The first time that I've been to the Imperial War Museum for ages - so had not seen their World War 1 exhibition. There's interesting information on the Battle of Aubers Ridge in spring 1915 when Cornishman Thomas Penhorwood was killed - shot in the head. Penhorwood was one of the men who joined a brigade of St John's Ambulance men from Dolcoath Mine, led by Dr William Blackwood of Camborne.
The lack of shells available to British troops at Aubers Ridge provoked uproar in the press: Penhorwood was helping to transport the wounded to dressing stations and would not have had a weapon. But it is poignant to think that the army was in such a situation (particularly as so many munitions were being produced in Cornwall.
The main purpose of the visit was to look at a copy of the booklet on Cornwall's Land Army, published in 1920 by the Truro- based photographer A.W. Jordan. It's interesting to see all the names listed but disappointing not to see more of his photographs included. The photographs, held at the Royal Cornwall Museum, are a unique record of these women and WW1.
We'll be displaying them as part of Heart of Conflict later this year.
The lack of shells available to British troops at Aubers Ridge provoked uproar in the press: Penhorwood was helping to transport the wounded to dressing stations and would not have had a weapon. But it is poignant to think that the army was in such a situation (particularly as so many munitions were being produced in Cornwall.
The main purpose of the visit was to look at a copy of the booklet on Cornwall's Land Army, published in 1920 by the Truro- based photographer A.W. Jordan. It's interesting to see all the names listed but disappointing not to see more of his photographs included. The photographs, held at the Royal Cornwall Museum, are a unique record of these women and WW1.
