For Remembrance Week

[myluck!]

My grand-uncle died in Galipoli in August 1915; like many Irish recruits he was forgotten and not referred to for years - his name was Andrew Joseph Mannion of the 5th Bn Connaught Rangers #620

I researched and located him for my Aunt's 80th birthday unfortunately be believe he had a brother based on the memory of a photograph of two men together in uniform but to date I have been unable to locate the second man

May they all rest in peace and may we live in peace

[chinakay]

RAF and RCAF

Left, Pilot Officer Stanley Humblestone, navigator. Born in Hull in 1921, he was the fourth son of Edward and Dora Humblestone. Right, Flight Lieutenant Clifford Arthur Walker, born in Fort William, Ontario, in 1921. He was the son of Thomas and Martha Walker, and he enlisted in the RCAF in 1940, graduating from pilot training at Camp Borden in 1941. The aircraft is a de Havilland Mosquito, RS520.

Clifford Walker and Stanley Humblestone were presumed lost on February 2, 1945, when their aircraft failed to return from a night raid on Tirstrup Aerodrome. They are remembered at the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey.

There are two images from my scrapbook pages here:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,297794.msg1820640.html#msg1820640

[Seoras]

I will just leave this.A few discrepancies,the Mrs.McEwan mentioned was not the boy's mother but my GG grandfather Robert's second wife.In fact all correspondence was sent to either their mother,my GG grandmother Hannah or the person who was named as next of kin,their sister and my great grandmother,Tilda.

[bicker]

Ernest John Whitcombe was born in Meare Somerset, parents John and Georgiana Whitcombe. This is a copy of a letter written by a senior officer to Georgiana Whitcombe who by 1917 was a widow. The original copy is in the safe keeping of Ernest Whitcombe's niece in the USA. He is remembered on the Common Wealth Graves web site. on the War Memorial at Meare, on his parents grave stone in the churchyard at Meare and buried at the Ecoivres Cemetery. My husband visited Ernest's grave several years on a motorbike tour, so was able to bring back photos for various relations.

Sadly too many letters will have been written like this during the Great War and the other conflicts our Service Men and Women have been involved in since.


Madam                                                                                                              11 April 1917

Our Battery position was shelled by the Germans a few days ago on the 5th of this month and caused us three casualties. It is with the greatest regret and deepest sympathy that I have to inform you that your son No 17251 Gunner E J Whitcombe was one of these. We got him away at once from the place that was being shelled and dressed his wounds as well as we could but he was hardly conscious at the time. At soon as this was done we took him to the Field Dressing Station but when we arrived there we found to our great pain. that he was beyond our help and had passed away. We went for the Chaplin and at half past three in the afternoon we buried him in a Military Cemetery about a mile behind our position. Another officer and I with a Sergeant and twelve gunners attended the funeral which was conducted by our Chaplin. He was carried to him grave with a Union Jack spread over him. I think you will be informed in due course by the War Office of the details of the position of the cemetery and where his grave is in it but if you do not hear from the War Office for some time and want the details, please let me know and I will send them on to you. I believe our Major has already written to you but I am also writing because Gunner Whitcombe was in my section and I have known him since December 1915 when I joined the battery. I have always known him as a very painstaking and trustworthy gunner and he was certainly one of the hardest workers in the battery. One could put him on any work at all and he would keep at it steadily all the time without a murmur while other men would stop for a rest or smoke or something else. I always had a very high regard for all the men who came out with the battery in August 1915 and he was one of them. I call these men ‘Old Timers’ and consider them much better in every way than any new man we get in draft: when anyone of them becomes a casualty in any way there is always present with me a very sad feeling of loss. I know how hard it must be for the parents of these men, among which parents you most unfortunately now figure, my parents are also numbered among you since my brother was killed and so you will know that I can understand your sorrow anyhow to some extent and will believe me when I say how very greatly I sympathise with you in your great bereavement.
I am
Yours sincerely
N J Calder
2nd Lient R.F.A

D/5 Battery
5th Brigade
R.F.A. France

P.S
I am posting to you today a registered parcel of the things found on your son. This contains a watch, a ring, a handkerchief, his identity disc and some letters. This ought to arrive a day or so after this letter.
N J Calder
Lt R.F.A.

[Rabbit B]

Remembering again: -

All the brave men & women who have laid down their lives in the cause of Freedom for all the conflicts this country has fought in.

In both the World wars. Those who were or killed or injured on the home front, defending our freedom.

 Members of the fire brigades, the ambulance services, Nursing service, the Police, Home Guards, ARP Wardens.

The people in reserved occupations, men, women & children who were killed or injured or scarred for life. It was their battle too.

Ian killed by a tree bomb in Cyprus in the 1955-1959 troubles. He was in my husband’s regiment. All the men killed by the terrorists out there during that terrible time.

My son’s friend Fred killed in the Falklands war 1982 and all the men who died with him.

Men of the Korean War, Aden, Kenya, Northern Ireland, all the other conflicts too numerous to mention.  The brave soldiers in Afghanistan.

But especially My Grandmother’s brother, Ernest Herbert Relf 125760, 337th Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery who died age 29 on 27 July 1918 Remembered with honour Reading Cemetery

[Winterbloom21]

My own grandmother's favourite brother - of the same Regiment as RabbitB's great uncle named above - Sergeant John Serjeant 37209 Royal Garrison Artillery 173rd Seige Battery.   Died of wounds sustained in action at Bertincourt on 26th September 1918.   Buried at Bertincourt Chateau Cemetery, Northern France.  Visited there by several members of his family over the years and remembered on behalf of his affectionate sister (who had died before any of us knew where he was).

[Rabbit B]

My own grandmother's favourite brother - of the same Regiment as RabbitB's great uncle named above - Sergeant John Serjeant 37209 Royal Garrison Artillery 173rd Seige Battery.   Died of wounds sustained in action at Bertincourt on 26th September 1918.   Buried at Bertincourt Chateau Cemetery, Northern France.  Visited there by several members of his family over the years and remembered on behalf of his affectionate sister (who had died before any of us knew where he was).

Thank you for that information, Winterbloom.  I had no idea where my G. Uncle was wounded, but if they were in the same battalion the chances were that that is where it he was so badly wounded.

I am sure that everyone knows about the unknown soldier and how he came to be buried.  But someone sent me this lovely old film the other day  Please Mr Moderator forgive the inclusion on this thread  http://www.rootschat.com/links/0gor/ of the story of his burial.

I had never seen this old film before at all, so I am sure that some of the young people will be interested.

[sleepybarb]

My Uncle Tom ,Mum's brother died in Malta 1942 on the HMS Indomitable and my husband's Great uncle sidney who died in France in 1917 and is remembered on the Loos Memorial.And a local lad Mark Marshall who died in Afganistan.
                             Barb

[aspin]

Rabbit B that was a moving film

I lost a great Uncle in WW1  but don't know of any relative in the WW11

I will remember Robert Stead who was an unknown soldier until Michel (sorry if i have that wrong ) and rootschat brought him back into the limelight

Elizabeth