On 9 August 1914, as the first troops of the Expeditionary Force embarked for France, the Secretary of State for War, Lord Kitchener, sent the following message to the army. In much the same way that the US army issued Instructions to American Servicemen in Britain 1942, he believed it would encourage good relations with […]
Killed in Action: Died of Wounds
The circumstances of a casualty’s death make for an interesting category of inscription. Many of them manage to convey not only information but dignity and pathos too, despite their limited letter count. Some inscriptions simply use the phrase “Killed in action” or “Died of wounds”, the phrases of the official communiques. Officers’ next-of-kin received telegrams […]