'Dorking in World War One' Exhibitions

At the end of 2012, Dorking Museum launched its plans to remember the impact of the First World War upon the town of Dorking and its people, as well as on the surrounding countryside and villages. Whilst the common image of the conflict is that of the horror of the Western Front trenches, we chose to tell the story of the Home Front in and around the local area: the families left behind, their struggles, how they coped with the rising death toll and how they remembered the fallen. Over five years from 2014-2018, the Museum held five exhibitions to commemorate the role that Dorking, the surrounding villages and their people played during this time. Content from the exhibitions and individual soldier profiles are all available on-line, as a way of helping future generations discover the life and times of our their wartime relatives. The War Memorial project - also started in 2012 - is the work of volunteers from Dorking Museum, Local History Groups and other community organisations. This also acts as an useful tool for researchers, beyond being a memorial to the lives and sacrifice of those who fell during the conflict. The Museum was proud to be affiliated with the IWM-led First World War Centenary Partnership. The photograph shows a group of female Bell Ringers at St Martins during the First World War (© Dorking Museum).