World War I Articles | The Western Front Association

Articles on every aspect of the First World War written by experts in their field. Some were first published in Stand To! or Bulletin, others have been researched and written for the web. If you would like to contribute an article please get in touch.

‘The Scum of the Earth’

In 1813 the Duke of Wellington, angered by incidents of looting amongst his army, wrote sourly: ‘...

Finding the Horses and Mules for the British Army during the First World...

During the First World War, commandeering horses and mules was crucial to the British Army's mobi...

The Safe Passage of BEF Troopships August 1914

Comparatively little outside of the Official History has been written about the defensive measure...

The Mobilisation of Britain’s Military Nurses 1914

The day after Britain entered the First World War, a ward sister at Charing Cross Hospital, Maud...

Southampton: The Gateway to War

When Britain entered the First World War in August 1914, there was no question as to which port w...

Major Mick Mannock KIA 10 July 1918 and the ongoing mystery of his grave

On 10 July 1918, Major Edward Mannock, who had recently been appointed to command 85 Squadron of...

Q-21 - HMS Prize and William Sanders VC

HMS Prize also Q-21 was previously known as HMS First Prize and originally the German ship Else....

Argentina in the Great War

Argentina was a neutral country during World War I. However, one-third of its population was made...

The Quest for Grandad’s photo: Pte James Cooper, 1st. Bn. Essex Regiment

'The grassy slopes that crown the cliffs are carpeted with flowers. The azure sky is cloudless a...

Pantomime at Sea: Q-ships in the First World War

The use of deception in warfare at sea was not new to the First World War – as an example, in 168...

U-36 and the Prince Charles

SM U-36 was a type U 31 submarine, commissioned on 14 November 1914 under the command of Kapitanl...

Was Lord Kitchener Gay?

Ever since the publication of the biography entitled ‘Kitchener: Portrait of an Imperialist’ by P...