WW1 Relatives

**Totenhead** · 02-09-2013, 05:44 PM

As you may know the interesting WW1 discussion thread was closed down by the moderators, I feel partly responsible for that, I made some flippant comments regarding other members posts, I sincerely apologise for that, it was an interesting discussion.

Obviously next year will be the centenary of the beginning of WW1 in 1914. In tribute to those who took part, I thought it may be interesting to post some pictures of our brave ancestors who may have fought in that ghastly war.

Here is a picture of my great uncle George, my dear grandfather’s older brother, my father is named after him. This is the only picture we have of him, I assume taken before he left for the front.
He was a Driver with the Royal Field Artillery; he died on October 15th, 1917, aged 20, and is buried in the Huts Cemetery near Dikkebus, Ypres. He is pictured with his grandmother, whom I am told brought the young lads up, I am not sure what happened to their mother.

Thanks for looking.

**Tango** · 02-09-2013, 06:03 PM

The 2 photos together do make a statement...sad & yet quite powerful, but it is good "if I can use that word?" to put a face to a headstone!!!....Cheers for posting Martin,Terry.

**Totenhead** · 02-09-2013, 06:09 PM

Cheers Terry

**GIZMO8Z** · 02-09-2013, 06:17 PM

Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of my great grandfather in uniform.

He served in the Italian military with 112° Reggimento Fanteria, Brigata Piacenza.

Sebastiano was first exempt from military service due to: “poor constitution. “

On February 7, 1917 Sebastiano was drafted because of the great need for men in the Army as a result of the high losses in earlier bloody battles, though the only son of a widowed mother, but revised and sent on leave indefinitely.

On March 2, 1917 he was drafted into the Army and on March 17 he was went to the territory declared in state of war to join the 6th Infantry Regiment for combat training.

On 9 August 1917 he was assigned to the 112th Infantry Regiment, Piacenza Brigade. He stayed with this unit until the end of the war.

In August 1917, the Piacenza Brigade was engaged during the Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo River in the Nad Logem area. August, 24, the Brigade was withdrawn to Romans d'Isonzo to rest and refit. From October ,1 to 16, the Brigade returned to the Isonzo front in the Pod Koriti area. The Brigade was later involved in the retreat to the River Piave, fighting alongside British units. Specifically, from June, 16 to 23, 1918 the Brigade repulsed numerous Austrian attacks, losing 33 officers and 1,209 enlisted men. After having refit, the Brigade returned to the line of the Piave from August, 5 to October, 24. On October, 29, the Brigade crossed the Piave, pressing the enemy towards Vittorio Veneto, where the Brigade entered on October, 30, after a 17 hours uninterrupted fighting march, and reached on November, 4, 1918, at the end of the war, the area of Serravalle.

Sebastiano was demobilized and sent home on January 19, 1920.

In September 1930, Sebastiano was transferred to list 71 B (strength of the infantry personnel on leave) of the military district of Catanzaro, following the abolition of the military district of Castrovillari.

According to the Act on Recruitment of the Army (Royal Decree of August 5, 1927 - Year V - n. 1437, published in the Official Gazette of August 19, 1927, n. 191), a soldier after the period of active service, was placed in the position of "unlimited leave" but had to be ready to reenter the Army if called for mobilization or training. A soldier was exempt from all service obligations when he turned 39 years old.

As such, Sebastiano could have been called back into the military up until 1936.

IMG_3978.jpg IMG_4111.jpg

Draft 2.jpg Draft.jpg

Military Service Record.jpg Reserve 1930.jpg medals.jpg

**Totenhead** · 02-09-2013, 06:37 PM

Thanks for the input Joe, I do hope that throughout the coming year, more people will contribute, will be a fitting tribute to all concerned

**GIZMO8Z** · 02-09-2013, 06:41 PM

My pleasure! Putting together that grouping was a labor of love!

**Cameron Stockton** · 02-09-2013, 06:58 PM

Hi

Here is a picture of my Great-Great Grand Farther Alfred Charles Henderson. He served as a Dvr with the RASC during World War One and was supposedly gassed, though I have yet to confirm that. He was lucky enough to survive though....

I couldn't get the scanner to work so I used a camera. So it makes him look all out of proportion!

Thanks

Cameron

**Totenhead** · 02-09-2013, 07:24 PM

Looks fine Cameron, thank for your time and input !

**Reynard** · 02-10-2013, 12:14 AM

My paternal grandfather, Artur Tomasz Maruszewski served in Pilsudski's Legions in the Austro-Hungarian army, fighting the Russians on the Eastern Front. He began as a rifleman and was promoted through the ranks to the rank of captain (I think). He ended the war as a German POW; when Austria-Hungary bowed out of the war, their armed forces were co-opted into the German Imperial army. Grandfather, as some Poles did, refused to swear an oath of service to the Kaiser, and as a consequence, was clapped into the stockade. Incidentally, that's how he met my grandmother, who was doing charitable work, bringing food for the prisoners.

My maternal grandfather, Teophil Van Der Beken fought on the Western Front in the Belgian army; he was an infantry sergeant. He was involved in a fair bit of combat, including leaving his post to help a French officer take out a German machine gun nest that was preventing the allies from advancing. He was badly wounded by schrapnel just a few weeks before the end of the war.

**edelweiss123** · 02-10-2013, 11:05 AM

For months my grandma had been going on about finding out what happened to her Uncle called Albert Lott. After going through a box full of photos we eventually found an image of Albert. My partner identified the regiment through the buttons he was wearing. Through a simple commonwealth war graves commission search we found out he died on the Somme and was remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. As my grandma was in ill health and unable to make the trip, myself and my partner took a trip over to find him. When we found his name, although he was not a close relative, it was still a moving experience. I cannot pay enough respect to the people who are remembered on every memorial but also to the people who maintain them and provide such fantastic services as the commonwealth war grave commission.