| At the going down of the sun
This line comes from the middle stanza of the poem “For the Fallen”, by Laurence Binyon (1869-1943). The poem was first published in The Times on September 21, 1914, a few weeks after the start of the First World War. The whole of this middle verse is traditionally recited as part of Remembrance Day services throughout the United Kingdom. |
Bantam Battalions
Alfred Bigland, MP for Birkenhead, pressed the War Office in 1914 for permission to form a “bantam” battalion of men who failed to reach the British Army's normal height requirement (5ft 3in) but who were otherwise perfectly capable of serving. |
Bristol Fighter
The combat debut of the two-seat Bristol Fighter during the Battle of Arras in April 1917 was far from auspicious. Four out of six aircraft from No.48 Squadron were shot down on their first patrol by five German fighters led by Manfred von Richthoven, the famous Red Baron. |
British Service Medals of the First World War
British and Commonwealth servicemen and servicewomen were awarded a wide variety of orders, medals and decorations for their service in the First World War. These included medals for gallantry, distinguished service and those bestowed by Allied governments. |
Cavell, Edith
Edith Cavell was an English nurse who, in 1907, became Matron of Belgium's first training school for nurses. When war broke out in August 1914, she formed a Red Cross hospital in Brussels and nursed wounded German and Belgian soldiers. |
Christmas Truce
The term Christmas Truce refers not to a single event but to a number of spontaneous expressions of comradeship between front-line soldiers of both sides on the Western Front in December 1914 – the first Christmas of the First World War. |
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