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

Captain Alexander Ross Clarke

Captain Alexander Ross Clarke

Surveyor.  Born Reading. Served in Canada and on his return worked on the ordnance survey in Southampton.  Died Reigate.  the picture source has a bio.

Person, Armed Forces, Science

1 memorial
Wilfred H. Sneath

Wilfred H. Sneath

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Hy. C. Horsford

Hy. C. Horsford

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
L. J. Rugg

L. J. Rugg

Resident of Hendon who served and died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
C. Drake

C. Drake

Employed at the Streatham bus garage. Served and was killed in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Sydenham Society

Sydenham Society

A civic society formed with the aim to be 'A voice for Sydenham and to make it a better place to live and work'.

Group, Community / Clubs

1 memorial
Miss Jeanne Valentine Pelletier

Miss Jeanne Valentine Pelletier

Jeanne Valentine Pelletier was born on 7 December 1894 but nothing would appear to be known of her early life. In the 1935 edition of Kelly's Directory of Kensington she is listed as Madame Jeanne ...

Person, Benefactor

1 memorial
Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria

Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria

The fiftieth anniversary of the accession of Queen Victoria was celebrated on Monday 20 June 1887. In George Gissing's 1894 novel 'In the Year of Jubilee' characters discuss whether to participate...

Event, Royalty

13 memorials
Great Fire of London

Great Fire of London

Started on a Sunday morning. After 4 days the destruction included: - an area of one and a half miles by a half mile - 87 churches - 13,200 houses - only 6 people are recorded as having died (but ...

Event, Tragedy

55 memorials
Frederick Wheeler

Frederick Wheeler

Architect, born Brixton. FRIBA, active 1900. See London Details for the studios he designed on Talgarth Road. Wikipedia refers to a number of London buildings designed by Wheeler, many in South Lon...

Person, Architecture

1 memorial