On Tuesday November 11th, 2014, British Columbia will be celebrating Remembrance Day along with the rest of Canada and Commonwealth countries to remember the men and women of the armed forces who died in the line of duty. Remembrance Day (Veteran’s Day in the United States) is a memorial day created in 1919 to remember the lives lost during World War One, which just had its 100th anniversary on August 4th, 2014. Remembrance Day has evolved to remember the men and women who served during other wars, such as World War Two and the Korean War, to military duties today.
We recognize Remembrance Day on November 11th because hostilities formally ended “at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day on the eleventh month” as representatives of Germany, Russia, France and Great Britain signed an armistice in 1918.
Rather than writing about the causes, events, and effects of the war, some of the students at the Digitization Centre have come across wonderful images taken on the front from the World War One British Press Collection that they think should be shared. While remembering the war as a horrific event that involved the loss of countless lives is one way to think about the past, we can also look for the joyous moments and remember what we fought for. Many of the photographs displayed in this post depict moments when soldiers were away from the battlefield, either enjoying recreational activities or happy moments on the job, and women and civilians contributing to the war effort.
On November 11th, we will remember those who fought in the past and those who are involved in military activity today.
To view more images, visit the World War One British Press Photograph collection
Nice work