Colin Hardy Memorial Award 2026

The Colin Hardy Memorial Award is an annual competition which aims to foster interest and scholarship in the First World War among young people.
It is open to students aged from 16-18 years old from anywhere in the world.

To enter you should submit an essay or project report of between 2,000 and 4,000 words on any topic relating to the Great War.

We offer two prizes of £500 or equivalent and, at our discretion, may also offer
runner up awards. All entrants will receive certificates – whether you win a prize or not, you may want to include the fact that you entered in your university application personal statement as evidence of your commitment to independent learning. 

Entries should be sent to education@westernfrontassociation.com.

Please ensure you have included:

• Your name
• Date of birth and age
• Address
• Name of school and address of school
• The contact details of a teacher who can confirm that these details are correct
• Winners will be asked to provide bank account details

Closing date: 21 August 2026

Colin Hardy

This competition is held in memory of Colin Hardy, who died in 2017 and is sponsored by his family. Colin had a long and distinguished career as a Headteacher and was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. A stalwart member of the Cheltenham & Gloucester branch of the WFA, completed an MA in British First World War Studies at the University of Birmingham. He also wrote the ground breaking book The Reconographers: Intelligence and Reconnaissance in British Tank Operations on the Western Front 1916 to 1918, which won the Richard Holmes Prize from the WFA and Heron Publishing in 2015.