Hampshire Papers Series 2

No 12: Winchester’s Volunteers: The Response to War in 1914 and 1915
by Derek Whitfield

The outbreak of the Great War in August 1914 created unprecedented challenges for British society. With the role of the State still comparatively undeveloped, it fell to local leaders to mobilise support for the war effort in their communities.

This micro-history focuses on the city of Winchester before the introduction of conscription in January 1916 - the so-called ‘voluntary period’ - and examines the ways in which Wintonians demonstrated their patriotism, both on the home front and by volunteering for military service. This patriotism was fuelled by a strong conviction that Britain’s cause was moral and just. Middle and upper class leaders, such as city mayor Alfred Edmeades, urged Wintonians to back the war effort by ‘behaving appropriately’, encouraging them to support those who had volunteered to fight by making sacrifices themselves at home. The study also examines the high rates of military recruitment among Winchester men and suggests reasons why the city was so successful in attracting volunteers. The picture that emerges is of a city that was among the most proudly patriotic in Britain.

Hampshire Papers, Series 2, No 11 ISBN 978-0-907473-26-8

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Read the Hampshire Chronicles' report on HP No. 12 and HP No. 11 on Conscientious Objectors.