The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our life-time

[portlock seagull]

Well, it's 100 years ago today that the madness officially began for us and like many on here, my great grandfather never came back.

Here's to Sgt Harry 'Portlock', RIP. Poor old grandma Rosie never really recovered. But he went away proud to be doing his bit

Who else is commemorating today?

 

[daveinprague]

a bit of sombre reflection today... Not mentioned at all in Czech media...but they were, by default, on the opposing side..

 

[Lenny Rider]

I saw something on TV about a family in a small village who lost 7 members of their family including three sons, a couple of years later their mother was at a ceremony for unveiling of the war memorial a member of the Royal Family thanked her for her sacrifice, she replied 'It wasn't a sacrifice as she'd never offered it'.

Whenever I visit various churches both in Sussex and around the country I always look at the 14-18 and 39-45 memorials, seeing so many people with the same surnames, brings it home, we almost had a whole generation of young men wiped out.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

My great granddad too, at Passchendaale in October 1917, blown to bits and buried at 9 Elms Cemetary, Poperinge, Belgium. Since the advent of Ancestry I have been able to put together his war record and been able to track down some of his letters home through remote members of the family up in Northumberland. He features on several memorials up there, so, as they say, his name will be remembered forever more.

 

[Nibble]

Will be visiting my Step Grandfathers home town. He managed to survive The Somme and went on to run butchers shops around Surrey.

 

[glasfryn]

my Grandfather came back in a wheelchair and eventually died in 1927
although he was a Cheltenham boy he joined the South Wales Borderers
I have yet to find out where he got his injuries.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

my Grandfather came back in a wheelchair and eventually died in 1927
although he was a Cheltenham boy he joined the South Wales Borderers
I have yet to find out where he got his injuries.

Have you tried the National Archives for WW1 service records. Some were lost in a fire, bit others remain and are on-line.

 

[glasfryn]

Have you tried the National Archives for WW1 service records. Some were lost in a fire, bit others remain and are on-line.

I am in the process now
unfortunately he had a very common name for that time and area and also unfortunately there is nobody left on my fathers side to give me any clues.
the whole family on my fathers side is a bit complicated at best and he never talked about his family at all

 

[withdeanwombat]

Great Uncle blown up and never found in 1915, France. Great Uncle killed on the Lion at Jutland. Grandfather lost an arm and damaged lungs in Flanders; a survivor.Grandfather shot and shrapnelled on the Somme; a survivor.

All always remembered by me. As are the rest of them.

 

[essbee]

Grandfather wounded in no man's land - spent 12 hours waiting to be rescued. Died early in the 1960's because of
the head shrapnel wounds.

 

[Brian Fantana]

My Grandfather's cousin was awarded the VC as a territorial officer on Hill 60. Hugely, hugely proud of his achievements. It was, in fact, the second time that he'd been awarded the VC during that war. The first time, unfortunately, his Commanding Officer was killed between him recommending the VC and it being ratified, so it was never awarded.

After the war, my Grandfather's cousin was so profoundly moved by the whole conflict that he became a priest. One of the stories that my Grandfather loves telling is that during the General Strike of 1926 all soldiers who had fought in WW1, and were able-bodied, were requested to report to their local police station to support the response. Being a priest in full dress, his presence wasn't immediately welcomed and or thought useful by the policeman on duty. Not wanting to put himself forward too much, my Grandfather's cousin didn't say anything but simply jotted his name, regiment and medals down on the entry form and walked out. Many years later, he was at Buckingham Palace for a veterans event and heard the General Strike story being told, with several embellishments, by someone nearby. He was able to step in and identify himself.

 

[The Hon Sec]

Local memorial shows that my family had three members away at the war and they all came back. So lucky. The one I really knew was wounded a couple of times. Many of their friends from the village never returned.

 

[Bulldog]

When you consider how small Worthing was in 1914, the scale of the slaughter really stands out. If the link works, it's to a website that gives details of all those on the war memorial.

It makes for some very sad reading, especially those families that suffered multiple losses. One family lost 3 sons in one day!


http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Sussex/Worthing.html

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

This was posted on YouTube showing Southwick during World War 1 - makes you wonder how many came back. Very moving

 

[ridda]

Lost my Grandfather 6 weeks before the end of the war, he made it back to the uk but died of gangrene poisoning in a kent Hospital.
Bless him, so sad my father never got to know him as he was one at the time.

 

[Blazing Apostle]

Great Grandad Alfred Henry Bailey Royal Berks killed on Somme by British shell falling short May 1916 and Great Grandad Thomas Samuel Faultless MGC killed on the Somme Aug 1916

 

[forrest]

My Great great grandfather a Royal Marine killed on the Somme in 1918. Like many he has no final resting place.

 

[LowerWesty]

now in World War 1 thread

 

[Bulldog]

Do you think it mat be worth merging these two WW1 threads? Just a thought.

 

[cunningplan]

Choked up by the posts on this thread - but it is a kind of catharsis, I think.
My grandfather was wounded and gassed, couldn't breathe properly when he returned from the Somme; he couldn't hold down a job and apparently committed suicide by throwing himself into a river in Balcombe.
One of the many tragedies of a lost generation......