World War One Project, Bingham

Taking as its starting point the Roll of the Fallen and the Roll of Honour housed in the parish church, this project's aim was to provide an account of Bingham’s role during the First World War, a town located in Nottinghamshire. Our main objectives involved recording the military experience and fate of those who fell in the conflict, including their places of death and locations of their memorials. We also traced the family origins and pre-war occupations of the fallen as well as those who served and returned. Where possible, we traced the post-war occupations, experiences and family fortunes of those who survived the conflict. We also chose to focus upon investigating the roles played by local women, who were either serving directly or in capacity on the Home Front. This formed part of recording the effects of the conflict on Bingham more widely, through exploring war savings efforts, the role played by children in economic activity and changing social roles and relationships. Our project outputs include; dedicated webpages; an exhibition, which was augmented by displays of contemporary artefacts and live demonstrations; two memorial concerts timed to coincide with the centenary of the 1918 Armistice; and various talks and lectures. At various stages the Bingham Heritage Trails Association collaborated with Bingham Town Council and the local branch of the Royal British Legion. In total, some fifty volunteers were involved in differing degrees, over various stages of the project. The venture was funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, running from 2014 to 2018 (though our website continues to be updated as new information comes to light).