Langholm 1915

Life at home and on the war front

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Langholm, a Scottish textile town, early 1900s
Langholm today
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) 55
b) 60
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, apart from the war itself?

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 very engaged in international affairs 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, as does a diary written on the front line by one of its volunteers.
  • Its location just north of the Scotland/England border gives it both a UK and Scottish perspective.
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. The year 1915 has been chosen because of its significance on various levels.

International

1915 was the first full year of the Great War. It saw the attempted opening of a new front in the Dardanelles/Gallipoli peninsula and major conflicts on the Western Front, including the Second Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Loos.

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

National (UK)

A crisis about munitions led to the formation of a coalition Liberal/Conservative/Labour government. New manufacturing and social legislation was introduced, including strict control over alcohol in some areas. Around 1.3 million volunteers signed up for military service.

Local (Langholm)

Numerous townsfolk participated in major battles at Gallipoli and on the Western Front, with many losing their lives or being seriously injured. The provost (mayor) endorsed the cancellation of the town’s main traditional event due to the war, embroiling himself in an argument about whether this was a sign of respect or capitulation.

This website includes:

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

Please click here for acknowledgements.