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COVER.indd 2 06/03/2014 13:23 York Museums Trust York Yorkshire and the Great War

With the centenary of the First World War approaching, museums across the region are hosting a series of thought-provoking exhibitions highlighting Yorkshire’s vital role

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LNY_23_WW1.indd 22 07/03/2014 11:27 ike many places in many great cavalry charge of the at Mughar countries, Yorkshire paid an in October 1917 and visitors can see artefacts, enormous price during the First documents and photographs from their experience World War. This year the tale of at The Treasure House in , in an exhibition that terrible cost will be told at called Cavalry, Camels & Camaraderie (12th July Lscores of new exhibitions at museums across to 20th September 2014). the region. As well as hundreds of devastating individual stories, the exhibitions will also Despite the horrific stories coming from the re-emphasise the colossal scale of the loss. front line there was no shortage of new recruits, spurred on by a mix of patriotic duty and external Take Yorkshire’s Green Howards Regiment for pressure. War posters were used as a means to example. Their experiences will be described prick young men’s consciences, especially those through diaries, paintings and personal crafted by Frank Brangwyn. Although a pacifist possessions at an exhibition called Soldier and himself, his images inspired men to join the ranks Son, The First Battle, Ypres 1914, due to open at the and women to perform duties on the home front. Green Howard’s Military Museum in Richmond in His brutal 1918 poster, Put Strength in the Final August. One individual story is that of an officer Blow, reputedly led the Kaiser to put a price on who, having been commissioned from the rank his head. Now his portfolio of work can be seen of private, survived for just one week and was at Harrogate’s Mercer Gallery, in Commemorating discovered to have been too young to qualify for World War I, which runs from 17th May to 18th overseas service. The colossal loss? Lynda Powell, January 2015. Museum Director, says, ‘Over 65,000 Yorkshire men joined the Regiment and by the end of the Passing the recruitment requirements still required war 7,500 had been killed and 24,000 wounded.’ a good level of fitness. Fortunately, the nearest most people will get these days is a hands-on Some battalions were completely wiped out, experience at York Castle Museum’s exhibition, including the Sheffield City ‘Pals’, decimated in 1914: When the World Changed Forever, from just a few hours on the first day of the Somme 28th June. Alison Bodley, the museum’s Curator offensive in 1914. Other battalions stand out of History, explains, ‘Visitors are taken from the for different reasons, such as the East Riding recruitment office, and then their height, weight Yeomanry, a local Territorial Army regiment sent and eyesight are checked before trying on uniforms to the Middle East. Some men were detached and taking the fitness test. They are then assigned for service under TE Lawrence, better known as to their regiment before heading off in a replica Lawrence of Arabia. They helped support the last train carriage to the horrors of the frontline.’ ‘Despite the horrific stories coming from the front line there was no shortage of new recruits, spurred on by a mix of patriotic duty and external pressure’ Museums Sheffield

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LNY_23_WW1.indd 23 07/03/2014 11:27 On arrival in France regiments were danger, but the truth is that the tentacles of The sight of the returning injured also had accommodated behind the lines in war quickly enveloped people of all social a profound effect on those at home. The encampments to prepare for battle. At classes. This is accurately described at York’s trauma experienced by soldiers and their Sewerby Hall in Bridlington on the 10th and Castle Howard in an exhibition called subsequent treatment is the subject of 11th August, visitors can experience what life Castle Howard In Time Of War (22nd Unknown Heroes, an exhibition running was like in a territorial encampment. A First March to 2nd November 2014). Visitors from 17th July 2014 to 31st December 2018 World War historical group will re-enact will discover a hitherto largely unknown at the Thackray Museum in Leeds. It details the lives of men and women enlisted there. chapter of the family and estate, covering the the medical advances that emerged from It features a complete company tent site period between 1815 and 1944, when five the First World War and has been created including headquarters, quartermasters, members of the Howard family were killed in collaboration with service professionals field kitchen, transport and first aid, in action. For the Howards, the tragedy of with experience of medicine in war. Visitors based on the 1/5 Battalion of the Norfolk war was an experience they shared in equal will learn about shell shock, limb loss Regiment 1908-1918, whose exploits were measure with their staff and tenants, many and hearing loss, and how the returning dramatised in the 1999 BBC film All the of whom are commemorated on shared soldiers were treated then and now. King’s Men which starred David Jason. war memorials. Medical advances of the time will also The war saw many acts of courage and a Although hundreds of miles away from the feature in a unique conference at Weetwood total of 628 Victoria Crosses were awarded main conflict, Yorkshire was not immune to Hall Conference Centre in Leeds. Led by across the UK, including one to 19-year-old the direct effects of war. Ferens Art Gallery’s historians and military personnel, it will John Cunningham from Hull. He received Exhibition Curator, Paula Gentil, explains, focus on the national response as the a for gallantry at the Battle ‘People experienced frightening zeppelin crisis evolved, especially how young men of the Somme when the rest of his section, raids which destroyed small pockets of transformed into servicemen and how including friends and neighbours in the Hull, injuring and even killing residents. young women searched for a role to play. Hull ‘Pals’ battalion, had been injured or For the first time, warfare had been brought It will also explore the roles of animals in killed. His moving story is told at Ferens Art into the heart of our cities.’ conflict, and the use of film for information Gallery in an exhibition called When War and propaganda. First World War in Hit Home: Hull and the First World War, Zeppelins visited other parts of Yorkshire Retrospect (28th July to 1st August 2014) open from 19th July to 4th January 2015. too, bringing fear and destruction to the will be for enthusiasts and experts alike. Eight men of the King’s Own Yorkshire civilian population. Clare Morgan, Curator Light Infantry also won Victoria Crosses. of Social History for Sheffield Museums, Meanwhile, the Remember Scarborough A permanent exhibition of their medals, says, ‘Many stories reveal a less well-known exhibition at Scarborough Art Gallery uniforms, weapons and photographs is side of the war, including the zeppelin raid (July 26th to January 4th 2015) tells of the on display at the Doncaster Museum & Art on Sheffield which killed 28 civilians. There horrifying bombardment of Scarborough Gallery. was also the influx of 3,000 Belgian casualties by German warships. The Yorkshire coast and refugees who arrived in the city in 1914.’ was a dangerous place to be with acts of It is often thought that the working class Most of them returned after the war, but courage and defiance superbly illustrated suffered while the more privileged escaped some married and settled in Sheffield. in many museums. One dramatic incident

