Wakefield Museums and Castles

"Single men, hundreds and thousands of married men have left their homes to fight for King & Country"

Lithograph, August 1915

Printed by the Abbey Press, London

Published by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, poster no.120

A recruitment poster directed at single men. It shows a family home with the father absent from the table and suggests that married men are doing their bit despite having more to lose and leave behind.

On 27 January 1916, the first military service act introduced conscription for single men of military age. This was extended to married men by a second military service act on 25 May 1916.

Brass tobacco tin

Over 426,000 of these tins were distributed to members of the British Army serving on Christmas Day 1914.

They were a gift from Princess Mary, the 17-year-old daughter of King George V.

The tins were filled with various items including tobacco, confectionery, spices, pencils, a Christmas card and a picture of the princess.

Flechette

A flechette is a small metal dart dropped from a box at the bottom of an aircraft.

When dropped from a great height, 500 flechettes dropped together could cover an area of ten by fifty yards.

Even though they were only a few centimetres long, they were capable of piercing a steel helmet.

Souvenir pottery

Small ceramic knick-knacks in the shape of wartime objects were made in England during the First World War. They were meant to support the war efforts of Great Britain and her allies, France and Russia.

The outbreak of the war stopped the import of cheap pottery from Germany.

British manufacturers, primarily ‘The Potteries’ in Staffordshire, began to produce patriotic pieces like this. The tank was a symbol of British strength and technological innovation.

Photograph of Conscientious Objectors

During the First World War, Wakefield Prison was taken over by the military.

It was home to dozens of conscientious objectors - men who refused to fight in the war. They often objected because of their religious beliefs.

Despite declaring their refusal to fight, the men were still in the army and were given other jobs to do.

They stayed at the prison but were not prisoners.

"A terrier's snap"

This is a hand-painted, decorated trench biscuit. The rationed trench biscuit was known to be almost inedible.

Staff Sergeant Charles Shaw of Sandal, a member of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, persuaded a colleague to paint a picture of a Yorkshire terrier on one. He kept it for years as a keepsake.

The biscuit was donated to Wakefield Museums and Castles' collection in 1993 by Mr D. Shaw of Sandal, Wakefield.