About our First World War project
Our History Group was awarded £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a project, The Impact and Legacy of the First World War on our Neighbourhood. This two year programme started in January 2016.
While some sought exemption from military service for a variety of reasons, many from our densely populated area enlisted in the First World War. Families were split, those at home often experiencing uncertainty and anxiety. There were a large number of deaths, reflected in memorials subsequently erected in local churches and schools. The lives of others who returned from the war front were scarred by injury. Some were disabled, with consequences for their families.
The War was also felt in other ways locally, for example by aerial bombing, resulting in death and injury, and damage to housing. Women’s lives altered, with many going into employment that had previously been done by men. There was economic hardship for some. One consequence of food shortages was the expansion of allotment sites.
Follow this link for resources for First World War research.
During our project some members of our group have been working on a range of themes, and have now produced three publications. You can read these on the web by following the links in red:
Please note in some of our publications it is not permissable to use certain images on the web, and these have therefore been redacted for web use.
Free hard copies of these publications are available from Reception at Clements Hall.
Our Local Times newspaper: World War 1 in our area - its effect and legacy
