The exhibition reveals the stories of four young Shetlanders who fought in World War One
Marking the 90th anniversary of the end of World War One, a new display at the Shetland Museum and Archives highlights the collective sense of loss felt by the island following the First World War.
Centred on the experiences of men from three families, including Robert and Thomas Johnston, a pair of brothers who were enlisted while underage, the personal quality of the exhibits brings the fate of the 617 Shetland soldiers who lost their lives into sharp focus.
“It’s a little community, Shetland, and having very finite boundaries made the impact of World War One on the island disproportionately large,” explains Ian Tait, Curator of Collections at the museum. “It’s quite a melancholy display but it’s been well received because of the nature of the items. This is the first time we’ve assembled them all in one place.”
Letters from Laurence Thomson to his mother and sister, which are still in superb condition, illustrate his strong family ties, and the official notification of his death received by his mother is available for viewing.
Items belonging to Karl Manson, including an embroidered signet ring from the 1917 Battle Of Arras and the hat he was wearing when he died, were returned to his family by a friend who recognised his body on the battlefield.
Artefacts at the exhibition include items worn by one of the soldiers on the battlefield (above)
“He’d seen these things and removed the hat and bits and pieces and had them sent home,” says Tait, who has been contacted by several relatives of the men during the course of the show. The grandson of the man who found Manson’s body has been among the visitors. “That was particularly evocative for him,” observes Tait. “I think he felt it was quite a sobering thing to see these pieces in reality.
“He wasn’t shocked, because whether we like it or not it is 90 years beyond the event, but nevertheless it was a very poignant feeling for him.”
Jenny Murray, Collections Assistant at the museum, said: “I felt it was important to focus on the families when curating this exhibition. It’s easy to forget that behind the facts and figures that surround World War One were people like us. These were young men who lost their lives in service to their country; they all had families who loved and grieved for them.”
The display is outside the archives searchroom until the end of the year.
