With the war memorial services of the last week, I thought that I would share just one or two of several family photos related to WW1.Though I already knew of many of their stories, I did quite a bit of research into those family members that fought and more often than not, died in WW1. I came across around 7 or 8 close family members who did not return home during the war. This is Ernest and Annie Heard with their little boy Harold who was my Granddad.
Private Ernest Heard of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment was one of many who died in Iraq (25th Jan 1917) due to a pompous glory seeking general with many thousands dying not just from wounds but also disease as poor Ernest did from drinking filthy water. He is buried in Amara, Iraq and we don’t know if Saddam ruined his grave (we think he did). My Granddad never met his dad after this photo was taken but he too was sent to Iraq in WW2 so at least got to visit his Dad and one day I hope to also. Granddad was born on 5th March 1916 so it is likely this photo was taken later that year.
This is one of several enlistment form into the British Army for WW1 for my Great Granddad, Robert William Liddell. Happily he survived the war though his brother didn’t. What an awful war, what a huge family I’d have had without it. The regiments of northern England suffered especially appalling loses and the men were particularly gutsy even for WW1 times.
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