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Research Projects July 2014 This is the work of Sycamore Class, Box School, 2014, involving children in Years 5/6. Please spare some time to look through the articles. You will be amazed at the quality of the children's work and we can all take pride in the achievement of our local school. Photos of children's work courtesy Helen Murphy |
Research Project 1 The Impact of World War One on Everyday Life
Many people in the local community contributed to The Great War with children donating goods to the wounded and the locals turning their houses into B&Bs.
By December 1915 the children from Hilperton School had sent 842 eggs to the wounded as well as started a collection for the “Over Seas Club”.[1] In WW1, dining rooms and canteens were being set up in local buildings and homes including locals providing accommodation in their own homes. [2]
In Box C.E Primary School, Mrs Erskine asked school children to contribute to the national egg collection. Money was scarce so the council were not prepared to buy the eggs themselves; the doctors were very grateful when they heard that schools were collecting eggs for the wounded. [3]
In 1918 the girls from Hilperton School went to many houses and sung school songs and instead of asking for money they were paid with eggs, the children then walked the eggs to the nearest Red Cross Centre who sent the eggs to the injured soldiers. Then whilst the soldiers were recovering the children would sing to the soldiers and the nurses. [4]
A lot of ladies in the Parish were working vigorously on the behalf of the Red Cross Society that were relieving the families of sailors and soldiers, resulting in many meetings being held at the Bingham Hall as well as Ambulance Courses. [5]
Since people were being recruited into the army people were leaving the Parish rapidly and the Sunday School staff was depleted, meaning that they were needing another choir teacher and others. [6]
Appendix
[1] Hilperton School Logbook December 1915
[2] Wiltshire And Swindon History Centre – First World War Home Front Education Pack
[3] Box Parish Magazine December 1917
[4] Wiltshire And Swindon History Centre – First World War Home Front Education Pack (Hilperton W.I Scrapbook)
[5] Box Parish Magazine Sept. 1914
[6] Box Parish Magazine March 1918
By December 1915 the children from Hilperton School had sent 842 eggs to the wounded as well as started a collection for the “Over Seas Club”.[1] In WW1, dining rooms and canteens were being set up in local buildings and homes including locals providing accommodation in their own homes. [2]
In Box C.E Primary School, Mrs Erskine asked school children to contribute to the national egg collection. Money was scarce so the council were not prepared to buy the eggs themselves; the doctors were very grateful when they heard that schools were collecting eggs for the wounded. [3]
In 1918 the girls from Hilperton School went to many houses and sung school songs and instead of asking for money they were paid with eggs, the children then walked the eggs to the nearest Red Cross Centre who sent the eggs to the injured soldiers. Then whilst the soldiers were recovering the children would sing to the soldiers and the nurses. [4]
A lot of ladies in the Parish were working vigorously on the behalf of the Red Cross Society that were relieving the families of sailors and soldiers, resulting in many meetings being held at the Bingham Hall as well as Ambulance Courses. [5]
Since people were being recruited into the army people were leaving the Parish rapidly and the Sunday School staff was depleted, meaning that they were needing another choir teacher and others. [6]
Appendix
[1] Hilperton School Logbook December 1915
[2] Wiltshire And Swindon History Centre – First World War Home Front Education Pack
[3] Box Parish Magazine December 1917
[4] Wiltshire And Swindon History Centre – First World War Home Front Education Pack (Hilperton W.I Scrapbook)
[5] Box Parish Magazine Sept. 1914
[6] Box Parish Magazine March 1918
Research Project 2 In the Trenches
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Research Project 3 Help for the Troops at War
Students would contribute to the war by generously giving the soldiers and sailors blackberries, acorns, chestnuts, hand knitted scarves, blankets and socks. At every service at the church there would be a collection at the end which would go towards things for the soldiers.[1] At one collection in the borough of Chippenham, they raised £400 which is a lot of money for back then.[2]
On May 4th 1917 several of the girls from the Hilperton School collected 294 eggs, which they took to the Red Cross Hospital Overseas Club. While they were there, they sang to the solders.[2]
Ladies would help soldiers’ and sailors’ families while they were at war. People were afraid that local organisations would suffer[1].
The knitting was collected in October 1914 and delivered to the VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) hospitals in Corsham, Chippenham and Melksham.[3]
Overall, a lot of people contributed towards the war whether by knitting socks or collecting eggs, blackberries or chestnuts, people were happy to help.
[1] Box Parish magazine 1917
[2] Hilperton School scrapbook, Wiltshire and Chippenham WW1 pack3
[3] Swindon College Street School
On May 4th 1917 several of the girls from the Hilperton School collected 294 eggs, which they took to the Red Cross Hospital Overseas Club. While they were there, they sang to the solders.[2]
Ladies would help soldiers’ and sailors’ families while they were at war. People were afraid that local organisations would suffer[1].
The knitting was collected in October 1914 and delivered to the VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) hospitals in Corsham, Chippenham and Melksham.[3]
Overall, a lot of people contributed towards the war whether by knitting socks or collecting eggs, blackberries or chestnuts, people were happy to help.
[1] Box Parish magazine 1917
[2] Hilperton School scrapbook, Wiltshire and Chippenham WW1 pack3
[3] Swindon College Street School
Research Project 4 The Sopwith Triplane
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The Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter nicknamed by pilots the Tripehound or simply the Tripe. It was designed and manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War.
