The events of December 1918
Armistice may have been declared but the repercussions of the war would continue for some time to come. Week by week the
newspaper continued to publish the stories of the men who had been killed, wounded or been awarded medals.
Now there were also reports of men returning to civilian life, trying to get their lives back to how they had been pre-war and
especially many accounts from men who had made it home having been prisoners of war. And some of the Belgian refugees who
had taken shelter locally were starting to go home.
Christmas was a time of mixed emotions - the relief that at last war was over, the joy of having a loved one home again but, in
many households, the sadness of the vacant chair at the Christmas dinner table.
The end of the war was also bringing headaches for officials. With so many wounded men needing care, the medical resources
were stretched and a number of civilians were having to wait for treatment.
Talk was also turning to what form should a memorial take, honouring those men who never came home.
On the home front the biggest talking point was the general election. The Conservatives and Liberals put forward a coalition
candidate in Norman Rae to try and stop the challenge of Labour’s Tom Snowden. The debate got heated when some on the
coalition side used the fact that Snowden’s son was a Conscientious Objector as part of the campaign.
Flu was still taking lives and there were still food shortages with the inevitable result that some people couldn’t resist profiteering.
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.
6 December 1918
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Election coalition to keep out pacifists
- Mills open for public to see decorations
- Mother’s suicide after soldier son’s death
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- More people fall victim to flu epidemic
- Husband guilty of assault and desertion
- Extra sugar ration for Christmas
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Family receive dead son’s medal
- Sad news follows fit and well letter
- Family lose third son to the war
13 December 1918
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Election candidate’s son used against him
- Many reasons why women should vote
- Isabel Salt switches party
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Committee tackle medical shortags
- Three hurt as horse bolts to Bradford
- John Masefield lectures in Shipley
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Prisoners of war repatriated
- Shipley medal hero back in his shop
- Holiday maker who spent whole war in gaol
20 December 1918
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- More women vote in election than men
- Shipley faces electricity and gas crisis
- Nurse sets sail for Cairo
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Mechanic on record flight
- Crowds flock to mill victory decorations
- Soldiers presented with medals
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- PoW makes it home after tricky escape
- Soldier who faced down a revolver
- Starved, abused and kept in a cage
27 December 1918
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- A busy Christmas across the district
- Action needed to stop profiteering on food
- Ready for the election count
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Planning for war memorials
- Medal for rescuing boy from River Aire
- Sad plight of returning Belgian refugees
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Prisoners of War tell their stories
- A widow’s sacrifice
- Government must sort out demobilisation
