Langholm 1915

Life at home and on the war front

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Langholm, a Scottish textile town
A trench in Somme, France

What was life like in the UK and on the front line in 1915?

Quick Quiz

1. Who was the prime minister and who was the monarch?

2. What was life expectancy for newborn females just before the war?
a) 45
b) 55
c) 65

3. How did most people obtain news?
a) By newspaper
b) By radio

4. Were a) anaesthetics and b) antibiotics available?

5. How were streetlights lit?
a) By electricity
b) By gas

6. How many cars were on the road in the UK? Around:
a) 2,000
b) 20,000
c) 200,000

7. What were three of the main political topics just before the war?

8. What was the main type of aircraft used for bombing raids on the UK?
a) Seaplane
b) Airship

9. How many UK soldiers and sailors were conscripted?
a) None
b) Around 100,000
c) Around 500,000

10. Who were the supreme heads of:
a) The Church of England
b) The Church of Scotland

Answers to the Quick Quiz

This website explores life in 1915 through the experiences of a Scottish border town.

Langholm in Dumfriesshire provides an excellent lens:

  • A high proportion of its young men volunteered for military service and were engaged in key battles.
  • It was fully engaged with the international world through its war involvement, textile trade and diaspora.
  • It was a close-knit community which was profoundly affected by the war.
  • Its weekly newspaper provides an excellent record of events at the time.
  • Its history as part of the Debatable Lands (neither Scottish nor English) gives a good insight into tensions within the United Kingdom.
Historical Scottish counties, with Langholm marked by a red X near the English border

A single year has been selected to provide focus during a time of huge change.

1915 has been chosen because of its significance on various levels:

International

1915 saw the attempted opening of a new front in the Dardanelles, major battles on the Western Front, the first use of poison gas, and the sinking of the Lusitania, provoking the USA.

The Gallipoli peninsula, on the west side of the Dardanelles Strait

National (UK)

A crisis about munitions led to the formation of a coalition government. New manufacturing and social legislation was introduced, including strict control over alcohol in some areas. Some major domestic issues were sidelined because of the war.

Local (Langholm)

1915 was a dramatic year:

  • The provost (mayor) refused to participate in a major traditional event due to the war, embroiling himself in an argument about whether this was a sign of respect or capitulation.
  • A councillor resigned after the provost accused him of vote-rigging.
  • Another councillor was shot in the chest at Gallipolli and lay for hours in no-man’s land before being rescued.
  • His wife committed suicide, probably after a false rumour of his death.
  • Local volunteer Lawson Cairns wrote a war diary about life on the front, frequently describing interactions with Langholm family and friends.
  • A huge munitions factory nearby increased local wages, causing new workplace tensions.
Langholm today

This website includes:

  • An overview of the UK and international context at the time.
  • Summaries of various aspects of the war.
  • An introduction to Langholm.
  • A diary of a year in the life of the town (1915).
  • For those interested in genealogy:
    • A database of local people and organisations.
    • Links to the family trees of numerous people with local connections.
    • Learnings from research that could be applied in different contexts.

Please click here for acknowledgements.