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

Chaplain 4th Class, The Reverend Cyril Bernard Wilson Buck, M.C., B.A.

Chaplain 4th Class, The Reverend Cyril Bernard Wilson Buck, M.C., B.A.

Cyril Bernard Wilson Buck was born on 1 June 1880 in West Ham, Essex (now Greater London), the youngest of the ten children of William Richard Buck (1837-1927) and Alice Emmeline Buck née Wilson (1...

Person, Armed Forces, Emergency Services, Religion, France

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Lance Corporal Stanley John Herbert Muzzell

Lance Corporal Stanley John Herbert Muzzell

Stanley John Herbert Muzzell was born on 19 February 1891 at 12 Manor Place, Paddington, London, the third of the nine children of Thomas William Muzzell (1859-1919) and Mary Ann Sophia Muzzell née...

Person, Armed Forces, France, South Africa

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
B. Chart

B. Chart

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
W. T. Luther

W. T. Luther

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
F. J. B. Sheppard

F. J. B. Sheppard

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial

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World War 2

World War 2

Sorry, we've done no research on WW2, it's just too big a subject. But do visit the picture source web site - it has a fascinating collection of maps.  And we enjoyed these photos of current WW2 ev...

Event, Armed Forces, Tragedy

379 memorials
London County Council

London County Council

Prior to the LCC London matters were run by church parishes. The LCC was the first directly elected strategic local government body for London. Replaced by the Greater London Council, covering a la...

Group, Politics & Administration

284 memorials
German Lutheran church in London

German Lutheran church in London

The history of the German Lutheran Church in London began in earnest  with many craftsmen from Hamburg coming here after the Great Fire of 1666 to help in the rebuilding. They were granted the site...

Group, Religion

2 memorials
Alfred Young

Alfred Young

Aged 35, Detective Sergeant Young was shot dead on duty on 14 July 1915 while attempting to arrest a man with a gun. Buried in Hampstead Cemetery, Fortune Green. From Met Police: "Alfred had been ...

Person, Armed Forces

1 memorial