I was commissioned by the Century of Stories programme to investigate what motivated men from Leicestershire to serve, fight and persevere during the Great War.
This project was a partnership between Leicestershire County Council, the Royal British Legion, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Friends of Leicester and Leicestershire Museums. It ran from 2017 until the centenary of the Armistice in 2018. The findings were presented at a conference held on 9 November 2018 at De Montfort University.
The research explored, from the perspective of local men who fought in the armed forces, why they enlisted, how they coped with the stresses of active service, what motivated them in combat and how their wartime experiences affected their ongoing commitment to the ‘cause’ for which many had volunteered. The study was grounded in their own words—letters, diaries and memoirs—which gave a unique insight into their thoughts and feelings.You can read it below.