The Triplane became operational with the Royal Naval Air Service in early 1917 and was one of the most successful British fighter aircraft. Nevertheless it was built in comparatively small numbers. At the latter end of 1917 the Triplane was withdrawn fnom service as the Sopwith Camel arrived. The surviving aircraft though continued to serve as operational trainers until the end of the war. |
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Sopwith Triplane N5482 called Maud
Pilot : FIt Cdr CD Booker
Born: 21 April 1897 Burnt House Cottage, Speldhurst, Royal Tunbnidge Wells, Kent, England
Died: 13 August 1918 (aged 21) West of Rosieres, France
Buried at Vignacourt British Cemetery, Somme, France
Allegiance: United Kingdom
Service/branch: Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force
Years of service: 1915 - 1918
Rank: Major
Unit: No. 1 Squadron RNAS No. 8 Squadron RAF
Commands held: No. 201 Squadron RAF
Awards: Distinguished Service Cross, French Croix de guerre
Major CD Booker
Charles Dawson Booker was born in Kent, however he spent the first fourteen years of his life in Australia. He returned to the United Kingdom with his parents and after his studies he joined the Royal NavaI Air Service in September 1915. Booker received this aeroplane when he was allocated to 8 Squadron. He named it Maud and it became one of the most successful Triplanes, Booker used it to shoot down 15 of his 21 Triplane victories between 26th April and 11th August 1917. Booker was promoted to FIight Commander and started flying the Sopwith Camel. While showing a new pilot the enemy lines they were attacked by a German squadron. The new pilot escaped thanks to Booker but the experienced pilot was shot down in August 1918.
Pilot : FIt Cdr CD Booker
Born: 21 April 1897 Burnt House Cottage, Speldhurst, Royal Tunbnidge Wells, Kent, England
Died: 13 August 1918 (aged 21) West of Rosieres, France
Buried at Vignacourt British Cemetery, Somme, France
Allegiance: United Kingdom
Service/branch: Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force
Years of service: 1915 - 1918
Rank: Major
Unit: No. 1 Squadron RNAS No. 8 Squadron RAF
Commands held: No. 201 Squadron RAF
Awards: Distinguished Service Cross, French Croix de guerre
Major CD Booker
Charles Dawson Booker was born in Kent, however he spent the first fourteen years of his life in Australia. He returned to the United Kingdom with his parents and after his studies he joined the Royal NavaI Air Service in September 1915. Booker received this aeroplane when he was allocated to 8 Squadron. He named it Maud and it became one of the most successful Triplanes, Booker used it to shoot down 15 of his 21 Triplane victories between 26th April and 11th August 1917. Booker was promoted to FIight Commander and started flying the Sopwith Camel. While showing a new pilot the enemy lines they were attacked by a German squadron. The new pilot escaped thanks to Booker but the experienced pilot was shot down in August 1918.
Research Project 5 Zeppelins in WW1 [Extracted from PowerPoint presentation]
Who?
Count Ferdinand Von Zeppelin, was the German inventor who designed them. Zeppelins were used before the war for air travel from Germany to America by the rich.
What?
They were long, thin tubes, like straight sausages. Inside their tough, outer skin were large bags filled with hydrogen gas. Underneath was a small compartment where the crew sat. From here they controlled the engines, steered the ship and dropped bombs.
Fact
The Germans discovered that sausage skin was the best material to make the hydrogen bags out of. This came from the intestines of animals, and it took the guts of more than 250,000 cows to make a single zeppelin. Intestines became so precious that German sausage-making was banned for a while during the war.
When?
The first attack came on the night of 19 January 1915. Explosions were heard along the Norfolk coastline as two German zeppelins dropped bombs. Witnesses nearby said the noise was terrifying.
Britain Fights Back
On 2 September 1916, two zeppelins attacked London. An English pilot called William Leefe Robinson became the first person to shoot down a German zeppelin over Britain. The King gave him a Victoria Cross for his bravery, the most important medal anyone could have. He was also awarded £3,500 prize money and the rank of Captain.
Count Ferdinand Von Zeppelin, was the German inventor who designed them. Zeppelins were used before the war for air travel from Germany to America by the rich.
What?
They were long, thin tubes, like straight sausages. Inside their tough, outer skin were large bags filled with hydrogen gas. Underneath was a small compartment where the crew sat. From here they controlled the engines, steered the ship and dropped bombs.
Fact
The Germans discovered that sausage skin was the best material to make the hydrogen bags out of. This came from the intestines of animals, and it took the guts of more than 250,000 cows to make a single zeppelin. Intestines became so precious that German sausage-making was banned for a while during the war.
When?
The first attack came on the night of 19 January 1915. Explosions were heard along the Norfolk coastline as two German zeppelins dropped bombs. Witnesses nearby said the noise was terrifying.
Britain Fights Back
On 2 September 1916, two zeppelins attacked London. An English pilot called William Leefe Robinson became the first person to shoot down a German zeppelin over Britain. The King gave him a Victoria Cross for his bravery, the most important medal anyone could have. He was also awarded £3,500 prize money and the rank of Captain.
My great granddad lived near Newcastle. He remembered standing on the doorstep with his Mum watching the zeppelins.
My Zeppelin
First I tried to make a frame out of wire and then I found out it was too heavy. Then I tried to use plastic bottles, still too heavy.
Next I tried to cut up the zero and filled it with 3 star balloons, however that was still too heavy so we got the two and filled in the holes. This is how you might think it is simple but actually it is quite complicated.
My Zeppelin
First I tried to make a frame out of wire and then I found out it was too heavy. Then I tried to use plastic bottles, still too heavy.
Next I tried to cut up the zero and filled it with 3 star balloons, however that was still too heavy so we got the two and filled in the holes. This is how you might think it is simple but actually it is quite complicated.
Research Project 6 The Battle of the Somme [Extracted from PowerPoint presentation]
The Beginning On the beautiful morning of July 1st 1916 at around 7:30am the battle of the Somme started. Did you know? On the first day of the battle between 7:30am and midnight approximately 19,000 men died, and more than 60,000 were injured.
