Gone to be a soldier A World War One Journal

War Begins Following events in Bosnia war was declared between Russia and Austria This in turn involved France and Germany The German attack on France led to the invasion of Belgium Britain went to war to defend Belgium

Call to Arms Britain’s army was a professional force and was well trained and very experienced However compared to the armies of Germany, France, Russia and Austria it was tiny Lord Kitchener was given the task of building a volunteer army of 100,000

Joining up Young men answered Kitchener’s call in huge numbers At first the Army could not clothe or arm all the volunteers Training camps were quickly set up

For King and Country Officially the lowest age limit was 19 Many lied about their age Some recruits were as young as 15 Often well meaning ladies handed out white feathers to young men

At the front Dreams of a quick victory soon faded For 3 long years German, French, and British troops faced each other across an area between the trenches known as ‘no-man’s land’

British troops in Belgium

Six men to carry a single stretcher

An attack starts

In the trenches

A captured German trench