Remembrance

The Royal Artillery Memorial, Hyde Park Corner, London, 1925

Featured

Honouring the fallen

After the First World War, British society had to come to terms with the loss of huge numbers of its service personnel. Across the country, people found ways to commemorate the fallen at a local and national level.

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Explore Remembrance stories

With deepest sympathies

Among the most poignant items in the Museum’s archive are letters relating to soldiers’ deaths. Here, we showcase some particularly moving examples, revealing the insights behind the powerful stories they tell.

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Bullet extracted from Alfred Smith's lung in 1940

The curious story of Alfred Smith

A chance discovery by a curator’s brother-in-law lifted the lid on a surprising story of service that now features in our refreshed Soldier gallery.

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Honouring the fallen

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War Widows Association

Today, the UK government makes financial provision for the spouses and partners of soldiers who have died in the line of duty. But this has not always been the case, and there have been a number of changes along the way.

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The coffin of the Unknown Warrior borne in a wagon with a guard of Allied soldiers, 10 November 1920

The Unknown Warrior: A mystery solved

The grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the remains of an unidentified British serviceman, interred in 1920 to honour the fallen of the First World War. The secretive selection process remains shrouded in mystery.

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Peace and commemoration

After the Armistice in November 1918, millions of soldiers hoped they would soon go home. But demobilising so many troops was a huge task. How best to mark the Allied victory also became a subject for debate.

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Scottish poppy blooms again

Artificial poppies were first sold in Britain in 1921 and have since become one of the main symbols of Remembrance. This Scottish poppy dates from the early days of the Poppy Appeal.

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Explore Remembrance events

Primary (virtual)

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Poppies to remember? (virtual)

Discover some of the stories of Remembrance held by the Museum, the evolution of the poppy as a symbol, and how it is used today.

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School children taking part in a Remembrance workshop

Primary workshop

1 June 2024 - 18 July 2025

FREE

Poppies to remember?

Discover some of the stories of Remembrance held by the Museum, the evolution of the poppy as a symbol, and how it is used today.

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'Making Sense of the Great War' book cover

Talk At Museum / Online

7 February 2025, 12.00pm

FREE

Making Sense of the Great War: Crisis, Englishness and Morale

Dr Alex Mayhew discusses the ways that ordinary soldiers on the Western Front viewed the First World War and their place within the conflict.

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‘Souvenir of the Great War’, embroidered postcard, c1917

Talk At Museum / Online

7 March 2025, 12.00pm

FREE

Veterans, Families, Museums and Mementos

Dr Ann-Marie Foster will discuss the relationships between museums, their objects and war.

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Talk At Museum / Online

28 March 2025, 12.00pm

FREE

Burying the Enemy

Join Professor Tim Grady as he shares some poignant examples of British and German communities burying the war dead of their enemy during times of conflict.

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Course At Museum

1 - 2 November 2025, 10.00am

£100.00

Embroidery Course: Poppies

Elevate your embroidery skills on this two-day course inspired by the Museum’s collection and led by experts from Hand & Lock, London’s premier embroidery house.

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Explore Remembrance learning resources

Soldiers of the British West Indies Regiment, France, 1916

Timeline

KS3-KS4 (Ages 11 to 16)

West Indian Soldier: Interactive Timeline

Explore the history of Caribbean people in the British Army, and of the British Army in the Caribbean, through an interactive timeline.

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Women of the West Indies Auxiliary Territorial Service, c1944

Video

KS3-KS4 (Ages 11 to 16)

Virtual Exhibition: West Indian Soldier

Explore the history of Caribbean people in the British Army, and of the British Army in the Caribbean, through this virtual tour of the West Indian Soldier exhibition.

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