A NEWSPAPER inspired by the historic Wipers Times created by First World War soldiers has been recreated to mark the centenary of the war.
The Flanders Fields Post newspaper is published as a one-off today and distributed in Glasgow, London and Manchester to commemorate 100 years since Britain joined the First World War.
The publication is inspired by the famous Wipers Times - the original trench newspaper produced by frontline soldiers. And the grandson of the soldier who first produced the historic paper said it was a chance for his grandfather to be recognised for his own contribution to improving troops' morale.
The Wipers Times was first produced by Captain FJ Roberts and Lieutenant JH Pearson in 1916 while stationed in Ypres and from there the idea grew to produce a newspaper contributed to by frontline soldiers with plenty of humorous, satirical in-jokes, poems, mockery of the prevailing military situation. To mark the centenary of the start of the war, the Flanders Fields Post has been produced by Visit Flanders, the official tourism agency for Flanders and Brussels.
It is aimed to be an informative guide to Flanders Fields and First World War history with contributions from historians, schoolchildren and will include an interview with Nick Roberts, grandson of Captain FJ Roberts, of the 12th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment).
Mr Roberts, 67, said: "The newspaper was a huge success on the Western Front and he'd be proud that the newspaper had inspired Visit Flanders to produce a limited edition of The Flanders Fields Post."
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