The First Day: 1st July In order to weaken the German defences the Allied forces fired shells. The shelling went on for a whole week. When the shelling had finished, the British and French soldiers came out of their trenches and went towards the German lines. They weren't prepared for much of a fight because everyone thought that the shells would have killed the German soldiers. There was one problem. When the shelling started the Germans hid in shelters, called dug outs. They waited in the dug outs for a week and when the shelling finished they came out and fired machine guns at the advancing Allied troops. The British troops were caught in no man's land and couldn't hide from the German bullets. And so many were killed.
No Success The battle of the Somme was not the big success that Britain and her allies had hoped for, so it's often seen as a pointless loss of lives.
Why Such a Horrifying Battle? The battle of the Somme happened because Britain and her Allies wanted to break through the Central Power's trenches (led by Germany and Austria-Hungarians) But that was not that easy so the Allied Powers decided to create a big push, now known as the Battle of the Somme.
The End On the 18th November 1916 the battle of the Somme was called off. When it was all over the Allies had advanced only 5 miles at the cost of over half a million lives.
The Cost Overall the battle had 1,000,000 casualties, roughly 400,000 were British / Commonwealth, 400,000 German and 200,000 French. Of these 1 in 4 died.
The First Day: 1st July In order to weaken the German defences the Allied forces fired shells. The shelling went on for a whole week. When the shelling had finished, the British and French soldiers came out of their trenches and went towards the German lines. They weren't prepared for much of a fight because everyone thought that the shells would have killed the German soldiers. There was one problem. When the shelling started the Germans hid in shelters, called dug outs. They waited in the dug outs for a week and when the shelling finished they came out and fired machine guns at the advancing Allied troops. The British troops were caught in no man's land and couldn't hide from the German bullets. And so many were killed.
No Success The battle of the Somme was not the big success that Britain and her allies had hoped for, so it's often seen as a pointless loss of lives.
Why Such a Horrifying Battle? The battle of the Somme happened because Britain and her Allies wanted to break through the Central Power's trenches (led by Germany and Austria-Hungarians) But that was not that easy so the Allied Powers decided to create a big push, now known as the Battle of the Somme.
The End On the 18th November 1916 the battle of the Somme was called off. When it was all over the Allies had advanced only 5 miles at the cost of over half a million lives.
The Cost Overall the battle had 1,000,000 casualties, roughly 400,000 were British / Commonwealth, 400,000 German and 200,000 French. Of these 1 in 4 died.
Research Project 7 The Role of Horses [Extracted from PowerPoint presentation]
Why We Had Horses The horse was important as a draft animal. It was the most important animal during the War. All of the fighting forces used draft animals to move supplies and equipment as well as artillery. Horses were invaluable as a way of transporting materials to the front. Military vehicles were relatively new inventions and prone to problems. Horses, along with mules, were forms of transport and compared to a lorry needed little upkeep.
What They Were Used For British Army November 1918 had the following horses and mules:
Supply Horses 220,187; Supply Mules 219,509
Riding Horses 111,171; Gun Horses 87,557; Cavalry 75,342
Supply horses and mules were used to move ammunition, general supplies and ambulances. Cavalry horses were ridden by soldiers behind, and sometimes in, the frontline. Teams of gun horses pulled artillery pieces that weighed as much as taxis. Cavalry horses were used in battle.
Where Did They Come From? During the war the British Army used more than a million horses and mules.There weren't enough horses in Britain to supply to the army.Over 1,000 horses a week were shipped from North America, where there was lots of half-wild horses.
What Did They Eat? The horses' main diet was wheat & oats. Food was scarce for everyone, including horses. Sometimes for a treat they would eat an apple or a sugar lump
What They Were Used For British Army November 1918 had the following horses and mules:
Supply Horses 220,187; Supply Mules 219,509
Riding Horses 111,171; Gun Horses 87,557; Cavalry 75,342
Supply horses and mules were used to move ammunition, general supplies and ambulances. Cavalry horses were ridden by soldiers behind, and sometimes in, the frontline. Teams of gun horses pulled artillery pieces that weighed as much as taxis. Cavalry horses were used in battle.
Where Did They Come From? During the war the British Army used more than a million horses and mules.There weren't enough horses in Britain to supply to the army.Over 1,000 horses a week were shipped from North America, where there was lots of half-wild horses.
What Did They Eat? The horses' main diet was wheat & oats. Food was scarce for everyone, including horses. Sometimes for a treat they would eat an apple or a sugar lump
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Who Took Care of Them? To lose a horse was worse than losing a man, because... men were replaceable, while horses weren’t at that stage. This very sad picture of a soldier saying farewell to his fatally injured horse is in the Board Room at Victoria Hospital in London. It was commissioned by the Blue Cross in 1916 to raise money to help horses on active service.
Tragedies Horses that were killed were not returned to their owners. If the horses were injured they would have to be put down. They wouldn’t have the best vet care. They tested mustard gas on horses to see how effective it was ! Battle of the Somme During the Battle of the Somme, the roads were often broken from frost, rain and snow. Horses would get stuck in the thick mud. They would often be left to die as no-one could pull them out. |
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How Many Died? Of the one million horses which left Britain for the Western Front, just 60,000 returned.
Many of the rest died (so sad).
After the War Ended A Memorial for the horses lost during WW1 was erected at Hampstead. The inscription reads: Most obediently and often most painfully they died – faithful unto death.
Some Came Home At the end of the war the British army owned just under 800,000 horses and mules, mostly in France. Working out what to do with them was a big headache for both the army and the Treasury. Only horses that were owned by Officers were guaranteed to return to Britain. Young, healthy animals returned with the British army and the rest were sold off to French farmers for about £30. Those too old to work, were sent to the abattoire to become food for a hungry nation.
