As the horrors of trench warfare took their toll, increasing numbers of men deserted or went absent without leave (AWOL) while at home. Sometimes, it was unclear what motivated these men to desert. Some may have been unaware of the seriousness of their actions and just wanted to extend their home leave to spend more time with their families. Some would have been so traumatised by their experience at the front and, possibly suffering from shell shock, could not face the thought of returning and facing more death and violence. Some may have felt marginalised by society and thought the war had nothing to do with them. Others had a history of conflict with the authorities and had become involved in crime and so knew how to survive on the run.
So far, it has been possible to identify about 100 deserters or those who went AWOL from the Forest of Dean during World War One. This is the start of a local history project to identify these men and seek to understand the reasons for their actions, how they survived and the consequences for themselves and their families.
The men in the following list are just a few of those so far identified and details of others will be added over the next year. Also, a more detailed introduction is planned to place the WW1 desertion in its social, economic and political context