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

Job. Wheeler

Job. Wheeler

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Lieutenant Commander James Dawbarn Young, R.N.V.R.

Lieutenant Commander James Dawbarn Young, R.N.V.R.

Qualified as surveyor and then as a lawyer.  Public spirited and worked with the Claremont Central Mission (we think this was a nationwide religious charitable organisation working with young peopl...

Person, Armed Forces, Law, Property, Belgium

War dead, WW1
3 memorials
Ernest Draper

Ernest Draper

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
G. F. Hardy

G. F. Hardy

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women

Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women

From their website: "With over 120,000 Jews having served in the British Armed Forces during the World Wars, AJEX JMA is here to ensure that their immense contribution is never forgotten. Our aims ...

Group, Armed Forces, Community / Clubs, History

5 memorials
Henry J. McCulloch

Henry J. McCulloch

My Primitive Methodists has found mentions of this man at: Foundation-stone laying, Arthur’s Hill, Newcastle-on-Tyne; Cambridge St Peters Street Primitive Methodist chapel : "H. J. McCulloch, Esq.,...

Person, Philanthropy, Religion

1 memorial
Plough Brewery

Plough Brewery

From Brewery History:  "Thomas Woodward & Son, Plough Brewery, 516 Wandsworth Road, South Lambeth, Greater London SW8 3JX Founded 1801 and acquired by Thomas Woodward 1868 and the Plough Brewer...

Building, Food & Drink

2 memorials
Urban Huttleston Rogers Broughton, Lord Fairhaven

Urban Huttleston Rogers Broughton, Lord Fairhaven

Known as Huttleston (and he sometimes spelt this as Huddleston - tut, these toffs, huh!).  Born Fairhaven, Massachusetts, eldest son of Urban Hanlon Broughton and his wife Cara.  Created 1st Baron ...

Person, Friend / family, USA

2 memorials
Armenian Genocide

Armenian Genocide

Inflicted by the Turkish government on the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire, 1915-18 and 1920-3, with one and a half million victims.  However it is a sensitive issue, with the numbers dis...

Event, Tragedy, Armenia, Turkey

1 memorial