Remembrance But the role of horses wasn’t forgotten. The Old Blacks, a team of six horses who survived the whole war, were chosen to pull the carriage of the Unknown Soldier to mark the Armistice in 1920.
RSPCA This wasn’t the end of the war horse story. The RSPCA, which had helped the army care for horses in the war, opened The Animals War Memorial Dispensary. It treated 6,000 animals in 1932 – and is still a working clinic today.
Many of the rest died (so sad).
After the War Ended A Memorial for the horses lost during WW1 was erected at Hampstead. The inscription reads: Most obediently and often most painfully they died – faithful unto death.
Some Came Home At the end of the war the British army owned just under 800,000 horses and mules, mostly in France. Working out what to do with them was a big headache for both the army and the Treasury. Only horses that were owned by Officers were guaranteed to return to Britain. Young, healthy animals returned with the British army and the rest were sold off to French farmers for about £30. Those too old to work, were sent to the abattoire to become food for a hungry nation.
Remembrance But the role of horses wasn’t forgotten. The Old Blacks, a team of six horses who survived the whole war, were chosen to pull the carriage of the Unknown Soldier to mark the Armistice in 1920.
RSPCA This wasn’t the end of the war horse story. The RSPCA, which had helped the army care for horses in the war, opened The Animals War Memorial Dispensary. It treated 6,000 animals in 1932 – and is still a working clinic today.
Research Project 8 Air Attacks
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Research Project 9 Animals in World War 1 [Extracted from a website presentation]
How Many Animals Served in WW1?
Numerous animals served in WW1 including: horses, dogs, pigeons, elephants, camels, mules, donkeys, goats, cows and many more. Millions of horses served in WW1 and there were over 100,000 pigeons too. The amount of dogs used in WW1 is way over 53,000!!!
Horses: The amount of horses in WW1 and what they were used for
No one knows the exact amount of horses in WW1 but many report that over 8 million horses died on both sides. They were used for a number of different things like pulling guns, taking soldiers into battle, pulling the ambulances from the front line to the hospital and travelling from one battleground to another.
The army chose horses because of their stamina (they didn't have many cars in those days) in extreme climates. It is said that without all the millions and millions of horse used in WW1 the war would have been impossible. The losses came from exhaustion, disease, starvation and German guns killing over 8 million horses on both sides. One year over 2.5 million horses were treated in veterinary hospitals with about 2 million being sufficiently cured that they could return to duty.
At the out break of war Britain's horse population stood at under 25,000, so the British turned to Canada and Argentina for more whereas Germany had prepared for war and had their studs and farmers breeding all the horses they could. Russian cavalry went deep into Germany during the start of war, taking a few Germans and horses. Cavalry was used less later on in war because of all the horses dying as they went into barbed wire and machine guns.
The Cavalry
Cavalry men were trained to fight on foot and mounted in case they fell off their horse whilst in a charge and survived the fall. The last cavalry charge in WW1 was near Mons. Often when the cavalry were charging the horses would get stuck in barbed wire, which would mean that the cavalry charge was taken back and the battle didn't happen.
One of the cavalry charges took place in March 1918, Britain launched a cavalry charge at the Germans. Out of 150 in that battle only 4 horses survived, the rest were taken down by German machine guns.
Numerous animals served in WW1 including: horses, dogs, pigeons, elephants, camels, mules, donkeys, goats, cows and many more. Millions of horses served in WW1 and there were over 100,000 pigeons too. The amount of dogs used in WW1 is way over 53,000!!!
Horses: The amount of horses in WW1 and what they were used for
No one knows the exact amount of horses in WW1 but many report that over 8 million horses died on both sides. They were used for a number of different things like pulling guns, taking soldiers into battle, pulling the ambulances from the front line to the hospital and travelling from one battleground to another.
The army chose horses because of their stamina (they didn't have many cars in those days) in extreme climates. It is said that without all the millions and millions of horse used in WW1 the war would have been impossible. The losses came from exhaustion, disease, starvation and German guns killing over 8 million horses on both sides. One year over 2.5 million horses were treated in veterinary hospitals with about 2 million being sufficiently cured that they could return to duty.
At the out break of war Britain's horse population stood at under 25,000, so the British turned to Canada and Argentina for more whereas Germany had prepared for war and had their studs and farmers breeding all the horses they could. Russian cavalry went deep into Germany during the start of war, taking a few Germans and horses. Cavalry was used less later on in war because of all the horses dying as they went into barbed wire and machine guns.
The Cavalry
Cavalry men were trained to fight on foot and mounted in case they fell off their horse whilst in a charge and survived the fall. The last cavalry charge in WW1 was near Mons. Often when the cavalry were charging the horses would get stuck in barbed wire, which would mean that the cavalry charge was taken back and the battle didn't happen.
One of the cavalry charges took place in March 1918, Britain launched a cavalry charge at the Germans. Out of 150 in that battle only 4 horses survived, the rest were taken down by German machine guns.
Dogs
Weirdly dogs were used to pull mini machine guns and equipment. About 7,000 of the dogs were family pets. The dogs were trained to stand still whilst on guard and stand alongside their masters' gun barrel to look out for the enemy, in order to let the soldiers know if anyone attempted to approach the barbed wire. One report, from the Dundee Evening Telegraph in 1916, describes their skills: A watchdog never barks; at the most he will use a low growl to indicate the presence or approach of a hostile force.
Various breeds were used, depending on the role. The Red Cross used bloodhounds and Airedale terriers, which were equipped with medical kits and trained to seek out men lying wounded in no-man’s land. The tactics had first been developed by the Germans. Irish terriers were used lots.
