Tweeting From The Trenches: What If Social Media Had Existed During The First World War?

Walter Carter’s Facebook is a little different, you won’t find any selfies or Forces News updates, instead, you’ll find an authentic First World War soldier’s tale.

Brought to life by dedicated researchers, Walter Carter is a real-time digital narration of an authentic character from the Territorial Force 1/23rd London Regiment.

His Facebook details how his life changed after war broke out in 1914 when Walter was just 19.

He posts updates from his month-long training at Drill Hall in Clapham Junction to being on the front line at the Battles of Loos and the Somme.

Walter’s newsfeed isn’t just a window into a warzone, his interactions with his Ma, Pa, sister and girlfriend illuminate the struggles of those living in wartime London.

Faced with constant air raids, rising costs of living and poor health, the fictional character’s natural interactions weave a story that brings history into the 21st century.

The project captures the imagination of the audience through telling the story in much more than just factual information.

The posts are personal and show the Great War in a way that history books often fail to.

The project aims to engage a younger generation through mediums they know, understand and use.

David Noble, the Project Director exudes enthusiasm about the venture:

"We have been excited and gratified to see the number of ‘likes’ on Facebook and Twitter continue to grow - particularly among younger people who were always our primary target group.

"We are incredibly grateful to the Government and the other organisations and individuals who have given us financial backing and who have demonstrated their belief in the project from the start."

It also provides the opportunity to share research, archives and other resources with detailed information that may have been difficult to obtain.

Describing the lengthy process of reviving Walter Carter David said:

"When we came up with the idea for WWI Soldiers Tale in mid-2013 little did we realise the extent to which the story of Walter Carter and his family, girlfriend, friends and fellow servicemen would come to dominate our lives.

"From researching using contemporary military records and popular newspapers and then writing posts for Facebook, Twitter and the blog, to attending WW1 events and visiting schools, being interviewed for television by ITN and BFBS and for radio by quite a number of radio stations."

It's not just academic in its aims, the personal nature of the storytelling hopes to encourage people to think about the issues today such as the effect of the Great War on communities as well as the role of women and the Reserves in a balanced way

David Noble Associates Ltd partnered with The Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for Greater London and Wandsworth Council, the project has seen great success with over 23,000 followers on Facebook and 3,144 on Twitter.

Walter doesn’t just get comments from his mum, followers regularly post to him, wishing him well or commiserating him on the often bad news broadcast in his posts.

The heads behind the project are keeping their lips sealed as to the outcome of Walter Carter.

David added:

"There is another year to go and we are well advanced on the story for 1918 – but keeping it well under wraps! It will be an incredible wrench when it all finally draws to a close. It has been worth all the hard work and we would not have missed the experience for the world."

His story will continue to play out over social media until the end of the war, only then will we know if he has a happy ending.

Follow @WW1soldierstale on Facebook and @ww1soldierstale on Twitter for more.

Cover photo: Photograph by Christina Broom © Museum of London