First World War

1914-1918

During the First World War, Waterlooville's men enlisted in the Hampshire Regiment and other units, serving on the Western Front, in Gallipoli and in the Middle East. The war memorial in the town centre records the names of those from the community who did not return. The proximity of Portsmouth dockyard meant that some residents also worked in naval shipbuilding and munitions production. The war brought change to the social fabric of the village, with women taking on roles previously reserved for men, and the casualty lists bringing grief to families in every street. The experience of the war was seared into the community's memory and is commemorated annually at the memorial.