The guns had fallen silent. The fighting had ended. But, though the war had been won there were many who struggled to feel the sense of relief and joy that swept through the Allied nations. As well as the hundreds of thousands left physically or mentally scarred by the fighting, those who most felt the pain of the five years of conflict included the friends and families of the dead. Figures released by the British Government in 1920 revealed that 956,703 men and women had been killed or died whilst serving in the army, with a further 39,527 from the Royal Navy and RAF. With these statistics, it is perhaps unsurprising that the war touched literally every community and every generation throughout the country. Remembering the Fallen 1914-1918 explores early efforts to remember the fallen such as the Bond of Sacrifice project which began its work in 1914 and uncovers the remarkable story of how the poppy became the symbol of remembrance. It also investigates the growth of the battlefield tour, led by the desire of friends and family to see where a loved-one fought. Additionally, this high quality publication examines the birth of organisations such as The Royal British Legion, SSAFA (the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association) and many more as well as the story of how a nation came to terms with its loss village and community war memorials, street shrines, the Unknown Soldier and much more.
