Please Note This Blog is`nt Gardening Related But World War 1 ???

Oh Jacque - please don't get yourself upset - try to think of happier things. I know it was awful, and you know I lost my grandfather in that war - but we must remember them with pride, not sadness.

Hi Spritz im still in Shock & cant believe my lovely Father never spoke of his Own Fathers Bravery :( I think it was because my Dad was a Qiute/Private Man ? I Now want 2 Find Both Graves so theyl never be lost again Spritz , Do u know what i mean ? X

I agree with Spritz. You must stay positive and try to remember the good times.

such a lovely biog Jacque,ur grandads medal shud make u feel so proud to have it.i imagine it was very emotional for u,knowing wat they suffered and endured.I hope both u and ur son are sucessful in finding ur gran&grandads graves.best of luck with searchxx

Sadly i never Knew My Dads Parents Toto :( Theyd both died b4 i was Born :(

Hi Mobee I am so Proud 2 Know what has come to lite & My 2 Children who are 17/19 Think its so Wonderful :) I Polished to My Hearts content this Morning to get it this Clean & Washed the Ribbon 2 :)

Keep it as a memento of a brave man and knowing that he came home must give you comfort.

Toto itl be kept in My Family 4ever & 2 think if Grandad hadnt come home none of my family would be here today :(

Jacque...it was a cruel war where thousands met their deaths unnecessarily.Any man fighting WW1 was a hero and we will never know how they found the courage to face the things they did. Please do not dwell on the bad thoughts,but remember that your grandad was one of those brave men.Dont blame your Dad...they saw things noone should ever see in their lives !

Jacque... Your grandparents would be so proud of you... the effort you are putting into finding the graves... the care you are taking to keep the medal and ribbon looking lovely.
Good luck with your search. xxx

My Dad was so Qiute & Gentle Jane/Ray i can understand him saying nothing 2 keep horrid things unspoken Thanx 4 that XXXX Many thanx TT/Mobee 4 the Luck i will need it as i beleive the Museme only has records of 1 Churchs Grave Yard because the Other Church was Robbed in 1967 & with the Safe they took the Grave Yards Burial Plans :( so if My Grand Parents r in That Church Yard without a Head Stone il never Find Them :(

That's a great find and tinged with sadness , I know. Especially when we see what conflicts can do to young people and their families, as we're seeing in the news at the moment! But it's something to be proud of and you can show your family a piece of history!

Thanx Paul i cant believe iv had this Speacial Medal 15 years & didnt know what it was or who it belonged 2 :/ Iv Made sure My Children know of its importance today & if i find My Grand Parents Graves il show My Children those 2 so they can visit them when they want 2 tell their own Familys in the Further :)

That's good advice from Toto Jacque...so many didn't make it back home.
I do hope you find the graves...it's a comfort in a strange way to see your loved ones' names on the stones. Don't be sad.x

I think Paul's right, there. Look on it as family history, be proud of them both and do NOT get yourself upset!

If you find their graves, then put some garden flowers on as a little thank you. If you don't, I'm sure there's a War Memorial somewhere near you - and you could do the same.

Thanx so much Spritz /Fluff 4 the Comforting Words , I do plan on Leaveing Flowers @ their Graves Spritz but like u say if their un-found Theres A Memorail in 1 of the Churh Yards 4 those Lost in The 1st War so thats where il leave them :)

Just to add Jacque men in First war went off as Pals in Regiments from local villages and towns those that survived returned home with survivor guilt and would not discuss what they had witnessed.

Shell shock was not recognised and regarded as cowardice we look back and see how appalling things were as someone famous once said if we do not learn from history we run the risk of repeating it !

Your poor dad did not tell you these things cos his dad didnt tell him.They went to war to provide us with futures your grandfather would be so pleased that you live in a time where such things not inflicted upon you .

