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.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

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, ...

Read More

8th London Howitzers

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

Read More

Abney Park - CWGC war memorial

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

Read More

African and Caribbean Armed Forces

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

Read More

Air raid

Very small plaque on the doorframe.

Read More

Load next 200 of 402

Other Subjects

James Lind

James Lind

Born Edinburgh. Specialised in medical treatment for the navy and in treating scurvy.Not to be confused with another Scots medical John Lind, born 20 years later.

Person, Armed Forces, Medicine, Scotland

1 memorial
Brigadier-General Sir George Henry Gater, GCMG, KCB, DSO & Bar, JP

Brigadier-General Sir George Henry Gater, GCMG, KCB, DSO & Bar, JP

Army officer and civil servant. Trained as a teacher. Moved to London in 1924, and became Director of Education at the LCC. 1933 became Clerk to the LCC. He advocated the development of Bloomsbury ...

Person, Armed Forces, Education, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment

Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment

A line infantry regiment of the English and later the British Army. It was amalgamated with the East Surrey Regiment, to form a single county regiment called the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment.

Group, Armed Forces

2 memorials
George Henry Peachey-Edwards

George Henry Peachey-Edwards

George Henry Peachey-Edwards (1894-1972) worked for Bethnal Green Borough Council for forty years, rising to become the Chief Clerk. In 1960 Bethnal Green Borough Council named a block of sheltered...

Person, Armed Forces, Emergency Services, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
W. A. Valentine

W. A. Valentine

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Lady Mary Coke

Lady Mary Coke

Letter writer and noblewoman. Born Lady Mary Campbell at either Sudbrook, Surrey or 27 Bruton Street, London. After a strained courtship, she married Edward, Viscount Coke in 1747. He retaliated by...

Person, Gender Issues

1 memorial
Shropshire Lad

Shropshire Lad

A cycle of sixty-three poems by A. E. Housman. Published in 1896, most were written when Housman was unwell and depressed. The poems, nostalgic and evocative of the English "blue remembered hills",...

Media, Poetry

2 memorials
Chelsea china

Chelsea china

Manufactured in a house at the north end of Lawrence Street SW3, 1745-1784. The factory was founded by two Frenchmen, Charles Gouyn, a goldsmith and Nicholas Sprimont, a silversmith. It was the fir...

Concept, Food & Drink, Industry

1 memorial
The Chase Royal Wedding street party

The Chase Royal Wedding street party

Sadly we can't find a picture on the web.  Were you there?  Got any snaps?

Event, Community / Clubs, Royalty

1 memorial
County Hall - London government

County Hall - London government

SE1, Belvedere Road, County Hall

Designed as offices for London government, the building was opened in 1922 by King George V. We think it very likely that these plaques,...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator