Plymouth in the Great War

With the centenary of the First World War coming up next year, there will be many books published as well as many events to mark the commencement of the Great War in 1914. I've been commissioned by Pen and Sword to write a series of books, one of which will be 'Plymouth in the Great War'.Rising tensions in Europe and the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, led to Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia. This led to the Central Powers, which included Germany and Austria-Hungary, and the Allies, which included the British Empire, the French Republic and the Russian Empire, to declare war on each other which led to the commencement of the First World War on 28 July 1914.
On 4th August 1914, just before midnight, the offices of the Western Morning News in Plymouth posted an announcement in their window that Britain had declared war on Germany. One of the newspapers journalists recorded, 'The news caused a profound sensation, several women swooning, and a long murmur of excitement passed through the crowd.'

Many people were asleep in their beds and knew nothing of the announcement until the following day when official war notices were placed in newspaper publishers’ windows and on placards. Newspapers were soon full of the news.

Plymouth played a huge part in the First World War with thousands of troops passing through the port on their way to France.The Journal of Commerce of 18th August 1914 reported:
'The principal base of military operations is Plymouth, one of the most important of the southern shipping ports. There, the already perfected organisation of the regular infantry and artillery branches of the service has been concentrating since the morning of August 5th.
During the day and night, more than 10,000 troops of these arms were assembled. The mobilization of these soldiers moved smoothly and within twenty-four hours, they were ready with full equipment for service.
The busy English seaport was transformed into an armed camp overnight. The railways there were virtually in possession of the Government that morning. Until August 9th, when our correspondent of the World left for New York, the regular schedules of train service between London and Plymouth were suspended, the Government assuming complete control.
The movement of troops and paraphernalia of war continued day and night without interruption from the morning of the fifth. In the four days from August 5th to August 9th, 120,000 British fighting men had been assembled at Plymouth, according to officers of the service to whom had been instructed the mobilisation preliminary to the execution of plans for their transportation to Continental points.'
Regiments included Pals Battalions one of which was the Footballers' Battalion (the 17th Service Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment). Several players from Plymouth Argyle enlisted in the regiment.
The war was a long and bloody one. Plymouth played a major part in the struggle supplying ships, weapons and troops. Men from all around the world passed through the port on their way to the conflict. Once the war was over, there wasn't a family in Plymouth who hadn't lost a son, father, nephew, uncle or brother. There were tremendous celebrations in the streets as the end of the war was announced but the effects of the war lasted for years to come.

The Evening Herald of 11th November 1918 carried joyous news:
'News of the signing of the armistice reached us this morning before 9 o'clock through the courtesy of the Admiralty Headquarters at Mount Wise. A veritable pandemonium arose in the Dockyard and district: scores of sirens rent the air with their shrill blasts and big steamer horns boomed out their deep-throated message. At last the world war had come to an end. School children demonstrated to their hearts' content, marching along the principal streets, singing and cheering and exchanging greetings on all sides. One procession had as leader the ubiquitous Charlie Chaplin replete with moustache, cane and preposterous boots.'
The story of Plymouth's part in the First World War is too involved to be condensed into this short article but I hope that many people will enjoy reading the book when it's published next year.