Weirdly dogs were used to pull mini machine guns and equipment. About 7,000 of the dogs were family pets. The dogs were trained to stand still whilst on guard and stand alongside their masters' gun barrel to look out for the enemy, in order to let the soldiers know if anyone attempted to approach the barbed wire. One report, from the Dundee Evening Telegraph in 1916, describes their skills: A watchdog never barks; at the most he will use a low growl to indicate the presence or approach of a hostile force.
Various breeds were used, depending on the role. The Red Cross used bloodhounds and Airedale terriers, which were equipped with medical kits and trained to seek out men lying wounded in no-man’s land. The tactics had first been developed by the Germans. Irish terriers were used lots.
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Dogs played important roles in WW1 like sniffing out the enemy soldiers nearby and carrying aid to the wounded.
The British trained the dogs in Hampshire where they made a dog school. Dogs were used in WW1 for their intelligence, devotion and stamina. They had lots of jobs to do, some of their duties included running messages from one side of a trench to another and many other places, digging out bombed victims and they guarded the trenches and even laid telegraph wires. Irish Terriers in the Great War By Lucy Jackson For the war they fought For tasks unsought For the joy they brought And the love they brought. |
Remembrance Sunday By Lucy Jackson
Remembrance Sunday The dogs are here We come each year to the War Memorial Wearing our poppies "Their forebears served in the trenches" I say several times, very loudly. I do wish they'd stand there and look gallant Instead of scrubbling for crumbs And bubble gum. They peer around hoping to spot a chum. They do love a crowd But when the bugle sounds We are silent And I, a wartime child, remember the Dead Bend over their heads To bury my grief in their dancing eyes. |
Pigeons
Pigeons played a vital part in World War One as they proved to be an extremely reliable way of sending messages. Pigeons were so important that over 100,000 were used in the war with an astonishing success rate of 95% getting through to their destination with their message.
Pigeons were used extensively in World War One. Man-made communication systems were still crude and unreliable, so dogs and pigeons were used. Pigeons would have been found just about anywhere on the Western Front.
This ability to get home was vital for those who used them as messengers. A pigeon's great strength was not only its extraordinary homing instinct but also the speed at which it flew. Shooting one down would have been all but impossible. In many senses, a pigeon would always get through. The only natural way to counter them was to bring birds of prey to the front line and let one of nature's great battles occur. A falcon could bring down a pigeon - a marksman almost certainly could not.
References
Research complied from Lucy Jackson, History of World War 1, Jock of the Great War & various WW1 websites.
Pigeons played a vital part in World War One as they proved to be an extremely reliable way of sending messages. Pigeons were so important that over 100,000 were used in the war with an astonishing success rate of 95% getting through to their destination with their message.
Pigeons were used extensively in World War One. Man-made communication systems were still crude and unreliable, so dogs and pigeons were used. Pigeons would have been found just about anywhere on the Western Front.
This ability to get home was vital for those who used them as messengers. A pigeon's great strength was not only its extraordinary homing instinct but also the speed at which it flew. Shooting one down would have been all but impossible. In many senses, a pigeon would always get through. The only natural way to counter them was to bring birds of prey to the front line and let one of nature's great battles occur. A falcon could bring down a pigeon - a marksman almost certainly could not.
References
Research complied from Lucy Jackson, History of World War 1, Jock of the Great War & various WW1 websites.
Research Project 10 Tanks in World War 1
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Research Project 11 Women in World War 1
During the war, many women volunteered and were recruited to take on men’s jobs and they also organised the sending of care parcels to troops overseas.
Across Wiltshire, including Swindon, Chippenham and Trowbridge, many women worked in munitions factories. This was very dangerous work and the chemicals often stained the women’s skin yellow for many years of the war. At the end of the war approximately 950,000 women were employed. [1]
In 1915, the Board of Agriculture established the Land Army in order to increase the rate of agriculture production. They needed all the women as workers but a lot of people were resistant to letting females work on farms. In order to persuade women to work, local organisers were sent to make farmers employ more women. The rate of women joining soon picked up so in 1917 20,000 women had joined the Land Army. [1]
Women were already doing a massive amount of work all around the country but the government still needed them to do more. Members of the WAAC arrived in France in 1917 to take up the mens' jobs in order to free them up for fighting. The women were split into 4 key units: Cooking, mechanical, clerical and miscellaneous. By 1918, 7,000 women were working in France and 20,000 women were working in the WAAC in total. [1]
The Navy suffered huge losses of men so they also needed women to take on more jobs to free up the men. At first woman had to clean and cook but by the end of the war they were also working as wireless operators, mechanics and clerks. By the end of the war there were approximately 5,500 WRNS (Women’s Royal Naval Service). In April 1918, the WRAF (Women’s Royal Air Force) was created - the same time as the RAF was started up and at the end of the war there were about 2000 members. [1]
In total, over 47,000 VADs (Voluntary Aid Detachments) were employed on various tasks – like nursing. This carried on until 1920, when there were more than 82,000 (both male and female) VADs. [1]
Not all women volunteered for such hardcore jobs and some preferred to stay at home but they still joined in the war effort. In Salisbury, many ladies set to work knitting lots of garments such as socks and scarves for the troops overseas. After contacting their Mayoress, they started the ‘Queen Mary’s Needlework Guild’ where they made many garments for the troops and then started to organise the creation and sending of care packs; these contained comforts like soap, candles, socks, scarves, writing paper and sometimes even chocolate! [2]
Key to the organisations women joined
LA - Land Army
WAAC – Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps – Replaced men doing domestic jobs in the trenches to free them up to fight
WRNS – Women’s Royal Naval Service - Replaced men doing domestic jobs to free them up to help with Navy fighting
WRAF – Women’s Royal Air Force
VAD – Voluntary Aid Detachment – various jobs (like nursing)
References
[1] Wiltshire and Swindon’s World War One Home Front Pack.
