WW1 Lives: Coping with War Artefacts
Artefacts on display in the museum
The following is a selection of items that are on display in the "World War 1 Lives" exhibition in the Fusilier Museum, Warwick. These relate to the theme of "Coping with War".
Bruce Bairnsfather original drawing 'Where did that one go?'
Published in Fragments from France. Bairnsfather was an officer in the Royal Warwicks and created the character OLD BILL. His humorous sketches of life in the trenches were publish in the Bystander magazine under the title Fragments from France. As these cartoons became more popular postcards, pottery, jigsaws & books were produced for sale

A Kodak envelope with photographs
A Kodak envelope with photos of Officers from different regiments as indicated by their cap badges.

A WW1 watch
A WW1 watch inscribed on the back: 'the best of luck to a jolly good pal from three fellow NCOs' 'the 1st Volunteer Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment C Company' 'June 13th 1917'. Unfortunately, there is no name.

Newspaper cutting
Private (William) Tapp photographed in the trench he has so gallantly helped to defend. He is a keen Birmingham F.C. supporter and has tipped them for promotion. His forecast, however, has caused a lot of argument in the trenches.'

Postcard
Officers from different regiments at a training school. F.J. Bull of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment Teritorials is seated in the middle of the front row. Each officer has been identified by name.

Rum jar
1 gallon Stone ware WW1 Rum jar - stamped with SRD = Supply Reserve Depot. In Soldier's slang 'Seldom reaches destination' or 'soon runs dry' 1 gallon contained enough daily ration for 64 men each received 2.5 fluid ounces.

Christmas 1914 gift box
Princess Mary Christmas 1914 gift box contained packet of tobacco and a packet of cigarettes. Written on inside of lid: 'Major G.N.B. Forster, 2nd Royal Warwickshire Regt. 22nd Infantry Brigade, VIII Division, B.E.F. ' Forster served with the 2nd Bn from 1911 until he was severely wounded outside Ypres on 19th October 1914. Forster joined the 1st Bn in 1893 (fought in Sudan campaign and Boer War). Promoted to Colonel and Commander of 42nd Brigade, died at Beaumont near Amiens on the 4th April 1918.

Pipe from gift box
Pipe (from Princess Mary box,Christmas 1914) belonging to Frank Rouse. Marked LUJO.

Silver cigarette case
Silver cigarette case engraved 'Le Cateau' August 26 1914 belonging to Private W. Reading, 1st Battalion RWR From his company commander Maj. P.E. Besant. Belived that the Major was wounded and Reading remained with him and that they were both captured. Given to Reading after the war as thanks

Cigarette lighter
Silver Cigarette lighter belonging to 1595 Sergeant Hopley, 8th Bn, RWR. Inscribed 'captured Neuve Chapelle 27 June 1916'

Tea Caddy
This tin tea caddy depicts the portraits of Lord Kitchener on the lid Sir John French & Admiral Jellicoe on the front & back It also has images of a nurse, a cavalry charge, a boy scout & battleships. This Patriotic caddy contained tea leaves & was probably produced at the beginning of the war 1914 when Jingoism was at its height. Items like this were bought by members of the public & sent to the troops fighting overseas

Pack up your troubles & smile
Smile, smile became a soldiers favourite marching song in 1915.The first line of the song is very direct and familiar to people because it mentions a kit bag - every soldier in the country would have had a kit bag. The second line is about a Lucifer, which is a match which they would have used to light their cigarettes, so these are words that any regular Tommy would immediately connect with." The writers were the music hall stars George & Felix Powell & entered the tune into a contest to find a marching song for the troops – and won. They were amused & delighted to hear thousands of troops singing it en route for the docks.

Bamforth 'Song Series' Postcards
Three postcard set with lyrics for 'Here's a Long, Long, Trail. Bamforth 'Song Series' Postcards usually featured a popular sentimental song or hymn and a scene depicting a soldier missing a loved one – either his sweetheart or mother. Featuring live models Over 600 sets were mass produced.

Matchbox protector
This is a trench art matchbox protector used by a British soldier during WW1. These brass covers were either made by the troops themselves from scrap brass (old artillery shells being used) or by enterprising French civilians who sold them to soldiers to decorate as they wished.
Many soldiers stored their matchboxes in brass or copper covers so they wouldn’t get wet or wouldn’t be crushed in a pocket. This cover bears the soldiers name, number, Regiment & company. It also has the names of Armentieres, Vimy, Somme, Ypres, & Cambrai. These could possibly be the places this soldier had seen action.

German match box cover
This is a German match box cover. It has a brass copy of a German Iron Cross medal with the name Riems engraved in a copper scroll. The soldier who first owned this may have actually won an Iron cross during one of the many battles for Reims & he carried it as a keepsake sending the original home to his family.
An Interesting footnote to these items is the popular superstition that it is bad luck to light three cigarettes from one match. This is supposed to have originated during the Great War when an enemy sniper would be alerted to a target’s location as the first cigarette is lit, ready his rifle and adjust range for the second before taking aim and firing at the third.

Trench art shell casing
Shell casing from an 18 pounder shell which shows evidence from the stamps of having been reused several times.re-used including in June 1917 in a french factory. Reworked into a flower vase. It references the french town of Cambrai which was under German occupation right through to the end of the war and also Caudry which was a town nearby. This piece was possibly made at the end of the war to mark the liberation of these towns.

Embroidered postcards
The embroidered postcards were very popular in WW1 With British soldiers who often sent them home. The hand embroidery is thought to have been carried out in domestic houses by civilians in France and Belgium and in the UK by Belgian refugees The designs were repeatedly embroidered on rolls of silk. These were then sent to the cities for cutting up, final assembly and distribution. They were sold in thin paper envelopes but were seldom sent through the post in them, they were too fragile Usually they were mailed with letters and for this reason they are often unwritten having no postal marks or messages However there are some that do have messages & sentiments written on the back.
