Glasgow University's Great War: A Centenary Project
Background
Like most communities across the UK, our University sacrificed a significant proportion of its membership to the Great War, with 4,506 serving and 761 losing their lives. The university also served as a recruiting ground, via the Officer Training Corps, for young men who were not students, thus making the preparation for war their only experience of Gilmorehill. Women also played significant roles in the medical services and industries like munitions manufacture. It is obvious then that the Great War had a profound impact on the University and its people, and its contribution to the war effort is undoubtedly a subject worthy of study, especially given the forthcoming centenary.
Introducing the Great War Project (film)
Remembering our people
View the University of Glasgow Library’s Flickr set Remembering our people to see how current students, staff and volunteers are engaging with the University’s past.
The Project
The first memorial for those from the University community who served and sacrificed during the Great War was the Memorial Chapel, built in the 1920s, on the interior walls of which are inscribed the names of the 761 alumni and staff who died in that conflict. In 2005 the University Archives put this Roll of the Fallen online along with the names of nearly 4000 more men and women who served and survived. The Roll includes just 300 biographies rather than just names. Given the scale of the sacrifice it would seem essential that further research be undertaken to remember more of our predecessors as individuals (see the University's First World War Roll of Honour and World War One Commemoration).
Whatever the nature of the University’s remembrance during 2014-2018 it is clear that the Roll of Honour will take centre stage. Although 2014 is currently the focus for events across the UK, this project will seek to mark the centenary over four years. However, given that this application is for a one year grant, the project must have the capacity to provide outcomes by the end of 2014 and have in place a legacy which will allow continuation to 2018, even if no further grant funding is forthcoming. The major objectives for 2014 are:
- Assessing the resource and developing research strategies
- Mapping the war
- Tweeting the war
- University Women and War
- The Medics
- Medal Winners
Follow the project on Twitter @GlasgowUniWW1 to keep up-to-date on special events and on-going research.
This project is generously supported by the Chancellor's Fund.
LATEST: See the Great War Project Report as of 1 October 2014.
Contact Information
Please address all enquiries in the first instance to Dr Jennifer Novotny (Research Assistant - History).
Principal Investigator: Dr Tony Pollard (Senior Lecturer in History/Battlefield Archaeology).