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Looking at World War One Life in Yorkshire

Explore how the 1916 film influenced attitudes and perceptions in Yorkshire during World War One, from soldiers to refugees and the general population.

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Looking at World War One Life in Yorkshire

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  1. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire How did the war impact on life in Yorkshire ?

  2. Selling the War Film – The Battle of the Somme • Cinema well established, with 4500 cinemas. • War Office decided to film a decisive British Victory • Two camera teams took footage on 1 July edited into a 77 minute film approved by the censor • The film opened in London on 10 August • It played continuously throughout the country and 47% of the population (20 million people) saw it • The scenes of going “over the top” were faked behind the lines • For the first time the home population saw life in the trenches • It was shown internationally in 18 countries, influencing attitudes Despite being made as a propaganda it feels very documentary

  3. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Strangers in Town – Refugees • 250,000 Belgium refugees fled to Britain • Much support for “plucky little Belgium” • 22 October 1914 over 200 refugees arrive in Bradford • Local fundraising and donations supported them • All found work including at Low Moor Munitions factory • Birtley County Durham – a munitions factory and part of Belgium • 90 % of the refugees returned to Belgium after the war

  4. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Strangers in Town – Refugees • 250,000 Belgium refugees fled to Britain • Much support for “plucky little Belgium” • 22 October 1914 over 200 refugees arrive in Bradford • Local fundraising and donations supported them • All found work including at Low Moor Munitions factory • Birtley County Durham – a munitions factory and part of Belgium • 90 % of the refugees returned to Belgium after the war

  5. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Strangers in Town – Refugees • 250,000 Belgium refugees fled to Britain • Much support for “plucky little Belgium” • 22 October 1914 over 200 refugees arrive in Bradford • Local fundraising and donations supported them • All found work including at Low Moor Munitions factory • Birtley County Durham – a munitions factory and part of Belgium • 90 % of the refugees returned to Belgium after the war

  6. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Strangers in Town – Refugees • Most spoke no English • Suddenly different people , different language on the streets • Later envy grew of the support they got

  7. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Strangers in town – Soldiers • Suddenly lots of uniforms on the street • Territorials immediately called up • Large numbers leave home overnight for training • January 1915 the Bradford PALS come to Skipton to their new training Raikeswood camp,(end of Salisbury st) • Overnight the 13,000 people of Skipton were joined by 1500 young soldiers! • Every Sunday a church parade • The Bradford PALS move out in May but the camp continues to be used

  8. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Strangers in town - Soldiers

  9. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Strangers in town – German Prisoners of War • January 1918 – the Raikeswood camp is converted to a POW camp for officers • New project to fully translate diary just started • But what did they think of Yorkshire ? – Winter unpleasant English food in the canteen Draughty Huts Set up education classes Found football hard

  10. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire The Bradford PALS • 3 September 1914 the Lord Mayor establishes Bradford Citizens Army League from the key businessmen of the city • Recruitment starts 8 September, 400 in the first week, by 19 September 1st battalion of 1200 men filled • Firms encourage enlistment through financial support

  11. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire The Bradford PALS • Initial training in various places in Bradford • To Skipton in January 1915 then to Ripon in May and down to Fovant (Salisbury) in September • Active service starts in Decmber 1915 with the move to Egypt • Two months of building defences and then to France • Front line from April onwards • Then 1 July, Serre, as part of the Battle of the Somme – 221 died and casualty rates were over 70% with nearly 100% of officers • Went on to fight in more battles until 1918 when they were divide up between other battalions

  12. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Impact of the Battle of the Somme Scanning the Casualty Lists and black edged telegrams Every street in Bradford with some closed curtains Then the film came out

  13. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Impact of the Battle of the Somme Scanning the Casualty Lists and black edged telegrams Every street in Bradford with some closed curtains Then the film came out

  14. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire • Cinema well established, with 4500 cinemas. • War Office decided to film a decisive British Victory • 47% of the population (20 million people) saw it • The scenes of going “over the top” were faked • The local population could directly see life in the trenches for their serving relatives • Shown internationally in 18 countries, influencing attitudes • Despite being made as a propaganda it feels very documentary The Battle of the Somme Film

  15. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire New Industries- New colour and new crops • All industries had to adapt and change to meet war requirements • The mills switched to Khaki cloth and manufacturing uniforms • Flax was needed to provide linen for covering aircraft wings but it was hard and slow to pick. So 250 scouts camped out near Wetherby to pick it !

  16. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire New Industries- Bradford builds planes • 1915 Phoenix Dynamo were asked by the Admiralty to get into aircraft production • Phoenix linked with a furniture making firm (Pratts) who could make the airframe • They have to go and measure up their first aircraft (Farman s7) to make engineering drawings !

