Poole Museum

Link:|Loc:No|id:british-and-german-ships-at-kiel-week|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:british-and-german-ships-at-kiel-week|fulldesc:<p>Four British battleships and three cruisers attended the Elbe Regatta, Kiel Week in Germany. Part of the event was to celebrate the opening of the widened Kiel Canal to allow the German Fleet access between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The British vessels were moored alongside the German fleet and officers and men from both sides went aboard each other's ships. At the time, the German Kaiser was theoretically a British Admiral of the Fleet and he was welcomed aboard HMS King George V. Entertainment and sports events were held such as yacht racing. On June 28, the Kaiser was racing his yacht 'Meteor' when a telegram was received that Archduke Ferdinand had been assassinated. The race, and Kiel Week, stopped and the Kaiser left to go to his palace at Potsdam.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:archduke-ferdinand-assassinated|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:archduke-ferdinand-assassinated|fulldesc:<p>Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated at Sarajevo in Bosnia-Hercegovina. Over the next few months there was intense diplomatic activity. Austria declared war on Serbia on 28 July, Russia supported Serbia and Germany supported Austria. This was followed by a further series of declarations of war, or of neutrality, that involved many other nations and led to the conflict that became known as the First World War.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:spithead-review|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:spithead-review|fulldesc:<p>Prior to the First World War the Royal Navy consisted of the First Fleet (which was always manned and ready for action and included battleships and battlecruisers with associated smaller vessels), the Second Fleet (which had a skeleton crew to maintain the vessels), and the Third Fleet (which was also known as the Reserve Fleet). On July 20th the King watched around 400 ships sail past at Spithead. The three fleets then carried out a four day programme of exercises, manoeuvres, and battle practice. The idea was that afterwards the 2nd and 3rd Fleets were to disperse to their home ports and reservists released from service. The tension in Europe changed everything. On July 27th Prince Louis of Battenberg, of the Admiralty, ordered that the fleets were to remain in readiness as a precautionary measure. On July 29th the First Fleet became known as the Grand Fleet and sailed towards Scapa Flow where it remained based for the duration of the war.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:german-troops-invade-luxembourg|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:german-troops-invade-luxembourg|fulldesc:<p>The aim was to control important rail junctions and telegraph facilities. The German Kaiser ordered a halt to the 16th Division entering Luxembourg. The German general, Moltke, believed that the Kaiser was hoping that war with Britain and France could still be avoided. The order was reversed at 11pm on the same day. It was mid-morning on August 2nd that the Government in London became aware that German troops were in Luxembourg.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:british-naval-reserve-mobilised|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:british-naval-reserve-mobilised|fulldesc:<p>The British Admiralty ordered the worldwide mobilisation of the Naval Reserve.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:anti-war-demonstrations-throughout-britain|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:anti-war-demonstrations-throughout-britain|fulldesc:<p>On August 2 1914, four processions marched across London to gather in Trafalgar Square to hear Keir Hardie, leader of the British Labour Party, speak against the rush to war. The 'War against War' rally was attended by 15,000 to 20,000 people and was one of the largest demonstrations the capital had ever seen. It was a rally for peace and British neutrality in a conflict the demonstrators believed the country should not be involved in. Keir Hardie posed the question as to 'why are we on the verge of the greatest calamity Europe has ever seen?' The over-riding feeling was dismay at being-drawn into someone else's quarrel. The demonstration was organised in limited time because Russia had announced on July 31 its forces would be mobilised for war. At the time, the Liberal Government was 'significantly divided' as to whether Britain should get involved.</p> <p>Protests occurred in over 40 cities and towns and was led by Socialists, Radicals, Liberals, Trades Unionists and local churches. The plan was to hold further protests over the following weeks but the speed with which Britain declared war on Germany took most people by surprise. After the announcement, it was reported that 'there seemed an extraordinary silence and sense of oppression over... London' and 'no one able to realise how the disaster came about'. Newspapers reported that the attitude towards this war was in marked contrast to the Boer War.</p> <p>No reports have been found of any protests in Poole. However, the local newspaper did report that local churches sent telegrams to Sir Edward Grey - for example, 'Crowded meeting Poole Free Churchmen beg you use your influence to preserve British neutrality'. Other Poole church groups urged Grey to work for peace and for Britain to act as a mediator in the conflict.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:germany-wants-to-go-through-belgium|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:germany-wants-to-go-through-belgium|fulldesc:<p>Germany demands that Belgium allow its troops to march through the country. Belgium refuses. The 1839 Treaty of London had agreed that Belgium should be a free and neutral country. The signatories included Britain, Russia, France, Austria and Prussia.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:germany-declares-war-on-france|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:germany-declares-war-on-france|fulldesc:<p>Germany prepares to invade Belgium in its advance on France</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:british-parliament-debates|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:british-parliament-debates|fulldesc:<p>In the British Parliament one of the few debates about British involvement in a conflict was taking place. Sir Edward Grey reported that Germany had sent an ultimatum to Belgium demanding that Belgium allow 'free-passage' of German troops across it. Belgium had rejected it. The argument against British involvement was that 1) Germany was still wanting to negotiate with Britain 2) while we should protect the neutrality of Belgium going to war was beyond the expectations of the 1839 Treaty and 3) those in favour of a war were 'rushing into' it. Arguments for going to war centred on the fears of Russia imperalist expansion and the Treaty with Belgium placing obligations on Britain. The debate ended at 10.30 pm and many expected it to be followed another major debate on whether to go to war. The following day war was declared. After the war, David Lloyd George commented that the Cabinet had little understanding of foreign affairs in the years leading up to the First World War. Most of the topics that occupied its thoughts were related to the internal politics of Britain. Lloyd George was the opinion that a reader of the serious newspapers was as well informed as a member of the Cabinet on anything outside Britain.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:germany-invades-belgium|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:germany-invades-belgium|fulldesc:<p>The six brigades of the German Army invaded Belgium at 4pm on August 4 expecting to overrun the country quite quickly but the Belgians put up a stubborn resistance which delayed the advance on France. While the city of Liege fell relatively quickly the surrounding fortresses were not overrun until August 16. On August 17, the main German Army advanced but 48hrs later than planned. While Brussels was occupied on August 20, it was only in October that all Begian resistance had been overcome.The reports of atrocities carried out against Belgian civilians fuelled anti-German public opinion. Britain had sworn to defend Belgium.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:royal-navy-ordered-to-commence-hostilities|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:royal-navy-ordered-to-commence-hostilities|fulldesc:<p>The Royal Navy was ordered to commence hostilities at 11pm. At the time, the Navy had 20 dreadnoughts, 5 battle cruisers, and 8 old 'capital' ships in Scapa Flow in Orkney; this became known as the British Grand Fleet. The English Channel Fleet had 27 old battleships and 21 cruisers. 3 Battle cruisers and 30 other warships were in the Mediterranean and cruisers were in the Atlantic, Pacific, off the coast of West Africa, South Africa and China. There were also numerous smaller ships including around 270 destroyers. It was the largest fleet in the world.</p>

Link:http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-the-world-went-to-war-in-1914|Loc:No|id:war-declared|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:war-declared|fulldesc:<p>War was declared at 11pm on August 4th 1914. Interestingly, this dramatic news was announced on page 5 of the East Dorset Herald newspaper with the front page dominated by sports and school reports. Britain had said that it would uphold the Treaty Of London and the neutrality of Begium. The German Kaiser refered to 'General French's contemptibly small Army'. Members of the British Expeditionary Force who served in the first few months of the war became known as 'Old Contemptibles' - an appellation of which they were very proud.</p> <p>The Government took control of the railways, all Regular reservists were called up, the Admiralty gained the power to requisiton any ship that was needed, the Bank Rate rose to 10%, and censorship was to be applied to all telegrams to and from abroad.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:kitchener-appointed-secretary-state-for-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:kitchener-appointed-secretary-state-for-war|fulldesc:

Link:|Loc:No|id:third-battalion-dorsetshire-regiment-mobilised|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:third-battalion-dorsetshire-regiment-mobilised|fulldesc:<p>The 3rd Battalion (Dorset Militia) received an order to mobilise on August 5 1914. Reservists of the Battalion gradually assembled and by August 9 it was at full strength. The Battalion's main function was to train soldiers who would then join the active units. The History of Dorsetshire Regiment recorded that large groups of men arrived to be clothed and fed with 'large flares being used at night' so that the work could continue unhindered. The 3rd Battalion was based at Wyke Regis. Initially, reservists were being sent to the front but it was not long before men were being despatched with only about three months training.</p> <p>On August 14 the first reservists embarked from Belfast and reached Le Havre on August 16 as part of the 1st Battalion. Their next destination would be the Battle of Mons.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:austria-declares-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:austria-declares-war|fulldesc:<p>Austria declares war on Russia and France</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-prepares-for-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-prepares-for-war|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that around 60 Naval Reservists from Poole were given a civic farewell at the Custom House. They then marched to the railway station supported by cheering crowds and the Poole Town Band before they left for Portsmouth on the 1343 train. The thirty-three men of the Poole Company of the Royal Garrison Artillery (Territorials) were ordered to go to Weymouth. Shipping in Poole Harbour was at 'standstill'. Provision traders in the town were experiencing shortages and having to close early because people were buying in bulk.</p> <p>Annual leave for London &amp; South Western Railway employees was cancelled. The Dorset Territorial Association formed a committee to look after the families of Territorial men from Poole who had been called up.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-first-world-war-begins|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-first-world-war-begins|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported on the events that had taken place. Germany had declared war on Russia. It had then started a war with France by invading Luxembourg whose neutrality was covered by the 1867 Treaty of London - to which Britain was a signatory. Two British ships, the Castro and Saxon, were impounded while they were in the Kiel Canal. Shortly afterwards Germany asked Belgium to allow its troops to through its country which it refused. The newspaper then went on to report Sir Edward Grey's announcement in the House of Commons; that the French had been told that if the German fleet attacked the French coast then the British Fleet would intervene; that the Germans had offered not to attack the north coast of France if Britain remained neutral which it refused; he mentioned the 'obligations of honour and interest' of the Treaty of London with respect to Belgium; that no decision had been made whether to send an Expeditionary Force to France but that the fleet had been mobilised.</p> <p>The Poole Free Churches called for peace and sent a telegram to Grey 'Crowded meeting Poole Free Churchmen beg you use your influence to preserve British neutrality'. In Bournemouth, a meeting was held on East Cliff where speakers from the Trade Unions, the Independent Labour party, and the Women's Freedom League expressed support in favour of a resolution protesting 'against Great Britain being dragged into a fracticidal dispute'. The Branksome Men's Adult School sent a letter to Sir Edward Grey expressing its 'outrage' at the prospect of war and wanting England to 'act for peace'.</p>

