A leading armed forces charity has called for greater awareness of the causes of World War One after a survey revealed some millennials thought the JFK assassination led to its outbreak.
SSAFA (formerly the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association) wants people to pass stories of the Great War down to younger people "so they will be celebrated and never be forgotten".
In a recent survey of 2,000 adults, it found six per cent of millennials thought the murder of US president John F Kennedy caused the conflict.
One in ten thought Margaret Thatcher was prime minister at the time. Almost half (42 per cent) thought it was Winston Churchill.
Confusing fact with fiction, a further five per cent of younger respondents thought the 'Battle for Helms Deep', a significant event in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, took place during WWI.
Older adults, members of 'Generation X' and 'Baby boomers', knew considerably more, with 73 per cent of the former and 84 per cent of the latter knowing Herbert Henry Asquith and David Lloyd George led Britain through the conflict.
Justine Baynes, Director at SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, said: “Millennials are the first generation who may not have known a family member who fought in WWI so it’s not surprising that there may be a lack of knowledge about the war.
"The further we move away from the conflict, the more important it becomes to keep the stories of bravery and courage alive and commemorate those who gave up their lives for our country.
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“To mark the centenary of the end of World War One this year, we’re calling on the nation to pass the stories of WWI down to the younger generations so they will be celebrated and never be forgotten."
