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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Durham => Topic started by: Unclehefty on Thursday 27 September 12 10:42 BST (UK)
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One thing that irks me (although it shouldn't) is the absence of photographs from our past - its particularly galling when the immense resources of the Beeb always seem to be able to unearth that long forgotten picture to invoke feelings of nostalgia (I just wish we all that their resources). However, I am looking to see if any pictures survive from the intake by the DLI during the first year of the 'Great War'. My reason being that my Granddad and great uncles were killed or wounded at Ypres in 1915 and all that appears to remain are their names on the Menin Gate.
Does anyone know a a photographic archive - I've tried the DLI elements of the Northumberland archive to no avail.
I do have a picture of my great-Granddad (Martin Tunney) from the Brandon collection.
Uncle H
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Have you tried the DLI Museum? http://county.durham.gov.uk/sites/dli/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx
Stan
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I thought I had, but here goes nothing...
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One photographic record is the Stanley News Newspaper (West Stanley, County Durham). The DLI Museum has the war time editions. However it is photographs/information only for servicemen killed/missing of that area. I have not seen any other newspaper that published pictures like that but there must be some more. Nearer to the end of the war is not so informative as the newspaper and readers became tired - as did the world!
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Thanks for that, do you have a URL?
Uncle H
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No URL for Stanley News. Genealogy the old fashioned way. Unless they have filmed the WW1 editions one has to go to the DLI museum and turn the orginal pages in a large binder.
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;) I also had a relative who joined the DLI in 1904 Stockton on Tees, he was sent to France with the BEF, he was killed with weeks of landing, no photos of him survived, would love to think one might be with DLI Museum, my relative was J.W McIntosh 2 nd batt 8946 pte.
All the best Derek :) :D ;)
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Unclehefty, do you know which battalion your relations were in? There are some excellent books on the DLI by John Sheen which list the men alphabetically but they only cover certain batallions. http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?author_id=77
Stockton - the Sheen book The Steel of the DLI covers 2nd batallion.
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1St/8th DLI; he was killed in february 1915 at the Ypres Salient. His brothers were in the Northumberland Fusiliers and also the 1st/5th DLI. I first knew about this when I went to Ypres and saw the Menin Gate - probably 15 years ago, it was gut-wrenching.
Uncle h
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:) Iv'e not read the book but iv'e been assured J W McIntosh gets a mention, iv'e not writen to DLI Museum asking about photos because when writing to the Kings Own Scotish Borderes asking about photos of my grandad Robert Casey 6371 Pte joined KOSB 1912 Stockton on Tees, he was sent to join the 2nd batt 4 weeks after they landed in France, he was then sent to join 1st batt KOSB in Gallipoli, there until campaign ended, then sent back into France for the Somme offensive, he fell very badly wounded 1st July 1916, discharged due to wounds 1918, his medals indicate he was one of those men who would be called " Old Contemtibles " i was told it would cost £10 to have questions answered.
My point is surely the experts must know if battalion/company photos would exist and it would be very likely our family member would be on a photo although not named, i dont know what my grandad Robert Casey looked like or J W McIntosh but if given a photo and be told the person would be on this photo would do for me { Hope i'm making sense, sorry for ramble }
All the best Derek :) :D ;)
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Actually Derek, you make cogent sense. For me history comes alive with pictures and to find none is frustrating in the extreme. The problem is that many of the generations we are seeking to find were either too poor or didn't have access to the luxury of photographs and those who did don't look after them (or perhaps I'm being a tad disingenuous here) - but immortality relies on pictorial and aural records.
I have a picture of my great-grandfather only because he posed for a shot with some colleagues as part of recording the work of a colliery, we found out much about our history from "A history of Brandon" but everything else has been through forensic research or the available data (I wish they would release the 1920 and 1930 censuses) and inspired guess-work. We live too far to visit the DLI museum and archive but will make the trip before long.
We know that my grandfather died at Ypres (or thereabouts) and the army records on the web are scant so it will be by 'talking' to others and unlocking that door, or pushing one that is slightly ajar (as I have done this week and revealed two generations further back) and finding that piece of information that will allow us to see more.
Forgive my ramble, but...
Uncle H
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;) I would love to get to both Kings Own Scotish Borderes & DLI, i was told KOSB do have archive photos, as you might expect batt/company photos would not have individual names, i know it would be a lot of hard work for the folks who look after Museums like DLI/KOSB to search and look through archive photos in the hope they could tell you your grandad or relative could be amongst this group or that group, i wish some thing could be done to help people more in this matter after all we are looking for our relatives who fought and died in the mad house of the great war.
All the best Derek :) :D ;)
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1St/8th DLI; he was killed in february 1915 at the Ypres Salient. His brothers were in the Northumberland Fusiliers and also the 1st/5th DLI. I first knew about this when I went to Ypres and saw the Menin Gate - probably 15 years ago, it was gut-wrenching.
Uncle h
What batallion Northumberland fusiliers- The Sheen book Tyneside Irish covers 24th 25th 26th and 27th. If you don't want to post their names, pm me.
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They are all Tunney, of one initial or other
Uncle H
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26th northumberland fusiliers, 3rd Tyneside Irish -
James and Joseph - is that them. do you have address, when enlisted, wounded etc? I can't see any pictures of them or of any platoons of the 26th in the book but it is a fascinating book nonetheless. You could probably ask your local library to borrow it for you if you were interested.
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All DLI photographs are no longer held at the DLI Museum.The Museum made the decision to commemorate The Durham Soldier rather than solely concentrating on the DLI soldier.All the DLI records photographs etc are now held at the DRO in Durham City,Unfortunately they charge for every copy but browsing is free.
Best wishes
Jim
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Unclehefty, not sure if you are still researching this point. But if so, do you have access to the 8th DLI Battalion History by Major E Veitch?
I have a copy and could look further into your relation with a few more details.