Link:|Loc:Yes|id:sinking-of-hms-amphion|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:sinking-of-hms-amphion|fulldesc:<p>HMS Amphion was the first Royal Navy ship to be sunk during the First World War. She struck a mine on the 6th August 1914 when returning to the Thames Estuary and sank shortly afterwards. All 132 members of the crew were lost.</p> <p>HMS Amphion was assigned to the First Fleet and led a flotilla of destroyers that sank the German minelayer SMS K&ouml;nigin Luise. The Amphion stopped to rescue German survivors. The following day, HMS Amphion struck a mine likley to have been laid by the K&ouml;nigin Luise. Around 150 British and German sailors lost their lives. It is believed that these were the first British deaths of the First World War.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:british-cabinet-debates-the-sending-of-troops|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:british-cabinet-debates-the-sending-of-troops|fulldesc:<p>The British Cabinet debated whether to send troops to France. The Regular Army, pre-1914, was only around 50 000 compared to the conscript armies of France (4 million) and Germany (4.5 million). The Foreign Secretary believed the army should remain in Britain. At the time, the British Army consisted of six divisions and Lord Kitchener advised that two divisions should be kept behind to protect Britain in case of an invasion. The Cabinet concluded that four divisions would be sent to France. On August 7, Lord Kitchener made a request for volunteers to enlist. The aim was to expand the army by six new divisions. The 5th Battalion the Dorsets was assigned to the &nbsp;'First New Army' - also known as 'K1'. The 6th Battalion became part of 'K2' which was also known as 'The Second Hundred Thousand'. Dorset was not part of K3 the Third New Army which was created in September.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:germany-attacks-france|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:germany-attacks-france|fulldesc:<p>The Schlieffen Plan was aimed at invading France by way of Belgium and Luxembourg and then to attack the French fortresses from behind. The attack was devastating. Charles de Gaulle, a French captain, said that ' it had become clear that not all the courage in the world could withstand this fire' as the German Army moved forward. The German commander Prince Ruppert ordered the German Army to go on the offensive expecting a major victory but found itself unable to overcome French resistance around Nancy and Verdun.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-surprising-laws-passed-during-the-first-world-war|Loc:No|id:defence-of-the-realm-act-passed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:defence-of-the-realm-act-passed|fulldesc:<p>Over a period of several years various regulations were brought into force. In 1915 there were calls to follow the French, who had banned the sale of absinthe on January 7th 1915, by introducing controls on the sale of alcohol in Britain. Parliament decided not to introduce an Act of Parliament. Instead a Central Control Board was instituted to control the sale of alcohol in military areas. The Act introduced British Summer Time (Daylight Saving) as a way of increasing working hours on farms. Other changes included the prohibition of whistling for a taxi in London as it could be confused with the warning of an air raid. A 'No Treating Order' made it an offence to buy an alcholic drink in a public house for other people. And you could be fined for making white flour not wholewheat. In 1915, public houses closed in the afternoon - a situation that only came to an end in the 1990s. On July 24th 1916 an order was issued that prohibited the taking of photographs or the drawing of sketches from along the coast line between Hurst Castle, Hampshire and Lyme Regis in Dorset. Poole residents were warned not to be seen carrying cameras unless authorised.</p> <p>In March 1915, a Bournemouth man was fined &pound;1 with 7s costs for allowing his pigeons to be flying in contravention of the Defence of the Realm Act. Pigeons were used to send messages at the front, therefore, there were concerns over spying.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:first-troops-on-their-way-to-france|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:first-troops-on-their-way-to-france|fulldesc:<p>A fleet of nearly 20 warships formed a protective barrier across the Channel as 120 000 soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force were ferried to France.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:blockade|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:blockade|fulldesc:<p>The British navy launched a naval blockade to prevent merchant ships reaching German ports. German vessels had lain mines in the North Sea since the second day of the war. This policy resulted in hundreds of neutral ships being sunk. In contrast the British policy was that if a ship put into a British port it would be searched, any illegal cargo confiscated, and then the vessel would be escorted through the Britsih minefields.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-alderman-has-an-unusual-experience|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-alderman-has-an-unusual-experience|fulldesc:<p>Alderman Herbert Carter had a rather unexpected experience when he took a group of Parkstone Sea Scouts camping by the Solent the previous week. Around 300 sea scouts were to camp around the Beaulieu River for a major event that included Royalty and a visit to Cowes Week. The Parkstone Sea Scouts took their cutter, 'Babe', on a very lively sea journey from Poole to Buckler's Hard. The declaration of war however meant that the event was cancelled. The following day they set sail again to try to return to Poole but were rather put out when they passed Hurst Castle to see a soldier standing by a 12-pounder gun trying to get their attention. A semaphore signal was sent giving their identity and destination but the response was that the group could not go any further. They landed on a shingle beach and set up camp. Not long afterwards they were confronted by armed soldiers. The group was blindfolded and marched to Hurst Castle. Carter, Alderman of Poole and Assistant District Commissioner East Dorset Sea Scouts, and the scouts spent the night in two detention rooms. They were set free the next day but the weather was too bad to proceed to Poole so they sailed to Lymington and took the train home. 'Special permission' was needed to get the cutter back to Poole.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:german-steamer-herbert-fischer-in-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:german-steamer-herbert-fischer-in-poole|fulldesc:<p>The German steamer 'Herbert Fischer' was mistakenly allowed to proceed to Poole after being stopped in the Channel by the Royal Navy. Realising its mistake, the Navy despatched the 'Velox' torpedo boat to look for the vessel which was carrying timber from Russia to J.T. Sydenhams of Poole. The 'Herbert Fischer' had meanwhile entered Poole Harbour to unload its cargo. The crew was expected to sign an agreement that they would not do anything against Britain. The crew, along with those from the Weser (another German vessel), were taken to Dorchester under military guard on August 17th and put in detention. It was reported on September 24 1914 that the 'Herbert Fischer' had been detained as a 'prize of war' until a further decision was made about its future.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-effect-of-the-war-on-everyday-life|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-effect-of-the-war-on-everyday-life|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported on the effects of the first few weeks of war. A meeting at Parkstone House, Poole discussed the increase in cost of food and panic buying. Sugar had gone up 6d per pound while it was claimed that a man who usually ordered a sack of wheat every week had now ordered 50 sacks. The Mayor of Poole intended to send out letters to grocers asking them not supply beyond what was considered normal as doing so would lead to shortages and panic in which the poor would greatly suffer. The demand for horses had meant those from farms and estate stables were being 'commandeered'. This also impacted on Poole tradesmen.The fete at South Lytchett Manor, the Borough of Poole Allotment's Association annual show and Carter's sports day were just some of the events which had been cancelled because of the war. On Sunday, around 400 local men of the National Reserve parade in front of a large crowd at Poole Park.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:order-of-the-white-feather-was-founded|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:order-of-the-white-feather-was-founded|fulldesc:<p>Admiral Charles Fitzgerald set up the 'Order of the White Feather' with the purpose of embarrassing young men into joining the armed forces. Women were asked to present a man not in uniform with a white feather which was a symbol of cowardice. It was not until 1915 did it become commonplace because of increasing casualties at the front. Men who were in reserved occupations had to wear an armband to avoid being presented with one. Those declared medically unfit or were members of the armed forces home on leave often found themselves unfairly targeted.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-fishing-fleet-affected-by-restrictions|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-fishing-fleet-affected-by-restrictions|fulldesc:<p>Night fishing outside the Harbour had to be suspended because of problems. It was said that this would have a major impact on their incomes. In consequence, fish has become more expensive.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:battle-of-mons|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-mons|fulldesc:<p>The Battle of Mons was the first battle, since the Crimea, that the British Army had fought in Europe for nearly 100 years. The Dorsetshire Regiment took part in the battle and over half the men of the regiment were reservists who had not served for several years. They received typically just four days training before travelling to Mons. There was no time for anything more with the German Army quickly moving through Belgium. The commander of the Dorset Regiment was Lt Col L.J. Bols. During peace time he was in charge of a battalion - he now found himself responsible for about 1000 men in battle. The British Expeditionary Force of four divisions found themselves facing an army of six divisions. Even so, the British force was a professional army compared to the conscript army of Germany and had major successes. However, the French army was under heavy attack on the right of the British Expeditionary Force and there was nothing to their left. The British troops had no option but to fall back otherwise they would have been trapped.The soldiers found themselves retreating 18 to 25 miles a day. Private Thomas Duffy of Hamworthy was wounded in the Battle of Mons. He describes his experience in the East Dorset Herald of September 17 1914.</p> <p>Private Thomas Duffy of Hamworthy was wounded in the Battle of Mons. He describes his experience in the East Dorset Herald of September 17 1914. For example, they had to march over 30 miles a day for three days to get to the battle front.</p> <p>Private G. Allen of Poole was a reservist with the 1st Dorsets at Mons. He worked at Doulton's Clay Company, Hamworthy prior to joining up. He was wounded on August 23 when 'a rifle bullet passed right through the thigh' but he only became aware of it after being seriously wounded a couple of days later. He was sent to a hospital in Brighton before being sent home.</p> <p>In contrast, Private George Langdown of Longfleet, Poole was captured at the Battle of Mons and held in a prisoner of war camp at Paderborn. A few months later, in a postcard to his mother, he requested 'cakes, jam, syrup, biscuits, cheese, chocolate, sugar and cigarettes' be sent to him.</p> <p>Sgt J. Miller of Wallisdown was also with the 1st Dorsets at Mons. In a letter he described how he had a lucky escape when they had been ordered to dig some dugouts. During a rest period, a piece of shrapnel struck his rifle butt which was on the ground next to him and it ended up being buried. He wrote 'I am not likely to forget that event in a hurry'.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:japan-declares-war-on-germany|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:japan-declares-war-on-germany|fulldesc:<p>In contrast to World War 2, Japan declared war on Germany in World War 1. British, Australian and Japanese troops attacked German possessions in the Far East. The Japanese Navy also provided escort duty in areas such as the Mediterranean. In 1917 the Japanese destroyer, Matsu, rescued around 2500 men when the 'Transylvania', a British troopship, was sunk off the coast of Italy.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:first-major-naval-encounter-between-british-and-german-fleets|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:first-major-naval-encounter-between-british-and-german-fleets|fulldesc:<p>The first time the battlecruisers of the British fleet were in action was off Heligoland Island when the Royal Navy decided to intercept the German torpedo boats that carried out day patrols in the area.The battlecruisers HMS &nbsp;Invincible and HMS New Zealand were to support Commodore Tyrwhitt's Harwich force of light cruisers HMS Arethusa and HMS Fearless and 33 destroyers. Unfortunately, the Admiralty planning and communication was poor and the Harwich Force found themselves facing a far superior enemy than was expected. Fog increased the confusion and the Harwich Force attempted to disengage. Meanwhile, Admiral Jellicoe, who had not been told of the plan until the Harwich Force had sailed, had luckily ordered Beatty's battlecruisers to provide support as soon as he learnt of it. Beatty's force consisted of the battlecruisers Lion, Queen Mary, Princess Royal, New Zealand and Invincible. The resulting action saw Tyrwhitt's force sinking the German light cruiser, Mainz and Beatty's battlecruisers sinking the light cruisers Ariadne and Koln. The action demoralised the German Navy having taken place so close to the main base of the German High Seas Fleet. In response, the Kaiser ordered that fleet operations could only occur within a limited range of their base.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-a-prohibited-area|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-a-prohibited-area|fulldesc:<p>The declaration of war led to the passing of the 1914 Aliens Act which meant that Germans, Austrians, and Hungarians living in designated areas had to register with the police. Poole was a prohibited area. Those who did not register were liable to arrested. Typical was the arrest of two German waiters who worked at a Canford hotel who had failed to register. 300 Germans who had become naturalised British citizens opted to change their name through the Royal Courts of Justice in the first few months of the war.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:first-british-warship-sunk-by-a-torpedo|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:first-british-warship-sunk-by-a-torpedo|fulldesc:<p>The cruiser HMS Pathfinder was the first British warship to be sunk by a torpedo when it was fired upon by German U-boat U 21. 259 sailors died.</p> <p>HMS Pathfinder was a member of a class of small cruisers that were designed to operate with a destroyer flotilla. The design brief required the ships to be fast and, as they were intended to target only destroyers, they did not have sizeable armament. HMS Pathfinder was launched on July 16 1904 from the Birkenhead shipyard of Laird.</p> <p>The German submarine, U 21 commanded by Otto Hersing, had been attempting to get into the Firth of Forth and the Rosyth naval base in Scotland but found his efforts thwarted. Hersing then decided to head south along the coast and early on September 5 HMS Pathfinder was seen near St Abb's Head, near Berwick, heading towards the Firth of Forth. U 21 fired a torpedo at 1543 in the afternoon at a distance of 2000 yards. Two minutes later the torpedo was seen from the Pathfinder and an unsuccessful attempt was made to avoid it. The explosion is believed to have ignited cordite bags in one of the magazines and the second explosion tore the ship in two. The ship immediately sank. There is speculation that Pathfinder was only travelling at 5 knots when hit by the torpedo because of a coal shortage in the Royal Navy. Interestingly, the Poole and East Dorset Herald newspaper carried an account of the sinking in its September 10 1914 edition under the heading "H.M.S. "Pathinder" Mined". It is believed that the Admiralty reported the ship as having been mined, rather torpedoed, because it wanted to downplay the threat from German submarines. On the Sunday following, casualties were known to be 1 dead, 2 wounded and 8 missing. A further list came out on Monday in which the Admiralty announced that there 4 dead, 13 wounded and 242 men were missing. It is believed that 259 sailors died and 16 sailors survived the sinking.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-first-battle-of-aisne|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-first-battle-of-aisne|fulldesc:<p>The History of the 1st Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment records that Sir John French ordered that his corps should be beyond the River Aisne by September 13. The bridge across the river had been destroyed and the 15th Brigade were transported on two rafts built by the Royal Engineers. The rafts could only carry 50 men each. The Dorsets started being taken across at midnight; it took four hours to move the entire Brigade. The History comments that 'it seemed extraordinary' that this successful operation was undertaken in the face of large numbers of enemy artillery. The reason was simple - they didn't fire at night. From 1915, this type of operation would have been 'impossible'. The actual engagement was not a success and the troops were then employed digging trenches near the River Aisne - it marked the beginning of trench warfare.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:6th-battalion-dorsetshire-regiment-created|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:6th-battalion-dorsetshire-regiment-created|fulldesc:<p>The 6th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment came into being when 1000 men, all Kitchener's volunteers, gathered in Wareham. It was noted that few of the officers in charge had any experience of being on active duty. After training, the battalion transferred to Romsey and then on 13 July 1915 set sail for France. The crossing was made on board the 'St Cecilia' with two destroyers as escort and arrived in Boulogne at 3 o'clock in the morning on the 14 July 1915. Less than four weeks later they were experiencing the reality of the First World War near Ypres.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-sea-scouts-need-bicycles|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-sea-scouts-need-bicycles|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper published a letter from the Scoutmasters of the 1st Poole Sea Scouts hoping that someone would lend the scouts three bicycles to help them patrol the coast at Sandbanks as there were concerns over spies being landed or information being passed to ships off-shore. Scouts patroled along the coast and also kept watch over inland water installations, such as Poole Waterworks in Corfe Mullen, and drinking fountains. The German naval bombardments along the East and North coasts in November and December highlighted the potential threat from the German Navy to coastal towns.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-first-battle-of-marne|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-first-battle-of-marne|fulldesc:<p>The German Army was worn out by the success of the Battle of Mons. The German General von Moltke was quoted as saying 'we have hardly a horse in the army that can go out for a walk' and 'the victor has prisoners. Where are ours?' Supply lines had weakened with hundreds of miles of railway lines having been destroyed. General von Kluck ordered, for some reason, the German First Army to change direction on approaching Paris so as to protect the Second Army. The French rallied and the British found that a gap had opened up and attacked. The German Army had no option but to retreat to a line that hardly varied by 10 miles until the end of the war. The resistance put up by the French and British armies delayed the Schlieffen Plan which eventually ground to a halt that lasted until peace was declared four years later.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:thousands-of-men-volunteer|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:thousands-of-men-volunteer|fulldesc:<p>478 893 men had answered the call to enlist in just six weeks</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:hms-aboukir-hogue-and-cressy-sunk|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:hms-aboukir-hogue-and-cressy-sunk|fulldesc:<p>The cruisers HMS Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy were on escort duty for the British Expeditionary Force troopships near the Dutch coast. HMS Aboukir was sunk by the German U-boat U 9. HMS Hogue and then HMS Cressy were sunk while trying to rescue survivors. 1500 sailors lost their lives.</p> <p>The Rev G.H. Collier,of Babbacombe, was rescued from the disaster and described his experience in a newspaper article in November 1914. At 0615 he was awoken by shouts that HMS Aboukir was sinking. He put a great coat over his pyjamas and went onto the 'sheltered deck'. The three vessels had been moving in line with the Hogue leading. Collier, along with others, tried throwing any bits of wood they could find overboard for the sailors in the water. Suddenly, the Hogue was struck and started to sink. It then listed, turned over and within 10 minutes had disappeared. The Cressy rescued several men from the earlier sinkings; <em>'rubbed them down, pumped water out of them, and wrapping them in blankets, gave them hot tea.' </em></p> <p>The captain of the Cressy ordered Collier to take photographs of the events but as he was doing so he saw a torpedo approaching. There was no way of avoiding it as the engines had stopped to enable the Cressy to rescue survivors from the other ships. The impact was like a <em>'dull thud'</em>. The watertight doors had been closed and the ship began to list at thirty degrees. Collier saw another torpedo strike by No 5 Boiler Room. In moments the call was for everyone to abandon ship. Men were fashioning rafts out of chairs. Collier threw off his coat and shoes and when the ship was listing at around 80 degrees, he and another man jumped into the sea clutching a lifebouy. Men were were hanging onto lifebelts or any piece of wood they could find but the cold water affected them badly. Collier describes how men would smile,<em> 'wish them luck, and then slide away to disppear below the sea'</em>. He entered the water at 7.50 and joined five others holding onto a lifebuoy. Two hours later, trawlers were seen but were too far away and it was only around 1300 that a small ship rescued the three remaining men holding the lifebuoy.</p> <p>Midshipman Claude Mauleverer, of Mount Grace, Lilliput, Parkstone was one of only four midshipmen who survived the sinking of the Aboukir. He was only 15 years. He then served on HMS Vanguard during the Battle of Jutland but died on July 9 1917 when the Vanguard was sunk.</p> <p>Joe Bartlett of Pound Street, Poole was an armourer on HMS Hogue. He was 53. Born in Poole in 1862, he joined the Royal Navy in 1885 and served until pensioned in 1907.On the outbreak of war he rejoined the navy on August 2 1914. He died when HMS Hogue was sunk.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-nurses-go-to-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-nurses-go-to-war|fulldesc:<p>The Poole local newspaper reported that Janet Lindsay, a nurse from Poole, was now serving abroad. A week later, the newspaper reported that Celia Congreve, Evelyn Broad and N. Rogers, nurses from Parkstone, had also gone abroad.</p> <p>Janet Lindsay became a member of the British Red Cross, Poole Voluntary Aid Detachment in 1914. She travelled to St Malo where she spent a month helping the wounded. On her return to Poole, she worked in the military wards of the Cornelia Hospital, Poole until they were shut in February 1919. Celia Congreve was Lady Celia Congreve. She was a nurse with the British Committee of the French Red Cross and in a Belgian Field Hospital.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:possible-promenade-to-sandbanks-to-reduce-unemployment|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:possible-promenade-to-sandbanks-to-reduce-unemployment|fulldesc:<p>Numerous schemes were put forward to reduce the unemployment that followed the economic crisis on declaration of war. Nationally, unemployed domestic servants were encouraged to emigrate to Canada and New Zealand. Locally, a scheme was suggested to build a promenade from Lilliput to Sandbanks. The area in 1914 looked nothing like today and consisted of wind-swept sand-dunes and isolated houses.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:a-poole-school-helps-hospital-in-france|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:a-poole-school-helps-hospital-in-france|fulldesc:<p>In a letter to the Poole local newspaper, Helen Foote, of Upper Parkstone (Heatherlands) School for Mothers reported on the aid that those associated with the school had sent to the St Malo Base Hospital in France. The list included assorted bandages, various hospital-style shirts, padded splints, pillows and pillow cases.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:a-poole-mans-experience-at-la-bassee|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:a-poole-mans-experience-at-la-bassee|fulldesc:<p>Private J. Baker, 1st Dorsets, of Waterloo, Poole told the Poole and East Dorset Herald newspaper of his experience of the fighting at La Bassee. On October 13 1914, he received 13 wounds throughout his body and lay 'dead' as German soldiers advanced. Under the cover of night, he 'crawled' many miles before being found at first light by a Devon Regiment officer. He was sent to a hospital in Brighton and then invalided back home to Poole.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:battle-of-armentieres|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-armentieres|fulldesc:<p>The rush to war is revealed in the method of travel used by the 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment to their billets near the front in Belgium. '1015am the bus column started. The buses still contained the advertisements with which they had been decorated when following their normal routine in London. The journey was pleasant enough.</p> <p>Later on the Dorsets found 'Hill 75 was distinctly lively' with continuous enemy sniper fire, especially at night, which meant that receiving rations, was particulary hazardous. The History of the 1st Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment notes that ' these conditions, although unpleasantly novel in October 1914' were to become commonplace. Trench warfare was in its early days with a trench being dug without the dugouts of later years; men would sleep in the trench and put hurdles (fences) over it to keep the weather out.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:first-battle-of-ypres|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:first-battle-of-ypres|fulldesc:<p>The first Battle of Ypres was part of the 'Race to the Sea' as British and German armies attempted to outflank each other. While the German losses were heavy the British increasingly found the losses of 'regular' experienced troops was having an impact. In 1914 the British Army was around 250 000 strong - by 1918 it was several million.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:first-british-merchant-ship-to-be-sunk-by-a-u-boat|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:first-british-merchant-ship-to-be-sunk-by-a-u-boat|fulldesc:<p>The Glitra was sunk by a U-boat off the coast of Norway. It was the first of many merchant ships to be sunk by German U-boats.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:temporary-hospital-at-upton-house|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:temporary-hospital-at-upton-house|fulldesc:<p>Many temporary hospitals were opened in large houses throughout the country in expectation of the major hospitals being unable to cope. Other temporary hospitals in Poole included The Lodge, The Mount, and Springfield Auxiliary Hospitals for Officers and the Sandacres Private Hospital for Officers in Parkstone. A request was made in March 1914 from the Military Authorities, Southern Command that 24 beds be made available at Alderney Hospital for wounded soldiers.</p> <p>The hospitals were usually fitted out by voluntary donations. An advert for the Springfield Officers' Auxiliary Hospital in the local newspaper in 1917 requested that people donate furniture and loaned their cars to the hospital.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-war-distress-relief-fund|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-war-distress-relief-fund|fulldesc:<p>Poole, like many other places, wanted to raise funds to help those affected by the war. Individuals could donate money or organise fund-raising events. This newspaper report from October 22 1914 provides details of the monies received by Poole's War Distress Relief Fund in early September/October.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:hms-audacious-sunk|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:hms-audacious-sunk|fulldesc:<p>The dreadnought HMS Audacious was sunk by a mine on 27 October 1914. All the crew were rescued. It was decided to keep the sinking a secret because the troops at the front were 'very exhausted' and it would not help morale.. However, someone on the liner, Olympic, witnessed the sinking and took a photograph which was published in an American newspaper on 14 November 1914. The Audacious was a King George V battleship and was the first British battleship to be sunk during the war. An attempt was made to tow her but rough seas rendered this fruitless and she foundered.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:princess-mary-gift-boxes|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:princess-mary-gift-boxes|fulldesc:<p>Princess Mary launched a fund in October 1914 to give a present to all servicemen serving at the front or on the sea at Christmas 1914. The brass boxes contained numerous small gifts such as cards, cigarettes, spices and chocolate.</p> <p>Princess Mary, daughter of the King and Queen, sent out an appeal on 15 October 1914 to raise funds to provide a Christmas Gift tin for every man who was either at sea or at the front. Interestingly, she hoped it would be welcome as a gift, be something &lsquo;useful&rsquo; and of &lsquo;value&rsquo; but also that it would be a &lsquo;means of providing employment in trades adversely affected by the war&rsquo;. Notice of the gift, and that the Mayoress of Poole was willing to accept donations for the fund, appeared in the local newspaper on 29 October. By the middle of December 1914 around &pound;133,000 had been raised in the national appeal.</p> <p>The brass tin was designed by Adshead and Ramsey. It had an embossed image of Princess Mary in the centre of the lid with the names of Britain&rsquo;s allies ie France, Russia, Belgium, Japan, Servia (Serbia) and Montenegro around the outside.</p> <p>Princess Mary wanted the scheme expanded to all those in uniform on Christmas Day 1914 and it was decided there would be three classes of recipients:<br />A - those in the Navy and soldiers in France, nurses, prisoners-of-war, and next-of-kin of those who had died.<br />B - British, Colonial and Indian soldiers serving outside Britain and not in Class A.<br />C - all soldiers in Britain.<br />The decision to widen the scope of the gift caused a shortage of brass for their manufacture and, not surprisingly, there were logistical problems in getting the gift to the recipients. Those in Class B received their gifts by August 1915 and those in Class C by June 1916. The fund eventually closed in 1920 having raised nearly &pound;194,000 and having despatched an estimated 2.6 million tins.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:lights-out-for-poole-shopkeepers|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:lights-out-for-poole-shopkeepers|fulldesc:<p>Poole responded to the concerns that lights in the town could be seen at sea by prohibiting shopkeepers from having lights on the outside of their shops. Anybody who lived in the town was expected to either turn off, or hide, any lights that made their dwelling visible to shipping. The darkness inspired discussions in the East Dorset Herald about the wearing of luminous collars or buttons and the wearing of white hats.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:loss-of-hms-hermes|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:loss-of-hms-hermes|fulldesc:<p>The cruiser, HMS Hermes, was sunk by a torpedo while on duty in the English Channel. The Hermes was a cruiser which had been converted into a seaplane carrier which could take three seaplanes.</p> <p>Albert Ralph, whose parents lived on Emerson Road, Poole sent a telegram, a few days after the sinking, to his parents that he was well. He had joined the Navy at 15, saw 24 years of service, and then 'retired' for eight years before rejoining. He described how he was below deck when the Hermes was struck by the first torpedo. He went on deck to see a second torpedo approaching but the ship could not take evasive action because of damage. Wearing only a shirt and trousers he leapt into the water and was rescued by a destroyer.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:x-ray-machines-on-the-western-front|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:x-ray-machines-on-the-western-front|fulldesc:<p>The scientist, Marie Curie, realised the medical value that X-rays would have in finding shrapnel and bullets in wounded soldiers. At the time, the technique was finding only limited application in French hospitals and the French Army only had one mobile X-ray unit. Curie also understood that there had to be a means of getting an X-ray machine to the medical clearing stations. She went round well-off French families asking for donations of money and equipment, in particular, large cars that could be converted. Garages were persuaded to modify the vehicles into suitable vans.</p> <p>Curie's persistence and determination paid off and she took the first of her radiological vans to the military hospital in Creil on November 1st 1914. She was accompanied by a doctor, two assistants (one of whom was Curie's 17 yr old daughter, Irene) and a driver. Thirty injuries were X-rayed on the first day. The usefulness of the technique was immediately apparent. She was designated Director of the Red Cross Radiology Service. Curie and her colleagues added a further 19 radiological vans which became known as 'Les Petites Curies' as well as around 200 fixed units by 1918.</p> <p>In 1916, a doctor reported that he had performed 588 investigations in one month and was exhausted. Many of the doctors and nurses suffered ill health and some died from being exposed to X-rays at a time when the hazards of exposure were little understood and only basic protective measures were used.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:hms-monmouth-and-hms-good-hope-sunk-off-chile|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:hms-monmouth-and-hms-good-hope-sunk-off-chile|fulldesc:<p>The German Admiral von Spee commanded a force of ships which raided merchant ships and disrupted trade in the Pacific. Admiral Cradock was ordered to find the German ships. Cradock's force consisted of the aging battleship Canopus, the cruisers Monmouth and Good Hope, the light cruiser Glasgow and the armed merchantman Otranto. The Canopus had problems with its engines and was not able to keep position. Initial reports suggested that only the German cruiser Leipzig was in the area but this quickly changed to include the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Cradock proceeded to attack even though the strength of the opposing forces were much greater than expected. The German ships opened fire at 12 300 yards. The British cruisers HMS Monmouth and HMS Good Hope were lost in the action. While from the German viewpoint it was a successful operation, the German fleet was recalled to Germany because Berlin was concerned about the presence of battleships. Von Spee delayed the return and then decided to attack the Falkland Islands.</p> <p>A sailor aboard HMS Glasgow wrote of his experience of the sinking of HMS Monmouth. HMS Glasgow was off Coronel when around 1600 smoke was seen and observers said it came from two cruisers wih four funnels and one with three funnels. The Glasgow let the Good Hope and Monmouth know and they sailed to attack the enemy vessels. Battle did not begin until after 1900 when the German vessels had been reinforced by two other ships. After 30 minutes, HMS Good Hope 'caught fire from a shell explosion' which blew the ship 'to atoms'. Monmouth was badly damaged but could still sail and the Glasgow 'had several big holes below the water line'. The Monmouth later reported she was taking in large quantities of water, was sinking but 'making towards the enemy to torpedo her'. It was the last that was heard of the Monmouth. The sailor from HMS Glasgow said that they could do little to save the crew because they were struggling to stay afloat themselves, the sea was very rough and if they had stayed they would have not survived.</p> <p>Thomas Foot, whose parents lived in Lagland Street, Poole, was a stoker on HMS Good Hope. He had joined the navy in 1906 after working as a labourer in a wood factory. Robert was another Poole man who lost his life when the Good Hope was sunk. He had joined the navy in 1896 after being an errand boy. He was promoted several times reaching the rank of Leading Seaman. He had joined the Good Hope on July 31 1914.</p> <p>HMS Good Hope was launched in February 1901. She was a Drake-class armoured cruiser and was in the Reserve Fleet on the outbreak of war. HMS Monmouth was launched in November 1901 and, having been on the China Station from 1906 to 1913 she was put into the Reserve Fleet. The outbreak of war saw her being brought back as part of the 4th Cruiser Squadron.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:german-battlecruisers-bombard-yarmouth|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:german-battlecruisers-bombard-yarmouth|fulldesc:

