World War I Articles | The Western Front Association

Articles on every aspect of the First World War written by experts in their field. Some are 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.

Don’t forget the ‘War Donkey’

There are many books, dramas and films that have brought different aspects of the Great War to the f…

The Shot At Dawn Memorial

In May 2001 HRH the Duchess of Kent officially opened the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, St…

From the Archives: Lost and found in France

This is a story of two great French artefacts: one lost and one found. In an edition of the WFA Bul…

Memories of the child of an Imperial War Graves Gardener

In November 1999, a WFA member called Frank Burns of Scruton, Yorkshire, was invited to address a lo…

Commercialism the new enemy of the Salient (The Times 1919)

How many of us have paused to ponder the incongruity of our comfort break in the Grand Place at Ypre…

Captain Prideaux and his Box Brownie at Ploegsteert

Photography had already established itself as a popular hobby by the time of the Great War, and ‘The…

Luke Leadbeater - remembered by the fiancée he never married 100 years on

On 22 November 1917, there occurred in Belgium the death of Private Luke Leadbeater. A single man, i…

Remember On This Day

Those who served and died during the First World War remembered.

Kanturk - the Great War Pension Records of a small town

Thanks to the efforts of the Western Front Association, the pension records of over six million surv…

Capt The Hon Neil Primrose: son of a Prime Minister

When asked if the sacrifice in the First World War was shared equally between the highest in society…

Death of a Spy: Charles Simon : 7 June 1915

‘Project Hometown’ has brought to light many fascinating, tragic and sometimes uncomfortable stories…

SS Laurentic: A story of Gold Bullion, Crime and Intrigue and loss of life …

This story begins with an ordinary Pension Card that relates to a 20 year old Royal Marine named Fre…