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

A. R. Beardwell

A. R. Beardwell

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
Sapper McLaren

Sapper McLaren

Royal Engineer killed by an exploding bomb while assisting in the attempt to disarm it. Andrew Behan has kindly carried out some research on this man: Sapper Edward McLaren was born about 1918 in ...

Person, Armed Forces, Tragedy, Scotland

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
Wm. Moseley

Wm. Moseley

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
F. E. Milliss

F. E. Milliss

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
George Down

George Down

Private George Arthur Down was born on 8 June 1884 in Putney. He was the eldest of the six children of William Down (1859-1943) and Emily Elizabeth Down née Hunter (1859-1947). His father was a boo...

Person, Armed Forces, Commerce, France

1 memorial

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Police Sergeant Noel Lane

Police Sergeant Noel Lane

Andrew Behan has researched this man: Police Sergeant Noel Joseph Lane was born on 7 November 1955, the son of Ernest George Lane and Mary Teresa Lane née Christmas. His birth was registered in the...

Person, Armed Forces, Tragedy

1 memorial
Enfield Market

Enfield Market

From Wikipedia: "In 1303, Edward I granted a charter to Humphrey de Bohun, and his wife to hold a weekly market in Enfield each Monday, and James I granted another in 1617, to a charitable trust, f...

Place, Commerce

1 memorial
Edmund Halsey

Edmund Halsey

Born Hertfordshire, a distant relative of Josiah Child.  Joined the Anchor Brewery as a 'broomstick clerk' and rapidly became Child's son-in-law and partner.  Ran the brewery 1693-1729.  MP for Sou...

Person, Food & Drink, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Dovehouse Green

Dovehouse Green

Here we summarise the splendid London Gardens Online : Land given by Sir Hans Sloane in 1733 to serve the Chelsea Parish Church of St Luke's and became the King's Road Burial Ground.  1882 a mortu...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture, Religion

2 memorials
British Medical Association

British Medical Association

Founded as the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association (PMSA) by Sir Charles Hastings in Worcester. In 1836 Dr George Webster founded an organisation called the British Medical Association. Fr...

Group, Medicine

5 memorials