  17. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire New Industries- Bradford builds planes • Plane making meant new skills like covering wings with linen and varnishing them • Pratts increased their female workforce to meet the requirement. In 1914 they had just 10 women out of 105 employees, by 1918 there was 69 out of 245

  18. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Women's Canteen at Phoenix Works Building Flying Boats Pictures commissioned by the Imperial War Museum from Flora Lion

  19. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire New Industries- Bradford builds Seaplanes • Start building the Short 184, building 62 between 1915 and 1917 • Once again they have to go to measure it themselves! • Rumours that they tested them on Yeadon Tarn • The Short 184 is famous for being the first plane to sink a ship by launching a torpedo near Gallipoli

  20. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Community Action • The “good and the great” immediately lead • The Lady Mayoress establishes the War Guild to fund raise and collect clothes, firstly supporting the refugees Mrs G.H.Robinson Bradford’s Lady Mayoress

  21. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Community Action – Positive and Negative • Immediate reactions not all positive - a German owned shop in Keighley • Real community action to fund raise and maintain morale Bradford street party

  22. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Community Action – The Khaki Club • Good example of the community deciding what was needed and doing it • March 1915 a case presented for a club for servicemen for men to meet their girlfriends and have decnt food in a safe environment • Officially opened on 2 July 1915 in Foster Sq Station • “200 volunteers, 1200 visitors per day and estimated 1.5 million meal served in total!

  23. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire The Low Moor Munitions Works • Low Moor Chemical company long history of making munitions, and particularly picric acid which was both a dye and an explosive • Picric acid fairly unstable and turned workers yellow, finally phased out in 1917 for TNT • Sited close to housing and railway line • Plenty of precautions but not enough Monday 21 August 1916 it blows up

  24. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Low Moor 1914 Low Moor 21 August 1916

  25. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Low Moor explosion- what happened • 2.27pm james Broughton was loading drums of picric acid and saw one drum was catching fire, chargehand started sprinklers (worked ?) • In the few minutes before major explosions started 200 workers got out • 2.45pm Massive explosion • Firemen from Odsal and Bradford arrive including the first mechanised fire engine in Yorkshire • 3.00pm 6 firemen dead and all the others injured • 22 explosions big and small until 9.30pm • Total Death toll 38 • All local residents fled – 50 houses needed rebuilding and 2000 were damaged

  26. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Low Moor – The aftermath • All local residents fled – 50 houses needed rebuilding and 2000 were damaged • The explosions were heard over a wide area- as far away as Pately Bridge • BUT all publicity was suppressed – it had happened just 6 weeks after the Battle of the Somme • Suspicions of sabotage by Belgian refugees or even a Zepplin raid • Unemployment and disruption to schools

  27. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Hospitals expand • Need for hospitals and convalescent facilities grew rapidly • In the Bradford area: Bradford War Hospital, St Luke’s Hospital run by Bradford Board of Guardians opened Dec 1915 - July 1919Abram Peel Hospital - for soldiers suffering nervous shock and neurasthenia, Leeds Road Hospital run by Bradford Corporation opened July 1917 - April 1919Bradford Military Hospital, this was either at Bradford Moor Barracks or at Belle Vue Barracks  Bradford Royal Infirmary, subscription hospital opened Oct 1914Bowling Park Auxiliary Hospital, Bradford Board of Guardians home for male imbeciles opened Apr 1915 - Oct 1916Clayton Auxiliary Hospital, North Bierley Union Infirmary opened spring 1917 - Mar 1919Field House Auxiliary Hospital, Bradford Royal Infirmary’s convalescent home Feb 1915-Feb 1919Guiseley Auxiliary Hospital, Guisely Town Hall opened Aug 1916Royal Ear and Eye Hospital, Bradford a voluntary subscription hospital opened Oct 1914Salt's Auxiliary Hospital, Saltaire Sir Titus Salt Hospital, charitable hospital opened Oct 1916 - Jan 1919Woodlands Auxiliary Hospital, Rawdon, Bradford Royal Infirmary’s convalescent home opened Oct 1914 - Feb

  28. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Hospitals expand –St Lukes • Developed from the Workhouse Infirmary – 574 beds in March 1914 (both mental health and disease) when the separation from the workhouse started • On declaration of war Lord Mayor’s War relief Fund starts • Urgent need for ambulances

  29. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Hospitals expand-St Lukes • 27 October 1914 – First group of 50 wounded soldiers • Expansion of nurse training • October 1915 War Hospital established Marion Fogett Miss Rodgers Superintendent Home Sister

  30. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Hospitals expand –St Lukes • January 1916 the Lord Mayor’s committee agree a funded expansion from 540 to 1200 beds (3 new wooden buildings) • All the expansion meant that other patients/poor peple moved out to somewhere

  31. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Afterwards • Men return to employment, such as Bradford Mills, but reduced demand soon occurred • Disabled men return – local “Kings Roll committee” established in Bradford to try to get initially 300 disabled into employment • Ex soldier street sellers visible in 1920s and 30s • British Legion formed in 1921 • First Poppy Day 11 November 1921 No Forgetting

  32. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Community support for the British Legion House given by Waddilove family Emma Talbot, 20 years in memory of their son later, with her son’s medals

  33. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Afterwards • Remembrance – War memorials, such as the Bradford Cenotaph inaugurated 1 July 1922 40,000 people attend the unveiling

  34. Looking at World War OneLife in Yorkshire Afterwards The Craven Herald Remembers- Given to the men who survived or the families of those who did not

  35. Not Just Trenches and PoemsLife in Yorkshire Afterwards http://www.cpgw.org.uk/

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