Genealogy Chat

Hello, Is there a special celebration to remembers those killed during this WW1 battle? I half heard something on the news. Gillian

Out of my 22 Rellies who were killed in WW1 I can identify 3 who were killed at the Somme in 1916, and another 4 in 1918. All in the prime of their lives, aged between 18 & 34. When will we ever learn? I believe the BBC are doing something.

Hi Jim, My granddad fought in & survived WW1. He was in France & Flanders from 1916 until the end of the war. He was one of the lucky ones to survive! Will have a look on BBC website. Thanks, Gillian

There is stuff on the BBC web site daughter posted about her great grandad, my dads dad who was in the royal irish rifles and was badly wounded on the 1st of July, John Alexander Whitley Barbara..xx

There is also some special event being held at the Imperial War Museum, I believe. Saw the posters up as I went past yesterday.

There is also a special commemoration ceremony to be held on 1st of July at the Thiepval Memorial. When I was there in April much of it was cordoned off as they were carrying out maintenance/cleanup work to get it ready for this summer's anniversary.

there's ceremonies going on all over the SOmme this Saturday to commemorate it. The biggest one is going to be at Thiepval where they are expecting in the region of 15,000 people to attend. I think som eroyals are going and Henry Allingham will be in attendance. There's also special ceremonies being held at Ulster Wood for Irish rememberance (and Ulster Tower as well if I remember) It'll all kick off at 7.30 am where every church in the region will ring out it's bells to mark the beginning of the offensive. The Scots will be at Lochargan (sp??) Crater at 7.15am where they are every year with a piper marking the time they began. Most of the news stations will be covering it - at the press conference I attended there was defnitely a very large presence from both the BBC and Sky working out the logistics of what will happen when so it can all be screened. Ulster TV will be covering ALL of the Irish stuff live. The Thiepval ceremony looks like it might be a bit of a tear jerker as we were given copies of the poems to be read out and I got a lump in my throat just reading them in a dingy cellar level press room. Zoe xx

Thanks All for your messages. I live just outside Paris & my parents are visiting so my mum wonts to visit where her father fought. Looks like there'll be plenty going on for us to attend. gillian

hi all, i had some rellies in the 1st WW also. My gr grandfather was in France, but i dont know where or how to find out, he was in The Royal Field Artillery, there is a story that he was gassed and went missing for 6 months. He did survive, but died in 1934. I would love to know more about his war years- any tips. yvette

Gillian, If you're planning on going it's worth noting that the WHOLE area will be an exclusion zone for private vehicles on the day. Access will be via a park-and-ride system. The only one I know of (where the media operates from ) is at the AIRBUS factory near Albert. - but I'd imagine there's more than one in operation. The public services start from 8am at Albert - from memory (so don't quote me) the ceremony at Thiepval is starting at about 11.30am - but there is VERY limited seating - maybe as little as 1000 seats - everyone else will need to stand for it. I have my notes on the main events somewhere in the house so PM me if you'd like anymore details and i'll see if I have them Zoe

Thanks for the advice Zoe. G

Yvette, Try Rootschat(.)com armed forces or http://www.1914-1918.invisionzone(.)com/forums/ Lots of helpful advice there. Gillian

Did you see the news last night when they were talking to that 110 yr old man, he fought both world wars, fantastic for his age, he was going to somme cant believe he was born in 1894, he has oulived his wife, she died in 1970 and i think he has a grandson of 39, not sure if he has any children living.

I think there is a programme on BBC this Sunday but don't know the time. There are several articles about the Somme in this month's 'History' magazine. One of my ancestors was killed in action in the Somme offensive, September 1916, aged just 21. Sheila x

BBC News 24 (on the satellite channel) every evening this week at 7 o'clock (1 hour programme) has, as part of the overall programme, highlights of the week's events at the Somme - looking back 90 years and what is being done to commemorate the 90th anniversary. Very interesting 5 minute pieces so far. Snowdrops

WW1 casualties that I've identified so far in my tree are: John Alfred Thearle 04/05/1917 aged 20 Percy George Hiom 12/08/1917 aged 27 Thomas Brighton 24/09/1917 aged 28 Percy Holder 18/11/1916 aged 33 Louis John Howlett 17/02/1919 aged 34 George Feary 03/07/1916 aged 24 Harold Dack 01/07/1916 aged 22 Charles Edward Dack 30/09/1915 aged 24 * Ernest Arthur Dack 28/09/1916 aged 17 * Sidney George Dack 26/08/1916 aged 28 * Arthur James Earl 06/04/1918 aged 21 Tom John Smart 23/04/1917 aged 38 * These 3 Dacks were brothers I shall be raising my glass and drinking a toast to the memory of these men and all the others who were killed fighting because Great Britain was 'committed to the preservation of a neutral and independent Belgium'. George