Casualties

658,000 British soldiers lost their lives in the war. Sometimes this was very sudden, as for Private Perry.

The photograph shows men of 6DLI in a trench at Potijze, Belgium, on 24 May 1915. Most of the men are keeping their heads down, although one is trying to look over the top of the trench and Private Perry is eating a cream cracker. The men were waiting to counter attack, but the order for the attack was cancelled at midday.

The soldiers marched back towards Ypres, but Private Perry and Sergeant Hunter were hit by a shell and killed. They were buried in a grave in Potijze Wood, with a makeshift cross and snowdrops. Perry and Hunter were later moved to the Birr Cross Roads Cemetery, near Ypres which opened in 1917, and were placed in the same grave.

When men were killed or wounded it was their commanding officer’s duty to inform their relatives, although sergeants often sent a letter of condolence as well. This personal letter was then followed by the official army letter a few weeks later. Private Martin O'Donnell from Sunderland was 'shot through the head … by a sniper' on 26 February 1916 in France. In this letter, Sergeants Brammer and Halpin reassure O'Donnell's widow that:

The contrast between this letter and the formal official letter reporting that O'Donnell's death 'occurred at a place in France' is dramatic.

See a full transcript of Sergeants Brammer and Halpin's letter.

See a full transcript of the official letter

Where men had no known grave their names were inscribed on a war memorial. O'Donnell is included on the Menin Gate near Ypres, along with over 54,000 other Commonwealth soldiers. Every night at 8.00pm traffic is still stopped outside the gate and the Last Post played.

The band in the photograph is the 1st Cadet Battalion The Durham Light Infantry. It was taken on 24 June 1929.

As families could not attend funerals for soldiers included on memorials or buried abroad, memorial services were held in churches at home. A requiem was held at St Joseph’s, Millfield, Sunderland, on 28 November 1918 'for the Souls of all those from this Parish who have fallen during the war', including Private O'Donnell.

Some families chose to have cards printed announcing the deaths of their loved ones. Private Thomas Longthorn of Westerton died on 14 July 1918 and was buried at Nine Elms British Cemetery at Poperinge, Belgium. Many cards included patriotic poems and phrases, and some had a photograph of the soldier in his uniform.

Death Pennies were bronze memorial plaques given to the next of kin of servicemen and women killed in the war. Each had the soldier or servicewoman’s name engraved on it. Examples can be seen at the DLI Museum.