WW1 Topic Box

Ive begun a WW1 Topic Box at work and have collated lots of info, printed it out in large print, laminated the pages and then brailled up all the text. Now Im gathering together tactile elements to pad out the info.

I made a swell paper outline of trenches today.
Swell paper is a paper source that you print onto and then pass it through, a very, very hot toaster like gadget which raises the printed image.
It bloats the print up so it becomes tactile and is especially useful for diagrams for the visually impaired.
Youd expect the trenches to have been straight lines but they weren't, the idea being that bomb blasts would be stopped from blasting right through and along the trench lines.
Should've taken a picture of it, otherwise why mention it! << dummy -will take one tomorrow.


Anyway Im going to make a 3D model I think of the trenches, a Tommy's and a german helmet as well.
So it was off back to the el cheapo shop for more plastic bowls and strainers lol

The plastic strainer should be a good base for the german spiky tipped helmet.
The green and orange ones will be the base I'll use to make Tommy's tin hats.
I also have to make one for the WW2 box which is next on the list.
Now the chip strainer may form the inside of the tin hat, not sure yet if it will work. It was really made out of leather strips and the chin strap was attached to it of course.

I do have a shell casing that I brought home with me from a trip to Masirah, way back when I was still aircrew and I will put this in the topic box. But it was collected and is dated 1972 and is a larger size than a 1917 shell case I have.

These two shell cases were brought up from the north sea, taken off a merchant ship that had been commisioned to take weapons to Belgium in WW2. See the fabulous barnacled surface on the larger one?

I bought them off a trader I knew who was at a car boot I used to go to fund raise for cat rescue.

Wish I could recall the name of the blessed ship they came off! He had several and I so wish I'd bought more of them.

These will not be going anywhere near the Topic Box!

Niether will this picture of my Grandad!

He volunteered to go to war, but by the time he got to France they realised he was only 14 years old, so he was made to look after
 the horses, far from the Front Line.
As a result he came home and lived to a ripe old age bless him and this was the certificate that those that did come home received.
This is about A3 in size, in its original frame though I have had to replace the glass in it.
I adore it. It would have been hand coloured and has notes in pencil on its back, stating eye and hair colour, plus his
 skin complexion shade.
He never spoke about it, that war to end all wars.