The events of November 1917
With reports from Germany that they were willing to enter peace negotiations and growing war weariness at home, along with a
high casualty toll from recent fighting, there was a concerted effort by government, supported at a local level to persuade people
that it was their patriotic duty to keep supporting the war.
Locally, sermons were preached and the War Aims Committee held a number of meetings to rally people behind the war,
meetings that had some of the emotional atmosphere of the recruiting ampaigns early in the war. The Shipley Times & Express gave
full support to the effort, happy to label those who disagreed as ‘peace cranks.’
All this was against a background of an increasing toll of casualties at the front with the paper carrying yet more galleries of
photos of men who had been wounded or made the ultimate sacrifice. And, of course, there were also stories of heroism, rewarded
with medals. And already there was concern about how to deal with those who had lost limbs, been blinded or were suffering
from shell shock.
Thoughts were also turning to what would need to be done when the war finally did finish, especially in terms of getting the men
back to work and proiding them with housing. And some were considering how the role of women, who had become more
empowered during the war, would play out.
Part of the war weariness at home was down to the fact that people were struggling to make ends meet and to be able to afford the
daily necessities of life, a problem being tackled by local food committees who had power to force retailers to frix prices at an
affordable level.
The links here will take you to pages containing stories published exactly 100 years before. The headlines shown are only a taste of
the stories that appear on that page.
2 November 1917
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- How Ypres battle saved the Empire
- Honour the fallen but no time for wobbling
- Cllr urges better lighting on trams
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Nurse’s war work acknowledged
- Half a crown for eggs week
- Vital plans for working-class housing
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Mud & danger but concerns are for home
- Soldier killed with brother close by
- Local warriors in hospital
- Medals for local heroes
- Veteran soldier lent to another regiment
- Emigre killed fighting for the old country
9 November 1917
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Heading for industrial sex war?
- Church must prepare for troops’ return
- Committee to help TB sufferers
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Bell ringers’ traditional November 5
- Women working as commercial travellers
- Brave vicar seeks church unity
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Killed after re-joining the army
- Hell in the heat of Africa
- Soldier dies two years after gassing
- Vivid report from Passchendaele trenches
- News of medal arrives too late
- Valley Street warriors
16 November 1917
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Old man’s struggle results in his death
- PR - are MPs dull or devious?
- The story of Wrose Elm Tree
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Inquest into death of 7-year-old scholar
- Labour honours first magistrate
- Women must sieze the opportunity
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- New view after seeing the front line
- Over-age volunteer KIA
- Military Medal for Baildon soldier
23 November 1917
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- War Aims committee spread the word
- Bid to help discharged servicemen
- Nurses’ war work recognised
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Should women smoke?
- Old Xmas favourite better than ever
- Miner killed in roof collapse
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Frontiersmen battle disease and the enemy
- Handicrafts might help shell-shock victims
- Shipley painter KIA
30 November 1917
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Passionate War Aims meeting
- Five bob each for soldiers at Xmas
- Appointment to tackle food shortages
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Linguist too valuable to avoid call up
- League president re-elected for 10th time
- Proud record of ambulancemen
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- KIA afer returning to the fight
- A patriotic family
- Killed just before he was due home