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

Frank E. Lowe

Frank E. Lowe

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Help for Heroes

Help for Heroes

Charity. Founded as a non-political, non-critical organisation by Bryn and Emma Parry, out of a desire to help the wounded servicemen and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Group, Armed Forces, Philanthropy

1 memorial
Corporal Alfred Lee Hale

Corporal Alfred Lee Hale

Alfred Lee Hale was born on the 13 January 1883 in St Pancras, Middlesex (now Greater London), a son of Joseph Hale (1844-1898) and Ellen Louisa Hale née Gaymer (1849-1899). His birth was registere...

Person, Armed Forces, Belgium

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Drummer Thomas Booth

Drummer Thomas Booth

Thomas Booth was born circa 1894 in Nowgong, East India, a son of Thomas and Agnes Elizabeth Booth. On 31 March 1901 when the 1901 census was undertaken, he is shown as a 6-year-old boy living at ...

Person, Armed Forces, France, India

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Harold J. Dewdney

Harold J. Dewdney

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial

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Inigo Jones

Inigo Jones

Architect and stage designer. Born near Smithfield. Never married. He studied architecture in Italy and brought the new Palladian designs to Britain. Became Surveyor of the King's Works, the king's...

Person, Architecture, Seriously Famous

4 memorials
Cunard / Broadwest Film Studio

Cunard / Broadwest Film Studio

The Cunard Film Company Limited moved into a purpose-built studio, close to the Precision Film Studio. It had a capacious glass-roofed daylight stage with extra lighting from 30 Westminster arc lam...

Building, Cinema

1 memorial
George IV - Oxford Street

George IV - Oxford Street

W1, Oxford Street, 105, Hat factory - Henry Heath

These two relief roundels are above the two central third floor windows but even people who examine this facade may miss the royal visage...

1 subject commemorated
De Profundis

De Profundis

Letter written by Oscar Wilde to Lord Alfred Douglas whilst he was imprisoned in Reading Gaol. The title means 'from the depths' and recounts the relationship that the pair shared. It  criticises D...

Fiction, Literature

1 memorial
Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II

Born 17 Bruton Street, to the Duke and Duchess of York. For information on where she was brought up see Byron Statue. When she was 10 her father became King George VI (on the abdication of his brot...

Person, Royalty, Seriously Famous

126 memorials