Oriel Ynys Môn would like to thank the following for their contribution towards the production of this booklet: Anglesey Archives The Dargie Family Maggie D. Lloyd Hugh Thomas Family Joan James Buddug Jones The Estate of Harry Hughes Williams Bara Brith a Menyn Cartref Children s activity booklet
The first World War started in 1914, and fighting continued for four years. At the start of the war Britain's army depended on volunteers. Step one: Cut out two 10cm x 10cm squares out of the red card. Step Two: Fold both squares in half and then in half again. To try and increase the numbers of men joining the army, recruitment posters were produced. Anglesey s children were encouraged to distribute posters throughout their villages. Step Three: Holding the folded square at the closed corner, mark out a half circle across the top corner, cut along the marked line. Repeat with the second square. Step Four: Holding the cut out petals together, carefully snip a small hole in the centre. Step Five: Thread the pipe cleaner through the hole and twist to hold in place. Turn the poppy over and glue the stem in place at the back.
Never Forget Fighting came to an end at 11 o clock on the 11th November 1918. This was the eleventh hour of the eleventh month. Every year on remembrance Sunday we remember the people who have lost their lives in all wars. Recruiting Use this page to design your own poster. Remember to make your poster colourful and exciting. The Red Poppy During the war, the fields of Flanders in France were churned up by the fighting. At the end of the conflict, the poppy was one of the only flowers to grow on this barren landscape. Because of this the poppy has become a symbol of our remembrance. Make a Red Poppy What you will need: 1 Sheet of red A4 card 1 Green pipe cleaner Pencil Scissors Glue Ruler Who is your poster aimed at? Will there be any writing on your poster?
Life in the trenches Trenches were dug into the land as a place for the soldiers to live and shelter from the enemy. Living conditions were very poor in the trenches, it was cold and wet and it often snowed in the Winter. When the sun was shining in the Summer it became very hot and uncomfortable for the men. It was very hard to keep the trenches clean under the difficult conditions. Rats lived amongst the men and lice lived in their clothes. It wasn t possible to have a bath or clean clothes which meant that diseases were everywhere. Hugh Thomas Hugh was a young soldier from Dothan, near Gwalchmai. He was married to Grace and they had three children and another on the way when he joined the war, In his letters, Hugh writes about being worried about Grace and the children back home all alone. His letters are very sad as he admits that he regrets enlisting. In every letter home, Hugh describes how much he misses his young children and how he longs to be back home to help raise them. He often feels as though he is losing his mind with longing and that he would do anything for one more kiss from his children. Sadly, Hugh never returned home. He lost his life in battle on the 9th January 1918. He was 30 years old. Why not ask your mum, dad, grandmother or grandfather or visit your local archives to discover your family s history in the Great War?
Soldiers from Anglesey In the exhibition Bara Brith a Menyn Cartref you will find the stories of Anglesey soldiers, told through their own words in letters home to their families and friends. Look around the exhibition and see if you can find the words of Hugh Thomas and Fred Dargie. Fred Dargie Fred, originally from Bangor, was already a member of the army before the war started. The letters to his girlfriend, Doris, describe life in a British military camp very well. When Fred was sent to fight in France in 1917, he describes how he felt spending Christmas in the trenches and how hard it was to write with the noise of the guns being fired all around. Fred and Doris had to arrange their wedding through letters, in the hope that Fred would be granted leave to come home to Beaumaris to marry Doris. Fred also learnt the news that his baby daughter had been born by a telegram to France. The soldiers had to eat canned food such as corned beef and baked beans. One of their main treats was receiving p parcels from their families. They often contained food and other items that reminded them of home. Trench Cake People would sometimes bake a fruit cake to send to the soldiers at the front. It was very hard to come by some of the ingredients. Notice from this original recipe that there are no eggs used. Why not ask an adult to help you bake your very own trench cake? Ingredients 1/2 lb Flour 3 oz. currents 4 oz. Margarine 2 Tea spoon of cocoa 1 Tea spoon of vinegar 1/2 Tea spoon of baking soda 1/4 Pint of milk Nutmeg 3 oz. Brown sugar Ginger Grated lemon rind Rub margarine into the flour before adding in the dry ingredients. Mix well. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk and vinegar then add to the mix. Add the well mixed batter to a greased tin. Bake in a moderate oven for about two hours.
Letters home 1 Food Tin It s hard for us to imagine how hard it must have been for the soldiers to keep in touch with family and friends. The only contact was through letter or telegram, with news often taking weeks to get through. 3 Helmet 4 Puddles 1 Gas Mask
A Page to Colour Whilst you colour the picture, try and find: 3 Rats 2 Rucksacks Imagine you are a soldier in the trenches on the battlefield. Use this postcard to write home. How about describing life in the trenches? Remember to include your feelings as you are far from home fighting for your country. What do you miss the most? What noises can you hear? What can you see from the trenches?
The Great War Word search Whilst looking around the exhibition, can you find these? Hugh Thomas and family Tegerin Hughes Can you find these words in the word search? Lion 1. SOLDIER 4. WAR 7. LETTER 2. MEMORIAL 5. RECRUITING 8. POSTER 3. FIGHTING 6. TRENCHES 9. POST CARD Death Medals Lloyd George