Every Family has a story to tell……….Welcome to mine
Killed in the Line of Duty Sapper Albert Edward SA Fearon Service Number 4270436........... Albert Edward Sidegewick Anderson Fearon, to give him his full name, was born in the second quarter of 1920 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the youngest of six children born to parents Christopher Stephenson Fearon and Alice Oliver. What is really interesting with Albert's … Continue reading Sapper Albert Edward SA Fearon
Killed in the Line of Duty Sapper George Lucas Service Number 7895135………. The final part in the story of the six brave men that died near Nantwich in Cheshire, trying to defuse a bomb that was dropped during WW2. This brings to a conclusion, eight months of research and many visits to the surrounding areas … Continue reading Sapper George Lucas
Killed in the Line of Duty Sapper John Perrins Service Number 1895467........... John Perrins was born on 16 June 1916 in Bolton, one of seven children born to parents, John Thomas Perrins and Sarah Ann Hurst. The Perrins family had spent many years living in the Little Lever area of Bolton and came from a … Continue reading Sapper John Perrins
Updated in April 2026, this version includes newly uncovered evidence that significantly enhances our understanding of the events described below. \On 17th August 1940, six brave men from the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal team tragically lost their lives while attempting to defuse a bomb in fields near Nantwich, Cheshire. This is their story...... Thanks to … Continue reading Danger UXB – The Story of Six Brave Royal Engineers Who Died at Nantwich
A few years ago I was fortunate enough to visit the National Arboretum in Staffordshire, which holds over 300 memorials to those lives that have sadly been lost in conflict and civilian life. The Arboretum stands as a place which honours the fallen and recognises their service and their sacrifice for their country. It was first … Continue reading My Visit to The National Memorial Arboretum
At the start of the Great War the population of Byford in Herefordshire, including children, was 148 and Mansell Gamage 116, giving a total of 264 inhabitants. 51 young men enlisted from the two villages and 13 of those sadly died. The others returned, but life would never be the same for any of them, … Continue reading A Family at War (Part 2)
WW1 touched the lives of millions of families, both at home and across the Empire, with families suffering irreconcilable grief and loss, many families never fully recovered. So many young men volunteered at the outbreak of War, to do "their bit" for King and Country, little did they know the full scale of the horrors … Continue reading No. 1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station
At the outbreak of WW1, there was an ongoing debate about the best way to treat casualties from the front line. Opinion was divided, should you treat the casualty as close to the front line as possible, getting the wounded and injured men to surgery in the fastest possible time, whilst accepting that the operating … Continue reading Casualty Clearing Stations During WW1
Before the start of WW1, the British Army comprised of approximately 700,000 men of which 250,000 were regulars, 250,000 territorials and 200,000 reservists. By the end of WW1, it’s estimated that 8.7 million men and women had served in the British Army. So, the chances of you having an ancestor who served in WW1 is … Continue reading How to Research a WW1 Soldier
At the start of the Great War the population of Byford in Herefordshire, including children, was 148 and Mansell Gamage 116, giving a total of 264 inhabitants. 51 young men enlisted from the two villages and 13 of those sadly died. The others returned, but life would never be the same for them after their … Continue reading A Family at War (Part 1)
The Chiddicks Family Tree 