Our grandfathers and fathers and relatives in military service!

[KMMorris]

Keith Sutton, RAAF medical.
Service: UK,Australia, Philippines, Borneo, Singapore (1945)
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Morris

[Adrian Stevenson]

Able Seaman Ernest Oliver. My 1st cousin 2 x removed.

Born 1888 in Ruddington, Notts. KIA in the "Drake Battl" of the Royal Naval Division, aged 30 in 1918.

NAME: Ernest Oliver
AGE: 30
BIRTH DATE: 21st Jan 1888
DEATH DATE: 27 Sep 1918
CEMETERY: Memorial in Vis-en-Artois
BURIAL COUNTRY: France
FATHER: John Oliver
MOTHER: Ruth Oliver (Nee Stevenson)
REGIMENT: Royal Navy
REGIMENTAL NUMBER: Bristol Z/5089
SHIP NAME: Drake
REGION OR MEMORIAL: France

[4md]

A few photos of my Great grandfather during ww1, he joined the 9th light horse and then transferred to the camel corp.

Paul

[Paul D]

What a wonderful historical and personal thread thank you everyone , for some reason i have previously ommited to include my paternal Grandfather !

My Grandfather George Errington served with both 35 and 126 Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery during the First World War.

Both batteries were equipped with 60 Pounder guns which were the largest guns to be towed by horses anything bigger had to be moved by tractors

He arrived in France in January 1916 and served until the 15th March 1918 when he was gassed on the Hindenburg Line at Havrincourt, he fought at Ypres, Loos, The Somme and the Hindenburg line and was wounded in action 3 times,

The attached photo shows him in late 1916 or early 1917 after he had been wounded on the Somme and prior to returning to France. He is shown wearing 2 wound stripes on his left arm.

regards

Paul

Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture -img_0001.jpg

[Paul D]

IMG_0001.jpg60 Pounders.jpg

Photos

[Paul D]

My Third Cousin, twice removed.

Lance Corporal Albert Stevenson. Born in Ruddington in 1887. Killed in Action in 1916.

Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 2507
Date of Death: 05/11/1916
Age: 29
Regiment/Service urham Light Infantry 1st/8th Bn.
Panel Reference Pier and Face 14 A and 15 C. THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

Ade he will have been killed on the final day of the assault of 151 ( DLI ) Brigade on the Butte de Warlencourt , by November the Battlefield was a morass of mud , after the Battle a number of memorial crosses were put on the Butte to the DLI one of which is in the DLI chapel in Durham Cathederal , the 8 DLI cross is in a Parish Chirch in Chester le Street !!

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Paul, that for the info.

Here is another relative from "up North".

Walter Henson. My 3rd cousin 2x removed. Born 16th Dec.1889 in Chester le Street, Durham. His Mother was Sarah Ann Stevenson. He died in 1958 in Durham.

Walter was a pre war soldier and joined up in March 1914. He served with King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and Durham Light Infantry and was awarded the Silver Wound Badge in 1918.

Cheers, Ade.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Just discovered this:

My Great Uncle, Samuel Arthur Higgs (My Grandad's Brother)

Lied about his age as he was born in 1901 to join 1st Battl The Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) in 1917. Claimed he was 18 and one month. He was working as a machinist (bullet maker) in Barking at the time.

GSW to his right shoulder.

The photo shows him as a young man working on the harvest.

Cheers, Ade.

[jwp]

Just come across this pic while going through the old family photos, it is my dad's cousin George, I just knew him as uncle George, think his regiment is Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment). (the green howards)
John.


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[Robin]

Hi here is a photo of my Grandad Victor (Ben) Robson he joined the Royal Fusiliers where he did his basic training he was then transferred to the Queens Royal Regiment; he arrived in Egypt where he joined the 8th Army's big push. He fought though North Africa where he was wounded by a mortar bomb in the thigh on the push to Gabes in Tunisia but refused to leave his unit. One of his commanders near mareth line needed to bush up on his tank recognition as the Sherman's that they were waving out turned out to be tigers.

HE was captured on a recce patrol in Tunisia. He was sent first to Sicily and then on to Italy there he was moved POW Camp Campo Concentramanto P.G. 53 near Mercerate were he did his first escape of the war by cunningly walking out the front gate. From then on he spent the rest of the war playing cat and mouse with Germans, he was helped by the Italians who risked there lives to help him. He was captured by the Germans again and sent to Chieti were he tunneled his way out .

THE last time he was captured he and a co escapee were found by German officer who was out hunting rabbits. after a struggle he made a run for it but didn't escape as the officer shot him with the shot gun (luckily he was hunting rabbits so only used a shot gun shells to kill rabbits not run away POWS and the wounds weren't that bad) The Germans were going to have him shot as a commando but the same officer revoked the order saying he would hope his men in the same situation would do the same.

Then he was sent to a camp in Laterina then on to Stalag 7A and then on to Stalag 383. Near the end of the war the camp was told to move out as the Americans were heading that way. On the march they were guarded by only few guards. On there way the column was intercepted by the yanks. He was moved to Rheims where he was handed over to the British Army and then flown to a airstrip near Amersham in Buckinghamshire were he vowed never to leave England agian

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Thanks for your time