Link:|Loc:No|id:cost-of-getting-married-reduced|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:cost-of-getting-married-reduced|fulldesc:<p>Soldiers in Dorset who wanted to get married learnt that Church officials had lowered the cost of the marriage licence.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:cornelia-hospital-to-be-extended|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:cornelia-hospital-to-be-extended|fulldesc:<p>The Red Cross was to have an extension built to Cornelia Hospital so as to provide 60-70 beds for the expected wounded. It was to be built by the West of England Poultry Appliance Works, Poole for &pound;600 but would cost around &pound;30 a week to run and there was an appeal for donations. 'Canwick', a house on Longfleet Road was to be used to store blankets and sheets.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:no-fireworks|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:no-fireworks|fulldesc:<p>A report in the East Dorset Herald noted that fireworks and bonfires were now prohibited in the Borough of Poole. However, only a year later the newspaper was commenting on the fact that children were being taken before the Poole Police Court having let off fireworks in contravention of the Defence of the Realm Act. The report believed that shopkeepers should be banned from selling fireworks.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:soldiers-to-be-billeted-in-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:soldiers-to-be-billeted-in-poole|fulldesc:<p>It was anticipated that nearly 4,000 soldiers were to be billeted in Poole as they waited for the huts in their camps to be built. The soldiers needed to be occupied and the Liberal Hall and Shaftesbury Hall in Poole were used for musical entertainments.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:canadas-gift-of-flour|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:canadas-gift-of-flour|fulldesc:<p>The local Poole newspaper reported that Canada had offered to send a million flour sacks to Britain. The first batch of 10,000 would be available for purchase in December. The money received would be divided between the National Relief Fund and the Belgian Relief Fund. The 98lb sacks had 'Flour, Canada's Gift' printed on the front.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/voices-of-the-first-world-war-the-wider-war|Loc:No|id:capture-of-the-town-of-tsing-tao-in-north-china|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:capture-of-the-town-of-tsing-tao-in-north-china|fulldesc:<p>World War 1 was truly global with conflict in Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Far East. &nbsp;Tsing-Tao [Tsing-Tau], in North China, was the HQ for German influence in the Far East and, more importantly, was the base for the German East-Asiatic Squadron of Vice-Admiral von Spee. This naval squadron attacked British shipping in the Pacific and was a major threat to trade. The fortress was defended by around 5,000 men. Admiral Meyer Waldeck, the governor, had been ordered by the Kaiser to defend it to the last man. Combined British and Japanese forces laid siege to the town. Large siege guns battered the forts, supply routes were cut off, and on November 6th ground troops had broken through the inner defences and were ready for the final assault. Early on the morning of November 7th the German forces were forced to surrender in the absence of outside help. Waldeck signed the surrender at 7.30pm. Around 2,300 men were taken prisoner. Tsing-tao was formally handed over to General Kamio on the 10th. The British force of 1500 had 73 men killed or wounded while the Japanese force of nearly 23,000 had around 1500 killed or wounded. The Japanese Navy had also lost several ships including the cruiser Takachiho.The German Squadron was on a training exercise in the Pacific when Tsing-tao was captured so managed to escape capture The German light cruiser, Emden, was later sunk by HMAS Sydney.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:sms-emden-sunk|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:sms-emden-sunk|fulldesc:<p>The SMS Emden was a light German cruiser that 'disappeared' from the China Station until September 10 when over five days she captured six vessels.The Emden's role was to destroy or capture merchant shipping. The wife of the captain of one vessel, the Kabinga, described her experience. The Emden fired a warning shot late on September 12. The ship stopped and 30 armed German sailors were landed from a small boat. They took control of the boat which followed the Emden as she attacked other merchant shipping. It transpired that the reason the ship was spared the fate of the others was that Captain von Muller of the Emden did not want a woman to be put to sea in an open boat. Three ships were sunk. and their crews put onboard the Kabinga. The Kabinga was eventually allowed to proceed to Calcutta where it landed 415 crew. Between September and the end of October, the SMS Emden sank or captured 23 merchant vessels.</p> <p>The commander of the Emden then landed on Cocos Islands in the Pacific to destroy the wireless station on Direction Island. HMAS Sydney learnt of the landing and sailed towards the Emden and destroyed the vessel. The ships were three miles apart when the Sydney attacked with its 6in guns. The Poole local newspaper reported that the Sydney had fired a broadside at the Emden and before it had reached the ship the Sydney had managed to fire another three. The Emden was forced to beach on North Keeling Island under the attack</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:bathtime-in-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:bathtime-in-poole|fulldesc:<p>The lack of facilities and the great influx of soldiers into the surrounding area meant that having a bath was a major exercise.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:lady-jellicoes-request|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:lady-jellicoes-request|fulldesc:<p>A remarkable letter appeared in the local newspaper from Lady Gwendoline Jellicoe, wife of the Admiral of the British Grand Fleet. A request had come from her husband for boots, oilskins and all manner of warm clothing and equipment because although the Admiralty supplied some it still wouldn't be enough. In her letter, she hoped that people would either send items or money to her home in London or locally to Mrs Rutter of Roxbury House, Poole Road, Bournemouth. Interestingly, she requested that clothing should preferably be navy blue. Scarves were to measure 1ft wide and 2 1/2 yards long.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:tax-increases|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:tax-increases|fulldesc:<p>The financial cost of the war had a rapid impact with increases in income tax. The duty on beer also went up but, interestingly, so did the duty on tea.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:urgent-need-to-keep-soldiers-warm|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:urgent-need-to-keep-soldiers-warm|fulldesc:<p>A letter to the East Dorset Herald from Cornelia, Lady Wimborne and Feodorowna Alington shows the desperate need soldiers had for warm mittens, scarves and sleeping bags and records the thousands of items made by the East Dorset Guild of Workers. It notes that 'none of these are supplied by the Government' and, without sleeping bags, the soldiers in the training camps will be on bare wooden boards.</p> <p>By the end of the war it is estimated that over 1.5 million mufflers (scarves), 1.5 million mittens (gloves), 16 million books, 233 million cigarettes and over 12 million bandages had been donated by volunteer organisations.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:loss-of-hms-bulwark|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:loss-of-hms-bulwark|fulldesc:<p>HMS Bulwark was launched in 1899. It was torn apart by an explosion while loading ammunition at Sheerness. 'No longer there, just an open space' commented one observer. 793 sailors lost their lives and only 12 survived.</p> <p>Two men with Poole connections lost their lives in the explosion; Assistant Paymaster L.A. Robinson whose father lived at 'Armadale' Parkstone and Able Seaman F. Underhay whose wife lived in Pile Court, Poole.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:gambier-family-letters|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:gambier-family-letters|fulldesc:<p>An article describing Councillor Gambier's patriotic family and letters back from the trenches from his brother.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:battle-of-the-falkland-islands|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-the-falkland-islands|fulldesc:<p>'The failure of the naval action on November 1st 1914 led to another British naval force being despatched to the South Atlantic. This force included the old dreadnought HMS Canopus, the battlecruisers HMS Invincible and HMS Inflexible and was led by Vice-Admiral Sturdee. The German vessels were sighted whilst the British fleet was taking coal on-board at Port Stanley. This was a lengthy operation taking many hours to transfer the thousands of tons of coal a ship required so it was a while before the British force could engage the enemy. A lucky shot from the Canopus struck the German ship Gneisenau. This, and the sight of the British battlecruisers, convinced the German Admiral von Spee to turn and head away from the Falklands. The superior speed and armament allowed the British vessels to get to and fire on the German ships while they were still out of range of the German guns.The battle took place while the naval forces were nearly four miles apart. It ended with the sinking of the German cruisers Scharnhorst (at 1617), Gneisenau (at 1800), Nurnberg (at 1927) and Leipzig (at 2035). The Dresden escaped but was damaged and scuttled on March 9 1915. The Karlsruhe had been lost to a magazine explosion and the Konigsberg was destroyed in July 1915. The Poole local newspaper reported that the Konigsberg was found by HMS Chatham in the mouth of a river [Rufigi River] in German East Africa and colliers were sunk to block the only escape route. This meant that no German warship remained active in the distant seas - the German East Asia Squadron was no more.</p> <p>HMS Kent was launched in March 1901 and was on the China Station from 1906 to 1913. After the Battle of the Falkland Islands, HMS Kent was also involved in the scuttling of the Dresden in the Pacific.</p> <p>Poole resident Able Seaman Samuel Elliot was on HMS Kent during the battle. He had joined the navy in 1903 and served on HMS Kent from 3 October 1914 to 24 April 1916. He was invalided out of the navy in July 1919.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:german-ships-bombard-northern-coastal-towns|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:german-ships-bombard-northern-coastal-towns|fulldesc:<p>'Part of the German High Seas Fleet under Admiral von Ingenhol approached the North coast with the intention of attacking the coastal towns. British destroyers made contact with his advance ships and, believing he was actually facing the far superior British Grand Fleet, he ordered the German fleet to sail for home leaving the First Cruiser Squadron of battlecruisers essentially trapped inside an extensive minefield. The German battlecruisers Derfflinger and von der Tann bombarded Scarborough and Whitby; Seydlitz, Moltke and Blucher bombarded Hartlepool. &nbsp;British forces sailed from the Forth in Scotland and from Harwich and &nbsp;Beatty's battlecruisers blocked the escape route for the German ships. However, the British fleet was hampered by bad weather and signal errors and the German ships were able to escape. Signalling was by a series of coloured flags raised on a mast. They had to be read at distance, with ships moving at speed, and a wind blowing them about. To able to distinguish the flags, the colours and make sense of the message took an incredible amount of skill, especially as signals could be run up and down as the situation changed.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:womens-voluntary-organisations|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:womens-voluntary-organisations|fulldesc:<p>The First World War led to the creation of numerous women's organisatiosn who provided varying types of support. The local newspaper reported on the Women's Emergency Corps who held a branch meeting at the Theatre Royal, Bournemouth. The aim of the Corps was to bring together those who had particular skills in voluntary work. Mrs Pertwee from London had been one of six who had created the Corps. She spoke to a packed theatre about its work which included finding jobs for out-of-work girls, teaching languages to new recruits, helping with refugees, and providing drivers. To cover its costs of around &pound;350 per week it sold items in a shop but it needed more help. The offices of the Bournemouth Branch were Batnksome Terrace, Poole Hill. The Poole newspaper also reported in December of the formation of the Women's Voluntary [sic] Reserve with the aim to provide assistance in anything from an accident to invasion. The article noted that members were being trained in using a rifle. The attitudes of the time meant that members of the Reserve were criticised for their 'unmanly' dress and behaviour.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:eggs-in-short-supply|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:eggs-in-short-supply|fulldesc:<p>A National Egg Collection for the Wounded was set up and by June 1915 had around 1000 collecting depots throughout the country and was requiring nearly 70,000 eggs a day to be sent to hospitals in Britain and France.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:first-air-attack-launched-by-royal-navy|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:first-air-attack-launched-by-royal-navy|fulldesc:<p>At the beginning of the First World War the Royal Navy only had the converted cruiser HMS Hermes able to carry planes; in this instance, three seaplanes. HMS Hermes was sunk by a U-boat on October 30 1914. The Admiralty realised that it needed more vessels capable of carrying several seaplanes. In 1913, the Admiralty had bought a hull to which was to be added a 130ft flight deck. When it was completed, HMS Ark Royal as it became known as, was found to be too slow and it was only used as a seaplane tender.</p> <p>Three cross-channel ferrries, Engadine, Riviera and Empress were converted to seaplane carriers. The seaplanes had to be hoisted from the ships on to the sea so a launch could only happen if the sea was relatively calm. The three vessels saw action at the end of 1914 when they were escorted by cruisers, destroyers and submarines towards the German coast. At 0600 on December 25 1914 seven seaplanes were winched out onto the sea. A short while after the seaplanes had been successfully launched the Zeppelin L6 approached the ships and managed to drop a few bombs on the Empress. The Zepplein rapidly left the area when the escorts opened fire. The seaplanes flew towards the German Zeppelin sheds at Nordholz, Cuxhaven but bad weather prevented an attack so the pilots went over the German naval base at Wilhelmshaven where they dropped a few bombs and carried out reconnaissance. Although the raid was a failure it did show the potential of ship-based aircraft.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-real-story-of-the-christmas-truce|Loc:No|id:christmas-truce|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:christmas-truce|fulldesc:<p>The &lsquo;History of the Dorsetshire Regiment 1914-1919&rsquo; recorded that the 1st Battalion experienced &lsquo;nothing unusual&rsquo; &lsquo;on the Dorset front&rsquo; near Wulverghem but there were no shots between the opposing sides. They understood that the sides south of them were &lsquo;friendlier&rsquo;. Interestingly, in the local newspaper of January 1915 there is correspondence from Private Bray of the Dorsets under the heading &lsquo;Fraternising Foes&rsquo;. He describes how they sang carols in the trench but it was very cold so several of them got out for a walk to warm themselves. Three Germans, two officers and a private, approached and gave them a couple of bottles of whisky, cigars and a pudding. Bray said that if they had not been in billets on Boxing Day they would have returned the favour.</p> <p><a href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/christmas-1914-on-the-western-front/" data-cke-saved-href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/christmas-1914-on-the-western-front/">Find out more about the Christmas Truce in our blog</a></p> <p>Private Horace Sartin&rsquo;s experience was in contrast. He lived at Longfleet, Poole and was serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps at a Field Hospital somewhere in France. In a letter, he describes that on the morning of Christmas Day there was a widespread frost and he went for a walk through the country lanes. His group of fourteen soldiers then sat down to a Christmas meal where they had plenty of hot food. He went for a walk after the meal but had to abandon it because he was too cold. After tea, they sang songs and played bridge. However, his letter ends on a more sombre note &ndash;&lsquo;I cannot see that this terrible war can conclude for months, perhaps, years&rsquo;.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:dorset-scouts-defence-corps-formed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:dorset-scouts-defence-corps-formed|fulldesc:<p>The East Dorset Herald of December 31st 1914 reported that the Dorset Scouts' Defence Corps had been formed in response to the crisis. Scouts patrolled the coast, kept watch over water installations and fountains.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:when-will-the-war-end|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:when-will-the-war-end|fulldesc:<p>An editorial in the local newspaper raised the question of how long will the war last. It believed that the optimist considered that the war was nearly over and was unlikely to last three years. In contrast, Lord Kitchener disagreed and believed that the country should prepare for the conflict to last three years. The editorial commented that the officers and men returning from the front were confident that it will be over sooner rather than later. A later article said that a high ranking French official was of the opinion that the war would be over in three years. The fighting on the Aisne in 1914 was expected to lead to the Germans starting to retreat. The Allies would follow and the battle on the Rhine would last until early 1916 when the Germans would be finally defeated.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:hms-formidable-sunk-by-u-boat|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:hms-formidable-sunk-by-u-boat|fulldesc:<p>HMS Formidable, a 15 000 ton battleship, was sunk in the English Channel by German submarine U-24. The Formidable had been on a gunnery exercise, along with other ships, near Portland Bill. It was hit by a torpedo around midnight. Heavy seas and darkness meant that saving the ship was becoming impossible and the Captain ordered the ship to be abandoned. It was then hit by a second torpedo. Only 233 men were rescued out of a ship's crew of 780.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:4th-dorsets-beat-germans-at-football|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:4th-dorsets-beat-germans-at-football|fulldesc:<p>Private S. Perry wrote to Mr W.H. Saunders, the secretary of Longfleet St Mary's Football Club, about a football match that had taken place between D Company 4th Dorsets and a team of German prisoners. What is unusual is that the match took place in Ahmednagar in India. The Dorset team was entirely made up of footballers from Poole ie from Longfleet St Marys, St Aldhelms, Carters, Adult School, Tramways, Gasworks, Poole Swifts and Upton. The Dorset team won 3-1.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:naval-experiences-off-the-german-south-west-africa-coast|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:naval-experiences-off-the-german-south-west-africa-coast|fulldesc:<p>John Matthews of Poole joined HMS Armadale Castle in August 1914. The vessel was involved in patrol work along the German South West coast of Africa. In a letter home he describes how he was injured but not by enemy action. Whilst the vessel was coaling he slipped and damaged his knee which meant he had to have a few days rest. He said he was fortunate not to break anything - before he joined up he played in goal for Longfleet St Mary's Football Club. Coaling was a highly exhausting operation - in this instance 3700 tons had to be transferred and they had to 'work day and night'. If there were no proper coaling facilities then it had to be moved in sacks. A description of coaling at sea describes how each sack had to be held open, filled with coal and then winched from the supply vessel. Everybody who was not on duty had to do the work. And when it was finished the ships had be scrubbed clean.</p> <p>SS Armadale Castle was a passenger ship built in 1903 for the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company. It was converted into an armed merchant ship in August 1914.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:battle-of-dogger-bank|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-dogger-bank|fulldesc:<p>A naval battle took place near the Dogger Bank, North Sea between Rear-Admiral Beatty's battle cruiser squadron of HMS Lion, HMS Tiger, HMS Princess Royal (1st Battlecruiser Squadron), HMS New Zealand and HMS Indomitable (2nd Battlecruiser Squadron) supported by 7 light cruisers and 35 destroyers of the Harwich Force, and the German Admiral von Ingenohl's fleet of Seydlitz, Derfflinger, Moltke, and Blucher supported by 4 light cruisers and 19 destroyers. The Admiralty had intercepted and decoded a message ordering the German Admiral Hipper to carry out a reconnaissance of the Dogger Bank area. Beatty's squadron had intercepted the German fleet and began to fire on the Blucher but periscopes were 'seen' and the British ships turned away. At the time, the only way of detecting a submarine was by observers looking for a periscope - not an easy task in the midst of a battle and with a heavy sea swell. Signalling errors resulted in only the Blucher being sunk. Signalling between ships was by coloured flags being raised on the masthead. Once again, not an easy task to read during a battle and bad weather. Targetting of guns was by observing 'splashes' made by shells not hitting their target which was not easy given the distances involved. The gunnery teams on the Tiger had thought the 'splashes' they saw were &nbsp;from its shooting when in fact they were from the Lion's guns. Although it was seen as a British naval victory there was disappointment that not more enemy ships had been sunk. A consequence of the loss of the Blucher and severe damage to the Seydlitz was that the German Kaiser removed von Ingenohl from his post and appointed von Pohl in his place. von Pohl was reluctant to allow the German fleet to leave its base and instead resorted to submarine warfare.&nbsp;</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/15-animals-that-went-to-war|Loc:No|id:rspca-creates-a-fund-to-look-after-wounded-horses|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:rspca-creates-a-fund-to-look-after-wounded-horses|fulldesc:<p>By the end of the War nearly 1 million horses had been on the Western Front. They were used by the cavalry, as well as to carry supplies, pull wagons and artillery, and many other roles. The RSPCA launched a fund in 1915 for the care of sick and wounded horses. The experience of one horse is dramatised in Michael Morpurgo's novel 'War Horse'. Another horse has a local connection. A draught horse called 'Tinker' was wounded several times while in France. Lieutenant Oakley bought him and he became the final horse to be used by Oakley Bros who had the mill that now houses Poole Museum. Soldiers who were wounded could receive 'wound stripes' and Tinker had his displayed on one of his straps.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:pooles-air-raid-warning-system|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:pooles-air-raid-warning-system|fulldesc:<p>Notices appeared in Poole that said three long blasts of a siren would announce if enemy aircraft were approaching. The sirens were at Poole Pottery and Bourne Valley Pottery.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-war-and-advertising|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-war-and-advertising|fulldesc:<p>The war began to feature in many newspaper adverts. This advert is from the East Dorset Herald of February 11th 1915 and is typical of the era. Photographic reproduction in newspapers of the time was rare and the adverts used images drawn by hand.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:german-naval-blockade-of-britain|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:german-naval-blockade-of-britain|fulldesc:<p>Germany announced a blockade of Britain and ships of opponents, as well as neutrals, were to be attacked by U-boats. Mr Balfour was reported as saying that 'deeds which were merely crimes in May, in September are seen to be blunders' as opinion in neutral countries, especially America, turned against Germany.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:recruitment-in-full-flow|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:recruitment-in-full-flow|fulldesc:<p>Recruitment meetings were held throughout the country and this advert announces that one will be held on February 19th 1915 at the Drill Hall, Upper Parkstone. To encourage men to attend the meeting, local brass bands paraded along three different routes to the Hall.</p> <p>The photograph is of a recruiting van used by the Royal Navy which was in Poole for a military sports event.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-post-office-hours-cut|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-post-office-hours-cut|fulldesc:<p>It was announced that the Poole Head Post Office would only be open to the public between the hours of 8am to 8pm because of the war.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-war-time-allotments-committee-formed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-war-time-allotments-committee-formed|fulldesc:<p>'Dr H. W. Irvine, Inspector of Schools in Dorset, had suggested in 1915 that waste land could be used for the production of food. The Mayor of Poole, Mr G. Kentish, was keen on the idea and the Poole War-time Committee was formed in March 1915. Poole was possibly the first town to undertake food production using allotments because of the war. It started with around 60 plots in Ladies Walking Field, Longfleet and Richmond Road, Parkstone. It was not long before there were three times this number. It was only in 1917 that the Government realised the opportunity that allotments presented and announced the Cultivation of Lands order which allowed the compulsory requisition of unproductive land. In 1918 there were nearly 1400 plots stretching from Bourne Valley to Hamworthy. A plot cost 1s to register.</p>

Link:http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/coronel.htm|Loc:Yes|id:battle-of-coronel|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-coronel|fulldesc:<p>A First World War battle between the Royal Navy and the Imperial German Navy. It was fought off the coast of Chile. A German victory.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:a-soldiers-burial|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:a-soldiers-burial|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that Private Ernest C. Haslehurst, Dorsetshire Regiment, was the first soldier from Britain to be buried in Poole Cemetery. The Council decided to refund the &pound;1 fee.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:battle-of-neuve-chapelle|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-neuve-chapelle|fulldesc:<p>This battle highlighted the lack of shells with the German defences left untouched by an inadequate barrage. It was noted that the battle had used an equivalent amount of ammunition to that used in the entire Boer War. Lloyd George was appointed Minister of Munitions with the aim of increasing the supply of munitions. By September 1915 it was reported that there were 20 factories making shells and 18 more were being built.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:canford-mans-part-in-the-sinking-of-u29|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:canford-mans-part-in-the-sinking-of-u29|fulldesc:<p>The Poole and East Dorset Herald newspaper reported on how a local man's observation led to the sinking of the German submarine U 29. The submarine had sunk four ships and damaged two over four days in March 1915. On March 18, U 29 was in Pentland Firth when Lt Commander Piercy, who was watch officer on H.M.S. Dreadnought, spotted a periscope, close to the ship, zig-zagging and heading south. Captain Alderson of HMS Dreadnought changed course and moving quickly rammed the submarine. The article reports that the submarine's bow rose out of the water revealing the number 'U 29'. There were no survivors. It is believed this was the first and only time that a battleship sank a German U-boat. Lt Commander Piercy was the son of Mr &amp; Mrs Piercy of Fernbrake, Canford Cliffs, Poole.</p> <p>The German submarine U-29 was built by Kaiserliche Werft Danzig and commissioned on August 1st 1914. It was a Type U-27 and had a crew of 35 officers and men. It is believed to have sunk three British ships and one French ship between March 11th and March 14th 1915 on its only patrol.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:should-sports-and-entertainments-continue|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:should-sports-and-entertainments-continue|fulldesc:<p>'As the First World war progressed there were calls for sports and entertainment to be stopped. The local newspaper reported on a letter from Mr J.H. Taylor, a golf professional, who argued that golf should continue because it 'was a valuable asset to the national health' and a way of achieving 'relief from worry'. Football was another sport that was questioned and led to an increased interest in women's football. In August 1917, a football competition was organised for the munitionettes in the North East of England. Known as the Tyne Wear and Tees Alfred Wood Munitions Cup it attracted a lot of interest and drew crowds of thousands to the matches as professional football was absent. The competition was also held in 1918-1919. There were also other social changes. In places like London, eating out was becoming more popular as people sought to escape from the war. Although theatres and music halls now had entertainment tax on tickets they still drew large crowds. The Home Office decided to save money by closing the major museums and art galleries in 1916 even though there were large numbers of servicemen home on leave who could have used their facilities. In contrast, in London at least, there was a large increase in the number of nightclubs. People who would have never used a bus now found that there were limited alternatives. The war also affected fashions. The steel used in women's stays was now needed for military uses. London financiers stopped wearing the traditional top hat because the horses which drew the cabs were now needed at the front and a top hat was impracticable in the confined space of a bus or on the underground.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:raising-money-for-a-motor-lorry|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:raising-money-for-a-motor-lorry|fulldesc:<p>A letter appeared in the local newspaper asking if any women whose first name was Annette, Nita, Antoinette, Anne or Annie would be willing to raise funds for a lorry to carry supplies for the American Ambulance Corps who were with the Second French Army Corps. One of the signatures on the letter was Miss Annette La Touche of Parkstone, Poole.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-motor-ambulance|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-motor-ambulance|fulldesc:<p>The desperate situation at the front in France led to requests being made throughout the country for towns and cities to raise money to purchase a motor ambulance in the name of the place. Poole responded to the call and successfuly raised &pound;400 to buy an ambulance in the name of the 'Borough of Poole' for use by the Red Cross.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-second-battle-of-ypres|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-second-battle-of-ypres|fulldesc:<p>This was the first time chlorine gas was used as a weapon by the Germans on April 22. The 1st Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment experienced gas on May 1 - the trenches were only 40 yards apart and the impact was devastating. The wind did change and started to blow the gas back into the German trenches. The Dorsetshires had been told to wear 'respirators' which were essentially a wet cloth around their face. By June 1915, men were being issued with 'smoke helmets' which were flannel bags, saurated in a solution, and &nbsp;had eyepieces. The bag, or helmet, was worn over the head. Proper gas masks with charcoal filters became available much later.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/9-reasons-why-gallipoli-was-one-of-the-worst-fighting-fronts-of-the-first-world-war|Loc:No|id:gallipoli|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:gallipoli|fulldesc:<p>British, French, Newfoundland, Indian, Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Gallipoli. By December 1915 there was a full-scale withdrawal. The campaign was condemned as being organised by politicians behaving as 'amateur soldiers' and led by incompetent generals.</p> <p>The Royal Naval Division was one of the units who landed. This Division had been formed at the beginning of the war because thousands of reservists had been called up but there were no ships for them to serve on. Instead they fought on land which caused great disillusionment as they were expecting to fight at sea. The officers were similarly unprepared for land warfare. When the Division went to Flanders it suffered heavy casualties. At Gallipoli over 7,000 of the Division were either killed or wounded. Among those who were at Gallipoli with the RND, and had links to Poole, were Sub-Lieut Wilfred V. Gilbert whose parents lived for a short time at Longfleet House, Poole. Following the death of his father his mother moved to Ferndene, Parkstone. Wilfred Gilbert was killed on 4 June 1915 while in charge of the digging of a trench to connect the Naval Division with troops of the 42nd Division. His brother, Robert E. Gilbert was also in the RND at Gallipoli and had been evacuated to a hospital on Malta when he was severely wounded. Remarkably, eight sons of the Gilbert family served in the First World War.</p> <p><a href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2019/10/26/george-edward-ford-a-survivor-of-gallipoli/" data-cke-saved-href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2019/10/26/george-edward-ford-a-survivor-of-gallipoli/">Find out more on our blog</a></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:sinking-of-the-r.m.s.-lusitania|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:sinking-of-the-r.m.s.-lusitania|fulldesc:<p>The Lusitania was torpedoed without warning by the German U-boat U-20 while the passenger ship was en-route from New York to Liverpool. It sank in under 20 minutes leading to a great loss of life. Several prominent Americans lost their lives and it stirred up a lot of ill-feeling in many countries. While Germany sought to defend its action it proved a major propaganda disaster. America was not in the war but it applied a lot of pressure on Germany to stop unrestricted submarine attacks. They stopped in September 1915, but restarted in February 1917 when Germany found itself losing the war at sea.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:weather-forecasts-withdrawn|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:weather-forecasts-withdrawn|fulldesc:<p>The East Dorset Herald reported that the threat from Zeppelin airships had led to the traditional weather forecast from the Meteorological Office being withdrawn in 1915 until the end of the war.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/voices-of-the-first-world-war-zeppelins-over-britain|Loc:No|id:destruction-of-an-airship-wins-a-vc|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:destruction-of-an-airship-wins-a-vc|fulldesc:<p>Sub. Lieut. R.A.J. Warneford (R.N.) destroyed a Zeppelin airship between Ghent and Brussels. He had chased the Zeppelin and then managed to destroy it by dropping bombs on to it. His plane became damaged and he had to land in enemy territory. He eventually restarted the engine and was able to return home. He was awarded a Victoria Cross for his action. Sadly he was reported killed only 11 days later.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:soldiers-weekend-furlough-in-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:soldiers-weekend-furlough-in-poole|fulldesc:<p>The Poole Liberal Club opened its doors after the evening concert was over to provide sleeping accommodation for solders who in the town on leave. The hall was cleared and then swept clean. Beds made from straw-filled sacks were then laid in rows on the floor. Soldiers were then only admitted if they had a pass or an admission ticket to the concert. Once a man had a bed he removed his boots and puttees and then was handed a pillow filled with straw. A number of tarpaulins were then laid across the soldiers. 250 men could be accommodated in this way. The men would then sing various songs and smoke cigarettes until lights out at 1130pm. Wakeup call was 6.30am with buckets of water available for washing. Boots were cleaned of 'Bovington mud'. Breakfast was coffee and a sandwich. Men could then go on church parade, have lunch and tea. At 10pm the railway station was crowded with soldiers ready to depart back to camp with the engine struggling to start because of the size of the train.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:appeal-to-help-dorset-regiment-prisoners-of-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:appeal-to-help-dorset-regiment-prisoners-of-war|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper had an advert from the East Dorset Guild of Workers in which they asked people to 'Adopt a Prisoner of War' at 5s (25p) a fortnight. The money would be used to send parcels of food and other items to Dorset Regiment POWs. In the following year the Guild hoped to send to every Dorset Regiment Prisoner of War a pudding, preserved fruit, cigarettes and other gifts for Christmas 1916. They had hoped to send a blanket to every man but 'foreign authorities' had prohibited this.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:h.m.s.-audrey-a-former-tourist-steamship|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:h.m.s.-audrey-a-former-tourist-steamship|fulldesc:<p>Many boats used for the excursion and holiday traffic along the coast were requisitioned by the Royal Navy. Typical is the 'Audrey' which used to sail between Bournemouth, Poole and Studland Bay. The newspaper report describes some of the experiences of the five Poole crewmen. - Captain S.J. Shippick, F.Wadhams (Mate) from Hamworthy, C. Colombo (Engineer) G. Rose (Steward) and E. Harding (stoker) from Hamworthy. They were in Chatham when HMS Bulwark exploded, saw the explosion of HMS Irene, and watched as a German areoplane and a Zeppelin landed bombs around them.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:coalminers-on-strike|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:coalminers-on-strike|fulldesc:<p>200,000 miners went on strike in the Welsh coalfields. The dispute ended on 21st July when the Government agreed to most of their demands. In the year since the beginning of the conflict the price of food had gone up by 34% and there were significant increases in income tax which meant there was widespread hardship. It was reported in February that the cost of bread in Poole was to be increased by 8d for a 4lb loaf - in the attached newspaper cutting a gallon refers to a volume of flour. In Weymouth, munitions workers believed that house rents were being unfairly increased because of the influx of workers. Food prices continued to rise throughout the war causing great hardship to many people. Although women were replacing men in many jobs they were often paid much less for doing the same work.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:landing-at-suvla-bay|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:landing-at-suvla-bay|fulldesc:<p>The 5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment, took part in the landing at Suvla Bay. They set sail in July from Liverpool on the Aquitania as part of a force of 7000 men and crew. As early as August 8th, the operation was considered an 'opportunity&hellip;wasted' especially by the men in the trenches. The early successes were not built upon because the leadership was unclear about the situation on the ground. They were used to trench warfare and the slow advance of the war in France and appeared unable to recognise the advantage of quickly capitilising on gains. The conditions on the ground rapidly deteriorated. Torrential rain made any wood so wet that the men couldn't light fires to dry their clothing, eat hot food or get warm. Water was often supplied in petrol cans but the men were grateful to get any water. Jaundice, dysentry and diarrhoea were widespread. As winter approached, blizzards and bitterly cold winds contributed to the misery of the men. There was also no opportunity for 'leave' to recover, in contrast to being in France. The Dorsetshires were evacuated on December 16 1915.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:torpedo-launched-from-a-seaplane|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:torpedo-launched-from-a-seaplane|fulldesc:<p>Seaplanes were heavier than land-based planes because they had to be built much stronger to be able to withstand the stress of take off and landing at sea. They were also slow, had poor handling and the sea had to be calm for a launch to occur. If a seaplane carried a torpedo the fuel load had to be reduced because of the weight. On August 12 1915, during the Gallipoli campaign, a seaplane sank a Turkish supply ship using a torpedo. While not a great success, as the ship had been abandoned, it showed the potential of ship-based planes. Two more Turkish supply ships were sunk on August 17 1915 with torpedos. However, it was the last time during the First World War. Seaplanes were not the answer.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-girl-on-board-a-trawler|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-girl-on-board-a-trawler|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported in August 1915 that 'the latest case' of a woman taking on a man's job was that of 13 year old Alice Matthews who was helping her father on his trawler where she 'braves the howling wind' and starts work 'in the small hours of the morning.'</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:women-are-delivering-the-post|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:women-are-delivering-the-post|fulldesc:<p>The East Dorset Herald reported on September 2nd 1915 that three women were now working in the Poole Postal Area. By December 1915, this unusual event became much more common as the need for men to fight at the front led to women filling the vacancies in many service and manufacturing industries. In February 1915, it was announced that, because of the conflict, the hours of the Poole Post Head Office would be reduced to 8am to 8pm.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:war-expenditure|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:war-expenditure|fulldesc:<p>Parliament was told that the war was now costing &pound;3.5 million a day. A week later, the Budget for 1915 to 1916 was expected to be nearly &pound;1.6 billion with a revenue of only &pound;305 million. It was reported that there had been a 34% rise in the cost of food.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:battle-of-artois-loos|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-artois-loos|fulldesc:<p>The British and French armies made considerable gains on the first day of the Battle of Artois-Loos but the reserves were held too far back and were ordered forward much too late. Over the next few days, repeated Allied attacks left thousands of troops dead because the German defences were able to regroup. One German officer recorded that they stopped firing because all that lay in front of them were either dead or wounded and they felt sickened by what they saw. The Commander-in Chief, Sir John French, of the British forces was severely criticised and eventually lost his job because of this disaster.</p> <p>The British Expeditionary Force was, at this point, 858,825 - nearly a year later it numbered 1,343,457.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:russian-flag-day-in-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:russian-flag-day-in-poole|fulldesc:<p>A Russian Flag Day was organised in Poole to raise funds for the Russian Red Cross. Purchasers could buy a flag from numerous sellers in the town. Some shops and streets were decorated with the Russian flag. A performance of music by the Amity Hall Orchestra, dancing, comedy, magic lantern slides of 'Scenes of Russia', and singing was held in the Amity Hall in Poole. Nearly &pound;200 was raised on the day. Russia was an ally of Britain and France.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:national-register-bill-introduced-in-parliament|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:national-register-bill-introduced-in-parliament|fulldesc:<p>The Bill had a stormy passage through Parliament but was eventually passed in July 1915. Every adult between the ages of 15 and 65 had to fill in a Registration Form detailing their age, occupation, and if they would be prepared to join the army or work in a munition factory. The idea was that the information would be used in a new recruitment campaign to be launched by Lord Derby who had been appointed Director of Recruiting.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:nurse-edith-cavell-shot-by-firing-squad|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:nurse-edith-cavell-shot-by-firing-squad|fulldesc:<p>Nurse Edith Cavell had aided British troops in escaping from Brussels. Convicted by the German authorities, she was shot by firing squad. British and worldwide opinion was horrified by the act and German officer POWs were reported as saying that they would have refused to carry out the order.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:derby-scheme-recruitment|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:derby-scheme-recruitment|fulldesc:<p>The Derby Scheme was introduced in October 1915. Men could register their commitment to serve and could even choose which regiment they joined. Single men were to be called up before married men. The scheme closed on December 15 1915 because insufficient numbers signed up. The scheme arose out of &nbsp;the National Registration Act of July 15 1915 which split work into 'starred' occupations, which were for the war effort, and 'unstarred', which were not.Those that were in the latter were 'expected' to enlist. The scheme closed on December 15 1915 because insufficient numbers had signed up. The quality of recruits was 'poor' because they only had 5 to 6 weeks training before being sent to France with similar period of training there and then sent out to fight.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:land-plane-flies-from-navy-vessel|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:land-plane-flies-from-navy-vessel|fulldesc:<p>Flight Lt. H.F. Towler flew a Bristol Scout landplane from the deck of HMS Vindex, a seaplane carrier, and then landed ashore. It showed that a landplane could be launched from a ship, but there was no way of landing and the pilot would have to ditch near the ship.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-fair-not-held|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-fair-not-held|fulldesc:<p>The war meant that Poole Fair was not held on November 1st. Some believed that it was wrong to have entertainments like the fair at a time of great conflict, while others believed it was a welcome diversion.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:pooles-postal-service-affected|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:pooles-postal-service-affected|fulldesc:<p>Poole Post Office announced that, because of the war, mid-day collections from the town's post boxes would be suspended.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:haig-replaces-french-as-commander-in-chief|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:haig-replaces-french-as-commander-in-chief|fulldesc:<p>General Sir Douglas Haig replaced Field Marshal Sir John French as Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force in France. Haig has been critcised for a lack of imagination however he was supportive of the 'new' tank. 'Wherever the tanks advanced, we took our objectives and where they did not advance, we failed to take our objectives. Go back and build as many more tanks as you can.'</p>

