Four years is not a long time – but in four years a boy in his early teens grows into a young man and in four years the generation of British and Commonwealth lads born in the mid 1890s would come of age and go to war.  In 1914 they went to The Great War, the War to End All Wars - and many never came home.

You may not know their names – but you can find them easily.  From the biggest city to the smallest hamlet they are on memorials – some are simple plaques others grander affairs – and if you cross to France and Belgium and further afield you will see the names on the white headstones ranged like soldiers on parade in cemeteries on the old battlefields.

2014 will mark the 100th anniversary of what we now sadly know as The First World War – it would never be The War to End All Wars.  As we look back over the century we should remember that these men did not die in vain – they fought a war that, like the one that followed only 25 years later, was necessary to contain the territorial ambition of a major European power.  About one hundred years before the outbreak of the First World War British and Allied troops had defeated France at the Belgium village of Waterloo - and contained a major European power.

Remember the courage and honour the sacrifice of the boys who became men 100 years ago and support the young men and women who have followed in their footsteps and are today's soldiers.     

 

Spirit of Remembrance believes that it is important to promote events relating to the 100th Anniversary of the First World War.

Here are some key websites:

• The Imperial War Museum has launched a very powerful and well worth visiting website called 1914.org 
• Centenary News was set up  by the media company Inclusive Digital to provide news and information about the upcoming 2014-2018 First World War Centenary - let's work together to get the word out. We recommend visiting the  page on Facebook, which is where we learnt about this website