“Followers will get see World War One through the eyes of a fictional infantryman named Walter Carter.”
THE CONTINUING First World War centenary is getting a decidedly 21st Century treatment, thanks to the creators of a new U.K.-based social media project.
WW1 Soldier’s Tale is a Facebook page that tracks the story of a fictional British Tommy serving in the trenches of Flanders.
Followers of the page will get see World War One through the eyes of Walter Carter, an infantryman with the 1/23rd (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment, as he posts updates from the Western Front.
Inspired by actual soldiers’ wartime experiences, Carter fills his news-feed with thoughts and feelings about life and death on the front lines. Friends and family back home weigh in as well, commenting on his posts while offering their own perspectives on rationing, Zeppelin raids, conscription and the many other ways the war touched the lives of ordinary Britons.
New posts, which coincide with events that happened 100 years ago to the day, appear regularly. Archival photos, wartime posters and actual news headlines from the era are sprinkled throughout adding a feel of authenticity to the project.
Produced by David Noble Associates Ltd., an Oxfordshire marketing agency, and the Greater London Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association, WW1 Soldier’s Tale aims to make the history of the war more accessible to today’s generation of digital natives. The project has already attracted more than 17,000 followers.
An e-book of the first batch of posts is available on Amazon and for Kindle with more slated to be released in the coming years. You can also follow updates on Twitter.
Since coming online in 2015, Carter has completed his training in England, seen battle at Loos, been wounded in action, earned his sergeant stripes and is now back on the line.
Soon, our hero will be charging into battle at the Somme. If he survives the slaughter, he is expected to fight at Cambrai and take part in the war’s other major engagements.
If you’d like Walter Carter’s posts from the trenches to appear in your own Facebook news-feed, click here and use the ‘like’ button.
