1915 Timeline of the United Kingdom home front during the First World War

damage houses in king s lynn caused zeppelin airship raid in 1915.

12 february 1915

the kaiser authorises airship raids on london docks.

18 february 1915

the kaiser authorises unrestricted submarine blockade of united kingdom.

16 march 1915

defence of realm (amendment) (no 2) act allows government force engineering firms accept contracts war related work.

27 march 1915

commander-in-chief of bef, sir john french gave interview times highlighting shortage of artillery ammunition @ front. scandal become known shell crisis.

16 april 1915

a single german albatros b.ii aircraft bombs sittingbourne , faversham in kent; first raid aeroplane. there no casualties.


a poster published parliamentary recruiting committee reflecting public anger @ sinking of rms lusitania on 7 may 1915. cause of rioting directed against german immigrants in several british cities.

7 may 1915

the sinking of british ocean liner rms lusitania u-boat, loss of 1,198 passengers , crew, provokes anti-german riots in london , other cities. mobs target shops , businesses owned germans or german surnames.

26 may 1915

prime minister h. h. asquith announces new ministry, coalition government conservative party. david lloyd george made minister of munitions, relieving kitchener of aspect of role. churchill relieved of control of admiralty following failure of gallipoli campaign.

31 may 1915

first air raid on london; army zeppelin dropped bombs on north , east london killing 7 civilians.

july 1915

women s war agricultural committees established encourage more women work on land.

2 july 1915

the munitions of war act 1915 becomes law, regulating wages, hours , conditions of munitions workers. becomes offence worker leave employment @ controlled establishment without consent of employer.

15 july 1915

national registration act 1915 passed, requiring men , women between ages of 15 , 65 register address.


a member of women s hospital corps in london, 1915.

17 july 1915

emmeline pankhurst leads women s right serve demonstration in trafalgar square, london.

3 september 1915

lieutenant leefe robinson flying be2 biplane, shoots down first german airship on british soil. schütte-lanz sl 11, had been bombing north london , saint albans, crashed in flames @ cuffley in hertfordshire.

16 october 1915

start enrolment derby scheme encouraged men of military eligibility voluntarily attest willingness join armed forces @ later date. after attesting, men placed on class b army reserve list until required. in return, received day s army pay , khaki brassard wear civilian clothes.

15 december 1915

finish of derby scheme (originally planned 30 november); although 2,950,514 men had attested, enlisted or tried enlist during scheme, further 2,060,927 eligible men had refused so, increasing pressure conscription.




^ doyle p. 26
^ cite error: named reference beckett216 invoked never defined (see page).
^ beckett (2006) pp. 22-23
^ castle, ian. zeppelin raids, gothas , giants - 16th april 1915 - kent . www.iancastlezeppelin.co.uk. retrieved 19 april 2015. 
^ beckett (2006) p. 217
^ castle, ian. zeppelin raids, gothas , giants - 31st may 1915 - london . www.iancastlezeppelin.co.uk. retrieved 19 april 2015. 
^ beckett (2006) p. 75
^ doyle p. 35
^ beckett (2006) p. 80
^ derby scheme derby scheme check |url= value (help). retrieved 15 august 2015.