[2] Salisbury Newspaper Article
Across Wiltshire, including Swindon, Chippenham and Trowbridge, many women worked in munitions factories. This was very dangerous work and the chemicals often stained the women’s skin yellow for many years of the war. At the end of the war approximately 950,000 women were employed. [1]
In 1915, the Board of Agriculture established the Land Army in order to increase the rate of agriculture production. They needed all the women as workers but a lot of people were resistant to letting females work on farms. In order to persuade women to work, local organisers were sent to make farmers employ more women. The rate of women joining soon picked up so in 1917 20,000 women had joined the Land Army. [1]
Women were already doing a massive amount of work all around the country but the government still needed them to do more. Members of the WAAC arrived in France in 1917 to take up the mens' jobs in order to free them up for fighting. The women were split into 4 key units: Cooking, mechanical, clerical and miscellaneous. By 1918, 7,000 women were working in France and 20,000 women were working in the WAAC in total. [1]
The Navy suffered huge losses of men so they also needed women to take on more jobs to free up the men. At first woman had to clean and cook but by the end of the war they were also working as wireless operators, mechanics and clerks. By the end of the war there were approximately 5,500 WRNS (Women’s Royal Naval Service). In April 1918, the WRAF (Women’s Royal Air Force) was created - the same time as the RAF was started up and at the end of the war there were about 2000 members. [1]
In total, over 47,000 VADs (Voluntary Aid Detachments) were employed on various tasks – like nursing. This carried on until 1920, when there were more than 82,000 (both male and female) VADs. [1]
Not all women volunteered for such hardcore jobs and some preferred to stay at home but they still joined in the war effort. In Salisbury, many ladies set to work knitting lots of garments such as socks and scarves for the troops overseas. After contacting their Mayoress, they started the ‘Queen Mary’s Needlework Guild’ where they made many garments for the troops and then started to organise the creation and sending of care packs; these contained comforts like soap, candles, socks, scarves, writing paper and sometimes even chocolate! [2]
Key to the organisations women joined
LA - Land Army
WAAC – Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps – Replaced men doing domestic jobs in the trenches to free them up to fight
WRNS – Women’s Royal Naval Service - Replaced men doing domestic jobs to free them up to help with Navy fighting
WRAF – Women’s Royal Air Force
VAD – Voluntary Aid Detachment – various jobs (like nursing)
References
[1] Wiltshire and Swindon’s World War One Home Front Pack.
[2] Salisbury Newspaper Article
Research Project 12 Ambulance Work
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Research Project 13 World War One Poetry
World War 1 was an era of great loss and tragedy. Approximately 9.7 million soldiers were killed and another 10 million civilians were also believed to have died. The war caused many other problems for Britain to sort out once the war had ended. One main problem was the economy because Britain had now gathered together a massive debt that needed to be paid off. In 1921, 11.5% were unemployed and working women had to give up their jobs to the returning troops.
There was, however, one thing we got out of the war and that is the poetry. Thousands of poems were written by the soldiers to tell others their story, to cheer them up and also to pass the time.
Vera Brittain's poem Perhaps
Vera Brittain wrote this after her fiance was killed by a sniper's bullet. In this poem she is mourning about his death but comforting herself about how one day she will be happy again. In the last verse she goes back to how, although time may bring happier times and more joyful events, she will never forget him. I chose this poem because I thought it woud be interesting to get a poem written by a woman instead of by a man and to get a different point of view than normal. I also thought it was quite different because of how it is written from the sidelines, instead of talking about fear and actions as most war poems do. It talks about sadness and mourning.
Perhaps some day the sun will shine again, And I shall see that the skies are blue,
And feel once more I do not live in vain, Although bereft of you.
Perhaps the golden meadows at my feet Will make the sunny hours of spring seem gay,
And I shall find the white May-blossoms sweet, Though You have passed away.
Perhaps some day I shall not shrink in pain To see the passing of the dying year,
And listen to Christmas songs again, Although You cannot hear.
But though kind Time may many joys renew, There is one greatest joy I shall not know
Again, because my heart for loss of You Was broken, long ago.
There was, however, one thing we got out of the war and that is the poetry. Thousands of poems were written by the soldiers to tell others their story, to cheer them up and also to pass the time.
Vera Brittain's poem Perhaps
Vera Brittain wrote this after her fiance was killed by a sniper's bullet. In this poem she is mourning about his death but comforting herself about how one day she will be happy again. In the last verse she goes back to how, although time may bring happier times and more joyful events, she will never forget him. I chose this poem because I thought it woud be interesting to get a poem written by a woman instead of by a man and to get a different point of view than normal. I also thought it was quite different because of how it is written from the sidelines, instead of talking about fear and actions as most war poems do. It talks about sadness and mourning.
Perhaps some day the sun will shine again, And I shall see that the skies are blue,
And feel once more I do not live in vain, Although bereft of you.
Perhaps the golden meadows at my feet Will make the sunny hours of spring seem gay,
And I shall find the white May-blossoms sweet, Though You have passed away.
Perhaps some day I shall not shrink in pain To see the passing of the dying year,
And listen to Christmas songs again, Although You cannot hear.
But though kind Time may many joys renew, There is one greatest joy I shall not know
Again, because my heart for loss of You Was broken, long ago.
Box Children's Poems
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The trenches were horrible
The trenches were horrible, They were nasty, dirty and smelly. The trenches were horrible, You didn't want to lose a welly. The trenches were horrible, Your friends all around. The trenches were horrible, Lying dead on the ground. The trenches were horrible, There would be rats in your boot. The trenches were horrible, But you wouldn't want to shoot. |
How did you find the war?
