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Remembrance Day

22 October 2008 by Annette Gaykema. 2 Comments
Collection,From the collection,Personal Stories, diaries, letters

We are commemorating the 90^th Anniversary of the Armistice this year, which presents a timely opportunity to look at what soldiers were doing on the 11^th of November throughout the duration of the First World War. The soldiers go about their duties not knowing that in the future, it would be the special day to remember those who fought and died for our country in war and armed conflict.

Letters and diaries held in the Memorial’s collections bring to light what soldiers were doing on the 11^th of November and how they felt about their current situation.   As would be expected, many of the diaries contain general entries about the weather and warfare.

The following excerpts are taken from diaries held in the Memorial’s collection for the 11^th November and span the entirety of the First World War. It culminates with an entry on the day of the Armistice – 11^th of November, 1918 – from Gunner Keith Dowling who was writing a normal letter home when he, and consequently the letter, were interrupted with the news of the war ending.

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