Real Lives: Henry Allingham and the First World War
Historian feature
Henry Allingham and the First World War: a conflict in which the efforts of every man made a difference
Our series ‘Real Lives’ seeks to put the story of the ordinary person into our great historical narrative. We are all part of the rich fabric of the communities in which we live and we are affected to greater and lesser degrees by the big events that happen on a daily basis. Sometimes we might even play a part in the big events, although our names are not recorded, while on other occasions we are witnesses to events and times which we would now consider remarkable. Sometimes our regular lives are the perfect illustration of how people live at any given time – but all our lives matter and we want to celebrate some of those lives here. If you have any people that you think might also fit this category and would like to write about them, please do contact: martin.hoare@history.org.uk
Around six million men and women served in the British Armed Forces over the course of the First World War. Around three million more soldiers came from countries that were part of the British Empire. Asim Shah explains how one man’s experience shows why every contribution to the war effort mattered.
To live to 113 is an impressive achievement. However, to have done that having fought in a world war is quite remarkable. Henry Allingham was born on 6 June 1896, 18 years before the First World War began. Fourteen months after his birth, his father died. In 1905, his mother remarried and a couple of years later the family moved to Clapham in South London. Henry would later recall seeing the City Imperial Volunteers return from the Second Boer War while he was attending the Regent Street Polytechnic...
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