Western Front Association
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| Motto | Remembering |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1980 |
| Legal status | Registered Charity |
| Website | www.westernfrontassociation.com |
The Western Front Association (WFA) was inaugurated on 11 November 1980, in order to further interest in The Great War of 1914-1918. The WFA aims to perpetuate the memory, courage and comradeship of all those who fought on all sides and who served their countries during The Great War. The Western Front Association does not seek to justify or glorify war. It is not a re-enactment society, nor is it commercially motivated. It is entirely non-political. The object of the Association is to educate the public in the history of The Great War with particular reference to the Western Front.
The WFA was established by military historian John Giles, who enlisted the help of John Terraine, who had co-written the landmark television series The Great War, which was first broadcast in 1964. Giles was driven to form The Western Front Association as a result of the creation of such groups as 'The Gallipoli Association' which had been established in 1969, and - in the early 1970s - the 'Waterloo Association' which had been set up to save the old battlefield. It was in this context, over the following years, that John Giles developed the idea for an association on the First World War with its emphasis on the Western Front. It would be, John Giles was clear, "The Western Front" and not, in his words about "Salonica or Naval battles" - the definitive article 'The' was also stipulated. And thus in November 1980 The Western Front Association was established.
Since its foundation the WFA has grown over the years to in excess of 6,000 members worldwide. There are around 60 branches in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The WFA is a UK registered charity, numbered 298365.
The website of the Western Front Association contains articles on The Great War. One of the sections of the website is a "For Schools" section which has educational resources for teachers and students.
With nearly sixty branches worldwide, including fifty in the UK and Ireland, the association has a representation in most counties in the UK and in most of 'main combatant' countries which took part in the Great War. Membership of the WFA is not a requisite to attend branch meetings, which are open to the public. There are no formal charges for attending these meetings, but a donation on the door is usually requested, this is typically between £3 and £5. Most branches hold an event at least once a month, so there are between 500 and 600 meetings up and down the UK every year in which an aspect of the Great War is discussed. The number of branches being formed is increasing.
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