Desmond7 Posted 27 July , 2004 Share Posted 27 July , 2004 September 1918 - local newspaper - war news highly prominent. November 1918 - local newspaper - war is over. December 1918 - back to normal. 1920 - what war? Early 20s - memorials unveiled. End of story. Anybody doing local newspaper based research with similar findings?Wishing to draw a general 'feel' about how local editors/communities treated the end of the war - apart from 'Mafeking-ing' on the big day? Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBettsMCDCM Posted 27 July , 2004 Share Posted 27 July , 2004 September 1918 - local newspaper - war news highly prominent. November 1918 - local newspaper - war is over. December 1918 - back to normal. 1920 - what war? Early 20s - memorials unveiled. End of story. Anybody doing local newspaper based research with similar findings?Wishing to draw a general 'feel' about how local editors/communities treated the end of the war - apart from 'Mafeking-ing' on the big day? Des I think you will find this reflected across the UK {In Provincial Local Press}& probably the World,In 1914 the papers were Gung Ho reporting every minute detail about the War; The Local Enlistments,Embarkation Lists everything!,as 1914/5 turned into 1916,& after, the War was reported with a different Slant,as the Casualty Tolls mounted;by 1918 the War News was beginning to be sidelined for other news,this is particularly notable as far as awards of Gallantry are concerned,early on in the War you find many local awards in some detail,by 1918/19 they barely receive mention.& as you say by 1920~"What War?" By 1921 it was definitely back to the Petty Sessions,Flower Shows & Bouncing Baby Competitions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGEL Posted 27 July , 2004 Share Posted 27 July , 2004 I remember once watching a film where there was a conversasion between 2 men about a third man and one man said but he is a hero, and the reply was yeah but heros are for war and the war is over----just about says it all really doesnt it--probably why my grandad who was awarded the MM, and was wounded at least twice was forgotton about until about 5 years ago when we found his photo and said whose this ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 27 July , 2004 Share Posted 27 July , 2004 1920 - what war? Early 20s - memorials unveiled. End of story. Apart from articles on reunions and the odd "flashback" article (especially around anniversary dates in the 1930's). A re-hash of WW1 stories and comparisons in the 1939 - early 1940 period, then similar to WW1 for the 1940-47 period. This is what seems to be the case with the "Burnley Express", anyway! Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 Des Yep - much the same in sunny Stockport. Little mention also of the fact that there had already started to have been a disastrous effect on the town's main industry of hat manufacturing (no much of a surprise as a considerable proportion of the skilled workforce were now dead). John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 28 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 28 July , 2004 Thanks all - I found the transformation from 'war' paper to 'peace' paper was almost instantaneous. Truly remarkable how Weekly papers in particular just moved on to the garden fetes again! Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsms Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 Todays news, tomorrows chip wrapper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 Interestingly the South London Press, which is our local rag has a very interesting transformation during the war: 1914 - War declared and the Retreat from Mons - limited coverage 1915 - Local Kitcheners Battalions raised and some casualties mentioned 1916 - Up to 30 June 1916 - again limited coverage 1916 - 1 July 1916 onwards - the war has taken on a new meaning - loads of stuff about the 8th East Surreys playing football as they 'march' towards the German lines 1917 - Large articles concerning Messine, 3rd Ypres and Cambrai ditto everything else 1918 - The Spring Offensive and the brave stand of the 9th East Surreys at Vermand It seemed to me that for a lot of public, excluding those who had lost loved ones, the war only became real for the population after 1 July 1916? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 Todays news, tomorrows chip wrapper! Or, better still, fire lighting material so it can't be read again!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMoorhouse Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 I think that Sasoon's poem "Aftermath" which was written in the spring of 1919 is very apt... "Have you forgotten yet?, for the worlds events have rumbled on since those gagged days..." (from memory) Brendon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve chilton Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 Hi, one of my relatives died and was buried in 1920 at home in High Wycombe, he is on the CWGC site so Im assuming it was war related, there is no mention of him at all in the local papers. Steve Chilton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Maier Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 ... It seemed to me that for a lot of public, excluding those who had lost loved ones, the war only became real for the population after 1 July 1916? ... Yes, the latter part of 1916 was when it finally became undeniable that the war was not the brief encounter, not the glorious adventure, not the righteous certainty that people had allowed themselves to believe. It was when the telegrams had come to several doors in the same street. It was when war shrines had begun to spring up on the pavements, and it was when rolls of honour started to appear in places of work and public offices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmsk212 Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 Sad to say that once their own men had returned home, most people seemed to lose all interest in articles that were still War related. Apart from the local war memorial being unveiled and some relatives still putting in "anniversaries of loved ones deaths" type of messages my own local paper reverted to lists of fetes and adverts for blood pressure tablets etc etc within a few short months of the end of the War. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 A coincidence that I just spent a whole day at Colindale, ostensibly looking up details of my family in 1WW. I had certain dates to concentrate on - awards and deaths. I also found information on PoW details, particularly after March 1918. Actually, the last information that I sought was the repatriation of PoWs around Xmas 1918 (though no mention of g'fthr). So, no, I cannot compare with post war because I did not look up that material. BUT I was struck by the extraordinary range of coverage. Quite an underused resource. I started making notes on all sorts of names and units that rang a bell, but then decided that if I was not going to spend 6 months in the place, I better concentrate on what I started to look for. !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 28 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 28 July , 2004 I think all 'local newspaper heads' will agree ... aside from the war info, these old papers really gave reading value for money in the days pre mass media! