The First World War and Armistice Day

The destruction had been on a colossal scale – a generation decimated as the human race teetered and then retreated from the edge of total annihilation.

Then, on November 11, 1918, after more than four years of horrific combat and the loss of millions of lives, the guns on the Western Front fell silent.

In spite of continued fighting elsewhere, the armistice between Germany and the Allies marked the beginning of the end of the First World War.

Peace had returned and Hampshire and Dorset celebrated and gave thanks for victory.

The counties and their people had played a valiant role throughout those terrible times. Local people had responded magnificently. They contributed to welfare funds, volunteered to help wounded soldiers, and took youngsters into their homes.

Everyone did “their bit” for the war effort and no one shirked their responsibility. Not a Hampshire or Dorset hamlet, village, town or city had escaped paying a terrible price as local families grieved for husbands, sons and brothers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the trenches of the Great War.

A crowd gathered outside the Daily Echo's Bournemouth offices to hear the news about the Armistice read by general manager HJ Cheverton.

The Bishop of Winchester led a hastily assembled civic procession to the Square for a thanksgiving service.

In 1914, Bournemouth had been celebrating the centenary of its founding by Lewis Tregonwell, but by the August Bank holiday, crowds on the seafront started to lessen as the threat of war grew stronger.

By August 14 1914 no person of German nationality was allowed to remain without a permit from the police, resulting in the exclusion of around 1,300 residents who had built a life for themselves in the coastal town.

The Home Office asked seaside resorts like Bournemouth to provide accommodation for injured or ill soldiers. A quick response was given by the town, with beds being provided at the Royal Victoria and West Hants Hospitals in Boscombe.

By winter, the hospitals would be preparing to care for an extra 10,000 or more Territorial soldiers.

Boscombe Beach was equipped with deckchairs for recovering soldiers, and Bournemouth Pier had a canteen that served 2,000 teas in its first 10 days of operation.

When 1915 arrived, so did the blackout.

All lights running along the coast from Littlehampton to Portland Bill were to be completely extinguished during the hours of darkness.

By April, the Undercliff Drive and the cliffs had no lights. A shaded top was even installed on the trams, to prevent Zeppelins from bombing the town - though no Zeppelins ever came close to the town.

By 1916, between 2,000 and 3,000 soldiers had been stationed to areas such as Southbourne, Westbourne and Pokesdown.

They were trained for trenching, firing, stabling and drill purposes.

It was around this time that Bournemouth was declared one of the more desirable places to live in Britain. The first meeting of the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade saw the mayor pointing out the town had but one main industry - tourism.

A shortage of food in the area and across the country hit in 1917.

The Bournemouth Echo dated December 20 included an advertisement from the Butchers’ Association, who stated that “it will be impossible for them to guarantee anything like the usual supply to their customers after Christmas”.

But the end of the war in 1918 left Bournemouth with a feeling of well-being and things for the town were on the up.

The long-awaited Bournemouth School for Girls was opened and The Municipal College started classes to aid disabled ex-soldiers.

The Bournemouth Guardian’s December edition ended with the words: “From all appearances this is a Christmas more after the old fashion than for many years...the national spirit seems to be recovering its buoyancy”.

And that “bouyancy” can be witnessed in these pictures from the time.