FROM 1914 to 1918 millions of people from all over the world died during the battles of the First World War.

As a nation we remember those brave men and women every year on Armistice Day (November 11) — and especially in this period of commemorations of the centenary of the outbreak of war.

But what of the people left behind? The wives, mothers, elderly relatives, children and the conscientious objectors from the towns and villages of Dartmoor.

A local historian made it his mission to find out what life was like for those 'left behind'.

Peter Mason, with local history societies and individuals, spent two years painstakingly researching Dartmoor's towns and villages to find out what impact the First World War had on the residents.

With the wealth of information collected an exhibition was launched at Dartmoor National Park Visitor Centre, Princetown, on March 7 entitled 'Dartmoor Life in the First World War'.

The exhibition was presented by the Dartmoor Trust in partnership with the Dartmoor National Park Authority and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) with a £10,000 grant.

Peter said: 'My interest is social history and with this exhibition we wanted to portray what life was like on Dartmoor and the goings on as normal — life did not stop. If you look at the wedding photos from that time (pictured above) they still had the glamour, compared with the Second World War when they had ordinary suits.

'People wanted life to go on as normal.'

Throughout the exhibition visitors are provided with a unique snapshot of how life continued: how women came to work on farms and in the forests, recruitment marches, community spirit, life for conscientious objectors who were housed in Dartmoor Prison and treating wounded soldiers within the seven hospitals on Dartmoor.

'I enjoyed researching,' said Peter. 'With the conscientious objectors there were various degrees. There were some who didn't want to fight but were prepared to join the war effort, but there were the absolutists and they wouldn't do that or contribute to the war whatsoever and they were put into work settlements, which included Dartmoor Prison.

'They were not liked on Dartmoor — in fact they were intensely disliked.

'Then there were the children around Dartmoor who collected items all for the war effort.

'Women even trained other women to drive for reasons like driving the ambulances — most people wanted to contribute to the war effort in some way.'

But for some people the war did not stop their routines, with some families even managing to go on their annual summer holidays.

Even the Rev Herbert Johnson, rector of Lustleigh, was quoted as saying: 'The home and the family life must still go on. We trust those who are now away as fighting men will be back home again as men of peace. But they will come back different men from what they were before they went away. When they come back to their homes, their homes must be worthy of them and able to help them to be high minded.'

The exhibition explains how tough life was for farmers during the war, especially with young men joining the war effort and being conscripted after 1916. Farms became dependent on older members of the family, children, wives and sisters. Great Bidlake Farm in Bridestowe became an all woman demonstration farm, with some farmers taking on members of the Women's Land Army, which was formed in 1917.

Peter shows visitors how Devon had the lowest recruitment rate, other than Cornwall, in the whole country. Widecombe, Throwleigh, Buckland-in-the-Moor and Chagford were particularly low but Moretonhampstead had the highest. Reasons given for the low rate were 'women did not wish their men to go' and 'farmers were holding their sons and workers back'.

Recruitment rallies came to nearly every town and village, including Bovey Tracey, Dunsford, Moretonhampstead, Drewsteignton, South Zeal, Throwleigh, Chagford, North Bovey, Widecombe, Bridestowe, Sourton, Belstone and Okehampton.

One positive found during Peter's research was that war brought out the community spirit — every village and town raised money during the war for a variety of causes. Children made a major contribution, often in school time, to collect materials for the war effort. These saw large quantities of eggs, sphagnum moss, blackberries, whortleberries, foxglove leaves and horse chestnuts collected.

But for some the Great War was one to avoid, due to religious and moral beliefs.

In March 1917 prisoners were moved out of Princetown and over the next two years, around 1,000 conscientious objectors (COs) were sent there as one of the 'work settlements' that were established. The COs' cell doors were left unlocked and they were allowed freedom to come and go but the decision to house them at Princetown caused a furore that lasted until the end of the war.

A group of COs was reported to have been surrounded by a crowd in Tavistock which led to them being banned from the town. Even the Bishop of Exeter refused them use of the prison chapel, despite the fact that many were members of various religious sects.

Jenny Sanderson, who moved to Princetown to be near her husband, was quoted as saying: 'My husband felt strongly about not taking part in any war and by taking such a course he was arrested. Even though he suffered badly from rheumatoid arthritis he was put in prison, later being moved to Dartmoor Prison breaking stones. To be near my husband I moved to Princetown on the moors, such beautiful scenery. I obtained a small room and with a few other wives, we tried to settle. The villagers were most bitter and hostile to us, even throwing things at us, but by displaying kindness, when the opportunity arose, we were able to make friends and not enemies.'

The information for the exhibition and the education website for primary and secondary school teachers and students has been built on research by local history groups and museums. But, said exhibition manager Tony Clark of the Dartmoor Trust, there are still missing images and stories that 'remain untold'.

The project team is looking for wartime photographs of the aerial ropeway used to transport timber from Dartmeet to Princetown, Great Bidlake Farm in Bridestowe, the horse muster of the Army Horse Reserve and impressment taking place in a Dartmoor town, where prisoners of war were accommodated, or planting of forests after the war.

• To view the exhibition, see the hard work of all those involved and to learn about life before, during and after the war on Dartmoor, visit Dartmoor National Park Visitor Centre in Princetown. The exhibition runs for six months — entry is free.