Mansfield in the Great War

Mansfield was the largest town near the Duke of Portland's home at Welbeck Abbey. The duke and duchess often held house parties for their friends who included the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Lord Kitchener – one whose death triggered the war and the other who lost his life on a ship halfway through the war. The archduke visited Welbeck Abbey only a few months before his death. The military camp, built near to the town at Clipstone, became vitally important in the training of troops for the war