Link:http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2016/4/cwgc-marks-the-centenary-of-the-siege-of-kut.aspx|Loc:Yes|id:siege-of-kut|relatedItems:/people/wills-thomas-john|imguris:https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/Wills-TJ-080616-5289.xace7acec.jpg|imgalts:Wills, Private Thomas John|titles:Wills, Private Thomas John|slug:siege-of-kut|fulldesc:<p>The Siege of Kut Al Amara (7 December 1915 &ndash; 29 April 1916), also known as the First Battle of Kut, was the besieging of an 8,000 strong British-Indian garrison in the town of Kut, 160 kilometres (100 mi) south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. In 1915 its population was around 6,500. Following the surrender of the garrison on 29 April 1916, the survivors of the siege were marched to imprisonment at Aleppo, during which many died. Historian Christopher Catherwood has called the siege "the worst defeat of the Allies in World War I". {taken from wikipedia}</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wFo3hCynvsU" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:military-wedding|relatedItems:/people/hunt-percy-edwin|imguris:https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/Hampshire-Regiment-1348.xc5322017.jpg|imgalts:Hunt, Percy Edwin|titles:Hunt, Private Percy Edwin|slug:military-wedding|fulldesc:

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-was-the-battle-of-verdun|Loc:No|id:battle-of-verdun|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-verdun|fulldesc:<p>The German General Falkenhayn was determined to destroy the French army before the British forces could be fully deployed. The target was Verdun. It was not only an important strategic point on the Western Front, it also had great symbolic importance for the French nation. His tactic was simple. Use a massed artillery attack followed up by the infantry. Nearly 1 400 German artillery guns fired 1 000 000 shells in jsut 21 hours. across an 8 mile front. Initially very successful, the German commanders in the field diverted from his plan and the French were able to hold the citadel. Four months later and with French losses of around 400,000 and a similar figure for the Germans, the onset of winter, and the beginning of the Somme, the battle for Verdun drew to a close.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:conscription-introduced|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:conscription-introduced|fulldesc:<p>The Military Service Act introduced conscription into the armed forces for single men aged between 18 and 41. Men in 'reserved occupations' could be exempt because their job was critical to the War effort. On May 25 it was extended to married men. There was some dismay expressed that unmarried men could have relatively well-paid jobs in munitions factories while married men with families to support could be conscripted. The tribunal in Poole regularly met to consider the request for exemptions. Conscription was also introduced in Canada and New Zealand but not Australia.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:fishing-dispute-leads-to-east-dorset-herald-editor-being-prosecuted-under-dora-regulations|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:fishing-dispute-leads-to-east-dorset-herald-editor-being-prosecuted-under-dora-regulations|fulldesc:<p>An article in the East Dorset Herald reported on a fishing dispute between local fishermen and Royal Navy minesweeper men who patrolled the area. It was claimed the Admiralty boats were depriving local fishermen of their trade by allegedly fishing when they were on patrol. Further reports became more vociferous and led to the East Dorset Herald Editor being prosecuted under the Defence of the Realm Act for 'prejudicing recruiting and naval adminisitration'. Complaints had been received that men on the minesweepers were fishing in Poole Bay and selling fish at less than the market price eg soles at 4d per lb while the commercial price was 2s 6d per lb. The court was told that the allegations were false and that the minesweepers who were converted drifters had never fished within the three mile limit. The Editor argued that the article was 'fictitious' and based on a supposed conversation between fisherman. He was surprised that anybody could consider that it would have &nbsp;the effect on the naval authorities that the prosecution claimed. The court decided to fine the Editor 25s but that they did not believe that he had intentially sought to damage the Navy.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:field-kitchens-presented-by-charity-organisation|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:field-kitchens-presented-by-charity-organisation|fulldesc:<p>Many charities raised funds and donated equipment which today it would be expected that the Government would provide.This picture is of a field kitchen which could give hot food and drink to soldiers. Local groups would often raise funds which were then passed on to the national organisationswho bought the equipment.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-postman-dies-at-vimy-ridge|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-postman-dies-at-vimy-ridge|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported in its April 22 1920 issue that staff at the Post Office in Poole had erected a memorial tablet to Mr T.J. Rigler. He had joined the postal service as a messenger, was promoted and eventually came to work at the Poole Post Office. He had volunteered when war was declared as did, apart from five, all his colleagues. He was the only one who was killed. He served as a Rifleman in the Post Office Rifles and died on May 22 1916 on Vimy Ridge. He was 21 years of age.</p>

Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Jutland|Loc:Yes|id:battle-of-jutland|relatedItems:/people/alderson-alex-george-jermyn;/people/ball-albert-thomas-augustus;/people/dennis-percy-victor;/people/fudge-alfred-henry;/people/hall-william;/people/landray-william-henry-hubert;/people/lugg-reginald-foster;/people/mauleverer-claude-du-pre-stansfeld-mauleverer;/people/tucker-percival-andrew;/people/wills-edward-robert|imguris:https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/penny2-267.x0f79c13a.jpg;https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/RN-264.x8f96f317.jpg;https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/RN-264.x8f96f317.jpg;https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/RN-264.x8f96f317.jpg;https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/RN-264.x8f96f317.jpg;https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/Royal-Marine-Light-Infantry-378.xbf7fbafa.jpg;https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/Lugg-RF-290715-4818.x923c90d7.jpg;https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/RN-264.x8f96f317.jpg;https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/RN-264.x8f96f317.jpg;https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/Wills-EW-080616-5288.x7b2a56cf.jpg|imgalts:Alderson, Alex George Jermyn;Ball, Albert Thomas Augustus;Dennis, Percy Victor;Fudge, Able Seaman Alfred Henry;Hall, William;Landray, William Henry Hubert;Lugg, Private Reginald Foster;Mauleverer, Midshipman Claude Du Pre Stansfeld;Tucker, Percival Andrew;Wills, Stoker Edward Robert|titles:Alderson, Alex George Jermyn;Ball, Stoker Albert Thomas Augustus;Dennis, Leading Seaman Percy Victor;Fudge, Able Seaman Alfred Henry;Hall, Able Seaman William;Landray, Private William Henry Hubert;Lugg, Private Reginald Foster;Mauleverer, Midshipman Claude Du Pre Stansfeld;Tucker, Able Seaman Percival Andrew;Wills, Stoker Edward Robert|slug:battle-of-jutland|fulldesc:<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mv1D5nNxNUY?rel=0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>The <strong>Battle of Jutland</strong> (<a title="German language" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language">German</a>: <em>Skagerrakschlacht</em>, the Battle of <a title="Skagerrak" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skagerrak" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skagerrak">Skagerrak</a>) was a <a title="Naval battle" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_battle" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_battle">naval battle</a> fought by the British <a title="Royal Navy" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Navy" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Navy">Royal Navy</a>'s <a title="Grand Fleet" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Fleet" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Fleet">Grand Fleet</a> under Admiral <a title="John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jellicoe,_1st_Earl_Jellicoe" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jellicoe,_1st_Earl_Jellicoe">Sir John Jellicoe</a>, against the <a title="Imperial German Navy" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_German_Navy" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_German_Navy">Imperial German Navy</a>'s <a title="High Seas Fleet" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Seas_Fleet" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Seas_Fleet">High Seas Fleet</a> under Vice-Admiral <a title="Reinhard Scheer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhard_Scheer" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhard_Scheer">Reinhard Scheer</a> during the <a title="First World War" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_World_War" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_World_War">First World War</a>. The battle unfolded in extensive maneuvering and three main engagements (the battlecruiser action, the fleet action and the night action), from 31 May to 1 June 1916, off the <a title="North Sea" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea">North Sea</a> coast of Denmark's <a title="Jutland" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jutland" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jutland">Jutland</a> Peninsula.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Jutland#cite_note-3" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Jutland#cite_note-3">[2]</a> It was the largest naval battle in that war and the only full-scale clash of <a title="Battleship" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship">battleships</a>. Jutland was the third <a title="Fleet action" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleet_action" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleet_action">fleet action</a> between steel battleships, following the smaller but more decisive battles of the <a title="Battle of the Yellow Sea" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Yellow_Sea">Yellow Sea (1904)</a> and <a title="Battle of Tsushima" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tsushima" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tsushima">Tsushima (1905)</a> during the <a title="Russo-Japanese War" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War">Russo-Japanese War</a>. Jutland was the last major battle fought primarily by battleships in world history.</p> <p>Both sides claimed victory; the Germans, because they had sunk 14 ships and only lost 11 and the British, because the German fleet had slipped away and never again ventured out of its base. However, a consequence of this was that the German Navy resorted to unrestricted submarine warfare.</p>

Link:|Loc:Yes|id:hms-hampshire-sunk-by-mine|relatedItems:/people/clayton-william|imguris:https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/RN-264.x8f96f317.jpg|imgalts:Clayton, William|titles:Clayton, Petty Officer William|slug:hms-hampshire-sunk-by-mine|fulldesc:<p>Sinking by mine of the armoured cruiser HMS Hampshire on a mission to Russia carrying Lord Kitchener. Losses of 737 including Kitchener.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:death-of-lord-kitchener|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:death-of-lord-kitchener|fulldesc:<p>On June 4 1916 Lord Kitchener left London for Thurso by train. He then travelled on HMS Oak to Scapa Flow where HMS Hampshire was waiting to take Kitchener to Russia to discuss military aid. The Hampshire was a fast cruiser capable of 21 knots and had an experienced captain. The original plan was for the Hampshire to take an easterly route from Scapa Flow. She was to be escorted by two destroyers on part of the journey to Russia. The weather deteriorated with high winds and driving rain. Kitchener was eager to sail and Admiral Jellicoe advised that a westerly route would offer better protection from the storm and also usually had less U-boat activity. Not long after departure the Hampshire had to reduce speed because of the weather and the two escorts struggled to maintain contact. One destroyer found it impossible and was ordered to return to Scapa Flow. This was countermanded when the other destroyer could only maintain 12 knots and the Hampshire was forced to reduce speed to 15 knots because of the appalling conditions. The weather further deteriorated and the destroyers had no option but to return to base. Not long afterwards the Hampshire was seen to explode as it passed the island of Birsay.</p> <p>The Hampshire sank in about 15 minutes and only 12 men out of 655 survived. It is believed that as many as 200 sailors managed escape from the Hampshire but most died when the lifeboats were smashed against rocks in the heavy sea or died from exposure. Petty Officer 1st Class William Clayton from Poole was one of those who died.</p> <p>There was criticism of the rescue efforts which were hampered by military authorities being concerned about secret documents being washed ashore and found by rescuers.</p> <p>Jellicoe reported the explosion as due to a mine or torpedo with the former most likely. There was a suggestion of sabotage however the U boat U75 had placed about 20 contact mines in the area where the Hampshire was sailing and it is likely the explosion set off the ship's magazine. Kitchener was Secretary of State for War. His image is famous for being on the 'Your Country Needs You' recruiting poster. His death stunned the nation. A memorial concert given by the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra on Bournemouth Pier attracted around 5 000 people.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:british-artillery-bombard-the-area-around-the-river-somme|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:british-artillery-bombard-the-area-around-the-river-somme|fulldesc:<p>June 24 saw the beginning of five days of continuous artillery bombardment by the British which was expected to destroy the enemy, both physically and mentally. &nbsp;The earth 'trembled like a jelly' and the noise was intense but in reality it was incredibly ineffective. The barbed wire defences were hardly touched and when it ceased the defenders emerged from their underground dugouts to take up firing positions. A forgotten aspect of the Western Front is the sheer scale of what was underground and, therefore, &nbsp;protected from artillery fire. Underground caverns could contain up to 6 000 troops as well as hospitals and other facilities.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:battle-of-albert|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-albert|fulldesc:<p>The History of the Dorsetshire Regiment describes what happened when the 1st Battalion of the Regiment took part in the Battle of Albert. So much rain fell that the start had to be delayed by 48 hours. This meant that the approaches to the front line were crowded with wagons, horses, and artillery guns. The artillery bombardment which was meant to destroy the barbed wire was so loud no-one could hear anything else. When the fighting began there was complete confusion with units becoming mixed up with each other. On July 2 and 3 the Dorsets were ferrying ammunition to the front. After a brief rest they were then used to rescue the wounded from the rain-sodden battlefield.</p>

Link:|Loc:Yes|id:battle-of-the-somme|relatedItems:/people/wareham-jesse-edwin-george|imguris:https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/Dorsetshire-Regt-272.x6998e17f.jpg|imgalts:Wareham, Jesse Edwin George|titles:Wareham, Private Jesse Edwin George|slug:battle-of-the-somme|fulldesc:<p>Comprising the main Allied attack on the Western Front during 1916, the Battle of the Somme is famous chiefly on account of the loss of 58,000 British troops (one third of them killed) on the first day of the battle, 1 July 1916, which to this day remains a one-day record. The attack was launched upon a 30 kilometre front, from north of the Somme river between Arras and Albert, and ran from 1 July until 18 November, at which point it was called off.</p> <p>The offensive was planned late in 1915 and was intended as a joint French-British attack. The French Commander in Chief, <a href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/joffre.htm" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/joffre.htm">Joffre</a>, conceived the idea as a battle of attrition, the aim being to drain the German forces of reserves, although territorial gain was a secondary aim.</p> <p>The plan was agreed upon by the new British Commander in Chief, <a href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/haig.htm" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/haig.htm">Sir Douglas Haig</a>, although Haig would have preferred an offensive among the open ground of Flanders. Haig, who took up his appointment as Commander in Chief of the BEF on 19 December 1915, had been granted authorisation by the British government, led by <a href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/asquith.htm" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/asquith.htm">Asquith</a>, to conduct a major offensive in 1916.</p> <p>Although in actuality British forces comprised by far the bulk of the offensive forces, Joffre and Haig originally intended for the attack to be a predominantly French offensive. However the German onslaught at <a href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/verdun.htm" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/verdun.htm">Verdun</a> at the start of 1916, where the German Army Chief of Staff, <a href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/falkenhayn.htm" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/falkenhayn.htm">von Falkenhayn</a> promised to 'bleed France white', resulted in the diversion of virtually all French manpower and efforts.</p> <p>The German Verdun offensive transformed the intent of the Somme attack; the French demanded that the planned date of the attack, 1 August 1916, be brought forward to 1 July, the aim chiefly being to divert German resources from Verdun in the defence of the Somme.</p> <p>Haig took over responsibility from Joffre for the planning and execution of the attack. Haig meticulous preparations progressed slowly, much to Joffre's irritation. Haig intended to fashion the attack using the ideas of both himself and <a href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/rawlinson.htm" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/rawlinson.htm">General Rawlinson</a>, whose Fourth army was to spearhead the assault.</p> <p>The British Army had been bolstered by enthusiastic volunteers - it is thought that this battle destroyed the heroic idealism that encouraged many to join up and eventually led to conscription.</p> <p>British troops advanced to find the German positions virtually intact after a four day bomdardment. An estimated 20 000 Britsih troops died on the first day. Beaumont-Hamel, one of Haig's targets on day one of the battle, was captured on the last day. While the cost had been great the Battle of the Somme caused the Germans to divert forces from the attack on Verdun and abandon an offensive near Arras. Why was July 1 a disaster? The Germans attributed it to the haphazard way reinforcements were brought forward, the barbed wire and forward trenches were in a good condition despite days of artillery fire, the effect of machine guns, and the junior officers were unprepared as to how to proceed when a breakthrough was achieved. The latter is not surprising as many regular officers lost their lives in the first few months of the war and their replacements had limited opportunity for training.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:bostock-and-wombwells-menagerie-visits-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:bostock-and-wombwells-menagerie-visits-poole|fulldesc:<p>In the early days of the War there was a concern about organising entertainments at such a serious time for the country. However, it was also realised that people needed entertaining and that diversions were also required for the many wounded soldiers. This advert is for Bostock and Wombwell's 'Gigantic Combined Shows' which was one of the major touring menageries in the country. The show was to be held on the Ladies Walking Field which was where the Dolphin Centre now stands. One feature of the advert is how many of the attractions are the 'only' example!</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:kut-day-in-dorchester|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:kut-day-in-dorchester|fulldesc:

