UK-wide events planned to remember 1914 – not 1314

UK Political Correspondent

Friday 12 October 2012

IT was the defining conflict of the early 20th century and killed 16 million people.

TRIBUTE: Veterans pay their respects at an Armistice Day ceremony to commemorate the sacrifices of those who fought and died in the First World War. Main picture: Getty Images

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Kate Devlin UK Political Correspondent

Now David Cameron has moved to ensure that future generations will never forget those who laid down their lives in the First World War.

The Prime Minister yesterday outlined plans for a "truly national" commemoration of the outbreak of the First World War, weeks before voters are expected to go to the polls in the independence referendum.

Mr Cameron said every part of the UK should recognise the sacrifices made in the First World War. He also said he wanted to mark the impact the war had "on the development of Britain today" and to "capture our national spirit".Among the events confirmed are a day of remembrance on August 4, 2014, to mark 100 years since Britain entered the conflict. In 2018, Armistice Day will be commemorated, and major battles of the conflict will be marked at various dates between 2014 and 2018.There will also be support for an overhaul of the Imperial War Museum and a range of local and community events.A team that includes former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, former defence secretaries Tom King and George Robertson, and former head of the Army Sir Richard Dannatt, along with historian Hew Strachan and novelist Sebastian Faulks, has been appointed to help design the commemorations.Announcing the plans, Mr Cameron said: "Our ambition is a truly national commemoration worthy of this historic centenary."A commemoration that captures our national spirit in every corner of the country, from our schools and workplaces, to our town halls and local communities."A commemoration that, like the Diamond Jubilee celebrations this year, says something about who we are as a people."Remembrance must be the hallmark of our commemorations."He called on local communities across the UK to get involved, and The Heritage Lottery Fund is inviting applications for funds to support First World War events."Whether it's a series of friendly football matches to mark the 1914 Christmas Day Truce, or the campaign by the Greenhithe branch of the Royal British Legion to sow the Western Front's iconic poppies here in the UK, let's get out there and make this centenary a truly national moment in every community in our land," Mr Cameron said.The national commemoration planned for August 2014 will come just weeks before Scots cast their votes in the independence referendum.2014 is also the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn.A Coalition source last night played down the significance of historical events in the build-up to the referendum. "It is doubtful how much influence they would have on what is a fundamental decision," he said.The Coalition Government said around £50 million would be spent on the commemorations.Included within that will be money for schoolchildren in England to make trips to First World War battlefields.The Prime Minister said it was important to mark the First World War because of the "sheer scale of sacrifice"."This was the extraordinary sacrifice of a generation. It was a sacrifice they made for us, and it is right that we should remember them," he said.The war had also helped "make us who we are today", he said, pointing to subsequent advances in the emancipation of women, recognition for ethnic minorities and improvements in medicine.Of the 557,000 Scots who enlisted in all of the services, 26.4% lost their lives. This compares with an average death rate of 11.8% for the rest of the British army between 1914 and 1918. Of all the combatant nations, only the Serbs and Turks had higher per capita mortality rates, but this was mainly because of disease in the trenches rather than as a direct result of losses in battle.The main reason for the higher-than-average casualties among Scottish soldiers was that they were regarded as excellent, aggressive shock-troops who could be depended upon to lead the line in the first hours of battle. The impact of the ensuing slaughter was made more devastating by the method of recruitment, which often concentrated soldiers from the same village, district and occupation in the same unit. During major engagements, such as the Battle of the Somme, the death columns of local newspapers were crammed with the names of the killed and wounded.Scotland's Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "Our nation's significant contribution to the Great War, and the impact it had on all our communities, must never be forgotten."

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UK-wide events planned to remember 1914 – not 1314

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