian troops launched a new round of attacks against the German line around the French commune.

But the offensive would prove to be one of the setbacks the Allies suffered in

After a few days, the attacks were called off with minimal territory gained at the cost of 16,000 Allied casualties

18/05/2026

On May 18, 1917, - Congress passed the Selective Service Act and President Woodrow Wilson signed it into law.

This legislation gave the President the power to draft men into the armed forces.

By the end of the conflict, 53,402 Americans had been killed in action. A further 63,114 suffered non-combat deaths, with the biggest cause being the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918.

Always remembered

16/05/2026

Congratulations to Manchester City on winning the FA Cup.

One final was played in - the deciding match of the 1914-15 season, when Sheffield United beat Chelsea 3-0 to lift the trophy.

Cup and league football were suspended soon after that, with the FA Cup not returning until the 1919-20 season, when Aston Villa won the competition.

14/05/2026

Many a soldier in owed his life go a mercy dog.

Thousands were specially trained to locate wounded troops in No Man's Land.

They carried medical supplies in saddlebags, provided comfort to the dying, and guided medics to injured men, operating effectively in the treacherous, dark conditions of trench warfare.

Often organized by the Red Cross, these dogs were taught how to find wounded men and distinguish them from the dead.

If a soldier was conscious, he would use the supplies in the dog's pack. If the casualty was unconscious, the dog would return to its handler, often bringing back a piece of clothing (like a cap or glove) to show a soldier had been found, before leading the stretcher party back, even in darkness.

If a soldier was too far gone to be saved, the dog would frequently lie next to him to provide warmth and company so the soldier did not die alone.

Picture: Library of Congress

13/05/2026

Clifford Coffin was 47 years old and a temporary brigadier general commanding the 25th Infantry Brigade in when he won the Victoria Cross.

He led by example when his brigade was shattered attempting to cross marshy ground at Westhoek in Belgium on July 31, 1917.

The VC citation read: 'When his command had been held up in attack owing to heavy machine-gun and rifle fire from front and right flank, and was establishing itself in a forward shell-hole line, he went forward and made an inspection of his front posts.

'Though under the heaviest fire from both machine-guns and rifles, and in full view of the enemy, he showed an utter disregard of personal danger, walking quietly from shell-hole to shell-hole, giving advice and cheering his men by his presence.

'His very gallant conduct had the greatest effect on all ranks, and it was largely owing to his personal courage and example that the shell-hole line was held in spite of the very heaviest fire.

'Throughout the day his calm courage and example exercised the greatest influence over all with whom he came into contact, and it is generally agreed that Brigadier-General Coffin's splendid example saved the situation, and had it not been for his action the line would certainly have been driven back.'

Major-General Clifford Coffin, VC, CB, DSO & Bar
February 10, 1870 – February 4, 1959

Always remembered

12/05/2026

Always remembered

International Nurses Day invites us to honour the thousands of women whose skill, courage, and compassion sustained the war effort in Flanders during the First World War. Many stepped into unfamiliar roles and learned rapidly under extreme pressure, caring for overwhelming numbers of wounded soldiers often just miles from the front lines. Their work was never without risk: more than 1,500 nurses are believed to have lost their lives, whether through enemy action, disease, or tragic accidents.

Among the most enduring stories from the region are those of the Madonnas of Pervyse, Edith Cavell, and Nellie Spindler—women whose service and sacrifice continue to shape how we remember the human cost of war. Today, and always, we will remember them.

📷- Elsie en Mairi 2 © Museum aan de Ijzer

12/05/2026

Contrary to popular belief, the upper classes did not escape lightly in

It's true that the number of working-class soldiers killed in action was enormous, but percentage-wise, the social and political elite fared even worse.

Their sons enlisted as junior officers whose job it was to lead the way over the top and expose themselves to the greatest danger as an example to their men.

Around 12 per cent of the British army's non-commissioned soldiers were killed during the war, compared with 17 per cent of its officers. Eton School lost more than 1,000 former pupils from the 5,000 or so who joined the fight.

The 'lions led by donkeys' claim doesn’t really stand up either. Most generals visited the front line every day. During the conflict more than 200 of them were killed, wounded or captured. Most visited the front lines every day.

11/05/2026

ANZAC biscuits were a popular treat for soldiers on the Western Front in

Australian and New Zealand wives, mothers and women's groups baked them in huge numbers to be sent to the other side of the world.

The oat-based biscuits were popular because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation.

They are still made to this day - the Imperial War Museum has a useful recipe here:-

https://www.iwm.org.uk/learning/family-mission/brilliant-biscuits

IWM Learning Resources: Family Mission - Brilliant Biscuits. Resource for KS2 & KS3. Go back in time to 1914 and bake a First World War biscuit recipe

10/05/2026

Shopworker William Boulter enlisted in the Northamptonshire Regiment when broke out and soon found himself on the Western Front in France.

In 1916, the heroism he showed at the Battle of the Somme won him the Victoria Cross.

His citation read: 'On July 14, at Trônes Wood, France, when one company and part of another was held up in the attack on a wood by a hostile machine-gun which was causing heavy casualties, Sergeant Boulter, with utter contempt of danger, and in spite of being wounded in the shoulder, advanced alone over open ground under heavy fire, in front of the gun and bombed the gun team from their position.

'This act not only saved many casualties, but materially helped the operation of clearing the enemy out of the wood.'

The injury William suffered in the attack was serious and he needed hospital treatment in England. But a year later he returned to France as a Second Lieutenant and was promoted lieutenant in December 1918.

Lieutenant William Ewart Boulter VC
(October 14, 1892 – June 1, 1955)

Always remembered

09/05/2026

During Charlie Chaplin recieved more white feathers- the traditional sign of cowardice - than anyone else.

Thousands were sent through the post together with hateful letters from women furious that the screen star had not enlisted.

Some newspapers in his homeland, Britain, ran smear campaigns lambasting the Hollywood star for failing to 'join the cause.'

Actually, Chaplin registered for the U.S. military draft but dud not meet the physical requirements, being under weight and too short.

Unable to sign up, Chaplin instead supported the war by promoting the sale of Liberty Bonds and making war-based films including Shoulder Arms (1918), a light-hearted flight of fancy in the trenches of the Western Front.

He also appeared at patriotic rallies at with fellow stars like Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.

Despite the hate campaign against him, Charlie's films were a morale-boosting success with the public and hugely popular with front-line soldiers, giving them temporary respite from the trauma of war.