Every Family has a story to tell……….Welcome to mine
During a visit to the Western Front in the summer of 2025, I was told a story that has stayed with me ever since. It was not a story of sweeping offensives or celebrated generals, nor one that fits comfortably into the familiar narratives of the First World War. Instead, it was a small, human … Continue reading Beaumont-Hamel: A Fragment Returned
The land is silent now, peace prevails where once there was chaos. There was a time when the earth here was ripped apart by bombs and tanks, when men were torn apart by machine guns, shrapnel, bayonets and barbed wire. Today, crops and trees grow once more on soil that was once barren, a landscape … Continue reading Walking the Great War: My Journey to the Western Front
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
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)
After such a long time, I have finally had my Great-Grandfathers WW1 Medals Professionally Framed. To say that I am pleased with the outcome is an under statement, I am truly blown away by how amazing the frame and Medals look. This is without doubt one of my proudest ‘Family History’ moments. It was a … Continue reading Great-Grandad’s World War 1 Medals Framed
This is the latest and recently updated biography of my great-grandfather, John Edwin Barnes. It's always good practise to periodically review and revisit your work and I have included here some new information and some additional records, plus I have been able to add some new photographs to my collection, all of which help to … Continue reading The Life and Times of John Edwin Barnes
Harry Joseph Keyes was born in 1891, in Grays, Essex, the seventh of the eight children born to Joseph Keyes and Elizabeth Keyes (nee Bishop). When Harry Joseph Keyes was born, his father, Joseph, was 39 and his mother, Elizabeth, was 38. He had three brothers and four sisters. Young Harry sadly lost his life, … Continue reading 3rd Battle of Ypres – Passchendaele
The Chiddicks Family Tree 