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My Gt Uncle Robert William Francis KIA France 1917.. no known grave
My Uncle Robert William Francis KIA Caen 1944 Military Police.

Lest We Forget

Wear your Poppy with Pride

I would just like to say what fine and touching words are being said here for so many FINE AND BRAVE YOUNG MEN who never returned from the FAR AWAY BATTLEFIELDS that they FOUGHT so COURAGEOUSLY ON and gave us who have come after them the FREEDOM to do so.

My father who enlisted in WWI, and put his AGE DOWN to do so, was in the 7TH LIGHT HORSE BATTALION and landed at GALLIPOLI with the AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCES. My GREAT UNCLE who enlisted also in WWI, and who put his AGE UP to do so as he was only 16, landed at the same time at GALLIPOLI with the AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCES. They never met whilst there, as my FATHER had not yet married my MOTHER who was my GREAT UNCLE's SISTER.

Whilst my father fared not too badly during the war except for a few small wounds and experiencing the awful DESERT SAND STORMS which later in life caused terrible lung and chest health problems which the DIGGERS referred to as "THE DESERT DISEASE" he did come home alive.

My GREAT UNCLE had his RIGHT ARM SHOT OFF AT THE SHOULDER and serious LEG and BODY WOUNDS and was CRITICAL. But he came home alive too - well half alive. He never really recovered from his WARTIME experience and was, for almost the rest of his life, in a MENTAL HOSPITAL. He died aged 46 exactly 30 years to the day when he had joined up at the age of 16 years !!

My husband was an Officer in the ROYAL NAVY for 23 years but fortunately he was not involved in a WAR.

Our son has been a SOLDIER in the ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ARMY now for over 20 years. He has been posted overseas during Military Hostilities and was a UNITED NATIONS PEACE KEEPER and was awarded his PEACE KEEPERS BADGE AND BERET, of which he is very proud. He is home and safe and sound.

SO even though my loved ones have been part of the different MILITARY in very long off years at very different times I feel so thankful that NONE were taken away from us and died in a FOREIGN LAND.

BUT SO VERY MANY DID NOT COME HOME - The country towns all over Australia have their Special Memorials to the young men who never returned and some of our country towns are not very big with sometimes only very small communities but you will see on these Proud Memorials 5 and 6 brothers from the one family ALL "KILLED IN ACTION" - and it is a most SOMBRE MOMENT !!

Here in Australia we have an Association called the R.S.L. (Returned Services League) and there are Clubs for all ex-servicemen, and women, to join. Other members of the public can join but the Ex-Servicemen have their Special Badges. In the evenings at EVERY SINGLE CLUB ALL OVER AUSTRALIA at 6.00pm , the lights dim and everything goes silent, and EVERYBODY STANDS and faces the ETERNAL FLAME that burns, and you can see ALL of the ex-servicemen - no matter how old they are getting , or if they are blind, or only have one leg, or use a walking stick now - they stand erect and at attention and "THE LAST POST" is played over the speakers. Then it is recited :

THEY SHALL GROW NOT OLD
AS WE THAT ARE LEFT GROW OLD
AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM
NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN
AND IN THE MORNING
WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM
LEST WE FORGET

AND THEN EVERY PERSON IN
ALL THOSE RSL CLUBS REPEATS:

"LEST WE FORGET"

It is a wonderful tradition and no matter how many times you are involved at 6.00pm of an evening in one of our RSL Clubs you still feel a chill go through you with the haunting bugle tones and the "ODE" and you just feel PROUD !!

THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN FOGOTTEN AND THEY NEVER EVER WILL BE FORGOTTEN !!

Gilda
Gold Coast
Australia

Remembering my great uncle Edmund Thomas Arthur Renshaw who served with the Fourth Royal Garrison Artillary. Died 1917 aged 40 in Belgium.

He came home on leave and didn't have to go back because of his age, but "couldn't leave the boys there" without feeling guilty. He had five children, and on this leave another was conceived who he never knew about. The child was named Edmund after his father.

Dear Denise,

I believe I found your relation - the service number is correct as are the initial and surname. May he be remembered with respect.

Name: KING, ERNEST ARTHUR
Initials: E A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: Royal Marines
Unit Text: R.M. Group, M.N. B.D.O. (2)
Age: 33
Date of Death: 04/01/1944
Service No: CH/X 101942
Additional information: Son of John and Edith King, of Barking, Essex.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: VII. A. 15.
Cemetery: SYRACUSE WAR CEMETERY, SICILY

Best wishes,
Rebecca

In Memory of two uncles I never knew...

Frank Rodney Howard, 24 years

Killed in action 2nd September 1915 on Hill 60 at Gallipoli and "Mentioned in Despatches" He has no known grave but his name is carved on the Lone Pine Memorial.

Ray Septimus Howard , 22 years

Served in France and died of wounds in a London Hospital He is buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery.

Both from Echuca, Victoria, Australia.

