29th September 1915
The first transcontinental radio telephone message has been sent, giving a new turning point in the war.
The British army has conquered Chilly Al Imara in Mesopotamia.
Tuesday 29 September 2015
Sunday 27 September 2015
Children Of The Great War Part 2
At the outbreak of war, children's routines were very much unchanged. The would get up, wash with a jug of cold water, have breakfast, go to school, finish school, do any homework given and then go out to play until told to come in. However, this changed slightly, with more and more mothers going out to work in factories and other jobs. If families weren't lucky enough to live with grandparents, many children were left to see to younger siblings whilst their mothers were at work. This meant the eldest child was usually responsible for getting their brothers and sisters up, washed, breakfast for them and all at school on time. With mothers at work some children even had to join the rest of England in queuing at shops to get the food needed for the family.
As well as doing normal school subjects, children were also expected to help with the war effort at school. This included knitting scarves and socks for soldiers at the front line, collecting tin cans for recycling, working on the school vegetable plot and even in schools in the countryside helping with the harvest. Many children would also be expected to help with the housework after school so as a result of the war, many children had more responsibility.
Saturdays were usually the first time of the week where they had plenty of time to themselves. if they were lucky, their mothers might have been able to spare the money for them to go to the cinema, if not they would more likely be found playing with their friends in the street. Saturday night was bath night, so that everyone was clean ready for church in the morning.
Sundays for children normally consisted of church with the family in the morning and then Sunday school in the afternoon. Sunday school wasn't all religious studies all afternoon, instead many in the country took the pupils on outings either to the beach or somewhere else close by. For children from poorer backgrounds, these outings were much anticipated and were more often than not the only outings they went on.
Life seemed to go on as usual for the children of the Great War, except for a few minor changes except that many children were left anxiously working about their fathers, many of whom were away fighting on the front line. They were just carrying on as usual, waiting for their fathers to return.
As well as doing normal school subjects, children were also expected to help with the war effort at school. This included knitting scarves and socks for soldiers at the front line, collecting tin cans for recycling, working on the school vegetable plot and even in schools in the countryside helping with the harvest. Many children would also be expected to help with the housework after school so as a result of the war, many children had more responsibility.
Saturdays were usually the first time of the week where they had plenty of time to themselves. if they were lucky, their mothers might have been able to spare the money for them to go to the cinema, if not they would more likely be found playing with their friends in the street. Saturday night was bath night, so that everyone was clean ready for church in the morning.
Sundays for children normally consisted of church with the family in the morning and then Sunday school in the afternoon. Sunday school wasn't all religious studies all afternoon, instead many in the country took the pupils on outings either to the beach or somewhere else close by. For children from poorer backgrounds, these outings were much anticipated and were more often than not the only outings they went on.
Life seemed to go on as usual for the children of the Great War, except for a few minor changes except that many children were left anxiously working about their fathers, many of whom were away fighting on the front line. They were just carrying on as usual, waiting for their fathers to return.
Friday 25 September 2015
Life AT War - Day By Day
25th September 1915
The Battle of Loos has begun. This long and devastating battle was to last until the 14th October. The British deployed Chlorine gas across to the German front line, however due to the strong wind current, this was quickly blown back across No Mans Land and back to the British Front Line. An estimated 59,000 British & 26,000 German casualties were the result of this battle.
The Second Battle of Champagne has begun.
The Battle of Loos has begun. This long and devastating battle was to last until the 14th October. The British deployed Chlorine gas across to the German front line, however due to the strong wind current, this was quickly blown back across No Mans Land and back to the British Front Line. An estimated 59,000 British & 26,000 German casualties were the result of this battle.
The Second Battle of Champagne has begun.
Sunday 13 September 2015
Children Of The Great War Part 1
At the outbreak of war, many people across England didn't really want to go to war. Men thought of being heroes of war but not of the horrors war entailed. Women didn't want to have to send their husbands and sons off to war. Yet there was some that were looking forward to war, even if they didn't really understand what war was... and that was children.
