REMEMBRANCE: Unknown soldiers in display at museum

Rotherham Archives has prepared a case of pictures which were donated to the York and Lancaster Regimental Collection — with no details.

Staff are keen to know if any visitors will recognise the soldiers in the photos, and the display includes a mini poppy wave inspired by the 2014 cascade in London.

The poppies are in different colours, as there are three types in addition to the most commonly seen red.

Purple is in remembrance of animals, black in remembrance of the African, black and Caribbean communities’ contribution to the war effort, and white remembers those who died in conflict but with a focus to end war.

There will also be a cenotaph centenary display, looking at how the First World War changed how the nation commemorated our war dead.

It will feature a ceramic poppy from the London installations and a Shrouds of The Somme figurine dedicated to one of the Y&L soldiers who fell on the first day of the Somme.

On Remembrance Sunday itself, archives staff will have displays at the museum after the cenotaph service.

A film of the 5th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment leaving for the front will also be shown. This is the documentary version, for which Yorkshire Film Archive staff researched and located relatives of those in the footage.

A 5th Battalion book — Images of War Flanders 1915 by Jon Cooksey — will be available to view, featuring photos by Lt Henry Colver.

Lt Colver features in the footage of the departing soldiers — and would be killed just months later.

National campaign Explore Your Archives Week follows from November 26 to December 3, encouraging people to delve into local collections.

Rotherham Archives has chosen to continue with the Remembrance theme, and will profile some individuals involved in the war through an interactive archives experience.

Staff thanked the schools, individuals and community groups — especially Christine Bradley at MCVC — for their efforts in making poppies for the mini wave.