A new exhibition exploring the personal impact of the First World War has opened at the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum in Gloucester. The display, titled Unfinished Lives: Remembrance and Loss, is available to visitors at the museum’s Custom House location in the Docks until the end of summer 2026.
The exhibition centres on personal correspondence from the local Fream family, which illustrates the emotional toll of the war on those left behind. The letters include writing from both before and after the death of Lieutenant William Fream, who served with the 1st/5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. Lieutenant Fream was killed in action during the Battle of the Somme on 20-21 July 1916.
The 1st/5th Battalion was part of the 48th (South Midland) Division and faced intense combat during the offensive. Historical records show that during an attack towards Pozières on 20 July 1916, the battalion suffered 115 casualties while attempting to advance. The First World War as a whole claimed the lives of 880,000 British servicemen, and this exhibition aims to personalise that scale of loss through the experience of one local family.
The display was curated by Alex Hatton, a Master’s student from Swansea University. Hatton completed the work as part of a placement module within their degree programme, which allows students to gain 100 hours of practical experience within heritage organisations.
Established in 1990, the museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the Gloucestershire Regiment, which carried more battle honours than any other British Army line regiment. The building housing the museum underwent a major refurbishment in April 2014, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
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