Link:https://www.cwgc.org/|Loc:Yes|id:aldridge-death|relatedItems:/people/aldridge-james|imguris:https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/Dorsetshire-Regt-272.x6998e17f.jpg|imgalts:Aldridge, James|titles:Aldridge, Private James|slug:aldridge-death|fulldesc:<p><a href="http://www.poolehistory.org.uk/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Poole History Online</a></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:aeroplane-visits-poole-for-the-first-time-1|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:aeroplane-visits-poole-for-the-first-time-1|fulldesc:<p>World War 1 was a time of great social and technological change. The East Dorset Herald newspaper reported on the first visit of an aeroplane to Poole. It appeared over Poole as part of a fundraising event to support Cornelia Hospital and Poole Soldiers' Home which looked after many wounded or recuperating soldiers. The experience of seeing and hearing an aeroplane for the first time must have created a lasting impression for the onlookers.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:romania-declares-war-on-germany|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:romania-declares-war-on-germany|fulldesc:<p>Romania declared war and the East Dorset Herald report of the announcement listed all the countries at war.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:british-submarine-sinks-german-battleship|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:british-submarine-sinks-german-battleship|fulldesc:<p>It had been reported that on the previous Saturday the HM Submarine E23 had sunk a Nassau-class German battleship in the North Sea. Lieut-Commander R.R. Turner was convinced that the battleship had been torpedoed and sunk. Five German destroyers with the battleship had attempted to sink the submarine before it got away. In actual fact, the Westfalen was only damaged but it took until October 1916 to be fully repaired.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:royal-naval-cordite-factory-makes-first-batch-of-gun-cotton|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:royal-naval-cordite-factory-makes-first-batch-of-gun-cotton|fulldesc:<p>The Royal Navy needed cordite as a propellant for the naval guns. The war created a demand that could only be satisfied by the building of a new factory. Holton Heath was chosen because it was in a remote location, had access to Poole Harbour and the sea, was near the London &amp; South Western railway mainline, and was relatively low-lying but with 'hills' that could be used for the gravity-led transfer of products. Col Sir Frederick Nathan was seconded from the Ardeer factory of the Nobel Explosive Company to supervise the construction. The land for the factory was bought from Sir John Lees of Lytchett Minster. Construction began quite quickly in an area that became prohibited, except to those working on the site, because of concerns over spies and saboteurs. A railway station was opened for the workers on 3 April 1916 but it only became for general use on 14 July 1924. The factory was opened in January 1916 and the first batch of gun cotton was made on 16 August 1916. Cordite is a mixture of nitroglycerine and gun cotton. The product was despatched by boat from Rocklea Jetty to Priddy's Hard, Gosport and Upnor at Rochester. At its height it employed around 4,000 workers of which around half were women. Six blasts on a siren warned of an approaching thunderstorm and workers from certain sections would go to safer areas.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-munitions-worker|Loc:No|id:great-opportunity-for-poole-girls-at-holton-heath-munitions-factory|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:great-opportunity-for-poole-girls-at-holton-heath-munitions-factory|fulldesc:<p>A report in the East Dorset Herald of September 7th 1916 noted that currently 25 girls were being taken on every week at the Holton Heath Munitions Factory and it was hoped the number would increase to 100. A later report corrected the error that there were hostels at the works for the girls. Wages started at &pound;1 per week and their rail fare between Poole and Holton Heath was paid for. Councillors were impressed by the hospital and the facilities available for washing and eating. A lunch could be had for 7d. A statement that 'the work is of congenial character' hid the fact that it was highly dangerous work.</p> <p>Find out more on our blog</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-britain-invented-the-tank-in-the-first-world-war|Loc:No|id:first-use-of-tanks-in-battle|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:first-use-of-tanks-in-battle|fulldesc:<p>Tanks were used on a battlefield for the first at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The British development of the tank was surrounded in great secrecy. Thirty-two Mark 1 tanks took part in the battle but many broke down trying to cope with the terrain. Their main impact was psychological as the German troops struggled to comprehend what was attacking them. Lt G.Head described his experience of being tank on that day. He was later awarded the Military Cross for his actions during an attack by tanks during October.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:womens-land-army-created|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:womens-land-army-created|fulldesc:<p>The Women's Land Army took the place of male farm labourers who had gone off to fight. By December 1916, 72 000 certificates had been granted to women who were working on the land and 62 000 green baise armbands, with a scarlet Royal Crown, had been issued. By 1918 there were over 113 000 women in the Land Army.</p> <p>This advert for the Women's Land Army is interesting in that it mentions that after the war there would be facilities available to those who joined it for resettlement either at home or 'overseas'.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:advertising-directed-at-the-working-woman|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:advertising-directed-at-the-working-woman|fulldesc:<p>Advertising began to target the working woman rather than the housewife. This advert from the East Dorset Herald depicts women working in an engineering factory and was part of a series of adverts which described the benefits of the product being advertised but also highlighted the different roles of women.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-postwomen|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-postwomen|fulldesc:<p>The number of women in jobs continued to increase. The East Dorset Herald had reported on September 2nd 1915 that there were three women employed in the Poole Postal Area. This photograph shows that the number had increased to seven by October 1916.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:battle-of-the-ancre|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-the-ancre|fulldesc:<p>Prior to this battle the 32nd Divsion, of which the 1st Dorsets were part, had transferred to the Ancre. Their journey began on the 10th October at La Perriere and ended on the 15th November at Mailly-Maillet by way of Floringhem, Averdoigt, Rebreuville, Beauval, Warloy,Contay Wood, Harponville, and Bouzincourt. The battle was short-lived. Beaumont-Hamel was quickly taken but the frost disappeared and the ground became a 'quagmire'. Trenches either vanished or were so thick with mud to be unusable. &nbsp;The attack was a failure. The Manchester Regiment found that three of its companies simply 'disappeared'. After fighting in very difficult conditions, the Dorsets went back to Mailly Maillet and from there they travelled for a further three days to Berteaucourt where they rested during December.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:novel-charity-supplies-bovril-to-the-troops|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:novel-charity-supplies-bovril-to-the-troops|fulldesc:<p>An overlooked aspect of World War 1 is how much was provided through charitable organisations. Funds were raised to provide medical supplies, ambulances, field kitchens, warm clothing and even binoculars for officers. The East Dorset Herald reported briefly on an unusual charity that supplied hot Bovril to the troops. Remarkably, Miss Gladys Storey's charity was still supplying Bovril to soldiers nearly five years after she had begun her work in 1914. Major General Holman, who was in charge of the British Military Mission in South Russia, wrote to Miss Storey that her 'gifts of Bovril will be much appreciated by the troops serving in South Russia' during the winter of 1919. Miss Storey was daughter of the painter Professor G.A. Storey. 'Miss Storey's Fund for the Men in the Trenches 1914-1919' also sent donated books and magazines.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:photograph-of-poole-women-munitioneers-from-holton-heath|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:photograph-of-poole-women-munitioneers-from-holton-heath|fulldesc:<p>Many of the women workers at the Holton Heath Cordite Factory lived in Poole. This photograph gives a good idea of their uniform. Often they were also known as 'munitionettes'.</p> <p><a href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/?s=munitionettes" data-cke-saved-href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/?s=munitionettes">Find out more about munitionettes in our blog</a></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:expansion-in-local-allotments-to-provide-food|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:expansion-in-local-allotments-to-provide-food|fulldesc:<p>The need to grow more food inspired the expansion in the number of allotments and any uncultivated land was sought that could be better used. An East Dorset Herald report on January 25th 1917 noted that the Parkstone Gardener's Association was one of the first in the country to welcome lady gardeners and it was hoped that it would 'quicken the interest of our women in agricultural and horticultural work'.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:zimmermann-telegram-sent|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:zimmermann-telegram-sent|fulldesc:<p>Zimmermann, the German Foreign Minister, sent a telegram to the German Ambassador in Mexico on January 19 1917. He proposed offering the Mexican Government financial aid to help it 'reconquer' Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. On January 23, the German Ambassador in the USA was requesting funds to influence Congress to keep the USA neutral. On February 3, the German U-boat U-53 sank the American ship, Housatonic, off the Scilly Isles. The crew were rescued by a British vessel. While the Germans believed it would have no effect, the American President Wilson announced that he was breaking off diplomatic relations. On February 7, codebreakers in London deciphered the Zimmermann telegram and sent a copy to the USA where it was eventually made public on March 1. Those who wanted America to remain neutral claimed it was a forgery but, on February 21, Zimmerman admitted it was genuine. This set in motion the eventual involvement of American soldiers in the First World War. General Pershing and the first part of the American Expeditionary Force would set sail from New York on May 28. &nbsp;Later in the year it was reported that Count Bernstoff had written to Berlin in January 1917 requesting that he be allowed to spend &pound;10,000 'to influence Congress' to stop America entering the First World War.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:youth-to-be-called-up-at-18|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:youth-to-be-called-up-at-18|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that the War Cabinet had decided to change the age when boys could be called up from 18yrs and 7months to 18yrs. The age when they could be sent to the front remained at 19yrs.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:h.m.s.-laurentic-sunk|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:h.m.s.-laurentic-sunk|fulldesc:<p>The East Dorset Herald reported that the auxiliary cruiser HMS Laurentic had been sunk. The Laurentic had originally belonged to the White Star Line for use on its Britain to Canada service. 121 Officers and men were saved but sadly Poole sailor, Francis Pym, was not one of them.</p> <p>HMS Laurentic was in Canada on the outbreak of war and was used as a troop ship for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Later it was converted into an armoured merchant ship. It hit two mines off the coast of Ireland. Around 350 men lost their lives. Also lost was 35 tons of gold. Royal Navy divers spent seven years recovering around 99% of the gold.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:women-gardeners-welcome|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:women-gardeners-welcome|fulldesc:<p>Parkstone Gardeners Association was one of the first to welcome women gardeners and it was hoped that it would 'quicken the interest of our women in agricultural and horticultural work'.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:unrestricted-u-boat-warfare|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:unrestricted-u-boat-warfare|fulldesc:<p>The Kaiser ordered that unrestricted attacks on shipping recommence.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:women-workers-1st-february-1917|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:women-workers-1st-february-1917|fulldesc:

Link:|Loc:No|id:women-foster-carers-required-for-motherless-children|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:women-foster-carers-required-for-motherless-children|fulldesc:<p>World War 1 was a time of great social change with the obvious devastating impacts on family life. This advert is for the less well-known social issue of the need for women foster carers to look after children whose mothers had died and their fathers were away fighting.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:war-savings-needed-to-help-fund-the-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:war-savings-needed-to-help-fund-the-war|fulldesc:<p>In February 15 1917 the local newspaper reported that 36 War Savings Associations had been created in Poole. They included political clubs (eg Poole Conservative Club and Branksome Liberal Club), churches (eg St Clement's Church, Parkstone and Parkstone Congregational Church), schools (eg St Aldhelm's Girls School and Poole Secondary School) and businesses (eg Pineland Laundry, Parkstone and Malmesbury Dairies, Parkstone). The Poole War Savings Committee was hoping for many more to be created and by May the number had risen to 50 associations and a total of 3251 members. Purchases of certificates could be by one off payment or by subscription with &pound;5,563 being raised in three months in early 1917. Courthill School Association had 136 subscriptions, the highest for the quarter while the Elementary School Associations, Longfleet had, at 249, the most members. An advert appeared in the Poole newspaper announcing that February 16th 1917 was the last day to put money into the Victory War Loan for which a subscriber paid &pound;4 15s for a &pound;5 loan at the local Post Office.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:dorset-regiment-prisoners-of-war-need-our-help|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:dorset-regiment-prisoners-of-war-need-our-help|fulldesc:<p>The Dorset Guild of Workers had provided many items, such as mittens and blankets, for soldiers in training or at the front. As the war progressed, there was an increasing number of men from the Dorset Regiment in prisoner of war camps. An advert highlights the numbers of POWs in early 1917 and their need for food parcels. Often the parcels were the only way they could get sufficient food to survive. The second advert indicates what a food parcel could contain.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:increase-in-the-number-of-allotments|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:increase-in-the-number-of-allotments|fulldesc:<p>The need to increase food production led to a dramatic increase in the number of allotments from 115 in 1915 to 592 in 1917 as reported in the local newspaper.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-was-the-february-revolution|Loc:No|id:tsar-nicholas-abdicates|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:tsar-nicholas-abdicates|fulldesc:

Link:|Loc:Yes|id:loss-of-ss-narragansett|relatedItems:/people/thorne-archibald-george|imguris:https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/Merchant-Navy-1709.x3a33748b.jpg|imgalts:Thorne, Archibald George|titles:Thorne, Archibald George|slug:loss-of-ss-narragansett|fulldesc:<p>Loss of SS Narragansett South-West of Ireland. Torpedoed by U-Boat</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/voices-of-the-first-world-war-womens-war-services|Loc:No|id:womens-army-auxiliary-corps-formed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:womens-army-auxiliary-corps-formed|fulldesc:<p>The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was formed in December 1916 to release men from non-combat roles. They were enrolled as civilians and, therefore, not bound by military law. 14 WAAC's arrived on the Western Front on 31 March 1917. The WAAC later became known as the Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps. They were typically employed as waitresses, cooks, and clerks, but some were employed in decoding German messages and were known as 'hushwaacs'. Women joined for many reasons such as a desire for adventure, they had lost a husband in the war and wanted to do something worthwhile, and they felt unsafe at home because of Zeppelin attacks and believed they might as well be in France.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:america-declares-war-on-germany|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:america-declares-war-on-germany|fulldesc:<p>In response to the February 1 declaration of unrestricted U-boat attacks, Woodrow Wilson, US President, ordered that American merchant ships be armed. By March 20 the US War committee had voted for war and on April 6 1917 war was declared on Germany.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:battle-of-vimy-ridge|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-vimy-ridge|fulldesc:<p>The attack at Vimy Ridge was intended to support the French offensive at Nivelle. The Canadian Corps played a major part in the capture of the ridge.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:survivors-of-sinking-of-hospital-ships-arrive-in-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:survivors-of-sinking-of-hospital-ships-arrive-in-poole|fulldesc:<p>The Admiralty reported that the hospital ships, S.S. Donegal and S.S. Lanfranc, had been sunk by German torpedoes on April 17. Both vessels were carrying wounded servicemen back to Britain from France. 41 were missing from the Donegal. 34 were missing from the Lanfranc; this ship was also carrying over 150 German wounded. A French vessel arrived in Poole with 80 British and 18 German wounded. The serious cases were taken to Cornelia Hospital in cars loaned by locals and the Naval base provided blankets. It attracted a large sympathetic crowd. The Germans on the whole looked 'dejected' apart from an officer who did cause a bit of trouble that required the guard to 'draw bayonets'.</p>

Link:|Loc:Yes|id:ss-ferndene-sunk-by-u-boat|relatedItems:/people/webb-arthur-leonard|imguris:https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/Merchant-Navy-1709.x3a33748b.jpg|imgalts:Webb, Arthur Leonard|titles:Webb, Apprentice Arthur Leonard|slug:ss-ferndene-sunk-by-u-boat|fulldesc:<p>SS Ferndene sunk by U-Boat (U-53) off Bishop Rock. En route from Table Bay to London</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:women-eligible-to-vote|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:women-eligible-to-vote|fulldesc:<p>Prior to the 1832 Reform Act there were only 450,000 eligible voters in the country. Subsequent Acts increased the number of voters. On June 19th 1917 the House of Commons passed the Bill for the Representation of the People Act and it was passed by the House of Lords the following year.The 1918 Act added 13 million voters. Women could now vote as long as they were over 30 and passed 'the appropriate property qualifications'. Constance Markievicz was the first women to be elected to the House of Commons in 1918 but for political reasons she did not take her seat in Parliament. &nbsp;The Act only allowed women over the age of 30 and if they were a graduate or a member, or married to a member, who was on the Local Govenrment Register. Lady Astor was the first female MP to take her seat and &nbsp;gave her maiden speech to Parliament on February 24th 1920.A further bill in 1928 enabled another 5.2 million women to have the vote. Remarkably, this meant that at in the election after the bill was passed the British electorate would stand at 12.2 million men and 14.5 million women.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-man-patents-armour-for-soldiers|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-man-patents-armour-for-soldiers|fulldesc:<p>World War 1 inspired many developments in science and technology, such as the tank which is an example of a British invention that changed warfare. Scientists also worked in Government laboratories on ways of providing protective equipment. And there were opportunities for the local inventor, such as Mr J. Pullman of Parkstone, who patented an invention of improved armour for soldiers. The East Dorset Herald &nbsp;newspaper report gives a good idea of its main features.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:kerenski-offensive-launched-on-eastern-front|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:kerenski-offensive-launched-on-eastern-front|fulldesc:<p>Alexander Kerenski, Minister of War in the Russian Interim Government following the abdication of the Tsar, ordered an offensive against the German and Austrian forces on the Eastern Front. Initially, it was very successful, but the Russian forces were slowly disintegrating through internal conflict and the desire of the soldiers to return home rather than take part in a conflict that had little meaning for them.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:hms-vanguard-destroyed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:hms-vanguard-destroyed|fulldesc:<p>The St Vincent-class British battleship, HMS Vanguard, was destroyed when an explosion tore through the ship as it was moored in Scapa Flow in the Orkneys. It is believed that a fire led to cordite setting off the magazine. As the ship was in port, watertight doors, normally closed, were open which contributed to the disaster. 804 sailors were killed, including Claude Mauleverer, a midshipman from Parkstone, Poole. He was one of the few survivors from the sinking of HMS Aboukir when he was only 15yrs old and had served on the Vanguard during the Battle of Jutland as part of the Fourth Battle Squadron.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:royal-navy-cordite-factory-holds-a-charity-carnival|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:royal-navy-cordite-factory-holds-a-charity-carnival|fulldesc:<p>The Holton Heath Cordite Factory held a charity carnival in Poole in aid of the local Red Cross hospitals. The newspaper describes an impressive procession at the Quay with ships and streets decorated with bunting. The event then moved to Poole Park where numerous sporting events took place. There were standard races as well as unusual ones such as sack race, a potato race and and egg-and-spoon race. There was also a Ladies football match in which the Nitroglycerine girls beat the Cordite girls. The Branksome Band provided musical entertainment.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-royal-family-changes-its-name|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-royal-family-changes-its-name|fulldesc:<p>King George V announced that the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha would now be known as the House of Windsor</p>

Link:|Loc:Yes|id:hms-ariadne-sunk-by-u-boat|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:hms-ariadne-sunk-by-u-boat|fulldesc:<p>HMS Ariadne sunk by U-Boat. W.E. Hedgecock of Thames St, Poole killed</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-british-army-at-its-largest|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-british-army-at-its-largest|fulldesc:<p>The British Army in France and Flanders numbered 2,044,627.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-war-memorial|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-war-memorial|fulldesc:<p>As the death toll continued to increase there were calls for a suitable memorial to those who had given their lives in the First World War. There was, however, a lot of discussion over what form it should take and not everyone was keen on some form of statue. One correspondent said it would be of little interest to future generations. Other suggestions for a suitable memorial included almshouses, a monument with a bell to be rung in memory of those who had died, and workshops for the wounded. One popular suggestion was for the construction of public baths as it would be of benefit to everyone. Another suggestion was that a monument should be sited on Constitution Hill as it would be visible from throughout the town.</p> <p><a href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/a-war-memorial-for-poole/" data-cke-saved-href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/a-war-memorial-for-poole/">Find out more on our blog</a></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-first-landing-on-an-aircraft-carrier-at-sea|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-first-landing-on-an-aircraft-carrier-at-sea|fulldesc:<p>Several Royal Navy vessels were capable of launching a seaplane but had no space for them to land. A plane had to land by the side of the vessel and be winched aboard in a hazardous and time-consuming operation. Ideally a proper aircraft carrier was required but this would take time to build and it was decided to modify existing ships. HMS Furious was originally designed for operation off the coast of Flanders where it could bombard enemy postitions. One consequence was that she had a shallow draught to enable her to get close to the coastline. While HMS Furious was being built it was decided to have a 49m (160ft) wooden deck for planes to take off from, instead of a forward gun turret. HMS Furious converted in early 1917 and on August 2 1917 Squadron Commander Edward Dunning made the first landing on a ship at sea. This feat is even more remarkable given that the way to stop the plane from going overboard was for several men to grab hold of straps that were attached to the plane. Tragically, Dunning was killed shortly afterwards while carrying out further trials.</p> <p>During November 1917 HMS Furious underwent a further conversion and now had a 300ft (91.4m) flight deck with the aft turret being removed. The design meant that HMS Furious now had a landing deck and a take-off deck. Trials took place during May 1918 which led to the introduction of arrestor wires to stop aircraft going over the end of ship. The trials also showed that the superstructure caused turbulence which affected the handling of the planes. HMS Argus, which came into service during September 1918 did not have a superstructure to eliminate the turbulence but, ironically, the design to make this possible led to several other problems.</p> <p>The first successful attack from an aircraft carrier took place on 19 July 1918 when seven Sopwith Camels were launched from the Furious and attacked the Zeppelin sheds at Tondern, Germany.</p> <p>In 1918, the Royal Navy was the leader in carrier technology. In less than ten years it had lost that position because of several reasons. Financial constraints impacted on carrier construction. Also the formation of the Royal Air Force diverted attention and resources away from ship-based aircraft.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:mutiny-in-the-german-navy|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:mutiny-in-the-german-navy|fulldesc:<p>After the Battle of Jutland, the capital ships of the German High Seas remained in port apart from a few minor forays. The crews, with nothing much to do, became bored, fed-up and mutinous. Some men chose to volunteer for service in submarines and on small ships which meant that morale of those who remained fell further. On August 2 1917 the crew on the dreadnought Prinzregent Luitpold mutinied. In the aftermath, the ringleaders were either executed or imprisoned but this did not stop other mutinies occurring.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:role-of-women-when-the-war-is-over|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:role-of-women-when-the-war-is-over|fulldesc:<p>During World War 1 there was a great debate over the employment of women in roles normally associated with men. Many women found themselves in work simply because there were no men available. Some commentators were looking to the future when the war was over and men had returned from the front. This article, originally from a woman's magazine and written by a woman, expresses some interesting views about the role of women in the workplace</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:advert-for-allenburys-diet|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:advert-for-allenburys-diet|fulldesc:<p>Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.) hospitals were formed throughout the country to provide a place for wounded and recovering soldiers. Commercial companies were keen to associate their product with them and this is an example for Allenbury's Diet.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:advert-for-the-royal-flying-corps|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:advert-for-the-royal-flying-corps|fulldesc:<p>The Royal Flying Corps advert promises 'attractive occupations and special rates of pay</p>

Link:|Loc:Yes|id:ss-heatherside-sunk-by-u-boat|relatedItems:/people/caplin-joseph-harry|imguris:https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/Death-penny-482.x8ae49736.jpg|imgalts:Caplin, Joseph Harry|titles:Caplin, Steward Joseph Harry|slug:ss-heatherside-sunk-by-u-boat|fulldesc:

