Propaganda tactics was heavily throughout the first world war to convince men to enlist and then later to promote a positive image of their army's progress for the population at home. These were not always totally truthful and played on the publics weaknesses and guilt to and recruit every day men to become soldiers.

Tull and Billingham enlisted in one of the Pals Battalions which were set up during the first world war. The approach of the British government was that men were more likely to sign up if they knew who they were fighting with. These were then attached to existing regiments, in this case, the Middlesex 17th.

"Read the fourth line down for me with one eye closed."
"OK then, take two steps back and read the sixth row down".
Medical examiners could employ dubious tactics to hand-pick whomever they didn't want to join. As the war progressed the restrictions decreased as the need for soldiers increased. The height limit dropped and men were given secondary jobs such as driving ambulances.

Troop boats and naval warships carried men and supplies across the channel to begin their journey in Northern France.
Many regiments were marched to and stationed on the Western Front for long periods during the first World War. This battle line extended from Belgian in the north to the South of France. This was the first time that many of the recruits had left Britain and were excited about the prospect of fighting.

Many men first came in to contact with their realities of conflict up close rather than the glossy positive portrayal given by the newspaper headlines.
The harsh reality of trench life and physical turmoil soon changed opinion.

Many men started in the reserve lines of the trench system. The trench systems would generally begin with large artillery at the back, then the reserve trenches and would connect through a series of communication trenches to the front line which was closest to the enemy.
Trenches were dug in to the land and frequently suffered from rats. These would feed on food scraps lying around or even human remains.

Many men yearned for the 'glamorous' appeal of the action of the front lines upon arrival and were soon granted their wish.

The Battle of the Somme was one of many large offensives during the war with large numbers of casualties on both sides. The extreme conditions in which men fought often caused mental as well as physical illness.
Psychological suffering from Battlefield trauma was a new and growing issue for medical support during the First World War and it was frequently mis-diagnosed. Many soldiers developed permanent psychological damage and were returned to British Hospitals to recover.

Unfortunately for Walter Tull, large losses of troop numbers meant that he and many other men were sent back to the front line.

It's wasn't just the Eastern and Western Fronts that British and Commonwealth Forces were stationed in. It was the first global war which meant troops were positioned in Asia and Africa as well as throughout Europe.
The British fought the Austro-Hungarian forces along Northern Italy within the Alps and along the River Piave. This large river in North East Italy divided the opposing sides and could require dangerous reconnaissance missions in order to obtain vital enemy information.

The armed forces during the start of the 20th century were constructed with purposeful class divides.
Many upper-class men whom enlisted joined or soon were trained as officers and men from lower social ranks rarely climbed through the ranks.
Private Billingham refers to two books; "Short Guide to Obtaining a Commission in the Special Reserve of Officers" and "The Manual of Military Law (1914)"
The first states that "to qualify for a commission, ‘a candidate must be of pure European descent, and a British born or naturalised British subject'."
The second says that authorised ‘alien’ soldiers, including ‘any negro or person of colour to hold honorary rank but they must not exercise any actual command or power’."

Front line trench warfare during the First World War was characterised by the infantry's battles within No Man's Land. The phrase "Over the Top" came in to use as lines of men would climb out the trenches and charge the enemy.
Once out of the cover of a trench you were subject to machine gun fire, plane bombardment and artillery shells.
Barbed wire, metal obstacles and mustard gas along with muddy conditions meant crossing it was extremely difficult and usually fatal.
The British strategy to shell the enemy from long range and approach in lines shortly afterwards was scuppered by the Germans deep and we'll enforced trenches.
Over 9 million soldiers and 7 million civilians died in the conflict, one of the bloodiest in our history.
t they must not exercise any actual command or power’."