World War One on the British home front: Site Contents

The First World War changed everyday life in Britain in ways that people had never experienced before. While millions of men were away fighting, those left behind had to cope with shortages, air raids, increasing military conscription, propaganda, hard work and constant anxiety for loved ones overseas. Ordinary life became part of the war effort.

The pages in this section of the website are about what the war felt like for ordinary people on the British home front between 1914 and 1918 — the women who filled men's jobs, the children sent to work in the fields, the families coping with fear of shortages and loss, and the excitement and relief when peace finally came. It is based on research and personal recollections and memories passed down through families, which bring the period to life in a way that official histories seldom do.

Scroll down for clickable links to individual pages on civilian life in the Great War.

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