Emsworth in the First World War

1914

The First World War brought disruption and loss to Emsworth, as it did to every community in Britain. Young men from the town enlisted in the army and navy, and many did not return. The war memorial in the town records the names of Emsworth's fallen. The harbour was quiet during the war years, with the oyster trade already in decline following the 1902 scare. The war accelerated the transition of Emsworth from a working harbour town to a residential settlement, as returning servicemen and their families sought peaceful, affordable housing away from the larger cities.