How did you find the war? And all the blood and gore. Did you find it sappy? Or awe-inspiringly happy? Did you find it evil When you saw they killed a weevil? Did it burn your heart And make you want to depart? |
Research Project 14 Rationing at Home
Sorry no picture of the cake was available to show !
It was all eaten and enjoyed by other children in the class
and not even crumbs left !!
Rationing actually improved the healthy of the nation because more vegetables and home-grown food was eaten.
Research Project 15 Box Scouting During the War
The scouts played a big part in the war - they helped raise money for good causes and helped the military.
During the war scouting found a new purpose which showed they always met their motto “Be Prepared.” No time was wasted in deploying Box scouts to useful enterprise. They had to guard Widdenham pumping station and act as dummies for first aid practice.
However, in the war the scouts still took part in everyday scouting activities such as fund raising but for a different purpose. Thirty shillings was raised each week to sustain a cottage for Belgium refugees. It was where Vine Court is now. In 1917 they got a letter thanking the scouts for raising 53 pounds 19 shillings and 3 pence. For another 4 years the war dragged on and the memories of the Box scout group in war time should make many scouts proud remembering the dedication of previous scouts.
However, having enlisted in September 1918, suddenly assistant scout master Reginald Isaac Hancock died on the 3rd November 1918 at the age of 18, claimed by the influenza epidemic. He was buried with military honours on 9th November 1918 in Box.
References
Lambert’s Way: Scouting in Box, Wiltshire 1910-1985 by David Ibberson
During the war scouting found a new purpose which showed they always met their motto “Be Prepared.” No time was wasted in deploying Box scouts to useful enterprise. They had to guard Widdenham pumping station and act as dummies for first aid practice.
However, in the war the scouts still took part in everyday scouting activities such as fund raising but for a different purpose. Thirty shillings was raised each week to sustain a cottage for Belgium refugees. It was where Vine Court is now. In 1917 they got a letter thanking the scouts for raising 53 pounds 19 shillings and 3 pence. For another 4 years the war dragged on and the memories of the Box scout group in war time should make many scouts proud remembering the dedication of previous scouts.
However, having enlisted in September 1918, suddenly assistant scout master Reginald Isaac Hancock died on the 3rd November 1918 at the age of 18, claimed by the influenza epidemic. He was buried with military honours on 9th November 1918 in Box.
References
Lambert’s Way: Scouting in Box, Wiltshire 1910-1985 by David Ibberson
Research Project 16 The Wicked Weapons of World War 1 [Extracted from PowerPoint presentation]
The rifle
• Bolt action • 15 rounds a minute • 14,000 metre range.
Machine guns
• Large heavy machine gun • Needed 4-6 men to fire them • Had to be on a flat surface • Had the power of 100 guns.
Field guns
• Large gun/canon • Needed 12 men to fire it • Fire shells which explode on impact • Devastating effect.
Gas
• Chlorine gas • 1st used at the battle of Ypres in 1915 • Causes burning to the throat and chest pains • Death is painful
• Mustard gas • Causes vomiting, blistering skin, sore eyes, internal and external bleeding. • Death can take up to 5 weeks.
• Bolt action • 15 rounds a minute • 14,000 metre range.
Machine guns
• Large heavy machine gun • Needed 4-6 men to fire them • Had to be on a flat surface • Had the power of 100 guns.
Field guns
• Large gun/canon • Needed 12 men to fire it • Fire shells which explode on impact • Devastating effect.
Gas
• Chlorine gas • 1st used at the battle of Ypres in 1915 • Causes burning to the throat and chest pains • Death is painful
• Mustard gas • Causes vomiting, blistering skin, sore eyes, internal and external bleeding. • Death can take up to 5 weeks.
Zeppelin
• Also known as the blimp • Carried machine guns and bombs • Used during the early part of the bombing raid • Abandoned because it was an easy target to shoot out of the sky • Shaped like a cigar • Was filled with gas • Only used by the Germans.
Torpedoes
• Torpedoes were used by submarines to take down ships carrying supplies from America to Britain. • The Germans torpedoed the passenger liner Lusitania on May 1st 1915 which sank with a loss of 1,195 lives.
Tanks
• First used in the battle of the Somme • Can travel across muddy, wet and stormy conditions • The first tank was called Little Willie and needed a crew of 3 and could go up to 3 mph • The tank developed by the end of the war could carry a maximum of 10 people and could go up to 4mph.
• Also known as the blimp • Carried machine guns and bombs • Used during the early part of the bombing raid • Abandoned because it was an easy target to shoot out of the sky • Shaped like a cigar • Was filled with gas • Only used by the Germans.
Torpedoes
• Torpedoes were used by submarines to take down ships carrying supplies from America to Britain. • The Germans torpedoed the passenger liner Lusitania on May 1st 1915 which sank with a loss of 1,195 lives.
Tanks
• First used in the battle of the Somme • Can travel across muddy, wet and stormy conditions • The first tank was called Little Willie and needed a crew of 3 and could go up to 3 mph • The tank developed by the end of the war could carry a maximum of 10 people and could go up to 4mph.
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Quiz
1. How many rounds a minute does a rifle fire? 2. How many men did the machine gun need to fire it? 3. What does the field gun fire? 4. How many weeks does it take to die from mustard gas? 5. What shape was the Zeppelin? 6. In which battle was the tank first used? 7. What vessel were torpedoes fired from? Thanks for watching |
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Research Project 17 The Impact on Schools During World War 1
During World War I many changes occurred in schools. These were things like teachers and boys joining up and evacuees starting school who came from dangerous places, such as London and Dover where there were air raids from May 1917.
