Document of the month

Winchester's War Service Register

The Register was intended to be a record of all the men living in Winchester who served in World War 1 in any branch of the armed forces from the declaration of war to the signing of the armistice. The material for it had all been collected shortly after the signature of peace but the high cost of publication threatened its production until 1921 when it was published with the support of the Winchester War Memorial Committee.

The illustrated page includes the entry for the man who edited the register, Alfred Cecil Piper. It shows that he was a rifleman with the Rifle Brigade. Mr Piper also held the post of Winchester City Librarian from 1914 to 1921. A cross next to a name indicates those who were killed or died during the war.

The Winchester War Service Register is similar in scope to the National Roll of Honour, compiled by the National Publishing Company. The intention was to publish a brief biography of as many participants in World War I as possible but the company ceased trading after completing fourteen volumes (including volumes for Southampton and Portsmouth).