Link:|Loc:No|id:children-collecting-horse-chestnuts-and-acorns|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:children-collecting-horse-chestnuts-and-acorns|fulldesc:<p>Children were asked to collect horse chestnuts for use in munitions manufacture, freeing up grain for use in food production. Schools were encouraged to organise competitions to see which child could collect the most. The munitions factories were also interested in acorns and they were prepared to pay per sack. It was reported in November that Longfleet Schools had collected 3 1/2 tons of acorns. In December 1917, it was reported that pupils from Poole Secondary School had collected 4 tons of acorns and a prize was given by the Mayoress of Poole to one pupil of a brooch in the shape of an acorn.</p> <p><a href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/?s=acorns" data-cke-saved-href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/?s=acorns">Find out more in our blog</a></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:parliament-considers-premium-bonds|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:parliament-considers-premium-bonds|fulldesc:<p>Paying for the War was proving financially costly and War Loans were issued. Parliament was also considering issuing Premium Bonds as a way of raising funds. &nbsp;In November 1919, the National Savings Committee 'condemned' the proposal for Premium Bonds saying they satisfied 'a desire to become rich without effort'.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-significant-battles-of-the-first-world-war|Loc:No|id:battle-of-passchendaele|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-passchendaele|fulldesc:<p>This was also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, One of its aims was to divert German resources away from the French sectors which had become very demoralised and affected by mutinies. The success at Messines had convinced General Haig that the German Army was close to collapse and because of this he persisted with the attack. It opened with a 15 day artillery bombardment firing of four million shells over a 11 mile front. The German General Ludendorff is quoted as saying that 'enormous masses of ammunition, such as the human mind had never imagined before the war, was hurled upon the bodies of men who were passing a miserable existence scattered about in mud-filled shell-holes'. This battle has become inextricably linked with the horrendous conditions on the Western Front. One soldier was quoted as saying that 'the battlefield is nothing but a cemetery'. No buildings or trees remained across the landscape of the battlefield. Shell holes covered no-mans land and often they rapidly filled with water drowning the injured who had sought shelter. The few landmarks were abandoned tanks. No roads existed; only 'duckboards' and 'corduroy' tracks that to fall off meant, at the very least, to sink up to the knees in the mud, or worse. These routes also became targets for machine gun and artillery fire. This meant that the troops were often physically and mentally exhausted when they got to the front line. Freshly dug trenches rapidly filled with water which never drained away and the sides could cave in trapping its occupants. Clothes never dried out and 'trench foot', similar in effect to frostbite, was a serious problem. Whale oil was used to afford some protection. Supplying rations was extremely hazardous and hot food and tea was often a luxury.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:battle-of-cambrai|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-cambrai|fulldesc:<p>This was the first large-scale use of tanks in battle. The British had nearly 400 tanks in action and, unusually, they were led into battle by the General in command, Hugh Elles. Tanks were originally known as 'His Majesty's Landships' and Elles reasoned that as an Admiral went into battle with his fleet, so he should with his 'fleet' of tanks. He also created the colours of what was the Tank Corps, and is now the Royal Tank Regiment, of green, red and brown. The tanks made great gains and got further in 6 hrs than three months of Passchendaele, but unfortunately the infantry was not available to take full advantage. The success of the tanks was celebrated throughout Britain by the ringing of church bells.</p> <p>2nd Lieut. Arthur A.C. Sharp, whose parents lived at the Beehive Hotel, Parkstone, took part in the battle. It was reported that he took his tank into action on three occasions and brought it, and its crew, back safely each time. Sadly he died in a tank action on March 22 1918. The announcement of his death was reported in the East Dorset Herald of April 11 1918.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:parkstone-man-wins-military-medal|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:parkstone-man-wins-military-medal|fulldesc:<p>Parkstone man, Corporal Walter Ellis Adcock, Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. received the Military Medal for his gallantry and devotion to duty. From September 20th - 23rd at Langemark near Ypres in Belgium, he dressed wounded men and carried them to safety under heavy shell fire.</p> <p>Walter Ellis Adcock married Alice Louise Blagdon at St. Peters in Parkstone in 1905. They had one son, Leslie Ellis in 1906. Walter was a masseur by trade.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-u-boat-campaign-that-almost-broke-britain|Loc:No|id:the-sale-of-sugar-to-be-controlled|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-sale-of-sugar-to-be-controlled|fulldesc:<p>Food supplies were under increasing pressure and especially vulnerable were those that had to imported by sea. In response, it became necessary to restrict the sale of sugar. Householders were to be issued with a card and sugar could only be bought on production of this card. Hotels could only provide sugar for those who were staying in the hotel. &nbsp; In the early part of 1917, one in four merchant ships were being sunk by U-boats and Britain was down to around 6 weeks rations. A convoy system was introduced around the middle of 1917 but even with this in place nearly 3 000 000 tons of merchant shipping was sunk in the first eight months of 1917.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:mormal-forset|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:mormal-forset|fulldesc:<p>The last conflict that the 6th Battalion of the Dorsetshires was involved in was at Mormal Forest on the Belgian frontier. By the 5th November, the Dorsets were exhausted and attempted to get some rest at Locquignol. It was, however, clear that the war was coming to an end. The 6th Battalion was then transferred to Eclabes and on November 10 an order was given that 'soft caps', ie not helmets, could be worn by soldiers when not at the front.The Germans were retreating and the advancing British units were getting congested in trying to advance and supplies were struggling to get through.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/rationing-and-food-shortages-during-the-first-world-war|Loc:No|id:drink-coffee-to-help-us-win-the-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:drink-coffee-to-help-us-win-the-war|fulldesc:<p>The shortage of tea encouraged advertisers to offer coffee as an alternative.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/rationing-and-food-shortages-during-the-first-world-war|Loc:No|id:communal-food-kitchens-to-be-provided-in-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:communal-food-kitchens-to-be-provided-in-poole|fulldesc:<p>The serious shortages in food and the high prices were proving a great hardship and many places decided to set-up communal kitchens to provide food at cost. Poole was to provide two kitchens but the scheme never got going and was abandoned by April 1918.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:hamworthy-shipyard-developments|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:hamworthy-shipyard-developments|fulldesc:<p>The shipyard of Hill, Richards &amp; Co in Hamworthy was being quickly developed on land provided by Lieut-Col Henry Guest from his Lake estate. &nbsp;The shipyard was to specialise in concrete boats to improve the supply of food into the country. While a large workforce was currently employed, there was a need for many more carpenters and labourers. The company was arranging for trains from Christchurch to Hamworthy Junction to bring in workers. A private station was to be built by the company. The newspaper article commented on the lack of housing in Poole for the men.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:treaty-of-brest-litovsk|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:treaty-of-brest-litovsk|fulldesc:<p>The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended the war between the Central Powers and Communist Russia, although fighting had all but effectively ceased in February. This meant that the Germans could transfer nearly 1 000 00 men to the Western Front and encouraged General Ludendorff to launch an 'annihilating blow' against the Allied forces in France.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:rationing-of-meat-in-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:rationing-of-meat-in-poole|fulldesc:<p>It was announced that meat was to be rationed in Poole from March 25. Each household in Poole was to receive an application form for tickets for meat. The article noted that many mistakes had occurred in filling in the application form for tickets for sugar and advised reading the instructions. This time a helpful leaflet was to be provided which outlined the commonest errors. Interestingly, the occupation of each individual was required in case different quantities of meat were to be given to those involved in hard physical work. Householders were also advised to give an address which was more than just the name of the property in, eg, &nbsp;Branksome.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:final-german-offensive|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:final-german-offensive|fulldesc:<p>General Ludendorrf ordered a decisive attack, 'Kaisersclacht' or the Michael Offensive, against the Allies involving three armies spread over a 40 mile front. On the 21 March, an estimated 6 600 artillery guns and 3 500 trench mortars opened fire and it was said that the noise could be heard in London. The attack was devastating. German elite stormtroopers fought their way through the British lines with devastating &nbsp;effect. In six days the British lost 60 000 men dead or wounded and 90 000 taken as prisoners. The offensive pushed the British Army back to pre-1916 lines, however, the German attack faltered as supply routes became overstretched and exhaustion set in against last-ditch fighting by the British and French. Germany was also losing highly-trained soldiers at an unsustainable rate. It is reported that when German soldiers overan British positions they were astounded, and dispirited, to see how well fed they were in comparison. The British naval blockade was having a major effect on the availability of food in Germany and because of this there was increasing pressure within the country to end the war.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:womens-royal-air-force-formed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:womens-royal-air-force-formed|fulldesc:<p>The Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) enabled women to work in administration and technical roles and release men for combat duty.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:upton-mooring-out-airship-station|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:upton-mooring-out-airship-station|fulldesc:<p>The Admiralty built a fleet of airships known as Submarine Scouts in an attempt to deal with the U-boat menace. The intention was that they would patrol the coast and hopefully detect the U-boats. The airships were large inflatables filled with hydrogen. Upton had an mooring-out station from around April 1918 to January 1919. It is believed that it was in the area on the edge of Upton Heath near the A35 and Upton Park. The facilities were very basic with tents and few permanent buildings; there were no hangars which meant it was vulnerable to the wind. A description of an airship landing at Pulham (Norfolk) describes that as it approached around 100 hundred men would gather round to grab ropes to bring it down. If the wind caught the airship and it began to lift they had a stark choice between hanging on or letting go. Upton was a 'satellite' station for Polegate (Sussex) and patrolled the coast between St Aldhem's Head in the Purbecks to St Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight.</p> <p>SSZ Sea Scout Zero airships with a crew of three would have been used. Airship stations were operated by the Royal Naval Air Service until the creation of the Royal Air Force on April 1 1918.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:raf-formed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:raf-formed|fulldesc:<p>The Royal Air Force (RAF) was formed from the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and the Royal Flying Corps (RFC).</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:food-control-committee|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:food-control-committee|fulldesc:<p>A lecture given by Councillor Evan Gambier to teach ordinary families how to cook economical dishes.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:raid-on-zeebrugge-and-ostend|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:raid-on-zeebrugge-and-ostend|fulldesc:<p>German U-boats from their base in Bruges used the canal system to enter the North Sea via Zeebrugge and Ostend. A specially-trained force of over 1000 volunteers on a small flotilla of vessels, including blockships filled with concrete, set sail to block the canal entrances at both ports. The Zeebrugge force consisted of the cruiser Vindictive, blockships Iphigenia, Intrepid, and Thetis (each holding 1500 tons of concrete), and Iris II and Daffodil ( two Mersey ferries) which were used to transport part of the attacking force. Submarine C3 was used to destroy the viaduct between the highly defended mole, which protected the entrance, and the port. The Vindictive brought the survivors of the raid back to Britain. The attack succeeded at Zeebrugge but not at Ostend where the entrance buoys had been moved. Even though Zeebrugge was reopened on May 14 the attack was a significant morale booster for Allied troops and the complete reverse for the Germans.</p> <p><a href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2019/02/02/able-seaman-reginald-vincent-a-short-life-in-the-royal-navy/" data-cke-saved-href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2019/02/02/able-seaman-reginald-vincent-a-short-life-in-the-royal-navy/">Find out more on our blog</a></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:ration-books-to-be-issued|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:ration-books-to-be-issued|fulldesc:<p>It was announced in early 1918 that 63,00,000 ration books were to be printed. The pages were to be colour-coded. White for names of retailers, orange for sugar, blue for fats, red for meat and bacon, blue for emergency rationing and green for reference. The books were to be specially designed to stop forgeries.The onset of rationing inspired shops to offer alternatives, such as spaghetti, that were not rationed. With food in short supply there were an increasing number of cases brought to court of food hoarding. In one startling example, &nbsp;someone, not from Poole, was fined for having 157 lbs of sugar, 110 lbs of beans and 60 lbs of rice in their house.One individual had 4 cwt of food hidden and they were fined &pound;200; what distressed the investigators was how much had rotted and was unusable.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:age-limit-for-war-service-raised|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:age-limit-for-war-service-raised|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that an order had been issued that men up to 48 years old were liable for military service.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-mothers-sadness-turns-to-joy|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-mothers-sadness-turns-to-joy|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported on the experience of a Poole mother. Mrs Driver of Green Road, Poole who was under the impression that her son, Corporal C.W. Driver of the Royal Garrison Artillery, had been killed in France. As she was an invalid and her son was her only support she was devastated by the news. A few weeks later she received a letter from her son saying he was now a prisoner-of-war. He survived the war. No words can fully express how she must have felt on opening the letter. Mail was slow and uncertain and she was not the only parent to the experience the contrasting emotions of loss and joy. Sadly, some parents had the opposite experience.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:tank-week-in-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:tank-week-in-poole|fulldesc:<p>The dramatic invention known as the tank was used as a fund raising vehicle and several appeared around the country in various towns and cities. Lieut Hill and four men of the Tank Corps brought a tank to Poole, from June 17 to 22, with the intention of raising money through War Bonds. The tank was stationed at different sites around Poole over the six days. On Monday, it was at the Quay where over &pound;13 000 of bonds were purchased. On Tuesday, it was at Lower Parkstone where &pound;4 000 was raised. The tank then went on the following days to the Park, Branksome, Constitution Hill, and the High Street in Poole. Poole Secondary School pupils were praised for their achievement of purchasing &pound;1039 5s 6d of war certificates. These sums of money are remarkable given that wages were typically around &pound;4 per week.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:pooles-own-aeroplane|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:pooles-own-aeroplane|fulldesc:<p>One feature of World War 1 is the amount of fund raising that went on to obtain money for equipment that today we would normally expect the Government to provide. This advert is from the East Dorset Herald encouraging people to buy National War Bonds and War Savings Certificates during Aeroplane Week. The intention was to raise enough money to have an aeroplane named 'Poole'.</p>

Link:|Loc:Yes|id:hmhs-landovery-castle-sunk-by-u-boat|relatedItems:/people/whitty-percy-john|imguris:https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/RN-264.x8f96f317.jpg|imgalts:Whitty, Percy John|titles:Whitty, Steward Percy John|slug:hmhs-landovery-castle-sunk-by-u-boat|fulldesc:<p><strong>HMHS <em>Llandovery Castle</em></strong>, built in 1914 in&nbsp;<a title="Glasgow" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow">Glasgow</a>&nbsp;as RMS&nbsp;<em>Llandovery Castle</em>&nbsp;for the&nbsp;<a title="Union-Castle Line" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union-Castle_Line" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union-Castle_Line">Union-Castle Line</a>, was one of five Canadian&nbsp;<a title="Hospital ship" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_ship" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_ship">hospital ships</a>&nbsp;that served in the First World War. On a voyage from&nbsp;<a title="Halifax Regional Municipality" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Regional_Municipality" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Regional_Municipality">Halifax</a>,&nbsp;<a title="Nova Scotia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_Scotia" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_Scotia">Nova Scotia</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a title="Liverpool" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool">Liverpool</a>, England, the ship was torpedoed off southern Ireland on 27 June 1918. The sinking was the deadliest&nbsp;<a title="List of maritime disasters" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_maritime_disasters" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_maritime_disasters">Canadian naval disaster</a>&nbsp;of the war. Tragically, 234 doctors, nurses, members of the Canadian Army Medical Corps, soldiers and seamen died in the sinking and subsequent machine-gunning of lifeboats. Only 24 people, the occupants on a single life-raft, survived. The incident became infamous internationally as one of the war&rsquo;s worst atrocities. After the war, the case of&nbsp;<em>Llandovery Castle</em>&nbsp;was one of six British cases presented at the&nbsp;<a title="Leipzig War Crimes Trials" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leipzig_War_Crimes_Trials" data-cke-saved-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leipzig_War_Crimes_Trials">Leipzig trials</a>. Source Wikipedia.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:second-battle-of-the-marne|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:second-battle-of-the-marne|fulldesc:<p>The German Army launched an attack in the Marne sector. A combined force of French, British and American troops, supported by tanks and aircraft, caused the German Army to fall back to a point where they had started from in March 1918.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:air-inventions-committee-seeks-ideas|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:air-inventions-committee-seeks-ideas|fulldesc:<p>World War 1 led to many new inventions such as, for example, the tank. The Air Inventions Committee had received around 5000 suggestions over the period from late 1917 to the middle of 1918. Some were unusual. One proposal was that clouds could be frozen and guns placed on them, while another was to use a large balloon to 'cover' the moon.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:first-successful-air-attack-launched-from-aircraft-carrier|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:first-successful-air-attack-launched-from-aircraft-carrier|fulldesc:<p>On 19 July 1918, HMS Furious, supported by the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron, sailed from Rosyth. At 3am in the morning, and near the Danish coast, it launched its complement of seven Sopwith 2F.1 Camels. The planes shadowed the coast and then went inland into Germany. They then attacked the Zeppelin sheds at Tondern. Zeppelins L.54 and L.60 were destroyed. It was the first successful attack launched from an aircraft carrier.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:nut-shells-and-fruit-stones-needed-to-make-charcoal|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:nut-shells-and-fruit-stones-needed-to-make-charcoal|fulldesc:<p>Schools, workplaces and community groups were encouraged to collect fruit stones and hard nut shells. They were needed for the production of charcoal which was to be used in gas masks.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:battle-of-amiens|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:battle-of-amiens|fulldesc:<p>British, Canadian and Australian infantry backed up by 400 tanks, 2 000 artillery guns and around 1 000 aircraft attacked the German forces around Amiens. They used surprise, mobility and technology to make significant advances during the battle. Unlike in many other battles, the fighting was stopped after four days to consolidate the gains and begin new offensives elsewhere. This wore down the German defences and led to the eventual surrender of Germany. The Battle of Amiens became a major turning point in the First WorldWar and over the next few months nearly a third of million German soldiers surrendered.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060023128|Loc:No|id:concrete-barge-launched-from-hamworthy|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:concrete-barge-launched-from-hamworthy|fulldesc:<p>The first, of what was hoped was to be many, 1500 ton concrete barge was launched from the Hamworthy Lake shipyard. The first barge to be launched was PD 25 (known as Cretacre). It took about six months to build to a design of the Marine and General Concrete Construction Company. The barge had a double skin and its dimensions were 190ft long, 33ft beam and 15ft 6in deep. It was launched with great ceremony with the Poole Town Band playing. It was then towed to Southampton. A concrete tug was also being built that could tow the barges as they were intended to be unpowered. 'Burnt clay aggregate' was being developed by Kinson Pottery so as to make future vessels less heavy. The Hamworthy yard was part of a much bigger project.The Ministry of Munitions had decided in late 1917 to have eight small shipyards construct concrete barges and tugs. It was hoped this would overcome the lack of steel and could use inexperienced labour. 154 barges and tugs were ordered in February 1918. However, the cost was much higher at &pound;27 500 for a concrete barge against &pound;18,000 for a steel barge. The overall scheme lost nearly &pound;3 million. It was believed the project was too large a scheme for something experimental but that war-time conditions had made it necessary. The Hamworthy shipyard was built as 'Auxiliary Shipyard Extension No 62' and after the war was taken over by Gardiner Shipbuilding Company.</p> <p>A film showing the construction of a concrete boat has been discovered in the Imperial War Museum collection. It shows various stages of its construction and was produced by the Topical Film Compnay for the Ministry of Information. It was believed that the film showed the launch of PD 25 at Barnstaple, Devon however PD 25 was actually launched from the Lake Shipyard, Hamworthy. It is assumed, therefore, that the rest of the scenes are of the Lake Shipyard.</p> <p><a href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/?s=concrete" data-cke-saved-href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/?s=concrete">Find out more on our blog</a></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-loss-of-submarine-l10|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-loss-of-submarine-l10|fulldesc:<p>Hedley Alexander Grant, whose parents lived in Parkstone, died in October 1918 when the L10 submarine was sunk in the North Sea. The L10 was commissioned in June 1918 from the Dumbarton shipyard of William Denny and was used to stop German vessels mining the sea. It had a crew of 38 and was armed with four bow and two beam torpedo tubes, as well as a 4in deck gun. On October 3rd 1918, L10 came across a group of German destroyers in the Heligoland Bight and torpedoed the German ship S33. However, the submarine, for some reason, suddenly surfaced and was sunk by the other destroyers. All those on board died.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:second-concrete-boat-launched-at-hamworthy|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:second-concrete-boat-launched-at-hamworthy|fulldesc:<p>On Saturday the second concrete boat to be launched from Hill, Richards and Co shipyard at Hamworthy entered Poole Harbour. The 1,000 ton 'Cretabode' was set on its journey by Mrs Hill, wife of the managing director Mr Philip Hill. Many dignitaries were in attendance including the Countess of Malmesbury, Lady Lees and members of the Admiralty. It had taken just six weeks to construct. At the same time it was announced that the first concrete boat from the shipyard had returned safely from its maiden voyage.The company had recently built a canteen for its employees and this was highly decorated for the event. Mr Philip Hill commented that there was a shortage of labour for the construction of concrete boats and felt the shipyard was not getting the support it deserved.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:germany-abandons-unrestricted-u-boat-warfare|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:germany-abandons-unrestricted-u-boat-warfare|fulldesc:

