Primary sources
World War I is a much more recent event and there are some people alive today who live trough the period. So historians can use much wider range of primary sources to get at the truth of this story. Examples of primary sources of World War I are:
• Private Donald Fraser’s journal
Private Donald Fraser served with Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War I. In this excerpt from his journal, he describes his first experience of life in trenches. The soldiers gave nicknames to many ‘landmarks’ in these enclosed quarters.
• Lance-Corporal Samuel Weingott’s diary
Lance-Corporal Samuel Weingott of Australia was part of the ANZAC force that fought in Gallipoli in 1915 and 1916. His last diary entries that are founded were written on 23rd May 1915 until 3rd June 1915. He died in action on 5th June 1915.
• A poem by Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Sassoon served as an officer in the British Army during World War I. He was saddened by the idea that the promise of youth was snuffed out by senseless death. This theme dominated Sassoon’s writing, both novels and poems, until his death in 1967.
• Letter from Ice. Cp. Alf Smith 1056 for his mother, 25th of February, 1914.
Ice. Cp. Smith
Royal Engineers
British Legation Guard
Peking, North China
25.2.14
Dear Mother
Just a line to answer to your letter of the 2nd Feb. Sorry to hear about Daddy/ Just shows you what a firm they are. I did not get that parcel yet, as I put it down to being lost. What date did you send it on. I get the paper regular. I go to Leintsin on 12th March to play football in the final of the North China Cup. As we are the Champions of Peking. We get a nice gold medal if we win so it is worth going for. And we go back to Hong Kong again in May. I am in the best of health, but that promotion is a long time coming out. Remember me to. Daddy and all at home. tell Fred Gillinham had hard lines. How is Mabel is sje still in London. Now I have told you all the news. So hoping you...