Service, salt, and sweat. Danger and dedication. Here, we take a look at the fascinating history of the Royal Navy's epic - and brutal - participation in the First World War.The Royal Navy, proudly known as the Senior Service, traces its lineage to the 16th century and is deeply rooted in national identity. It protected colonies, guarded coastlines and kept trade routes open. For generations, families sent their sons to sea with pride.As we follow the Navy's history during the…
Reverend David Railton first proposed the idea of having a single grave to represent the many unidentified British casualties of the First World War. While serving as an army chaplain on the Western Front he had seen a war grave with the simple epitaph;“An Unknown British Soldier”In 1920, Railton wrote to the Dean of Westminster suggesting that an unidentified British soldier be buried amongst the kings at Westminster Abbey. His idea was met with resounding support from Prime Minister…
You can begin in the same way, with a name from your family, your town or one of the memorials you pass every day. Because every name deserves to be remembered. Where the stories begin: A war memorial can be so familiar that it almost disappears into the landscape. Then you stop. The traffic continues, shop doors open and close, but the columns of names have you pause a little longer. Each name belongs to someone whose absence once changed…
Family history doesn’t just have to be about our own relatives. Many of us research for friends, colleagues or people in our local communities, helping to bring forgotten stories back to life.Four members of the Findmypast Community made some incredible discoveries about their local war memorials. Here’s what they uncovered about these lives marked by conflict. A hidden Second World War story: Community member Patricia used to be in the Women’s Royal Air Force. She decided to research a…
Thankfully, one remarkable memorial at York Minster preserves more than 1,400 of their names. But until we look closer, they’re just names. Who were the women who died during the Great War? What are their stories? Where are the women in First World War history?: Think of a First World War memorial and you'll probably picture weathered stone in a town square or churchyard, carved with rows of men's names. Women's names are much harder to find, largely because women didn’t…
When we picture the Industrial Revolution, we tend to imagine scorching blast furnaces, foundries worked by men, and the famous bridge stretching across Ironbridge Gorge. And yet, across places like Coalport, Broseley, and Jackfield, women spent long days in factories, workshops and family businesses. They painted delicate china by hand, packed goods for transport, made pipes, raised families and helped keep household finances afloat. Their work shaped the communities around them, yet many have largely disappeared from popular histories of…
When we explore the history books of the First and Second World Wars, we read about the great battles, the brave soldiers, and the pivotal moments. It's the same at school. But behind the scenes, keeping the home fires burning, were skilled, dedicated women who stepped up to fill men's traditional shoes.Here, we delve into the work – both paid and voluntary – undertaken by the British women of the Second World War. Joining the war effort on the home front:…
Imagine yourself living inside a large steel cylinder, lit by electricity, with an endless network of pipes and cables decorating the walls. All around the cylinder is water, exerting such pressure that it threatens to crush the manmade hull. It's a maze of complicated machinery, home to anywhere from 30 to 60 men with nerves of steel. It’s a stark image, 250 ft below the surface - one that was a reality for the submariners of the Royal Navy. History’s first Royal Navy submarines:…
When the First World War was declared in August 1914, Liverpool answered the call like few other cities in Britain. Crowds filled the square outside St George’s Hall, banners flapped in the late-summer wind, and Lord Derby’s voice carried across the steps: “Come along, boys — enlist together, train together, fight together.” Within days, the idea of the Liverpool Pals had caught fire. By the end of the month, so many men had come forward that even the newspapers struggled to keep…
Thousands of British men volunteered or were conscripted into the British Army during the First World War, with regiments raised across the country. But some regiments were different. Pals battalions offered men the chance to enlist alongside their friends, neighbours and colleagues - an extra incentive to go to war that proved popular in local communities.Men fought shoulder-to-shoulder with their loved ones, but when Pals battalions suffered heavy losses, it had devastating consequences for the towns and cities left behind.