Link:|Loc:No|id:mutiny-in-the-german-high-seas-fleet|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:mutiny-in-the-german-high-seas-fleet|fulldesc:<p>Thousands of sailors of the German High Seas Fleet refused to set sail when ordered by Admiral Hipper to fight a last ditch battle against the British Grand Fleet. 'We do not put to sea, for us the war is over' was their response. Admiral Hipper ordered destroyers to be in readiness to fire on the battleships where crews had mutinied. Revolutionary Councils, inspired by the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, were set up by sailors on some vessels and shore establishments. Ringleaders were imprisoned. Chaos reigned.</p> <p>Rioting was also occuring in many German cities fuelled by a desire to see the war end, severe food shortages and an increasing Communist influence. Coffee was being made from ground acorns and sawdust was added to bread to make it more filling. The end of 1916 was known in Germany as 'turnip winter' because of the shortages. Over 300 deaths a day were attributed to starvation and by 1918 this had risen to 800 a day.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-death-of-wilfred-owen-poet-and-soldier|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-death-of-wilfred-owen-poet-and-soldier|fulldesc:<p>The First World War inspired the writing of poetry and many were written by serving soldiers. Wilfred Owen is one of the most famous of these poets. He died on November 4. - his parents received the notice on Armistice Day.</p> <p>Other First World War poets include: - Siegfried Sassoon (survived the war); Rupert Brooke (died in the Aegean in 1915 onboard a hospital ship); Richard Aldington (survived the war); Edward Thomas (died at the Battle of Arras in 1917); John McCrae (a Canadian, died of pneumonia in 1918. His poem 'In Flanders Field' inspired the poppy); Alan Seeger ( an American who joined the French Foreign legion, died July 1916); Julian Grenfell (died May 1915); Ivor Gurney (although he survived the war he had a mental breakdown in 1918); Charles Hamilton Sorley (killed October 1915); Geoffrey Studdert-Kennedy (volunteered and survived the war. His poetry was well-liked by the soldiers). Their poetry reflected their personal experience of being in the First World War.</p> <p>Austin T. Nankivell, the Medical Officer of Heath for Poole joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1915. His war poem 'The House of Death' was published in 'A Treasury of War Poetry, British and American Poems of World War 1914-1919'.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:flu-pandemic|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:flu-pandemic|fulldesc:<p>In November 1918, the East Dorset Herald reported on the closure of the schools in Poole in response to the flu pandemic. It is believed the pandemic started in March 1918 and continued through to 1919. Its impact was devastating. Thousands of soldiers who had survived bullets were now dying of influenza and whole communities were being torn apart. For example, an estimated 10, 000 people died in London alone - worldwide tens of millions died.</p> <p>In February 1919, the Local Government Health board issued advice to the public about influenza. For example, it recommended that the public should 'eat good food' and 'avoid fatigue, chill, and alcoholism.' While not protecting someone from influenza following this advice, it was claimed, would help stop it developing into something more serious. The notice described the symptoms, possible ways of avoiding infection, and what to do if the symptoms developed. Interestingly, it advised not wasting money on medication to prevent influenza.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:what-happened-to-the-dorsetshire-regiment-on-the-declaration-of-peace|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:what-happened-to-the-dorsetshire-regiment-on-the-declaration-of-peace|fulldesc:<p>The 1st Battalion marched through France after November 11 and spent Christmas at Anhee. Demobilisation started on December 22 1918. At the beginning of 1919, those not demobbed went to Obercassel in Germany as part of the Army of Occupation. The Battalion sailed for home in April 1919.</p> <p>The 3rd Battalion demobilised completely in 1919.</p> <p>The 5th Battalion celebrated the afternoon of the November 11 with a sports event and 'free beer'. The Battalion stayed in Denain where they trained, received some education, and had sports events. Demobilisation began on January 2 1919 with men leaving during the next few months. Those that were left sailed for home on June 7 1919.</p> <p>The 6th Battalion received at 8.30am the news that the guns would be silent at 11am. The Battalion went on parade at 9.45 after breakfast to be told of the Armistice. It was received with three cheers for the King but not much else. The Battalion History put it quite simply - the 'overtasked nature cried out for rest and sleep. The work of the soldiers was done'. The 6th Battalion spent November and December 1918 marching back through France. Demobilisation was supposed to start on January 11 but the orders were confused. Fresh demobilisation orders were received on February 2 1919 in which men who had joined up prior to January 1916, or were older than 37, or been wounded three or more times were given 'precedence'. The remainder arrived in Southampton on May 24 where it took two days to fully disembark.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:peace-declared|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:peace-declared|fulldesc:<p>The History of the Dorsetshire Regiment records one person's experience at the front when peace was declared. He noted it was the silence that 'was most notable'. And while there was singing and dancing in London, celebrations were muted as all he had to eat were tainted bully beef and stew with a mug of tea.</p> <p>It is estimated that the number of British Empire military personnel who had died in the war was 900 000. 2 million Germans, 1.8 million Russians, 1.4 million French, 1 million Austrian-Hungarians, and 50 000 Americans also perished.</p> <p><a href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2019/06/28/declaration-of-peace-how-poole-marked-the-event/" data-cke-saved-href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2019/06/28/declaration-of-peace-how-poole-marked-the-event/">Find out more on our blog</a></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:ministry-of-health-to-be-created|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:ministry-of-health-to-be-created|fulldesc:<p>The Government announced proposals to amalgamate all the various organisations involved in health care under one department which was to be known as the Ministry of Health.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-end-of-the-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-end-of-the-war|fulldesc:<p>The Poole local newspaper reported that the 'signing of the armistice is not the final peace, but imposes upon Germany'..'unconditional surrender'. The terms included that all submarines and thousands of guns, aeroplanes, railway locomotives, and lorries were to be surrendered. All German land west of the Rhine was to be occupied by the Allies. This meant that British troops, as well as French, American and Italian forces, would be in control of the major industrial heartland of Germany.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:unemployment-in-the-wake-of-peace|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:unemployment-in-the-wake-of-peace|fulldesc:<p>The end of World War 1 brought further social change to the country at a time when there was no welfare state. Large numbers of soldiers returned to the prospect of unemployment. Women workers lost their jobs as either there was no longer a need, such as in munitions, or quite simply they were expected to give up their jobs for the returning men. In consequence, there was a drastic change in incomes for many people. The Government decided to provide unemployment benefit but only for 13 weeks for civilians and 26 weeks for soldiers. Interestingly, men were to be paid more than women.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:horse-chestnuts-needed-for-cattle-feed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:horse-chestnuts-needed-for-cattle-feed|fulldesc:<p>Even though the War had ended, the crisis in food production continued. Schools were asked to collect horse chestnuts which would then be used in the manufacture of cattle cake. The Government offered to pay &pound;4 per ton of horse chestnuts.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:royal-navy-at-the-end-of-the-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:royal-navy-at-the-end-of-the-war|fulldesc:<p>At the end of the war the Royal Navy numbered 438 00 men, 58 capital ships, 12 aircraft carriers, 103 cruisers, 122 submarines and more than 450 destroyers and escorts. It was the largest naval fleet in the world.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:british-troops-enter-koln|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:british-troops-enter-koln|fulldesc:<p>It is a strange feature of World War 1 that Germany was never invaded. It was only on December 4 1918 that British forces entered Koln and created a 'Zone of Occupation'. Many in Germany and Austria couldn't believe they had been defeated given that their armies were still in other countries. One writer commented that 'the simple man in the street cannot understand what has happened so suddenly and feels completely lost'.</p>

Link:http://www.poolehistory.org.uk/node/328705|Loc:No|id:poole-absent-voters|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-absent-voters|fulldesc:<p>The 1918 General Election gave the right to vote to all men over the age of 21, women over the age of 30 and military personnel over the age of 19. The first list of Absent Voters was compiled and published in 1918 but contained many errors. Servicemen were given another chance to register and a second list was published April 1919. After this lists were published twice a year in Spring and Autumn.The lists give a name, home address, military service number and regiment, battalion or name of a ship.This transcription is from the 1918 and 1919 electoral register for Poole and contains over 4000 names.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:sale-of-surplus-equipment|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:sale-of-surplus-equipment|fulldesc:<p>A sale of surplus equipment from RAF Sandbanks and West Wharf, Quay Poole was to be held by the Ministry of Munitions on January 7. It included huts and associated construction items and was one of many sales that were organised to dispose of the huge quantity of equipment that had been needed for the war effort.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:crown-prince-of-romania-launches-concrete-barge-in-hamworthy|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:crown-prince-of-romania-launches-concrete-barge-in-hamworthy|fulldesc:<p>On January 16 1919 a ferro-concrete oil-tanker, designed to carry a 1000 tons of oil, was launched from the Hamworthy Shipyard. HRH Prince Nicholas, Crown Prince of Romania performed the launch ceremony of OC 601 at 9.30 am with the traditional bottle of wine. The platform was decorated with British and Romanian flags; Romania had declared war on Austria, an ally of Germany, in 1916. The barge had Romanian flags at the stern and a Union Jack on the mast. Even though the event was more low-key than the launch of PD 25, around a thousand workers watched the event. The Romanian military attache and directors from Hill, Richards were among the launch party, as well as Mr E.O. Williams, who had invented the system used in the construction. Interestingly, the concrete barge has in the photograph the name &lsquo;Prince Nicholas&rsquo; on the bow. The Prince then went to visit the German submarine U 107 which was at Poole Quay.</p> <p>Find out more on our blog</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:peace-conference-opens|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:peace-conference-opens|fulldesc:<p>The Peace Conference opened in Paris but the blockade of Germany continued. The German delegation argued that this was penalising the civilian population but the Allies stated it would continue until the Treaty was signed.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:german-u-boats-in-poole-harbour|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:german-u-boats-in-poole-harbour|fulldesc:<p>The East Dorset Herald of January 23 1919 reported on two U-boats in Poole.</p> <p>U-143 (more correctly UB 143) was being sent to Japan with an escort of the Japanese destroyers, Kanran and Kashiwa. UB 143 became stranded on a sandbank in Poole Bay while it was being taken to Japan as part of war reparations. It was recovered with great difficulty and escorted into Poole Harbour for repairs.</p> <p>The other U boat, U 107, had travelled from Portland Harbour to Poole Quay to raise funds for the King's Fund for Disabled Soldiers and Sailors through an admission of 1/- (5p). The Admiralty approved an extension to its stay so great was the interest and it was open for 11 days. When U 107 left Poole over 10,000 people had visited it and receipts were &pound;605. It was manned by two officers and thirteen crew of the Royal Navy with Lieut Charles E. Cox in command. After its visit it returned to Portland.</p> <p>For more information read <a href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2018/10/02/german-u-boats-in-poole-harbour/" data-cke-saved-href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2018/10/02/german-u-boats-in-poole-harbour/">our blog</a></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:commission-on-the-reparation-of-damage-created|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:commission-on-the-reparation-of-damage-created|fulldesc:<p>The Commission was to investigate the financial penalties against Germany and Austria. Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister, became increasingly concerned that the severity of conditions might placate post-War feelings but could create lasting damage. In particular, he was against the transfer of German land to other countries.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:help-for-the-unemployed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:help-for-the-unemployed|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported on 30 January that Poole Incorporated Chamber of Commerce had held a meeting in Poole Town Hall where Major H.F. Williams, Acting Director of Ministry of Labour (Appointments Department) spoke about the help available for men who joined the armed forces straight from public schools and colleges and now found themselves being demobilised without any experience of civilian life. The Ministry of Labour was in two sections. The first was the Employment Department which operated the employment exchanges. The second section was the Appointments Department who worked with 'highly educated' men and officers with the aim of either getting them a job or providing training. The meeting raised the issue of apprentices who wanted to return to their old job but employers were not keen on employing them because they expected a 'high' wage but were unskilled.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:royal-navy-minesweepers-leave-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:royal-navy-minesweepers-leave-poole|fulldesc:<p>Several events were held throughout the town to mark the departure of the Royal Navy minesweepers. Invitees included the Navy, Lifeboat crews, WRNS and airmen.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-poole-girls-who-kept-on-making-sweets|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-poole-girls-who-kept-on-making-sweets|fulldesc:<p>The description below this photograph of workers from the Robson &amp; Co confectionary factory at Lagland Street in Poole highlights many interesting aspects. Firstly the need to explain why there was still a young man working at the factory when many would have expected him to be in the armed forces, the mention of the lack of man in the workforce and that the forewoman, having married. no longer worked at the factory.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:plenty-of-margarine-for-everyone|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:plenty-of-margarine-for-everyone|fulldesc:<p>The end of war and the improvement in the supply of food had an impact on advertising as this advert from February 1919 as shows. Tea became more readily available a few months later.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:threat-from-mines-at-sea|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:threat-from-mines-at-sea|fulldesc:<p>Although the War had ended, thousands of mines had been deployed at sea by both sides and posed a threat to shipping. It was announced that a man would be employed at every coastguard station to make safe any that came ashore. Mines could also threaten coastal towns. On 8 February a mine had come ashore at Ramsgate and damaged the Marine Pier when it exploded.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:grata-quies-military-hospital-closes|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:grata-quies-military-hospital-closes|fulldesc:<p>Grata Quies Military Hospital was one of many temporary hospitals created in Poole to look after wounded soldiers. It closed on March 14 1919.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:grata-quies-military-hospital-closes-1|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:grata-quies-military-hospital-closes-1|fulldesc:<p>Grata Quies Military Hospital was one of many temporary hospitals created in Poole to look after wounded soldiers. It closed on March 14 1919.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-war-memorial-committee-resigns|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-war-memorial-committee-resigns|fulldesc:<p>The desire for a War Memorial in Poole was not matched by any consensus as to what form it should take.The Committee had proposed a 30ft tower on Constitution Hill with tearooms and captured German guns, together with two convalescent homes in Seldown. The committee resigned when it was received with little enthusiasm. Other suggestions proposed by members of the public included a much-needed central Fire Station, an extension to Cornelia Hospital, a War Memorial Institute, a memorial in Poole Park, Almshouses and Public Baths.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:bridle|relatedItems:/people/bridle-ernest-charles|imguris:https://www.poolemuseum.org.uk/Resources-WW1/Images/Dorsetshire-Regt-272.x6998e17f.jpg|imgalts:Bridle, Ernest Charles|titles:Bridle, Ernest Charles|slug:bridle|fulldesc:<p>Funeral of Ernest Charles Bridle</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:aeroplanes-from-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:aeroplanes-from-poole|fulldesc:<p>The local council had received a request from John Dawson &amp; Co and the Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co asking if the council would be agreeable to aeroplanes using Poole as part of a service along the coast. The council, although in principal in agreement, said that it would depend on what was expected from them.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:job-losses-in-munitions|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:job-losses-in-munitions|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that 75% of the estimated 306,000 who worked primarily in the munition factories had lost their jobs by March 1919.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-victory-football-competition|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-victory-football-competition|fulldesc:<p>The end of the war led to numerous events being held &nbsp;in celebration and the Poole 'Victory' Football Competition was organised as a fund raising event for local (Cornelia Hospital) and national charities (St Dunstan's Hostel for Blinded Heroes and the National Union of Journalist War Distress Fund).The competition was to be held on the Easter weekend in 1919 at Eastlake, Parkstone. 12 teams entered the competition including St Peter's (Parkstone), Longfleet Rovers, Central Workshops Tanks (Bovington). Wareham Juniors, Rafmarines (Sandbanks) and the Canadian Tank Corps (Bovington).</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:right-to-vote|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:right-to-vote|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported on the Voters List Revision Court that was held in Branksome. It dealt with topics such as removing names from the Absent Voters list because the men, formerly serving in the military, had returned home. The Rev C.A. Trew of Canfords Cliffs applied for his wife to have a vote which was accepted. His application for his daughter was unsuccesful because she occupied a furnished room but did not give her father any money. It was also agreed at the Court that a limited liability company was not entitled to a vote. A similar meeting took place at the Guildhall in Poole which appeared to be dominated by the right of women to a vote. Miss Allen of Parkstone was refused the vote because she was living with her mother and not paying rent. Miss Price of Parkstone was one of three owners of a house and had applied for a vote. The court ruled that only two joint-occipier names could have the vote and as she was the third the application was refused. Miss Fiske, also of Parkstone, had applied for two sisters as well as herself; her mother and brother had the vote. They owned the furniture in the rooms they occupied and believed that entitled them to a vote. Their claim was denied as they had to prove that they paid rent.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:demobilisation-gathering-pace|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:demobilisation-gathering-pace|fulldesc:<p>On April 10 1919, there were 737,000 men still waiting to be demobilised out of an expected total of 3,250,000. The actual figures were Royal Navy (15,500), Army (705,500) and Royal Air Force (16,200). It was noted that officers were being released at a much lower rate than other ranks. At one point, men were being demobilised at around 80,000 per week the majority of whom had no job to go to and were uncertain of the conditions at home. Around 74,000 men had immediately signed back into the Army.</p> <p>The demobilisation figures only refer to those entitled to being demobilised. For example, men who were in Germany as part of the Army of Occupation or were now involved in conflicts in other parts of the world were not part of the process of demobilisation.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:experiment-at-royal-naval-cordite-factory-not-a-success|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:experiment-at-royal-naval-cordite-factory-not-a-success|fulldesc:<p>Large quantites of acetone were needed in the manufacture of cordite. Chaim Weizmann designed a process to produce acetone using bacterial fermentation of grain. He was encouraged by Lloyd George and Churchill to turn a laboratory experiment into large scale production. A production plant was built at Holton Heath at a cost of &pound;133 00 for the buildings and &pound;50 000 to equip it. Food shortages meant that grain was replaced by horse chestnuts. Schoolchildren were encouraged to collect horse chestnuts and send them to Holton Heath. The process was not a success because the raw material was not pure enough for the fermentation process and the plant closed shortly after the war ended.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:training-ship-for-poole-harbour|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:training-ship-for-poole-harbour|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that at a meeting of the Wessex Branch of the Navy League on April 24th that the Wessex Training Ship was to be instituted with the aim of training boys from the Wessex area to work in the Navy or as merchant seamen. The idea was that the Admiralty would be asked for a ship to be based in Poole Harbour and that a public appeal to raise &pound;10,000 was to be launched. Around 100 boys, with a minimum age of 12, would live on board. The idea had first been considered in March 1917 but had been abandoned because of the war. While the meeting was in overall agreement there were questions raised about the type of education, if the Boy Scouts Association was to be involved, and what support could be expected from the local Boards of Education.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:women-workers-at-munitions-tribunal|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:women-workers-at-munitions-tribunal|fulldesc:<p>Millions of men started to returned home in expectation of employment. One consequence was that women workers found their jobs disappearing or having their pay and hours reduced and often the dispute ended up at the Munitions Tribunal which was based in Bournemouth.</p> <p>Some disputes brought before the tribunal centred on whether the job was munitions work or not. A case was brought against the Parkstone Joinery Company by a woman who had been given two hours notice to leave. Under the Munitions of War Act 1917 she was entitled to a paid one weeks notice; in this instance &pound; 1 15s (&pound;1.75). The company argued that the woman was employed as a 'building operative' and not on munitions work. One or two hours notice to leave was typical of similar businesses. The tribunal concluded that the woman was employed in the building trade and therefore not entitled to any extra payment.</p> <p>A case was brought against No 7 Saw Mills Factory, Hamworthy over a reduction in wages. The statutory pay was 6d (5p) per hour for a 48 hr week with a 11s (55p) weekly bonus. The hours had been reduced and the company had also reduced the bonus. The tribunal agreed that the bonus was completely separate and awarded the woman an extra payment. In this instance, the outcome could affect the livelihoods of forty other women.</p> <p>Women munition workers were still in 'protected' jobs but there was great concern about the welfare of those who were in the process of losing their jobs and perhaps having to travel long distances. Separate waiting rooms on some railway stations were made available, with the YWCA and other organisations providing facilities for women, and female Welfare Officers were also at some stations. Employment Exchanges provided restrooms if there was a great demand from women registering as out-of-work.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-war-and-womens-fashions|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-war-and-womens-fashions|fulldesc:<p>A report in the Poole local newspaper highlighted the impact of the First World War on women's fashions and the attitudes prevalent at the time. Women who had been involved in the Land Army in the war wanted to be allowed to continue to wear breeches, leggings, and a short coat if on 'country work'. At the time, a law prohibited the wearing of clothes of the opposite sex and it was deemed that the wearing of breeches and similar was illegal. The article felt that it was likely that the authorities would not allow women to wear this style of fashion in town. It did, however, feel that if a woman wanted to wear it in their own home and garden then there was no reason why not. Under the headline 'Changes wrought by the War' the local newspaper had reported in 1917 that made-to-measure clothing was being replaced by ready-to-wear. It cited two reasons - ready-to-wear was cheaper and the clothes could be worn straightaway rather than having to wait for them to be made.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:east-dorset-guild-of-workers-closes|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:east-dorset-guild-of-workers-closes|fulldesc:<p>Since the early days of the war, the East Dorset Guild of Workers had provided many items, such as clothing and food parcels for the troops; 114 688 items were sent to soldiers; 53 328 to those in hospital. When the Guild closed the remaining funds were to be distributed to the Poole Hospital War Memorial Fund (&pound;700) and the Isolation Hospital (&pound;10). Some people commented that more could have been given to the Isolation Hospital.</p> <p><a href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2019/05/03/dorset-guild-of-workers-a-remarkable-voluntary-organisation/" data-cke-saved-href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2019/05/03/dorset-guild-of-workers-a-remarkable-voluntary-organisation/">Find out more about the Dorset Guild of Workers on our blog</a></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-volunteers-disbanded|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-volunteers-disbanded|fulldesc:<p>The 1st (Poole) Company Dorset Volunteers Regiment was formed on October 16 1914, the first in Dorset, and disbanded May 7 1919. They undertook many duties in the area. For example, in 1914 they were on a ship protecting the entrance to Poole Harbour. From 1915 the Branksome and Poole detachment provided a patrol along the coast. The Volunteers were also on duty at the Hamworthy Magazine.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:russell-cotes-nautical-school-foundation-stone-laid|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:russell-cotes-nautical-school-foundation-stone-laid|fulldesc:<p>The Merchant Navy had been a significant, and often unsung, part of the First World War. The declaration of peace turned thoughts to the future and while shipbuilding had rapidly increased there was a need for personnel to man the ships. Sir Merton and Lady Russell-Cotes had given Dr Barnardo's 40 acres of land at Constitution Hill near Poole Harbour to set up a merchant navy training school. The scheme would cost &pound;87,000 and train 300 boys from Barnardo Homes at any one time. The foundation stone of the main building was laid by Prince Albert, Duke of York, when he visited Poole and Bournemouth on May 8 1919. The school was expected to include five accommodation blocks, a gymnasium, a workshop, dining facilities, playing fields and a 'sea-going tender' in the Harbour. In October it was announced that the bricks for the buildings were to be made locally so benefitting the local economy. Initially the school was in temporary huts.The main building was completed in 1922 and two of the houses in 1924. More buildings were added over the years. The school changed its name to the Parkstone Sea Training Home in 1949 and closed in 1964 as the demand had dropped. In 1963 there were only 100 boys and only half went into the Merchant Navy.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-dorsetshires-in-north-russia|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-dorsetshires-in-north-russia|fulldesc:<p>While the guns had fallen silent on the Western Front, there was still conflict in other parts of the world. After the Russian Revolution, and the subsequent peace with Germany, there were concerns that Archangel and Murmansk, in North Russia, could be used as a naval bases by the Germans to attack shipping. An Allied force had taken control of the port in 1918 but could not be relieved when the Armistice was signed because the sea lanes were frozen.</p> <p>The 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment set sail from Tilbury on May 13 on the S.S. Stephen as part of the First North Russia Relief Force. The aim was to help those stranded but also aid the White Russian forces who were fighting against the Bolsheviks. The Dorsetshires became part of the No 1 Composite Battalion and then the 2nd Hampshire Regiment. The Dorset component was 9 officers and 240 men. They landed at Archangel on May 27 and were then taken up the River Dwina on steamer-hauled barges to Kurgomen. The Dorsets were involved in a limited action on June 20th and again on June 27. The fighting was sporadic and highly confused. Apparently many who served found the campaign noteworthy because of the poor food and the 'awe-inspiring' northern lights. A decision to leave North Russia was announced on August 8.</p> <p>The Relief Force left for home in September 1919 on the SS Manitou. In a history of the Dorsets on the involvement in North Russia it concluded with the comment that it was an unsatisfactory experience and 'as has so often happened, intervention in another country's internal troubles had proved unsuccessful'.</p> <p>There was also a conflict in South Russia. Leading Signalman W.A. Hutchings, who was part of a group of naval volunteers of 30 officers and men who were involved in reconnaisance, was believed to have been taken prisoner by Bolshevik forces and was being kept in Baku. His father, who lived in Wimborne Road, Poole was hoping he would be released soon after the Russian Government agreed to a prisoner exchange.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:equal-pay-for-women|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:equal-pay-for-women|fulldesc:<p>A local newspaper reported that a Government Committee had concluded there should be equal pay for women at work. However, this was only if the productivity of a woman was the same as a man; if not, then her pay should be reduced accordingly.</p> <p>Only a year earlier, August 1918, the local newspaper had debated the equal pay question and even then it had raised the problem of what would happen when the war ended; the article also highlights the attitudes prevalent at the time. Women, it said, had tended to use work as a way of filling the time between school and marriage. The article believed that when the war ended it was likely many women would want to continue getting a decent wage in an industrial environment and because of this they would become 'competitors' for jobs.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:aeroplanes-to-be-built-in-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:aeroplanes-to-be-built-in-poole|fulldesc:<p>It was reported that a building being erected at Salterns, Parkstone was possibly to be used by Handley Page for the construction of aeroplanes.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:demobilisation|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:demobilisation|fulldesc:<p>Demobilising the huge army of millions of men and repatriation of thousands of prisoners of war was a major logistical problem. Not only had British soldiers to be brought home but troops from overseas, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, America, India, West Indies, and South Africa, had to be returned to their respective countries.The time it was taking to demobilise led to disturbances in places such as Calais, Folkestone and Rhyl; 3 000 men occupied Horse Guards Parade in London in protest. Many eventually returned home to a normal life but &nbsp;a lot did not. Unemployment was a major problem, disrupted education was only begun again with difficulty, and begging became commonplace. In the absence of the National Health Service, which only came into existence in 1948, organisations struggled to cope with those with physical and mental health problems. Often these only became apparent weeks and months after the soldiers returned. The attached newspaper article highlights the concerns of one Dorset regiment man.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:german-high-seas-fleet-scuttled-in-scapa-flow|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:german-high-seas-fleet-scuttled-in-scapa-flow|fulldesc:<p>The German High Seas Fleet had been escorted into Scapa Flow on November 27 1918. Over the next few months, thousands of German sailors were sent home with 2 700 leaving on June 18 so that only a skeleton crew remained. The Armistice was close to being signed and Article 31 'expressly forbade the destruction of the ships'. Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter did not want the ships to become Royal Navy property and ordered the scuttling of the fleet. However, communications were poor and he was unaware that the deadline of June 21 for the signing of the peace treaty had been altered to the 23rd. On the 21 June 1919, 71 ships were scuttled by their crews. Most of the British fleet was out at sea and the handful of remaining vessels attempted to intervene but there was little they could do. In the 1920's and 1930's around 300,000 tons of steel was recovered from the wrecks.</p> <p>The scuttling of the German fleet was watched by Bernard Finegan Gribble, a Poole artist. He had been commisioned by the US Navy to sketch the German fleet in Scapa Flow. He also took a series of photographs to help in his work. He watched as the German heliographs sent out the message 'Paragraph two of todays orders. Acknowledge'. This was the order to scuttle the ships and Gribble watched, and photographed, as they sank.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:royal-engineers-donate-their-football-kit-to-a-poole-church|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:royal-engineers-donate-their-football-kit-to-a-poole-church|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that prior to leaving the town, the Royal Engineers presented their football kit to the Poole Congregational Church. The Royal Engineers had previously held a 'Grand Victory Concert' at its base at West Wharf Camp on May 21. An evening of comedy, singing, dancing and music was enjoyed by all. Amity Hall supplied the scenery, Poole Corporation provided the flags, and the Congregational Church provided a piano and chairs.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:treaty-of-versailles-signed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:treaty-of-versailles-signed|fulldesc:<p>The Treaty of Versailles was signed with the German delegation. The treaty was a document of around two hundred pages with hundreds of articles. For example, Article 191 banned Germany from the construction or purchase of submarines. News of the signing reached Poole at 4pm. Crowds formed in the High Street, sirens were sounded, flags and bunting decorated everywhere, and fireworks were let off.</p> <p>The news that the peace treaty had been signed reached Poole at 4pm. Crowds gathered in the High Street. Sirens were sounded, flags and bunting were put up, and fireworks were let off.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:controversy-over-cost-of-poole-peace-celebrations|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:controversy-over-cost-of-poole-peace-celebrations|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported on a meeting held by Poole Burgesses over the decision by Poole Town Council to 'impose a penny rate to cover the expenses of the Peace Celebration' to be held on 18 and 19 July. The meeting was quite heated. Some felt that the event was a waste of money, others thought the money could be better spent and there were some who questioned whether it was appropriate to have a 'celebration' when many had lost loved ones.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:national-peace-celebrations|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:national-peace-celebrations|fulldesc:<p>It was announced that Saturday 19 July was to be the official date for peace celebrations throughout the country. Sunday July 6 was to be recognised as a Thanksgiving Day. All ex-servicemen in Poole were invited to a ceremony in St James Church, Poole at 11am. The Mayor requested that everybody decorated their houses on Friday 18th and &nbsp;Saturday 19th. On the Friday a celebration for the children was held in Poole Park for which the weather was perfect. Over 6,000 children had tea and cake after which they either took part in sports competitions or took advantage of the hoop-la, skittles, coconut shies and roundabouts. The National Federation of Hairdressers put an advert in the local newspaper in Poole to announce they would be closed on the 19th as were many other businesses. On the Saturday, lunch was provided for around 2,000 ex-servicemen and the wet weather did not spoil everyone's enthusiasm. Fireworks were let off in the evening and there was a bonfire on Constitution Hill.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-great-1919-peace-regatta-and-carnival|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-great-1919-peace-regatta-and-carnival|fulldesc:<p>The Mayor of Poole felt that the town should show its appreciation for what the Merchant Navy had done during the war by holding some kind of event. As the British Motor Boat Club of Poole was planning to hold a regatta on August Bank Holiday it was agreed to expand their event into something much larger. The Great (1919) Peace Regatta and Carnival was held Saturday August 2 and Monday August 4 1919 in, and around, Salterns Works. It was hoped that funds would be raised for the proposed Russell-Cotes Nautical School in Poole which was to train boys for the Merchant Navy. A ferry conveyed people from Poole Quay to Salterns and 'motor conveyances' were available to take people from East Park Gates, Poole Park. Events included motor boat races, rowing, sailing and other sports. Less serious activities were the 'greasy pole' and 'Neptune crossing the line' which were organised by the RAF and held in an artificial lake at Saltern. Dancing and sideshows, including hoop-la, coconut shies and skittles, were in the grounds of the 'Elms' house. Poole Town band provided musical entertainment on the Monday. One feature was the 'procession of illuminated boats' and fireworks in the evening. Salterns Pier was also decorated with Chinese lanterns.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:rncf-great-victory-sports-and-carnival|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:rncf-great-victory-sports-and-carnival|fulldesc:<p>The Royal Naval Cordite Factory organised a Great Victory Sports and Carnival in Poole Park on August 16 1919. Numerous sports and entertainments took place. One event was the Ladies Tug-of-War in which the Cordite Section Ladies beat the Gun Cotton Ladies 2-0. It was reported that the Gun Cotton Ladies had been successful at Tug-of-War in 1917 and 1918.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:war-trophy-for-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:war-trophy-for-poole|fulldesc:<p>The East Dorset Herald reported that the Mayor of Poole had successfully obtained for the town a 12" howitzer that had been used by Poole men during the war. The howitzer was to be placed near the East Gates of Poole Park.</p> <p><a href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2019/05/15/poole-first-world-war-trophies-and-a-puzzle/" data-cke-saved-href="https://ww1poole.wordpress.com/2019/05/15/poole-first-world-war-trophies-and-a-puzzle/">Find out more about Poole War trophies in our blog</a></p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-secrets-of-the-royal-naval-cordite-factory-revealed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-secrets-of-the-royal-naval-cordite-factory-revealed|fulldesc:<p>The Defence of the Realm Act had meant that much about the Royal Naval Cordite factory at Holton Heath remained secret until after the end of the war. A newspaper report of September 18 1919 describes a visit made by the Chemistry Section of the British Association. The group was given an extensive tour of the site and visited all the departments, such as Acids, Cordite and Guncotton. In the latter it was noted that the factory at Gretna used cotton waste while the Admiralty had requested that Holton Heath used 'half-manufactured cotton'. This was supposed to result in a product that was safer. The group also visited the redundant acetone plant. Around 4 000 people worked on the site with nearly half of them women. The women workers were praised for their 'efficient and loyal service'. Output was typically 150 tons of cordite per week. After the Armistice much of the workforce lost their jobs and ouput of cordite dropped to around 35 tons per week. There is brief mention of experiments carried out at Holton Heath to convert mangolds, root beets for cattle feed, into alcohol using a process involving bacteria.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:postal-censorship-during-the-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:postal-censorship-during-the-war|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported on the work of the Postal Censor office during the First World War. According to the report the Office had a staff of over 4,500 at its height, had to learn 142 languages, and read over 350,000 letters every day.&nbsp;</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:dispute-over-railway-sidings-on-west-quay-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:dispute-over-railway-sidings-on-west-quay-poole|fulldesc:<p>During, the First World War, the War Office had taken over several buildings, demolished others and created railway sidings on West Quay, Poole. In June 1919, the War Office decided they had no further use for them and offered them to various local groups, such as the Council, who were not interested. In September, the War Office announced they would be offered to the Ministry of Transport, much to the annoyance of local busineses who wanted them removed. It was said that the timber loading wharves were unusable and it was claimed that trade was being severely damaged with ships having to unload at other ports. Affected businesses also wanted buildings used by the Royal Army Service Corps, and which contained tons of rotting food, to be returned to the private owners.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:rail-strike-to-lead-to-rationing|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:rail-strike-to-lead-to-rationing|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported on the prospect of a national rail strike and its impact on food distribution which had led to an announcement of changes to the rationing scheme in progress. A weeks ration, for example, for sugar was to be 6oz, bacon 6oz and beef and mutton 12oz. The Milk Order 1918 was to be brought back and the 'Food Hoarding Order' was to be 'strictly enforced'.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:photographs-of-war-graves|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:photographs-of-war-graves|fulldesc:<p>A company based in Amiens, Battle Zone Photographs, advertised in the local newspaper that it could supply photographs of war graves on the Western Front at a cost of 30/- (&pound;1.50) for three 7x5in prints.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:women-stand-in-poole-council-elections|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:women-stand-in-poole-council-elections|fulldesc:<p>Two women candidates were standing in the Poole Town Council elections in 1919; Mrs E. Cloutman in the Branksome West ward and Miss A.E. Briggs in the Parkstone West ward. Mrs E. Cloutman (Labour) polled 303 votes while the victor, Mr Parnell, got 321 votes. Miss A.E. Briggs (Independent) was voted onto the Council after winning the ward election. She served until 1925.</p> <p>Only 50% of the electorate voted in the election with Hamworthy Ward and St James' West Ward having the highest percentage turnout (ca 66%) and Branksome West with the lowest (ca 37%)..</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-profiteering-investigation-committee-formed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-profiteering-investigation-committee-formed|fulldesc:<p>In response to the Profiteering Act of 1919, a Committee was formed in Poole to investigate claims of profiteering. Complaints had to be submitted within three days of having made the purchase to the Clerk of the Committee at the office in High Street, Poole. A woman from Poole complained that she had paid 1s 11d for a yard of flannelette when before the war higher quality material had only cost three and three-quarter pence a yard. Her case was dismissed. Someone else reported that he had been charged 2s for two teacups of milk. The decision was that the proprietors of the hotel had to reimburse him 1s.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-first-remembrance-day-in-poole|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-first-remembrance-day-in-poole|fulldesc:<p>Church bells were rung, then silence for two minutes when everything stopped, flags on ships in the harbour were at half mast and churches and chapels were open for remembrance.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:explosion-at-the-cordite-factory|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:explosion-at-the-cordite-factory|fulldesc:<p>An explosion at the Royal Naval Cordite Factory at Holton Heath caused the death of Mr Jesse Orchard of Parkstone. He had been employed at the Factory since 1915 and was working in the Acetone Recovery Store No 1 Cordite Section when the explosion occurred. Parts of the plant were discovered nearly a quarter of mile from the building.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:womens-section-opened|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:womens-section-opened|fulldesc:<p>A letter to the local newspaper announced that the 'Comrades of the Great War Association' in Poole had created a 'women's section' for women of the district who had served during the First World War.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-bovril-lady-continues-her-good-work|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-bovril-lady-continues-her-good-work|fulldesc:<p>Miss Gladys Storey, known as the 'Bovril Lady', had organised a fund at the beginning of the war to supply hot Bovril to the troops on the Western Front. General Sir John Cowan, Quartermaster-General of the Army, had praised her efforts. The First World War had ended but British troops were involved in a conflict in South Russia and she had continued with her support work. Major General Holman, of the British Military Mission to South Russia, said that the Bovril would 'be much appreciated...during the winter months'.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:fishing-fleet-losses-during-the-first-world-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:fishing-fleet-losses-during-the-first-world-war|fulldesc:<p>The Admiralty issued the details of the numbers of fishing vessels lost during the First World War. 394 vessels were lost while on Naval service made up of 18 Admiralty trawlers, 246 hired trawlers and 130 hired drifters. The report indicates how many were lost by action, U-boat, mine, collision or unknown. 675 fishing vessels were sunk whilst carrying out their normal business.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-work-of-the-dorset-red-cross-during-the-first-world-war|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-work-of-the-dorset-red-cross-during-the-first-world-war|fulldesc:<p>A book was published that highlighted the work of the Dorset Red Cross between 1914 and 1919. The organisation had been formed in 1910 which meant that when war was declared there was already some organisation in place. In 1914 50-60 detachments were ready. The Poole Division had two major hospitals; one at Crag Head, Bournemouth and the other at Cornelia Hospital, Poole. Grata Quies Hospital, Branksome Park was linked with the Red Cross in 1918. Poole Division also had six auxiliary hospitals; four under the auspices of Lady Dudley ie Branksome Gate, Bournemouth, and the Springfield, The Lodge, The Mount, all in Parkstone. The other hospitals were at Lady Carter's Woodlynn, Branksome Park and the Sandacres, Parkstone funded by Sir Ernest Cassel. The book listed the members of the Dorset Red Cross who had received honours for their work.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:naval-cruisers-as-floating-hospitals|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:naval-cruisers-as-floating-hospitals|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that the request by the Poole Branch of the 'Comrades of the Great War' for two naval cruisers to be put in Poole Harbour as floating hospitals for those suffering from consumption had been turned down.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:survivor-of-zeebrugge-dies-of-pneumonia|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:survivor-of-zeebrugge-dies-of-pneumonia|fulldesc:<p>Able Seaman Reginald Vincent of Princess Road, Branksome died of pneumonia on March 16 1920. He had joined the Royal Navy at 15 and served on board HMS Princess Royal during the Battle of Jutland. &nbsp;He was wounded during the raid on Zeebrugge. He then served in the Baltic for nine months. He returned home for some leave and then returned to duty where he developed influenza which developed into pneumonia.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-workshop-proposed-for-enham-village|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-workshop-proposed-for-enham-village|fulldesc:<p>Enham Village, near Andover, was created to provide a place where disabled ex-servicemen could be trained in new skills and receive treatment.The local newspaper reported in March that it was hoped to raise &pound;1,000 to build a 'Poole Workshop' at the centre. It was suggested that this could also form part of Poole's war memorial - a similar discussion had taken place in Bournemouth. In order to raise funds it was hoped to show a film about the work at Enham at Amity Hall, High Street, Poole together with a musical concert on April 25 1920. While the local authorities were happy for this to proceed a Dorset County Council Committee refused permission for the film to be shown because the 25th was a Sunday and this was prohibited by the Cinematograph Act 1909. The event went ahead but without the film. The Poole Branch of the 'Comrades of the Great War' expressed their anger at the decision and noted that they had been expected to 'go over the top' on a Sunday so why couldn't the film be shown. The Branch visited Enham Village in September and were impressed by the work being carried out. 130 men were at the centre and two were from the Borough of Poole.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:sale-of-surplus-food-and-equipment|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:sale-of-surplus-food-and-equipment|fulldesc:<p>The end of the war saw large quantities of surplus items being put up for sale by the Ministry of Munitions. An advert in the local newspaper of 8 April 1920 announced the sale of cases of meat and vegetable rations at Poole. Each case contained 48 tins of &nbsp;meat, vegetables and gravy which originally would have been destined for military use. Another advert had announced that on 7 January 1920 there would be a sale of huts and associated equipment from &nbsp;RAF Sandbanks and scaffolding poles from West Wharf, Poole. Another advert announced the sale in February 1920 of surplus electrical equipment, tools, pumps, gauges, lamps etc. The sale was to be held at West Quay Road, Poole.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:no-2-company-dorset-royal-garrison-artillery-remember-the-past|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:no-2-company-dorset-royal-garrison-artillery-remember-the-past|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported on a social event which was held at Shaftesbury Hall, Poole to remember the old times of the No 2 Company Dorset Royal Garrison Artillery (Territorials), of which 143 men had come from Poole.The company had been the first to get to its 'war station' leaving the town at 4.30pm July 28 1914 and arriving at 9pm.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-branch-of-the-league-of-nations-formed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-branch-of-the-league-of-nations-formed|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that the Guildhall was well-attended for a meeting to form the Poole Branch of the League of Nations Union. It was felt that peace was the most fitting war memorial of all. 260 people joined the Poole Branch at the meeting; only a month later the membership had risen to 370. It is believed that the branch was the first to be formed in Dorset. The League of Nations, the international organisation, had come into being on July 1 1919.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:british-howitzer-finally-in-place|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:british-howitzer-finally-in-place|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that a group of men from the Royal Garrison Artillery at Weymouth had placed a British howitzer on its concrete stand at Sterte. Although it was quite common for captured artillery pieces to be put on display their existence was not always welcomed by locals. Dorchester had asked for the German gun given to the town to be removed.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:artillery-piece-finally-in-place|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:artillery-piece-finally-in-place|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that a group of men from the Royal Garrison Artillery had placed the 'British' howitzer on its concrete stand at Sterte. However, an earlier report had described it as a captured German howizter that was to be put in Poole Park. There is a photograph of a German gun in Poole Park and it is not known if the two guns are the same. Although it was quite common for captured artillery pieces to be put on display their existence was not always welcomed by locals.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:branch-of-the-qmaac-old-comrades-association-formed|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:branch-of-the-qmaac-old-comrades-association-formed|fulldesc:<p>It was reported in the local newspaper that Mrs Lever of Sea View Road, Parkstone was the Honorary Secretary of the newly-created branch in the Poole and Bournemouth area for women who had served in the Queen Mary's Army Auxilary Corps. The QMAAC had been formed from the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps which served in Britain or abroad.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-profiteering-committee-to-continue|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-profiteering-committee-to-continue|fulldesc:<p>The Profiteering (Amendment ) Act of 1920 gave profiteering committee's the power to investigate claims of profiteering until 19 May 1921. The Act covered a wide range of items including milk, margarine, flour, meat, coal and stationary.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:funeral-of-the-unknown-soldier|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:funeral-of-the-unknown-soldier|fulldesc:<p>The bodies of five soldiers who had died on the Western Front, and remained unidentified, were selected. From these, one was chosen to be buried in the tomb of the 'Unknown Soldier' at Westminster Abbey, London to act as a focal point for all those who had lost loved ones and had no known grave. The coffin was covered with a Union Jack from Ypres as it was taken to the Abbey.</p>

