Life on the Front Line: Diaries, News, and Letters from the First World War, 1914–1919
Life on the Front Line is composed predominantly of diaries and letters written by British military personnel who served during the First World War (1914–1918). Consisting of nearly 15,000 images, it provides a fascinating, albeit poignant, survey of what everyday life was like for soldiers, supplying compelling insights into the realities of warfare. The personal accounts in this collection offer sustained — and often profound — reflections on the morality of war, and on the harsh military discipline demanded of combatants. They likewise illustrate the disturbing effects that warfare had upon mental health.
Additionally, Life on the Front Line contains a complete run of the Westminster Training College Monthly War Bulletin from November 1914 to June 1919. A Methodist institution, Westminster College was established in 1851. Its War Bulletin printed numerous letters written by former pupils and staff — “Old Ws” as they were known — who served. This valuable source also supplies vivid accounts of military life while stationed in British territories, including India, South Africa, and Malta.
Alongside these resources, the collection contains the diaries of British combatants who were captured by the Central Powers. These provide detailed insights into the experiences of those who were held as Prisoners of War (POWs) in Germany, and even as far afield as East Africa. The collection also sheds light on the experiences of non-combatants. The diary of the Reverend Ernest C. Crosse, chaplain to the 8th and 9th Battalions Devonshire Regiment, details his care of the wounded during the Battle of the Somme (1916). The translated diary of N. Hersent, a French civilian, likewise captures his experiences of living near the German front line during the early stages of the Somme offensive.
Life on the Front Line provides a wealth of vibrant, firsthand accounts of one of the most consequential conflicts in world history. Naturally, it will appeal to students and researchers who are keen to examine the history of the First World War. Yet it will also be of interest to those wishing to explore associated themes and topics, such as military history, experiences of imprisonment, and the social influence of Anglicanism and Methodism.
In spite of the shells and snipers I came back the next day safely...I have often read of the romance of war; now I have experienced the horrors and reality of modern warfare.
Insights
Between 1914 and 1918, 7.9 million French citizens served in the armed forces. The sheer scale of the war disrupted the lives of countless families. This collection features a diary belonging to a French civilian named N. Hersent. It was found by a British soldier in the bombed-out ruins of St. Leger, a small town outside Arras. Translated into English, it describes aerial bombardments, gas attacks, air raids, and the treatment of POWs. The 55-year old’s diary evidences the intense level of disruption experienced by civilians living on the Western Front. Penned between May and August 1916, Hersent’s diary also provides a detailed account of the beginning of the Somme offensive, highlighting the destruction and brutality of a battle that claimed the lives of over 300,000 men.
The letters and diaries in this collection provide firsthand accounts of many of the most important battles of the First World War, such as the Somme offensive (1916) and the battle of Passchendaele (1917).
Priests and ministers played a crucial role on the Western Front. They offered spiritual support and comfort to soldiers. Religious services, prayers, and counselling provided soldiers with solace and a means of retreating, if only fleetingly, from the brutal realities of war. Clerics risked their lives to tend to the wounded and to administer the last rites to the dying. The diary of the Reverend Ernest C. Crosse, chaplain to the Devonshire Regiment, is perhaps one of the most interesting documents in the collection. It reveals his thoughts and experiences whilst serving during the Battle of the Somme. He laments how he would be of much more use if stationed with the men “at work” in the trenches, rather than back at a Field Ambulance. One also finds him reflecting upon the evolving role of Anglican chaplains during the conflict, describing their impact on troop morale as they developed more active roles in the trenches.
Technological advancements radically altered the dynamics of the battlefield. As trench warfare became the dominant mode of combat, both sides sought to utilise developments in artillery and chemical weaponry to gain the upper hand. The letters and diaries from the collection feature extensive firsthand accounts of soldier’s experiences of these new, typically horrific modes of warfare.
Founded in London in 1851, Westminster College trained teachers destined for Wesleyan Methodist schools. Upon the outbreak of the First World War, teaching was disrupted as many students and staff volunteered for service. Westminster College established the Westminster Training College Monthly War Bulletin. This was distributed to its staff, students, and alumni. The publication included updates detailing former students and staff who had joined the war effort, and those who had been killed. Students from Westminster College were stationed throughout the globe. Their correspondence, published in the War Bulletin, offers rich insights into the course and consequences of the conflict across the British Empire, such as in India, Egypt, Malta, and South Africa. The college’s War Bulletin also printed letters penned by the parents of students fighting in the war. These documents provide glimpses into the challenges faced by those on the home front.
Highlights
Related Articles
Editorial Board
Related Collections
Filter Documents
War Bulletin and Letters, 1919
Contributor:Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History; Oxford Brookes University
Identifier:72733F-1919
War Bulletin and Letters, 1918
Contributor:Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History; Oxford Brookes University
Identifier:72733F-1918
War Bulletin and Letters, 1917
Contributor:Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History; Oxford Brookes University
Identifier:72733F-1917
War Bulletin and Letters, 1916
Contributor:Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History; Oxford Brookes University
Identifier:72733F-1916
War Bulletin and Letters, 1915
Contributor:Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History; Oxford Brookes University
Identifier:72733F-1915
War Bulletin and Letters, 1914
Contributor:Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History; Oxford Brookes University
Identifier:72733F-1914
Blackadder, Lieutenant R.J.
IWM ref: 88/11/1. Ts diary describing his service with the 151st Siege Battery RGA (99th Howitzer Brigade RGA), August 1916-June 1919, from its formation in Scotland through its entire period...
Date:1916-1919Contributor:Imperial War Museum
Identifier:a-02
Agius, Captain A.J.J.P.
IWM ref: 99/70/1. Loose-leaf ms diary covering his service as a machine gun officer with the 1/3rd Battalion, 2 January-14 March 1915. Describing his unit's departure from Malta and arrival...
Date:1915-1915Contributor:Imperial War Museum
Identifier:a-01
