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Research Topics
Looking for an idea to start your research? The Centre for Newfoundland Studies has complied a list of possible research topics. For resources on these areas, visit the Centre for Newfoundland Studies on the third floor of the QEII Library, or search in OneSearch.
Action the regiment and naval reserve were involved in:
What significance, if any, did these events have within the wider narrative of the Newfoundland and Labrador wartime experience? What significance, if any, do they have within the wider narrative of the war itself?
Armistice: Were there any shortcomings to the agreement to end the war, known as the Armistice of Compiegne? Who were the major powers involved in its negotiations and is this reflected in the outcome? What role, if any, did the minor powers (e.g. Newfoundland or Canada) have in this process?
Aviation: The First World War involved short-flight airplanes, bombing missions, transportation of materiel and personnel. Did the war bring about advances in aviation? What developments were a direct result of the conflict?
Ayre Family Loss: Four family members lost at Beaumont Hamel. Can we learn about postwar grief in Newfoundland and Labrador though an analysis of the Ayre family experience?
Brigades, Military-The major churches operated paramilitary youth organizations which later served as part of the military:
Was the integration of church and military unique to Newfoundland and Labrador? What was the level of their involvement? Has this experience shaped the way it has been commemorated? Do any of these organizations still exist?
Communications- in the field - does the way in which messages and information were communicated in operations inform what the home front knew, and when they knew it? How did headquarters receive information from the front and how did this shape the progress of the war?
Communications - letters - How do these letters, often told from the perspective of the common soldier, shed light on the reality of war, as opposed to the oft-romanticized version of it?
Communication - regulations - How did censorship shape how the home front learned about the war? How was information on the war presented?
Memoirs - How do memoirs differ from communications
happening at the time? Can memoirs be trusted?
Doctors - Did the war bring about advances in medical technology or treatment practices?
Dogs - How were dogs used on the front in the First World War?
Economy - war debt - What impact did the War have on the Newfoundland economy? What was Newfoundland’s financial contribution (manpower, goods, exports, etc.) to the overall war effort? Was there a long post-war period of recovery? Do you think that the war debt incurred by Newfoundland is still having an impact today?
Egypt - for many soldiers, the First World War presented the opportunity to travel and visit new and exotic locations. Did newspapers cover the Regiment's stop in Egypt? If so, how did they portray this visit?
Firearms and Materiel - what kinds of changes and developments happened to firearms and materiel in the course of the war, and did enemy weapons, often captured for examination and display, have any role in this narrative? Were their commemorative reasons for the display of enemy fire arms?
Fisheries - How did the fisheries continue during the First World War? Were there any noticeable differences than the fisheries in peace time? How did the war affect fisher families?
Forestry Corps - Stationed in Scotland, this branch provided lumber necessary for the war effort. How did their war experience differ from the Regiment?
The Front - conditions, personal accounts, Christmas
Home Front - How did those who remained at home support the war effort? Did everyone support the war effort? Were there any anti-war events in Newfoundland?
Horses - even though there were mechanized vehicles in the First World War, horses played a very important role, transporting cargo and weapons, and hauling mechanized vehicles out of the mud. What kind of infrastructure was required for the care of horses?
Icons of cultural memory of the First World War -- How do certain icons come to be associated with the WWI experience? How does this type of material culture and/or iconography manifest itself in the cultural memory of the War, and what role does that play in shaping how WWI is interpreted and remembered in the public consciousness? Does this experience change over time and if so, how does it change?
Innovations - War often brings about technological innovation, brought about by necessity. Cluny Macpherson's gas mask is one such example. What other innovations were created by Newfoundlanders or Canadians during the war?
Interaction between Newfoundland and other countries - - How was Newfoundland viewed by the British (and vice-versa) in a Great War context? What role did its dominion status play in this? Was Newfoundland seen as ‘doing its bit’ for the Empire as part of the overall war effort? OR What was the extent/scope of Newfoundland’s interaction with other Allied countries, including Canada, during the war? Did this change during the course of the war?
Memorials - the building of war memorials started after the war in communities, schools, churches and companies who sent members to the war. The commemoration of the war invoked many themes and symbols that shaped how the Great War was remembered. How was the war commemorated in your community, and is your experience similar to other communities? What is different? Is there a reason for this difference? How do memorials, such as the caribou statues and War Memorial, contribute to our collective historical memory and understanding of how WWI is remembered in a Newfoundland context? Does/has this changed over time? How do German people commemorate the battles where they fought Newfoundlanders?
