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Kitchener dies - The First World War - 1916

Kitchener, the secretary of State for War, was sent to Russia to discuss military matters. He and a small delegation of officials set sail from a Scottish harbour in the armoured cruiser, The Hampshire. To try and ensure that the mission was as safe as possible few people had been aware of the movements of the Secretary of State and the ships course was set to avoid areas where U-boats were known to have stalked British shipping. On the night of May 7th, the Hampshire sank, with all passengers, Kitchener included, perishing. Contemporary accounts report that the sea was running heavy (it was rough) and that visibility was very good. The loss of the Hampshire could then have been the result of bad weather or a torpedo attack. It had been Kitchener who had been largely responsible for the recruitment campaigns of the previous 18 months, he was a character that the British would find hard to replace.

The Guardian Archives contain a contemporary report of Kitchener's untimely death.

Gas attacks were a constant threat to the soldiers on the Front line. Listen to several experiences of gas attacks at this BBC page.