Event    From 4/8/1914  To 11/11/1918

World War 1

Categories: Armed Forces, Tragedy

We'd always assumed that this war was known as the Great War until WW2 came along at which point it was renamed as World War One or the First World War. But the term was first used in print in 1920 as the title of a book, 'The First World War' by Charles à Court Repington. He was using it to emphasize the global nature of the war rather than its sequential nature.

Different memorials give different years for the end of WW1. The Armistice came into force at 11am on 11 November 1918 and fighting ceased on the western front but hostilities continued elsewhere. The Treaty of Versailles, signed by Germany and some of the allied powers following the Paris Peace Conference, was not until 28 June 1919.

The war did not officially end in the UK until 31 August 1921, as explained at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission: "When the Termination of the Present War (Definition) Act 1918 was passed by Parliament, it gave discretion to His Majesty in Council to declare the date of the termination of the war. Consequently, war with each of the Central Powers ended close to the date of the ratification of the various peace treaties. Although a treaty with Turkey had yet to be ratified, it was decided that 31 August 1921 ‘should be treated as the date of the termination of the present War’. As the Imperial War Graves Commission (IWGC) was charged with responsibility for the graves of service personnel who died between the outbreak and end of the War, this meant that those casualties of the First World War who died after 31 August 1921 fell outside the remit of the Commission."

Note - it seems to be just a lucky poetic chance that the Armistice coincides with "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month". Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated on November 9th, presumably not thinking "just in time for a poetically-timed Armistice".

For some signs of WW1 on buildings in London see Spitalfields Life.

2024: We've just come across the London World War 1 Memorial - looks like it could be a great resource.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
World War 1

Commemorated ati

24th London Division - memorial

These 3 figures are said to be modelled on the soldier poets: Robert Graves, ...

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8th London Howitzers

The way this monument meets the sloping ground has been well thought out: a s...

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Abney Park - CWGC war memorial

The screen wall at the back, south, of the memorial carries a number of bronz...

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African and Caribbean Armed Forces

Unveiled on Windrush Day. A very simple design, we think the horizontal obeli...

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Air raid

Very small plaque on the doorframe.

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Other Subjects

F. W. Pratchett

F. W. Pratchett

Resident of the Central Ward, Hendon who served and died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
A. Gardiner

A. Gardiner

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Lord Edward Somerset

Lord Edward Somerset

Soldier and elder brother of Lord Raglan. From Wikivividly : "... in 1815 they {the Life Guards} were part of The Household Brigade at the Battle of Waterloo under Major-General Lord Edward Somers...

Person, Armed Forces

1 memorial
Rifleman Robert Howard Bishop

Rifleman Robert Howard Bishop

Robert Howard Bishop was born on the 15 March 1894; the eldest of the six children of Robert Bishop (b.1864) and Annie Bishop née Howard (1873-1919) and his birth was registered in 2nd quarter of 1...

Person, Armed Forces, France

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Sergeant Frank James Emberson

Sergeant Frank James Emberson

Frank James Emberson was born on 9 April 1911, the elder son of Frank Emberson (1885-1950) and Alice Maud Emberson née Whiting (1887-1976). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1911 in th...

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial

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Francis Golding

Francis Golding

Architectural expert:  honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), head of the Royal Fine Art Commission during the late 1990s and had worked on major projects such as the ...

Person, Architecture, Cyclist, Tragedy

1 memorial
Arts Council of England / Great Britain

Arts Council of England / Great Britain

1940 the Committee for Encouragement of Music and the Arts (CEMA) was set up by Royal Charter.  About 1946 it became the Arts Council of Great Britain and in 1994 it was split into national bodies,...

Group, Art

15 memorials
Harrow Heritage Trust

Harrow Heritage Trust

A trust set up with the objectives of encouraging artists and architects of both landscape and buildings to create the heritage of the future, whilst protecting the heritage of the past.

Group, Community / Clubs

8 memorials
William Holmes

William Holmes

Church warden in the Aldwych area in 1807.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Lord Jellicoe

Lord Jellicoe

Born Southampton. Commander of the fleet and victor at the Battle of Jutland 1916, although he was criticized for his tactics. Governor of New Zealand from 1920 - 1924. Held the title Viscount Broc...

Person, Armed Forces, New Zealand

6 memorials