Heather

In Rememberence of my Grand Uncle's

John;Gassed and on his return died 1920 as a result.

Daniel;Killed in Action ;1917

Tom and my Grandfather,Denis.

Let us also remember the Women who worked in the munition's factorie's;The TNT poisoning ,Poor health and in some case's an early death.

My great Uncle
In memoriam of Sgt Alfred Clay AGE 29

Ist Btn Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Died 16/07/1916 France.

No known grave.

On the Memorial at.
FLATIRON COPSE CEMETERY, MAMETZ

Also My Uncle

Private Hector Herbert V. Nash AGE 24

2nd BTN SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS

DIED 14 JULY 1943

BURIED SYRACUSE WAR CEMETERY, SICILY

My husbands Great uncle

Private Maurice Reuben Ravenhill
2Btn Gloucestershire Regiment. Age30

DIED OF TB CONTRACTED IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR .

Died 1920.

My husbands GG uncle

Private John Amos Tyrrell AGE 29

10 Btn Gloucestershire Regiment

Died Date
22/07/1916
France & Flanders

No known grave Memorial Thiepval.

On Ancestry i found a letter from Alfred Clays mother my G Gran to the army trying to get money to support the five children he left behind .

We will not forget them.

Lorraine x

In memory of a grandfather I never knew who rests in Blighty Valley Cemetery, Nr. Albert.
Pte. G. Wright 19646 York & Lancaster Regiment he died at the Battle of the Somme on 1st July, 1916 leaving a widow and five young children.
May he and all those who have given their lives in all the wars rest in peace and rise in glory.

Sheila

Further to my earlier post on this thread re my unknown relation, thanks to Colin who pmd me with info, I now can put a name to E A King.

He was ERNEST ARTHUR KING, my great Uncle, and he is buried in Syracuse War Cemetery in Sicily.

Now that my family know who he was, Remembrance Day will be even more special this year.

Denise x

In memory of:

Thomas David NEWBERRY, Able Seaman, Merchant Navy

Who died aboard the S.S. Tregenna (St. Ives) at the age of 38 years on 17/09/1940
He was the son of Thomas David Newberry and of Mary Jane Newberry, of Cardiff.

He is commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 110.


Ross Charles Cole who was also aboard that day

Casualty Details
Name: COLE, ROSS CHARLES
Initials: R C
Nationality: Australian
Rank: Able Seaman
Regiment/Service: Royal Australian Naval Reserve
Age: 24
Date of Death: 17/09/1940
Service No: B1597
Additional information: Son of Cyril Charles and Constance Jane Cole, of Kalinga, Queensland, Australia.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 43, Column 3.
Memorial: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL


Others commemorated at Tower Hill who were lost aboard that day

Apprentice KENNETH ROUNCEFIELD age 16

Cabin Boy Dennis SWALWELL age 15
Son of Mrs. S. Swalwell, of Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.
Remembered with honour

Under the command of Captain William Thomas Care she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-65 off the Rockall in a position 58 22N 15 42W. She was on a return voyage from Philadelphia to Newport, Monmouthshire with Convoy HX71, with a cargo of 8000 tons of steel at the time of her sinking. Captain William Thomas Care and 32 men were lost, four survivors were picked up.




May all who were lost that day, rest in peace.

Paul

In Memory of a grand-uncle.
Corporal Henry Ramsbottom 15667, killed in the battle of Loos 25th Sept 1915 aged 22 with the King's Own Scottish Borderers( K.O.S.B )

Have pm'd you Denise

nudge

My great uncle Harry Hammond died 22.9.1914 on the HMS HOGUE.
R.I.P

In Memory of my Grandfather.
Coporal Stephen William Cannon Died at the Royal Harbert Hospital on 11-10-1918. His Grave is at Greenwich Cemetery.
And Memory to Arthur William Vale Gosford death 10-4-1900. Arthur died in a boating accident off Brighton in June 1900 he was in the Navy.
Buried in a Mass Grave in Brighton.

Maureen

My dad's uncle Bob we were told he was "hacked to death" well what a story to be brought up on! but poor Bob his mother never believed he had been killed and spent the rest of her life waiting for him to come home!
My family have always laid poppies for Bob

GEDDES, ROBERT THOMPSON (real spelling thomson)
Initials: R T
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Royal Scots Fusiliers
Unit Text: "D" Coy. 8th Bn.
Age: 23
Date of Death: 19/09/1918
Service No: 11000
Additional information: Son of William and Agnes Thompson Geddes, of 8, Princes St., Aberdeen.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: III. B. 19.
Cemetery: DOIRAN MILITARY CEMETERY



his medal index card

British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920

Name: Robert Geddes
Regiment or Corps: 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers
Regimental number: 11000

awarded
victory
british
star
served in france (1st theatre of war 1915)
killed in action

Cathie

nudge

My uncle Thomas Ronald Whitcombe killed in action in France 1912 -1944

We Will Remember Them

Shirl xx

My Father

George Patrick Splane IAOC Killed in Burma in 1942