Mobilization of troops took great organization and resources. There were a number of ships that sailed carrying RNR soldiers throughout the war. Their dates and destinations are as follows:
Naval Reserve - Newfoundlanders also participated in the war at sea by serving in the Royal Navy. How did the experience of the Royal Naval Reserve differ from the soldiers on the front line? What were the major differences? How are these Naval Reservists commemorated for their efforts?
Poison Gas Attacks: The Regiment first experience gas attacks in 1916 at Ypres, Belgium. How did this experience change the approach to the war? How did the Allies defend against future gas attacks? Did the nature of gas attacks change after this first deployment?
Prisoners of War- both sides of the conflict captured individuals during and after battles and in occupied territory. What policies protected these individuals, and what did they do for the rest of the war? How did their war differ, and has their war been commemorated? Was their postwar experience unique? Did these gas attacks lead to international legal ramifications after the war? For those that survived, how were they treated when they returned home? What is “Barbed Wire Disease”?
Recruitment (later, conscription) - - What were some initial challenges in recruitment, and maintaining regimental volunteer numbers during the war? How was Newfoundland’s position as a dominion of the British Empire used to achieve this? Did the mood (and war-supporting appetite) at home change as conscription was eventually introduced to keep enrollment numbers up? How did Newfoundland’s conscription differ from that experienced in Canada, especially Quebec?
Remembrance day/Post war ceremonies - Newfoundland and Labrador currently observes Memorial Day on July 1st and Armistice Day on November 11th. What negotiations took place following the war to establish the current model of Remembrance Day ceremonies? How have the current commemorations evolved over time?
Reunions - Veterans regularly got together following the war. How is war collectively remembered by those who partook in and survived it? Does that differ from how it is remembered, even celebrated, by the general public? If so, how and why? What role does the Canadian Legion have in this?
Social Implications of the War - the war mixed social classes, caused changes and hardship at home, soldiers experienced traumas and hardships at the front, and many had to adapt to civilian life after the war. What were the social implications of WWI? What effect socially did enlistment and, later, conscription have on communities? How were these social implications tied to other implications (ie. economic, political, etc.)?
Soldiers - Profiles - - What was life like during WWI for the everyday soldier? How does that factor into our own conceptions of war, and what does it say about the nature of warfare? Is there a gap in general between how the soldier’s experience is described from a first-person’s account and how it is written about in secondary sources?
Songs - how was the war commemorated or promoted through song? Did the nature of the type of song about the war change as the conflict progressed? - Did certain platoons/battalions/companies have their own songs? If so, what role did they play in interpreting the Newfoundland war experience? Did they serve to boost morale, serve as necessary distractions, increase camaraderie, etc.?
Sports and recreation - Were soldiers and naval reservists encouraged to participate in sport? If so, why and how were they encouraged?
Training - What was the extent of the training that the Regiment received in Newfoundland (at Pleasantville, etc.)? Did this prepare them at all for what awaited them in Europe? What was the mood, in general, like at this time before departing for overseas engagement?
Veterans - How were servicemen received upon returning home? Did their (re)telling of their experiences during the War (oral history) change, at all, the perceptions and interpretations of those on the home front? How did the War live on, after the closing of hostilities, in the minds of those who experienced it first hand? Did shell shock and issues of PTSD shed light on a different type of post-war experience? How has the medical community evolved in its approach to PTSD? What services, if any, were available to veterans upon returning home to help them transition back into society (socially, financially, etc.)? As well as help them cope with any personal issues/stressors they may be experiencing (ie. PTSD, Shell-shock, etc.)?
Visits to Newfoundland - - How was Sir Douglas Haig received upon his visit to Newfoundland, given the events of Beaumont-Hamel? Has this perception changed or been altered in the subsequent writing on the Newfoundland experience of WWI?What role, if any, did Royal visits play in establishing and strengthening Newfoundland’s ties to the Empire? How was Newfoundland viewed by British royalty, and vice versa? How were the Royals received by the public?
Many women experienced the First World War through the Voluntary Aid Detachment of volunteer nurses, and organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador, like the Patriotic Women's Association (PWA). In what ways did they contribute to the war effort? Was there any public contention towards their efforts? If so, from whom? Were women on the front lines and if so, in what capacity?
War Graves - following the war, there was a significant effort to identify and organize war dead on battlefields in Europe. How did Newfoundland and Labrador ensure their representation in this process?