Mouser

With the centenary of the start of WW1 next year, I was wondering if any of the older members on here remember a relative who fought in the front line or took part in some way. One of my grandfathers fought at Ypres and Passchendaele.
Even now I wish I had asked him more about his experiences but I guess like a lot of old soldiers he didn't say much. One thing I do remember is the holes (only way I can describe them) in his back caused by enemy shrapnel. He was lucky as the shrapnel just missed his spine and it was a "Blighty wound" which ended his part in the war. We used to kid him on he was wounded running away. He fully recovered and lived to his late 70's, I was a teenager at the time.

Any accounts of experiences or anecdotes passed down would be very interesting.

AndyBaker

My wife's grandad (Ben) was at the Somme. To cut a long story short he was shot and wounded and as far as anyone was concerned lying dead in no mans land when the fighting stopped to let the Red Cross fetch the bodies. His best friend Sam (who was in the Red Cross) was told to only bring back the wounded and to leave the dead but he refused to leave his best mate out there.

When they got back Ben moved and was found to be a viable casualty. We always remember that if Sam hadn't done what he did I wouldn't now be married to my wife as she would never have been born. Some of you will know that my son has not long been back from Afghanistan and yes he is named Ben.

Mouser

Good story.

Good luck to Ben and the troops still in Afghanistan.

AndyBaker

Thanks Mouser, hopefully they will all be home this time next year and the families can really enjoy Christmas.

Mouser

Yes, get them out asap.

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

I have inherited the campaign medal that belonged to the great uncle I was named after, no anecdotes unfortunately as he never got home from Ypres; his name is on a wall out there

AndyBaker

if you get the chance, visit Tyne Cot, the commonwealth WW1 cemetery at Ypres. It will change your views and if you find your great uncles gravestone it will change your life. Andy

Mouser

Really sad when you think about it. Many of the soldiers so young.

AndyBaker

Yep, and go "over the top" to certain death or be shot for being a coward, hell of a choice

Mouser

The television series Last Voices of WW1 covers the cowardice issue. There were 306 young men , four of them just 17, shot for cowardice during WW1. They were pardoned in 2006 I think.

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

That in itself was a debate with some of the family thinking he'd lied about his age to join up, but after some research I can confirm he was 18 when he joined and 19 when he died. Saddest bit really is that despite this and the same in WWII a lot of 19-year olds today think that life owes them something for nothing and they fail to appreciate the sacrifices that were made to allow them to feel like that

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

Not quite sure what you mean by changing my views - I've found my wife's grandfather's grave in Hermiville; he died shortly after D-Day having parachuted in on 4 Jun 1944. I've also served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and parts of east Africa.

AndyBaker

I wouldn't expect it to change your views given the above the rest of us can only imagine

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

It does give a certain perspective on things, but I was still a civvy at the age my uncle was killed.

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

Grandad was in WWI in the Royal Artillery but not much was said, My dad was in Italy (Salerno) and North Africa and ended a POW in Dusseldorf, and again not much was said.......everybody had to do it so it was nothing special in their eyes........

Shaun

Mouser

Was that father and son?

bigredrob

My grandfather, Dads side, was in the RFC, came out, as "commisioned officer"..then became a vet.
"My Grandfather( mothers side) was a Footman in a "Posh" house, he married the "maid". He was killed in WW1, his wife died in childbirth, after his death. My grandfather was then adopted,...by Banardos. He worked for Firestone Tyres,in accounts, before ww2,..he saw it coming, and moved, with his new family to Welshpool, before ww2.

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

wow, I'm sure that makes up for it.

My great granddad died in WW1, my Gran was 5 at the time, she never knew her father. Didn't really mean much to me as a child hearing that, but looking at my own kids now and putting myself in his place, it was such a scary time for people back then. Being forced to fight, regardless (basically) of your own beliefs.

My dad talks about it a lot (70) he remembers his older relatives giving bits of information about the fighting, from what I can piece together, his side was mostly stationed in the "safer" zones, with stories of them sunbathing and playing tennis throughout the war.

Explains why I turned out so soft

JJTurbo

iTrader: (1)

Well almost 10 years ago me and a few mates went over to France to do some voluntary work for the Commonwealth war graves commission. It was the 90th anniversary and the various cemeteries and monuments needed a tidy up due to the royals and VIP's visiting.
We were all in the Police at the time, so we did a little investigating in to what our relatives did in WW1. Its not had to do now though, a lot of the archives are online now.
My mate Lee had to apply in writing at the time, and he got to find out exactly what happened to our relatives. He and my other mate Chris both had great granddad's killed in action. We even stood on the different spot's where they were killed, now farmers field's in a place called Beaumont Hamel. One killed by small arms fire, the other by a artillery shell.
As for my relative, Great uncle Benjamin, the short story is. The one building left standing in that whole area was the ***** house. The front line changed sides often so you can imagine that both the Germans and the Allies used this place, so neither side wanted it destroyed. Records state that Great uncle Benny was sent home have caught an STI after visiting the ***** house. God bless him. True story.

Alan Jeffery

My Grandfathers. both survived the War.
William, of course known as Bill, joined at 17, I'm not sure which regiment.



Patrick, here is his wartime submariner's uniform. He subsequently served on the "K" boats, which were steam powered, and killed far more of their crews than the enemy were ever likely to. One particular boat sank three times, killing the crew on every occasion before being fished up and sent out again.

Chip

Know very little about him but my grandfather was a chef in the navy. We have no photos but do have 2 of his chefs knives, one of which I used to carve the turkey over my brothers on Xmas day. His name (Edward) is engraved on a little brass plate riveted into the wooden handle which is nice.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Grandfather's brother served from 1914-18 and survived, but I have no idea what regiment, or any details. No-one talked about it when I was a boy. My grandpa himself was on the docks at Grimsby during BOTH world wars repairing RN ships, he was a skilled man, blacksmith, coppersmith and boiler-maker.

Mouser

You're right, it was an absolute disgrace and many of the people who campaigned to have the soldiers pardoned died before that happened.

Thanks all, good photographs AJ.

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

Sad times.