The propaganda poster to the left is one of the ones which made a big difference. This is because the son is playing with toy soldiers and the daughter is asking him about the war and what he did. This poster would make the father feel guilty if he wasn’t joining up, as he would know that his children would think of him as a coward some day.
If the father was joining up, his children would think of him as a hero and they would remember their father throughout their lives and he would be a role model for them.
Gunner W Lugg said ‘When I saw the poster, all I could think about was my own children and that they may think of me as a coward. I then thought about if I would have join up, and happy, cheerful memories came to mind. This made it un-doubtable and I joined up the next morning.
What was the experience of training like?
The one thing which made it easier for absolutely anyone to join was that no training or experience was needed at all. The only ‘rule’ was that you had to be at the age of eighteen or over, but for the Recruiting Sergeant, anyone could say however old they were and he would believe them.
George Parker said ‘Inside the office there was a Recruiting Sergeant and an Officer, as well as a Medical Officer. I was really scared, but the Sergeant asked me what I wanted, I looked so young. Then I said that I wanted to join up, and he looked at me as if I should still be in my cradle. I suppose he was not far wrong! He asked my age and I boldly said "eighteen years." He looked at me with a smile, and asked "Does your mother know that you are eighteen?" Then he said "All right, son, eighteen it is." He took my name, and passed me over to the MO who had me strip naked, examined and passed me. The Officer then made me take the Oath of Allegiance and there I was a soldier at fifteen and three-quarters’.
This shows that no proper age rule was there, as someone at the age of 15 could join, then why couldn’t it be any younger. As long as the person could lie, then they could be a soldier.
What were conditions like in the trenches?
The trenches were the front lines which were the most dangerous places within a war, but behind them were tons of supply lines, training establishments, stores, workshops, headquarters and all the other elements of war, which is where most of the troops were employed.
The trenches were the main place where the infantry were, with the machine-guns and other weapons. There were also engineers and the forward positions of the artillery observers.
The trenches were supposed to be protective but there were rats in them, frogs and lice and they stank from nearby dead bodies and when the soldiers needed to go to the toilet, they had to go in the trenches, which also made it smell.
Some trenches usually got bombed at least once a day and they had to sleep in some of the worst conditions.
How were ideas shaped through propaganda and censorship?
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What was the experience of battle like?
Different men found their experiences different,
