New Local History Book: In The Shadow Of The Great War

Published on: 7 Dec, 2019
Updated on: 9 Dec, 2019

By David Rose

The extensive commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the First World War are over, but the stories, memories and research into the years of the 1914-18 war will not fade.

Surrey Heritage’s lottery-funded centenary commemoration project, Surrey in the Great War: a county remembers, also comes to an end in 2020.

From its base at the Surrey History Centre in Woking, an amazing amount of research has been undertaken in conjunction with community groups and volunteers, uncovering so much about life on the home front in Surrey during the First World War.

Featured in In The Shadow Of The Great War Surrey 1914-22, is this photo of trials of Dennis Bros’ lorries made for the military. The books contains many rare and previously unseen photos.

A good deal of information can be found on its website, while a book has been published, In The Shadow Of The Great War Surrey 1914-22, packed with information and pictures.

Aspects of Surrey at that time are covered in eight chapters. These include mobilisation of men, defence, making of munitions, life on the home front, the role women played, agriculture, military war hospitals, peace celebrations and remembrance.

The book features military war hospitals including the one at Clandon Park.

Guildford is well represented with the motor-vehicles for the war effort made at Dennis Bros, Clandon Park as a military war hospital, Guildford’s fundraising Feeds the Guns week, and the 1915 Zeppelin raid.

The book has been edited by Kirsty Bennett, Imogen Middleton, Michael Page and Juliet Warren.

First World War poster from Surrey forbidding photography and sketching as part of the Defence of the Realm Act.

Published by The History Press, it is exceptional value at £14.99. Copies are available from the Surrey History Centre, Goldworth Road, Woking and usual booksellers.