For months before the outbreak of war, children had been reading and listening to adults about the pros and cons of war and if it was really going to take place. But what was life really like for children of the First World war ... In this series I intend to find out.
When war broke out, factories up and down the country were needed to make things for the war from uniform to munitions. Across England, the government was urging people to help with the war effort and this included factories as well. This meant that factories were no longer able to make children's toys. Before the outbreak of war, toys would more often than not have a clockwork mechanism and would be made from cloth, wood, leather, metal or china. However, soon after the outbreak of war, toys became harder to find, with household items being recycled to make home-made toys. Toys that children already had were prize possessions and highly sought after. The favourites were dolly's, teddy bears, large hoops, blow football, marbles and model sailing boats complete with string to guide them. Toys did however take a more wartime theme with patriotic uniforms for teddy bears, a trench football game and even Kill Kiel game, where the objective is to sink the German submarines.
Many children also liked to read. Pre-war favourites included The Secret Garden and The Railway Children. The rainbow and Suzie Sunshine was also favourites to keep children entertained whilst Boys Own Annual and Penny War Weekly inspired boys with their heroic wartime stories and adventures, with them displaying the enemy as Germans.
Sometimes, if parents could afford it, children could look forward to days out. Music halls regularly staged fund-raising events to help the war effort. Another popular past time was to go to the cinema - although they were very different to what they are today. They were in black and white and had no sound, so somebody would play appropriate music on a piano. Charlie Chaplin was the main star children wanted to watch but cinemas also showed newsreels so that people could keep up to date with the news.
For children, whose parents couldn't afford to do these things, many of them would go out in the street and play with the friends with popular games being skipping, hopscotch and football. For the children of the Great War, life wasn't all doom and gloom, it was very much still an adventure but things were changing and new challenges faced families ...
For months before the outbreak of war, children had been reading and listening to adults about the pros and cons of war and if it was really going to take place. But what was life really like for children of the First World war ... In this series I intend to find out.
When war broke out, factories up and down the country were needed to make things for the war from uniform to munitions. Across England, the government was urging people to help with the war effort and this included factories as well. This meant that factories were no longer able to make children's toys. Before the outbreak of war, toys would more often than not have a clockwork mechanism and would be made from cloth, wood, leather, metal or china. However, soon after the outbreak of war, toys became harder to find, with household items being recycled to make home-made toys. Toys that children already had were prize possessions and highly sought after. The favourites were dolly's, teddy bears, large hoops, blow football, marbles and model sailing boats complete with string to guide them. Toys did however take a more wartime theme with patriotic uniforms for teddy bears, a trench football game and even Kill Kiel game, where the objective is to sink the German submarines.
Many children also liked to read. Pre-war favourites included The Secret Garden and The Railway Children. The rainbow and Suzie Sunshine was also favourites to keep children entertained whilst Boys Own Annual and Penny War Weekly inspired boys with their heroic wartime stories and adventures, with them displaying the enemy as Germans.
Sometimes, if parents could afford it, children could look forward to days out. Music halls regularly staged fund-raising events to help the war effort. Another popular past time was to go to the cinema - although they were very different to what they are today. They were in black and white and had no sound, so somebody would play appropriate music on a piano. Charlie Chaplin was the main star children wanted to watch but cinemas also showed newsreels so that people could keep up to date with the news.
For children, whose parents couldn't afford to do these things, many of them would go out in the street and play with the friends with popular games being skipping, hopscotch and football. For the children of the Great War, life wasn't all doom and gloom, it was very much still an adventure but things were changing and new challenges faced families ...
Tuesday 1 September 2015
Life AT War - Day By Day
1st September 1915
The German ambassador pledges to the US that German submarines will no longer sink liners without warning, providing safety of the passengers and crew - a consequence of the sinking of the British liner SS Arabic where 44 people were killed.
The German ambassador pledges to the US that German submarines will no longer sink liners without warning, providing safety of the passengers and crew - a consequence of the sinking of the British liner SS Arabic where 44 people were killed.
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