The city of Hull, East Yorkshire enjoyed the status of ‘third port’ with a booming, world-renowned fishing industry on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914. This industry, employing many thousands of local men and women in trawling and peripheral works, was fundamentally altered by ‘total war’, as civilian fishing vessels and their men […]
The War at Sea is rarely considered when discussing the impact of the First World War but, although it involved far fewer men on the front line, keeping the seas safe and the vital supplies flowing to feed the Army and the people of Britain and Ireland cannot be overlooked. From across Ireland over 10,000 […]
Port Towns and Urban Culture’s Dr Brad Beaven’s new blog post for the Gateways to the First World War project is now live. In the post, Brad reflects on Portsmouth City Museum’s First World War Researchathon held on 24 January 2015. “The clock was ticking. The tension in the room was palpable. Could we finish […]
In his blog for North American Conference on British Studies, Port Towns & Urban Culture’s Simon Smith, explores the experiences of British Sailors during the First World War. “As we mark the centenary of the Great War this August it reveals just how much this episode of our history continues to interest and influence our […]
There remains a stereotypical image of Jack Tar as a man with loose morals who enjoyed himself ashore whenever he got the opportunity. Yet, how far this stereotype stands up has increasingly been questioned by historians.[1] This article does not intend to join in this debate per se but rather to reflect on the stereotype […]
Last month’s BBC Scotland documentary – Pipers of the Trenches – highlighted the cultural significance of pipe music during the battles of the First World War in the solidification of Scottish traditions, identity, and heritage within the military. The programme visited descendents of men who carried their pipes in the trenches and explored their stories […]
