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BEYOND FLANDERS FIELDS: SOURCES IN THE ARCHIVES

QMUL alongside UCL are hosting the conference 'Beyond Flanders Fields: The Great War in Belgium and the Netherlands' from Saturday 4th June - Sunday 5th June.
Published:
Black white photograph of a family grouping from the Grenfell family collection

This conference explores the First World War in Belgium and the Netherlands and papers will be presented including Belgian refugees in Britain during the First World War.

Resources relating to the experiences of Belgian refugees in the war are available in the Archives.  

The Grenfell family collection includes a photograph album containing poems and sketches depicting war scenes and Belgian refugees by various Belgian artists, 1915. The Lyttelton family collection contains some interesting insights into the work and friendships of Katherine Lyttelton during the First World War, who endeavoured to help Belgian refugees in England.

The Grenfell family collection hold other papers relating to the First World War such as letters exchanged between family members, which give an insight into life on the home front and the front line. A highlight of this collection are the diary entries and letters of the twin brothers Francis Grenfell and Riversdale Grenfell, both of whom fought and died in the First World War, 1914-1918. The papers also include Arthur Grenfell’s war reports and memorandums, 1916-1919, and military accounts and despatches from the 9th Lancers, 1914-1915.

Other resources for the study of the First World War are available on The Meanings of Military Service website. It features documents from Queen Mary University of London Archives and the archives of St Bartholomew’s Hospital and the Royal London Hospital. An online gallery and downloadable teaching materials are available on themes relating to the home front, front line and medicine.

For more information on the Archives collections and details of how to access them please see the Arranging Your Visit page or email:archives@qmul.ac.uk. To find out more about the Beyond Flanders Fields conference including how to register and a list of accepted abstracts please visit the event web page.

 

 

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