Drill halls

[Dragon]

As the Forum is constantly gaining new members, I thought I’d draw attention to Graeme’s quest to record all the drill halls in England, Wales and Scotland. These buildings are where the men you are researching may have spent some of their last weeks in their home towns, before leaving for the Front.

The fact is that records now exist where few existed before and they are important. The drill halls were a vital part of local young men’s journey to the battlefields of the Great War and for many of the men on local war memorials, the drill hall would have been their last point of contact with their home. Whether the drill hall was a simple covered space or a crenellated toy fort, they are a poignant and profound link with the past. Many have been demolished and many are still a part of their communities in a vast range of other guises.

Graeme has an astounding, meticulously recorded and researched database of over 3600 drill halls, so far and it is still developing. I’m posting one of my own images below to show why the project is so important and in the hope that some new members may be interested. The relevant thread is in the Nationals section.

Gwyn

[Graeme Fisher]

There's a prize for anyone who identifies them all.....

No, Gwyn, not you.....