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard_Lewis Posted 29 July , 2004 Share Posted 29 July , 2004 In the 1920s and 1930s former members of the Swansea Bn were bemoaning the lack of interest shown by the younger generation in the war. I'm sure that WWII veterans felt the same about those born in the 50s and 60s? The local paper did feature limited coverage on important anniversaries for a long time after the Great War. The last Old Comrades Association 'In memoriam' entry I came across was in 1966 - placed by 'the few who are left...' Bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 29 July , 2004 Share Posted 29 July , 2004 In the 1920s and 1930s former members of the Swansea Bn were bemoaning the lack of interest shown by the younger generation in the war. I'm sure that WWII veterans felt the same about those born in the 50s and 60s? The local paper did feature limited coverage on important anniversaries for a long time after the Great War. The last Old Comrades Association 'In memoriam' entry I came across was in 1966 - placed by 'the few who are left...' Bernard Well it is pleasing that WE here will not let their sacrifices or memories die and be forgotten. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff. Hobson Posted 29 July , 2004 Share Posted 29 July , 2004 Having looked at local newspapers the only thing that seemed to relate to the war was a minute in the local council meetings as to the placing of a War Memorial. One fellow I knew an M.M. at that said not even his Parents asked him about the War and he did not talk to anyone about, he said it was if it had never happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 29 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 29 July , 2004 Ian - you make a very important point. I did a 'teaser' article in my own paper this week for a 'family history' event based around WW1 and just how much info those little snippets can throw up not only about war service but where the soldier worked, lived, social life etc. I have received a very good response from people who mostly wanted to ask me questions - but also are now going to come along to have old medals explained, etc etc. Cheers Des Just a thought - what about I get the final date set for our local reference library where they have a number of internet links? Perhaps some members could be on call to help - in a 'virtual' fashion? Any takers? Not predicting Wembley Stadium - but we might get a reasonable response? See link http://www.mortonnewspapers.com/servlet/Co...d=1026397746965 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john kemp Posted 29 July , 2004 Share Posted 29 July , 2004 Interestingly the South London Press, which is our local rag has a very interesting transformation during the war: 1914 - War declared and the Retreat from Mons - limited coverage 1915 - Local Kitcheners Battalions raised and some casualties mentioned 1916 - Up to 30 June 1916 - again limited coverage 1916 - 1 July 1916 onwards - the war has taken on a new meaning - loads of stuff about the 8th East Surreys playing football as they 'march' towards the German lines 1917 - Large articles concerning Messine, 3rd Ypres and Cambrai ditto everything else 1918 - The Spring Offensive and the brave stand of the 9th East Surreys at Vermand It seemed to me that for a lot of public, excluding those who had lost loved ones, the war only became real for the population after 1 July 1916? Ian IAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY INFO ON THE FOOTBALL SECTION YOU MENTION ? REGARDS JOHN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 30 July , 2004 Share Posted 30 July , 2004 Des, Very similar story with the Derbyshire Times. Also that paper usually devoted p.4 of 8 to the war, including all the obituaries and photos. P1 was often covered in advertisements. An interesting statement of priorities? Is this mirrored in other local rags? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 30 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 30 July , 2004 Andrew - the old Ballymena Observer front page was devoted to advertisements. Usually, the snippets about the war - i.e. dead. wounded, medals, leave and pics - could 'float' in the paper. The exception would be the 'big' actions in which local men took part - Somme, Messines, 3rd Ypres, Cambrai, March Offensive. By the end of the war pictures are virtually non-existent. Down to cost I suppose. Social history side of war amply covered - Red Cross fund-raising events, concerts for wounded soldiers, garden allotments, allowances for families and a great many court cases!! Best wishes Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon R Posted 30 July , 2004 Share Posted 30 July , 2004 Report on OM's acquisition of Eric Cowlings War Diaries in local paper recently made Eric a war profiteer, living under a pseudonym and creaming off profits in his Eric Cowley War Dairy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 30 July , 2004 Share Posted 30 July , 2004 Having read the Fiji Times on microfilm over 5 years, what I noticed was the change in tone, from British Empire overweening self importance , and consequent ignoring of the "natives" except where they had to be mentioned, to more acceptance and inclusion of them in the paper. At the beginning of the war "we" ie Europeans were the only ones who were newsworthy. But when Sukuna came back to Fiji in 1916, a wounded hero from his fighting at Champagne with the French Foreign Legion, and was appointed a lieutenant in the Fiji Defence Force, then he had to be saluted in the street, which caused quite a how-de-do. To have to salute a native! Someone, who had not gone to war, refused to do so, and was roundly told off in the newspaper. Gradually more attention was paid to both Fijians and Indians , (previously known as "niggers/natives" and "coolies"), and by the end the general tone was noticeably more friendly and accepting. Except of course for a few old stalwarts of Empire who wrote letters to the paper bemoaning the changes in the times! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john kemp Posted 30 July , 2004 Share Posted 30 July , 2004 A coincidence that I just spent a whole day at Colindale, ostensibly looking up details of my family in 1WW. I had certain dates to concentrate on - awards and deaths. I also found information on PoW details, particularly after March 1918. Actually, the last information that I sought was the repatriation of PoWs around Xmas 1918 (though no mention of g'fthr). So, no, I cannot compare with post war because I did not look up that material. BUT I was struck by the extraordinary range of coverage. Quite an underused resource. I started making notes on all sorts of names and units that rang a bell, but then decided that if I was not going to spend 6 months in the place, I better concentrate on what I started to look for. !!!!! Did any of the Colindale staff smile, they all seem so fed up when I go there, and I dodnt ask them to do anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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