Remembering 1916 - World War One Exhibition

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by Angela Lord (subscribe)

Freelance writer specialising in arts, travel and entertainment news, previews, reviews and interviews.

Published November 8th 2016

Trench warfare and battles with the Red Baron

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Marking the centenary of the Battles of Verdun and the Somme, the exhibition Remembering 1916 – Life on the Western Front features reconstructions of the trenches, an Edwardian drawing room and rare World War One memorabilia.

Among hundreds of original items on display are British, French and German uniforms, equipment and weaponry, a German light field wagon, and two rare issues of The Wipers Times, a satirical newspaper published by British soldiers to keep their spirits up while in the trenches at Ypres in Belgium.

A specially commissioned painting by aviation artist Alex Hamilton depicts the German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, known as the Red Baron, swooping on a British fighter plane.
In the dogfight which followed, Captain Tom Rees was killed and the pilot, Second Lieutenant Lionel Morris, was injured and managed to land the damaged plane, but died later that day. Morris was a pupil at Whitgift School in Croydon, Surrey, where the exhibition is being held.

A replica silver cup, engraved with the name of the British aircraft and the date it was shot down, is on display at the exhibition, along with a piece of fabric from the red triplane, extracts from Morris's diary, and an original copy of the Red Baron's autobiography.

Von Richthofen, who earned his nickname due to his aristocratic background and the distinctive red triplane he flew, mentioned the battle in his autobiography, published in 1917, but his triumph was short-lived, as he was shot down and killed in April 1918, at the age of 25.

A display of poppies completes the exhibition, in memory of former school pupils and teachers who died during the war.

Remembering 1916 - Life on the Western Front runs until 16 April 2017 at the Whitgift Exhibition Centre, Whitgift School, Croydon.

Entry to the exhibition is free on 11 November only to mark Remembrance Day and special offer tickets are available on 12 and 13 November. Standard price at all other times - £8 for adults, £4 for children under 16 and £6 concessions. See website for further details and opening times.

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