As we pause on Remembrance Day, we have an opportunity to look at some of the experiences of individual soldiers – a tiny fraction of the human stories we hold in our care and represented by diaries, artwork, personal keepsakes, uniforms, medals and other objects donated to us over the years.
A huge number of objects were donated in the years following the First World War; initially these were kept and used to help new soldiers to the regiment understand its history and inspire them to forge their own careers against the backdrop of an already long heritage. Now, they give visitors a glimpse into a past sometimes seemingly far removed from our own lives, and at others incredibly close and unnervingly relevant.
This particular selection is from the First World War, simply because out of that conflict came the traditions of the way we currently mark Remembrance Day.
Sketching from memory…
A sketch map of the countryside around Fricourt, one of the most bitterly contested areas in the early days of the battle of the Somme in 1916, is part of our collection. Its creator, Philip Alexandre reflected that “only time is required to bring a great victory and lasting peace.” Find out more about Philip here.
I can’t forget…
The museum holds an extensive personal archive of Bridlington born soldier, John Purvis. He served with the regiment during the First World War then went on to become a pillar of academic and cultural life in York. Purvis wrote a poem, under a pseudonym, reflecting the desire to remember home, when faced with the stark reality of war. More here…
Thoughts on a ceasefire…
On 11 November 1918, young Yorkshire Regiment soldier, Stanley Harrison was stuck on a troopship moored at Kirkwall, Orkney, bound for the Arctic Circle, when the Armistice was announced. You can find out how he felt on hearing the news here.
The poppy…
A fabric poppy laid at the new cenotaph in London at the first Remembrance Day ceremony in 1921 is on display in our First World War gallery. View our poppy Youtube short here…
One of the museum’s most recent acquisitions is a ceramic poppy created for the ‘blood swept lands and seas of red’ installation at the Tower of London as part of the centenary commemorations in 2014.
Our Ribbon of Remembrance collected stories and memories. Find out more about this 2018 community project, and view the online ribbon archive here.