#ww1 research

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... a brave life given for others ... Memorial / 18258 LCpl William Boyd, killed in action 12th October 1917, Passchendaele.

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Midway Point

I’m midway through the research stage of my residency at Fort George, a large 18th-century fortress near Ardersier, to the north-east of Inverness, Scotland. Working out of the Highlanders’ Museum (Queen’s Own Highlanders Collection), the museum covers three floors of Fort George’s former Lieutenant Governors’ House.

Project Aims:

To respond creatively to the World War 1 displays and archives at The Highlanders’ Museum (Queen’s Own Highlanders Collection).

To engage with local children and communities

To produce a finished artwork/exhibition to be exhibited at The Highlanders’ Museum (Queen’s Own Highlanders Collection) for 6 months (October 2017 - March 2018)

So far I’ve been working here for three months and completed 5 primary school workshops which have resulted in a wall-based battlefield mural, a series of imaginary medals, a collection of Trench Poetry and a series of letters home to loved ones.

‘We are absolutely delighted to welcome artist Robyn Woolston to The Highlanders’ Museum as our Artist in Residence and are excited about the work she has already been doing. The project will help bring our First World War archive to life featuring some of the interesting stories and characters which exist in the original letters, diaries and photographs kept by Highland soldiers during the conflict.’

Gill Bird / Education and Outreach Officer 

From personal, hand-drawn, love letters to military orders, each visit provides a proliferation of compelling avenues for investigation.

It’s a time of immersion and editing, of reflection and navigation through a collection that houses thousands of objects, photographs, paintings, uniforms and reference texts.

‘God bless my DEAR DADDY at the WAR and keep him safe. With little Duncan’s love.’ /  SGT DAVID J MCRAE 240180 

‘Take this for your mascot’ / SGT DAVID J MCRAE 240180 

It’s also a time of contemplation in terms of the ‘axis’ that embodies ‘where’ creative response meets military rigour. Of considering how suitability and juxtaposition may highlight-and-handle harrowing conflict-based narratives. I’m conceiving of plans which will both comment and illuminate with the intention of partially pushing aside many of the traditional conventions, or norms, in terms of museum display. Questions arise as to ways in which one can effectively honour tradition whilst reigniting/reframing perceptions.

S U M M E R    H A S    B E E N    

T U R N E D    T O    

W I N T E R    B Y    T H E  

G U N S  

(A label found below a photograph housed deep within a section of the photographic archive not open to the general public)

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Highlanders' Museum (Queen's Own Highlanders Collection) / The Princess Mary 1914 Christmas Gift

The design depicts the head of Princess Mary in the centre, a laurel wreath surrounds her and she is flanked by the ‘M’ monogram. A decorative cartouche contains the words "Imperium Britannicum" at the top with a sword, bayonet and scabbard (for the Army) either side.  On the lower edge, another cartouche contains the words "Christmas 1914", which is flanked by the bows of two Dreadnnoughts (for the Royal Navy) forging through deep seas.

The corners display the names of the Allies: Belgium, Japan, Montenegro and Servia; France and Russia at the edges, each superimposed on their furled flags or standards.

The Princess Mary's Christmas Gift Fund was launched on October 14th 1914, with subsequent advertisements placed in the national press inviting monetary contributions to a "Sailors and Soldiers Christmas Fund". Created by the 17 year old Princess Mary, daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, its purpose was to provide everyone on Active Service on Christmas Day with a "gift from the nation".      

Her public letter released by Buckingham Palace read: 

"I have delayed making known a wish that has long been in my heart for fear of encroaching on other funds, the claims of which have been more urgent. I want you now to help me to send a Christmas present from the whole nation to every sailor afloat and every soldier at the Front. On Christmas Eve when, like the shepherds of old, they keep their watch, doubtless their thoughts will turn to home...I am sure that we should all be the happier to feel that we had helped to send our little token of love and sympathy...something that would be useful and of permanent value and the making of which may be the means of employment in trades adversely affected by the war".

Every box contained a Christmas card and a picture of the Princess. Huge demands were made upon the already stretched postal service at the time yet more than 355,000 were delivered by the yuletide deadline. New Year deliveries contained a card that wished a 'victorious new year'.

Parents of soldiers killed were entitled to boxes alongside nurses and the wounded. Prisoners of war at the time had theirs reserved until they were repatriated.

A shortage of brass also effected dispatch times and lead to many entitled personnel not receiving their gift until as late as the summer of 1916, and by January 1919 considerable numbers had still not been distributed.

When the fund finally closed almost £200,000 had been donated with more than two and a half million boxes with contents delivered by 1920.

There are a number of gift boxes held within the archive at the museum.

To find out more: http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/first-world-war-princess-mary-gift-box

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'Take this for your mascot' .....this card was included with the previous posted photographs (& with a batch of 67 other images & documents) in the archive at the Fort. It reads: FRONT 'God bless my DEAR DADDY at the WAR and keep him safe' (Original printed notation) 'With little Duncan's love' (Handwritten) REVERSE 'Take this for your Mascot' (Handwritten) The owner of these items was Sgt David J McRae, originally a tailor who spent time living in South Africa, he went to France on 1st May 1915. Discharged on 16th February 1919.

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Primary School Medal Workshop (photoset 1 of 2)

I’ve been exploring WW1 medals, honours and awards with a group of local primary school children. We’ve taken inspiration from medals found within the collection at the Highlanders Museum, Inverness.

The workshop also considered shape, design, context & colour when creating our imaginary awards.

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...after digging all night, men and rifles are muddy.

1915 - 1917 / LT COL LA LYNDEN

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WW1 Embroidered Postcards (Handling Collection / The Highlanders' Museum) Further information below courtesy of the Imperial War Museum: What are embroidered postcards? The embroidered silk postcard is a common souvenir of the First World War. They are blank postcards onto which an embossed paper surround has been glued, to frame and hold a central piece of silk. On the silk, a design is hand-embroidered in coloured thread. Who sent and received them? The embroidered postcards were very popular with British soldiers who often sent them home. They were sold in thin paper envelopes but were seldom sent through the post in them. They were too fragile and, more particularly, they represented quite an investment – they were not cheap souvenirs. Usually they were mailed with letters. For this reason, they are often unwritten, with no marks on the back, any message having been sent in an accompanying letter.

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C Company, 1/5 Seaforth - France 20th March 1916