Portal:Newspapers and Journals
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Introduction It is unknown how much was written about the Border Regiment during the war, suffice to say the press would have been eager to keep the local population informed of the action overseas. A great deal can be learned from reading these articles, especially if coming across uncharted territory. Throughout the First World War local and national newspapers were buzzing with stories from the front line, reporting on the happenings overseas, good or bad. On many occasions the news brought a shocking blow to the morale but there were also times of celebration, all be it if only for short periods of time. One such minor occasion, a celebration amongst the Lonsdale Battalion, was the delivery of a football the Chaplain had asked for to help with morale. In response, writing on the 3rd January 1916, Rev. J. W. Crosse replied with the following:
On the other hand propaganda and censorship was rife but also played a powerful role. What the military allowed and what the journalists thought you were able to digest were, in many instances, different things. Yet advertisements, films and the daily reports that portrayed the Tommies as 'brave' and 'heroic' whilst the enemy as evil and cold-blooded, was something all too common. But the news wasn't just about what was happening overseas it was also about how the effects of the war had hit a struggling nation on the home front, mourning the loss of so many men where, in small towns and villages, the loss of a generation was more apparent as time went on. Many of the articles here are short whilst some are quite lengthy. Most are from the First World war period but there are also articles pre and post war, up to and including more recent years. They do provide, in their own unique way, an insight to what was happening in the trenches, the battlefields, the hospitals and also at home. Some stories are almost comical in nature, whilst some are descriptive and some heartfelt.
Newspapers ProjectThere are several Cumberland and Westmorland newspapers (including present day Cumbrian newspapers) that tell the stories of the men of the Border Regiment. In recent years, however, the articles tend to provide us of reminders of bygone times and more often than not, tributes of those who served over 90 years ago. Our aim is to bring together as many newspaper articles as possible relating to the Border Regiment in general and the men who served in her battalions throughout her history.
References / notes
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Newspaper Index
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