Photo: Courtesy of The Royal British Legion

“The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime” — Sir Edward Grey, British Foreign Secretary, August 1914

Today, 4 August 2o14, is the 100th anniversary of the UK entering World War I, the so-called War to End All Wars.

Can it really be 100 years since the start of World War I? For my generation, whose parents were born in the 20 years between the twin cataclysms of World Wars I and II, the Great War has always been a looming presence. It’s always been part of our shared experience. However, for our children it is ancient history. It’s no closer to them than the Boer War was to us.

It’s hard for people my age to grasp that our children have no idea what we’re talking about when we joke, “I fought…