Mortimer soldiers of World War I

As the first modern war, the Great War of 1914-1918 changed the course of history and laid waste to an entire generation. The crux of the war was fought on the Western Front, in the fields of France and Belgium. Advanced weaponry lead to a protracted stalemate of trench warfare, and a prolonged war of four years. At the start of the conflict, the British Army in Belgium was woefully ill equipped and under manned, and was forced to retreat by the German Army. The army began a recruitment drive and thousands of young men enlisted to fight the Germans. Trench warfare soon evolved, and caused terrible conditions. In an effort to break the deadlock, huge frontal assaults were launched into the face of stiff resistance, leading to horrendously high casualties. Few men who enlisted at the start of the war survived to the end. The war finally ended on Armistice Day, 11th November 1918, after a last gasp German attempt to rout the enemy had lead to their front line being weakened. By the time war ended, the UK forces had lost a total of 744,000 military personnel, meaning every household would have been effected by tragedy.

Mortimers from all around the world were involved in the conflict, hundreds fought in the First World War, and 227 Mortimer soldiers were killed in the conflict. The following resource is a complete list of all Mortimers who fought and died in the First World War, from Britain and all Commonwealth Countries, including India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.