Voices of the First World War

At 7.30 a.m. on Saturday 1 July 1916, the British Expeditionary Force rose from its trenches and stepped into a blizzard of fire that would echo for generations to come. Setting out that day were regiments from every part of the country but, with no fewer than twenty-nine battalions, Yorkshire contributed the largest contingent, and the county's close-knit mill towns and pit villages paid a heavy price. Two months later, Zeppelins brought the war to streets still mourning their dead and added women and children to the growing casualty lists. This was total war. Using letters, diaries, archives, newspapers and local histories, Yorkshire's War tells the story of a county at war: of children sewing sandbags; of old men guarding the coast; of young men going off to war and of their wives, mothers and sweethearts finding new ways to cope with near-starvation rations, the constant fear for their loved ones and finding strength in the new roles opening up for them. This is their story…

This is the story of Worcestershire's First World War. Using letters, diaries and journals made at the time, the book draws together the vast array of experiences from Worcestershire locals to build up a comprehensive picture of how the county experienced the war. It explores among other things the role of Worcestershire's women in wartime, the local regiment fighting in the Middle East and Worcestershire's huge impact on the development of the medical profession during this period. The First World War was not just about the Tommy fighting in the trenches – some had a very different experience. Arthur Pepper was a pilot before being shot down and becoming a prisoner of war, and his story is told, along with those of a Navy rating, an Army chaplain and a conscientious objector. The Home Front and everyday life is also considered, with the hardships of food production and the Women's Land Army. This remarkable collection of voices gives a unique insight into this county's First World War.

As the 'second city of empire', Liverpool and the surrounding region played a pivotal role in the First World War. Even before the conflict, almost a third of all the goods that came into the country and the products that were shipped overseas passed through the port. During the First World War, thousands of men from Merseyside served in the military and the Merchant Navy. Many troops, including American forces, disembarked or stayed for a time in the area. Merseyside may not have been on the front line, but it was at the front of the war effort. Merseyside's War relates the experiences of the people who lived in Merseyside during the war, from farmers on the Wirral Peninsula and landladies in Southport to shipbuilders in Birkenhead and female munitions workers in Bootle. It also captures the fear, excitement and boredom of those who fought in the war in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, or served at sea, in the air or in hospitals. Voices from both the front and the home front may be heard in diaries, newspapers, letters, government records and other documents from the time, as well in memoirs and oral histories. These varied voices and the accompanying images help us to more fully understand the way the war shaped the perceptions and experiences of the people who lived in England's third-largest city and its hinterland.