‘The war saw many acts of courage and a total of 628 Victoria Crosses were awarded across the UK, including one to 19-year- old John Cunningham from Hull’ Museums Sheffield

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LNY_23_WW1.indd 24 07/03/2014 11:27 involving the rescue of passengers from a hospital ship is illustrated at Pannett Art Gallery in Whitby (July 23rd to August 31st). The exhibition, Hope in the Great War, describes the rescue of 144 people from HMHS Rohilla, which had travelled to Dunkirk to pick up the wounded, but on the way back struck rock. Although only metres from shore, a raging storm made any rescue difficult. Six lifeboats battled over 50 hours to return desperate passengers to shore.

The effects of the war were also felt in genteel locations such as Harrogate. This is described at the Royal Pump Room in an exhibition called A Town at War: Harrogate during the First World War (26th July to 31st December 2014). Visitors will be able to view objects from the museum’s collection and loaned objects from local families depicting the story of the town and its people during the First World War.

Unfortunately the war also claimed many lives in tragic accidents. It was a time when many women had begun to work on the war effort at home, particularly in factories turned over to the manufacture of munitions and military supplies. In a large explosion at the Low Moor munitions factory killed 38 and injured over 100 people on 21st August 1916. The incident is described in detail at Bradford’s Industrial Museum in the Bradford at War exhibition (19th April to 23rd November 2014). In December that same year 35 women and girls were killed at the Barnbow munitions factory at Crossgates in Leeds. Hull Museums

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LNY_23_WW1.indd 25 07/03/2014 11:28 The lives of many Yorkshire women were irreversibly changed by these external infl uences and the fall-out from the war. As well as working in munition factories, many worked in hospitals to help with returning casualties, all of them contributing to the creation of a strong home front. Together they accelerated the changing role of women

in society. In the Keeping the Home Fires Museums Trust York Burning exhibition at Beverley Guildhall (27th June to 28th November 2014) visitors can see how people adapted to the change.

Another example of change can be found at Goole Museum, in an exhibition called Goole and the Great War (29th August to 28th October 2014). In the fi rst few Yorkshire’s War days of the war, fi shermen were captured from trawlers in the North Sea and taken • Bradford had a prominent Regiment was the war’s most to Germany, where they were interred at German community before the highly decorated British private Ruhleben camp near Berlin. Visitors can fi nd war, with half the city’s pork • On the 9th December 1915 the out about the time they spent in captivity, butchers being German fi rst Red Cross Train arrived in and the toll it took upon their families back • The 1st Battalion of the East Bradford carrying wounded in Goole. Yorkshire Regiment stayed on soldiers direct from France to the Western Front for the whole the Bradford War Hospital Yorkshire’s experience of the confl ict war • Number 82 Squadron Royal could not be told without the help of the • Eight Sheffi eld men were Flying Corps was formed at descendants of people who lived through executed in France and Belgium Doncaster on the 17th February the period. Family artefacts and personal for desertion. The oldest was 32 1917 to fl y to France nine accounts of the war can be seen at many the youngest was just 19 years months later on 20th November museums, including Halifax’s Bankfi eld old • With the outbreak of war Museum where an exhibition entitled • South Yorkshire industries around 800 trawlers from Halifax: For King and Country (August 2014 played a crucial part supplying the Hull and Grimsby fi shing to December 2018) explores Calderdale’s steel and coal fl eets were requisitioned role in the First World War. Similarly, fi rst- • By the end of the war the for minesweeping and anti- hand experiences of those at home and on Barnbow munitions factory in submarine duties military service are shown through objects Leeds had despatched a total • In 1916 an elephant replaced and documents at Weston Park Museum in of 566,000 tons of fi nished requisitioned horses at an exhibition titled Sheffi eld and the First ammunition overseas Sheffi eld munitions company World War (until 1st March 2015). Visitors • Private Henry Tandy VC TW Ward and was used to haul will no doubt be moved by these stories DCM MM from the Yorkshire heavy loads of steel and feel a sense of connection with the men and women of Yorkshire, whose lives were changed forever.

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