mosaic of portraits
Advanced
Filters
Type

Discover their stories... Remember their lives.

Discover their stories... Remember their lives.

Throughout the centenary period IWM has worked with the public to commemorate millions of men and women from across the Commonwealth who took part in the First World War.

Profile picture for Howard Volins Bartlett
  
Two soldiers with water up to their ankles in a trench
Life Stories
Life Stories contain information about an individual, and can include facts, anecdotes and images.
A group photo
Communities
Communities connect First World War stories that have something in common - from names on a local war memorial, to members of the same family. Browse more than 8,000 Communities that have been created by members of the public.
Soldiers marching
About
Find out more about this innovative digital project.

Featured Lives

photo of school event
For schools
Teach war themes using evidence based historical enquiry and real Life Stories.
research photo
For researchers
Get tips on tracing your family history.
soldiers in a group photo
FAQs
Discover more about Lives of the First World War.

This collection provides the details of more than 16,500 individuals who refused conscription to the British armed services during the First World War on grounds of conscience - known as ‘Conscientious Objectors’. We are grateful to Cyril Pearce, former Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds, for the kind donation of this data. Compiled over 20 years, the database delivers a great variety of facts and events about the lives of British conscientious objectors from WW1.

The Military Service Act 1916 - Call to enlist poster

Exploring lives

Life Stories contain information about an individual, and can include facts, anecdotes and images.  Search for an individual by name or keyword e.g. regiment or service number.

Statistics about the data of Lives of the First World War