Link:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-is-the-cenotaph|Loc:No|id:cenotaph-dedicated-by-king-george-v|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:cenotaph-dedicated-by-king-george-v|fulldesc:<p>A temporary Cenotaph (Greek for empty tomb) was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and constructed from wood. The permanent Cenotaph in Whitehall, London which is recognisable from Remembrance Sunday was made from Portland Stone. The design is unusual as the sides are inclined to make it feel taller than it really is. It was dedicated by King George V. At 1030 on November 11, the King approached the Cenotaph as &nbsp;Mendelssohn's 'Death March' &nbsp;was played. Two Union Jacks on the Cenotaph fell away on the last chime of eleven, 2 minutes silence followed and then the 'Last Post' was sounded.The local newspaper reported that during the day only one shop in Poole had any flags out and that the two minute silence was observed by most people.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:tanks-being-broken-up|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:tanks-being-broken-up|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that not so long ago there was a pressing need to build tanks but now men were being employed to break them up. At Wareham, a large number of men were involved in the work. A team of four men received &pound;25 for each tank they broke up which could take up to eight days as everything had to be smashed up.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:gardiner-shipbuilding-and-engineering-company-to-be-wound-up|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:gardiner-shipbuilding-and-engineering-company-to-be-wound-up|fulldesc:<p>Gardiner Shipbuilding and Engineering Company had great plans for Poole Harbour with the intention of creating a large shipbuilding industry based on the old Hill, Richards site in Hamworthy. The scheme was welcomed by many as it was expected to provide much-needed employment. However, the aspirations of the owners appear to have been outweighed by financial problems and on December 30 1920 an anouncement appeared in the local press of the company being wound in 1921 because of debts.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:not-wanted|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:not-wanted|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported on a demonstration in Poole over unemployment under the headline 'Nobody Wants Us'. The feeling of the demonstrators was that the men had been encouraged to help the country during its time of need but now had abandoned them. &nbsp;A suggestion was put forward at a meeting that many houses in Branksome and Parkstone lacked sewers and that men could be employed on that work. Others suggested that &nbsp;Holton Heath should used to manufacture something rather than rusting away. Another suggestion was the women who were still employed at the Cordite Factory should become domestic servants so that more men could be employed. National unemployment on December 10 was recorded as 413,880 men, 21,885 boys, 131,328 women and 23,981 girls.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:houses-in-poole-given-numbers|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:houses-in-poole-given-numbers|fulldesc:<p>It is perhaps surprising that prior to the 1920s houses were usually not numbered. A newspaper report of January 27 commented that many houses in Poole and Parkstone had now been numbered. The Post Office advised that addresses on a letter should include the house number and street name to aid delivery.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:food-rations-for-poland|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:food-rations-for-poland|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that 1400 tons of ex-Army tins of food that had been stored in Creekmoor were being loaded onto the Danish vessel S.S. 'Karen' at Poole Quay for despatch to Poland.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-war-time-allotment-committee-to-end|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-war-time-allotment-committee-to-end|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that the Committtee was to be replaced by an Allotment Association in 'another reminder' that the war was over.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:profiteering-act-to-end|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:profiteering-act-to-end|fulldesc:<p>The Profiteering Act had come into being in 1919 and a committee in Poole had been set up on November 8. Sales or transactions under dispute had to be presented before the Poole committee within four days. The Act was amended in 1920 to cover numerous items including milk, margarine, cream, jam, jelly, poultry, eggs, bacon, and cheese. In September 1920 a claim was made against an Ashley Cross fruiterer because he was alleged to have charged 'excessively' for apples. The claim was dismissed. It was announced that the Act and the activities of the Committees would end on May 19 1921.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-1921-census|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-1921-census|fulldesc:<p>A census was held for the night of June 19-10. In England there were 16,984,087 men and 18,694,443 women. The population of Poole was recorded as 43,661 of which were 19,596 men and 24,065 women. The population of Poole had increased by 4,776 compared to 1911.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:marconis-wireless-wonder|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:marconis-wireless-wonder|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported that Marconi had experimented using a wireless from his yacht in Poole Harbour and had received messages sent from America free from atmospheric interuption.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:the-impact-of-the-first-world-war-on-marriage-prospects|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:the-impact-of-the-first-world-war-on-marriage-prospects|fulldesc:<p>An article in the Poole newspaper highlighted social attitudes of the time. It reported that the 1911 census had shown that there were 1100 women to 1000 men. The tragic loss of so many men during the war had increased the disparity. The article said that this meant many middle class girls now faced the prospect of not getting married and the importance of a career was now as important as for boys. Upper class girls, it said, could get involved in social work.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poppies-on-sale-for-the-first-time|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poppies-on-sale-for-the-first-time|fulldesc:<p>A letter from the Poole Branch of the British Legion referred to the fact that Armistice Day was now to be Remembrance Day and that people should wear a poppy as a sign of remembrance. Women and children in war-affected areas of France were to make the 'artificial Flanders poppies' and the profits would be used to help disabled ex-servicemen and Lord Haig's Fund for the Widows and Children. The British Legion wrote to Poole Council asking if poppies could be sold in schools but the answer was no. Poppies were sold in the Poole on Remembrance Day with just over &pound;195 being received. So many were sold that 'homemade' paper versions had to be made.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:poole-amateur-rowing-clubs-war-record|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:poole-amateur-rowing-clubs-war-record|fulldesc:<p>The local newspaper reported on a meeting of the Poole Amateur Rowing Club during which it was noted that fifty-four out of fifty-five members had volunteered to serve in the First World War. Three gained the D.C.M. and two the Military Medal. Six members lost their lives.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:sandbanks-to-have-a-chain-ferry|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:sandbanks-to-have-a-chain-ferry|fulldesc:<p>A company proposed to build 'a floating bridge' that would operate between Haven Point and South Haven Point. While it was considered a great asset in shortening the journey to Swanage some expressed disquiet over the company having sole rights with the belief that the ferry between the two points was a public right of way. It would be operated by submerged chains and therefore not interfer with harbour traffic. The boat would be about 100ft long and carry around 6 or 8 vehicles. The landing site at Sandbanks was public and the promoter of the company said that any loss of public amenity would be replaced by something just as good. It was also argued that several companies were operating a passenger ferry service which led to a bit of a mess but that having the rights in the hands of one company was against the 'ancient privileges' of Poole. A road would have to be constructed from Shell Bay to Studland which the Bankes Estate had agreed to being built. Questions were raised over whether there was enough traffic to justify it.</p>

Link:|Loc:No|id:project-end|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:project-end|fulldesc:

Link:|Loc:No|id:bacons-maps|relatedItems:|imguris:|imgalts:|titles:|slug:bacons-maps|fulldesc:<p>In August 1914 this advertisment for Bacon's Maps gives away both the keen interest in what was happening but also the almost desperate nationalism in making sure that nothing unBritish was being produced "Made by Englishmen, don't get maps made by foreigners" and this only just over a week into the war.&nbsp;</p>

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