The civil service in the First World War

The First World War affected every sector of society, as the
nation's resources were harnessed for the war effort. Like other
employers, the civil service lost staff to the armed forces and
had to replace them while they were away. It also had to deal
with a greatly increased workload during wartime. Records in The
National Archives describe how civil servants coped with these
conditions: an eye-witness account of a Zeppelin raid, sugar
ration coupons, and details of a scheme for gathering conkers are
just some of the documents used to build a picture of the role of
the civil service in wartime.


Audrey Collins is family history specialist at The National
Archives and she has been researching the history and development
of the General Register Office for several years, which led to an
interest in the wider civil service during the First World War.
She is a regular speaker at genealogical events and conferences
in the UK and worldwide.