Box School suffered from a lack of male teachers. The assistant master, Mr John Bradfield, offered his service to the country and his place was not filled easily. Mr OW Drew, the previous headmaster, also volunteered and was sent to India.[1]
College Street School, Swindon received girls from the London area where air raids were frequent; they planned to stay until the war ended. Notice was received from the education office that until the end of next January the schools were to close at 4:00pm in order to reduce heating and light. [2]
At the Godolphin School, the head mistress, Miss Douglas, decided that the war came first and the school should agree as the majority of them had fathers and brothers fighting in the war. They all decided to help out in different ways like gathering food for the troops and helping out at hospitals or canteens. The girls ran a work party where they acted as hospital kitchen maids and once or twice a term they entertained convalescent men at school.[3]
A Box old schoolboy named Fisher was killed when HMS Amphion was struck by a German mine.[4] They lost the services of Miss Allen from Box school owing to the small attendance at the boys’ school. Consequently the council decided that it would no longer be necessary for her services. They were pleased she would be working nearby as she could still teach at the Sunday school.[5]
The fathers fighting in the war had an influence on the attendance at the Sunday school. As their mothers thought they could not take them on their own. So they decided that they would open it to younger children. [6]
During the influenza epidemic during 1918 the day schools and Sunday schools were closed practically for a whole month. The day schools would re-open on 2nd December. [7]
They were frequently given days off to gather food like blackberries and chestnuts for the troops. These were called half holidays and they had many. Also there were constant removals of children at the school because of the war. (8)
Appendix
[1] Box Parish Magazine October 1914
[2] College Street Swindon log book October 28th & 29th 1914
[3] Salisbury district Red Cross account
[4] Box School log book Aug 31st 1914
[5] Box Parish June 1918
[6] Box Parish July1918
[7] Box Parish Magazine December 1918
[8] Box School log book Sept 24th and Oct 1st 1918
Box School suffered from a lack of male teachers. The assistant master, Mr John Bradfield, offered his service to the country and his place was not filled easily. Mr OW Drew, the previous headmaster, also volunteered and was sent to India.[1]
College Street School, Swindon received girls from the London area where air raids were frequent; they planned to stay until the war ended. Notice was received from the education office that until the end of next January the schools were to close at 4:00pm in order to reduce heating and light. [2]
At the Godolphin School, the head mistress, Miss Douglas, decided that the war came first and the school should agree as the majority of them had fathers and brothers fighting in the war. They all decided to help out in different ways like gathering food for the troops and helping out at hospitals or canteens. The girls ran a work party where they acted as hospital kitchen maids and once or twice a term they entertained convalescent men at school.[3]
A Box old schoolboy named Fisher was killed when HMS Amphion was struck by a German mine.[4] They lost the services of Miss Allen from Box school owing to the small attendance at the boys’ school. Consequently the council decided that it would no longer be necessary for her services. They were pleased she would be working nearby as she could still teach at the Sunday school.[5]
The fathers fighting in the war had an influence on the attendance at the Sunday school. As their mothers thought they could not take them on their own. So they decided that they would open it to younger children. [6]
During the influenza epidemic during 1918 the day schools and Sunday schools were closed practically for a whole month. The day schools would re-open on 2nd December. [7]
They were frequently given days off to gather food like blackberries and chestnuts for the troops. These were called half holidays and they had many. Also there were constant removals of children at the school because of the war. (8)
Appendix
[1] Box Parish Magazine October 1914
[2] College Street Swindon log book October 28th & 29th 1914
[3] Salisbury district Red Cross account
[4] Box School log book Aug 31st 1914
[5] Box Parish June 1918
[6] Box Parish July1918
[7] Box Parish Magazine December 1918
[8] Box School log book Sept 24th and Oct 1st 1918
Research Project 18 Remembering Home
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Research Project 19 Peace and Remembrance
On the 23rd July 1919 a whole day’s holiday was granted for the children’s peace celebration sports because they couldn’t be held the previous Saturday, on account of bad weather. On the 11th November 1919 both genders went back to school after a holiday. The children were told about the Armistice being signed a year before. [1]
Almost every community was affected by the war, so when it ended there was a huge celebration. Some places published books listing those who died, some places even built memorial halls in remembrance. Hundreds of events where held in Wiltshire such as processions, suppers, church services and concerts. [2]
On Christmas day 1918, there was a massive holy communion at 8:00 at Box Church and at midday morning prayers were said. On the Tuesday after Christmas the Reverend held a lecture at the town hall to remember those who died. [3]
One hundred years on at Box Primary School we will walk to Box war memorial and St. Thomas à Becket church to see the Roll of Honour to show our gratitude to all the soldiers both who lived and died to fight for their kingdom to give us peace today. The Y5/6 class at Box Primary School has taken part in the Wiltshire memorial service by making little poppy crosses that remembered all of Box’s fallen men.
Appendix
[1] School Logs (July & November 1919)
[2] Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
[3] Parish Magazine (December 1918)
Almost every community was affected by the war, so when it ended there was a huge celebration. Some places published books listing those who died, some places even built memorial halls in remembrance. Hundreds of events where held in Wiltshire such as processions, suppers, church services and concerts. [2]
On Christmas day 1918, there was a massive holy communion at 8:00 at Box Church and at midday morning prayers were said. On the Tuesday after Christmas the Reverend held a lecture at the town hall to remember those who died. [3]
One hundred years on at Box Primary School we will walk to Box war memorial and St. Thomas à Becket church to see the Roll of Honour to show our gratitude to all the soldiers both who lived and died to fight for their kingdom to give us peace today. The Y5/6 class at Box Primary School has taken part in the Wiltshire memorial service by making little poppy crosses that remembered all of Box’s fallen men.
Appendix
[1] School Logs (July & November 1919)
[2] Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
[3] Parish Magazine (December 1918)