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What was the Imperial War Cabinet?

Introduction The Imperial War Cabinet (IWC) was the British Empire’s wartime coordinating body. It met over three sessions, the first from 20 March to 02 May 1917, the second from 11 June to late July 1918, and the third from 20 or 25 November 1918 to early January 1919. Consisting of representatives from Canada, Australia,… Read More

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What was the Imperial War Conference (1917)?

Introduction The Imperial War Cabinet existed concurrently with Imperial Conferences (or “Imperial War Conferences”), which were held from 21 March to 27 April 1917 and from 12 June to 26 July 1918. Background In April 1917, the conference passed Resolution IX, which resolved that a conference was to be held after the war in order… Read More

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What is the Mortuary Affairs Service (US)?

Introduction Mortuary Affairs is a service within the United States Army Quartermaster Corps tasked with the retrieval, identification, transportation, and burial of deceased American and American-allied military personnel. The Air Force has a similar facility at Dover AFB in Delaware. Until 1991, the army’s mortuary affairs was known as the Graves Registration Service (GRS or… Read More

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What is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission?

Introduction The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died during World War I and World War II. The commission is also responsible for commemorating… Read More

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What was the Darby Scheme (1915)?

Introduction The Derby Scheme was introduced during World War I in Britain in the autumn of 1915 by Herbert Kitchener’s new Director General of Recruiting, Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby (1865-1948) after which it was named. The war was lasting longer than had been anticipated and the British military required more recruits; ‘Derby’s scheme’… Read More

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What was the Conscription Crisis of 1918?

Introduction The Conscription Crisis of 1918 stemmed from a move by the British government to impose conscription (military draft) in Ireland in April 1918 during the First World War. Vigorous opposition was led by trade unions, Irish nationalist parties and Roman Catholic bishops and priests. A conscription law was passed but was never put in… Read More