The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum needs YOUR First World War Memories

15 October 2013

From July 2014, the Herbert will be marking the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War by staging an exhibition about the experiences of Coventry people during the conflict.

The exhibition will include fascinating objects and archive material from the Herbert's collections but we are also appealing for the public to contribute objects, photographs and stories relating to Coventry people's experiences in the First World War. They can relate to men and women who served in the armed forces, who worked in the munitions factories at home, or who simply lived through these times.

The exhibition will be split into three main sections; On Active Service, the Home Front and Lest We Forget. On Active Service will explore personal experiences of combat, life in the trenches, the impact of wounds and loss of comrades. The Home Front looks at war production in Coventry, the role of women, people moving to the city for work, refugees from Belgium, and rationing and food shortages. Lest We Forget reflects on how those who were killed were commemorated, including the founding of the War Memorial Park. It will also look at the location of war memorials around the city.

If you have medals, photos, letters, stories or anything else from ancestors who lived during the First World War, we would very much like to hear from you.

If you would like to donate to the exhibition, please contact: Martin Roberts on 024 7629 4753 or Huw Jones at 024 7629 4758.