:-) Jacque. Good luck. XX

Shell Shock was awful Jane/Ray :( Those Poor Men who were thought to be Cowards were shot because it was`nt reconised did u know that ? :( Weve been to France on Many accasions to Chase up The Wars History Jane/Ray & it broke My Heart Then Knowing what it was all about & now finding out About My Own Grandad it cuts like a Knife,But He was a HERO & came home & now i know iwant 2 do something 2 Show who He Was :) If hes no Head Stone im thinking of Getting 1 Erected with his Name&Rank On which will Match a Small more Femine 1 for My Nan :)

Hi Jacque,all I can say is good luck on the searching for their graves,a sad thing to have to do but worth it if they are found.
I dont know much about the 1st world war,but my hubby says that that medal is a Great War Victory Medal,so whether or not you manage to find your grandparents graves,you can at least rest knowing that your grandfather was recognised for some great deed at those sad times.Best of luck in your search my darling,Lynndylou

Thanx 4 Your Luck Spritz / Lynn il let u know in a up-date to morrow eveing , I say evening because if i see their Graves on the Maps il be Busy visiting them & makeing their Graves Good if in Bad Conidition :)

Hi Jacque, I began tracing my family tree because I knew nothing of my grandfather. There was a photo of him in the 'front room' but he was never talked about. Whenever, as children, we asked, we were told he died in the war (WW1). I finally traced him and discovered that he died aboard ship coming back from East Africa after the war and was buried at sea having carried out 'important work'. I think it is an age thing that these events weren't talked about. I remember medals too being in a cupboard but have no idea what happened to them. It is sad. I remember my gran as a rather grumpy old lady but now I appreciate what a very difficult life she had, losing her husand when she had 3 small children, she also lost her brother in the same war. Good luck with your search.

Hi Gee thanx 4 the Luck u send me ,Im so sorry about your Grandad dyeing & being bureid @ sea :( I belive My Nan had some Mental problems as i remember My Dad saying about it once to My Mum many many years ago ? Sadly iv not seen any photos of them so u was lucky 2 have that 1 in your Front Room :)

Family history is so fascinating Jacque, and so emotional aswell. If you persue it you'll find yourself in floods of tears at one event and in fits of laughter at another. You have to accept it all as part of your past - the good things, and the bad things aswell. You can't push the bad things out of the way. It all really did happen and I think you should feel proud of your grandfather. He must have been very brave.

Thanx Hywel :) I did try & trace My Family Tree about 5year ago but gave up with it :( But Strange u mention it because the Vicor i spoke to 2day z its wierd iv turned up Looking 4 My Grandads Grave cos A Gentlemen was there asking about My Surname only last week in serch of us ? How weird is that Hywel ! & The Vicors Daughters Friend is related to Them some how ? Iv 2 phone the Vicor tomorrow after i leave the Museum 2 tell him how i got on :)

Good luck.
I've been tracing my family tree for about 35 yrs. Got so much info I don't know where to keep it all .lol.

many people don't appriciate the freedoms we have here in the uk. without the likes of your grandad things would be very different. you should be very proud of him...

even though its very sad jacque its lovely that you have such a precious keep sake from your grandad, you must be very proud of him, good luck for tomoz hope you find what your looking for, x

Even though it has made you upset, it's great to have something real and tangible as a memento of your Grandfather. This medal is a really special thing to treasure. We have some family bibles, wedding rings, my Granny's doll etc which are far more real to me than birth/death certificates. My husband does a lot of family tree research but I find facts on paper a little dull without mementos to make the people 'real'. Good luck with the search.

Thanx so much 4 all your Kind Words Sandra/San/Lily2, Iv emailed the Museum this morning as their not open until tomorrow & iv also 2 make an appointment to look @ the Maps i want 2 see :)

i think its great Jacque that you have such a wonderful medal to remember him by.
i hope the museum can help you xx

Thanx Eileen I Love The Medal & couldnt wait 2 tell K & Bub all about their Great Grandad :) Iv 2 tell my Sis & Bruv yet as im only 1 who knows :)

I feel for you Jacque :-) You must be in a right turmoil. Good luck x

Hi Dawn im feeling much better today about it all ,Iv told my Neighbour Ann & sister this Morning & shes going 2 tell Our Bruv 4 me 2nite :) PHils told his Bruv ,K My Son has told his Dad "My Ex Hubby" We want every1 to know My Grandad was a WW1 Heroe :)

it really is something to be proud of Jacque. My grandad was also in World War I, but luckily returned home - or maybe I wouldnt be here typing this message now :-)

My Grandad made it home 2 Dawn :)

:-))))

:)

I didn,t know my grandparents Jacque , I do know that my grandfather came back from the war but both my Grandmother and Grandfather died round about the same time that I was born . !

WoW Amy isnt it Fab how our Dear Grandads made it home :) I didnt know My Grandparents either Amy iv had to Search for them On Ancestry.co.uk which is Free to use @ My Library :) I think iv spent a good 20 hrs @ the Library so far since finding the Medal :)

Hi, Jaque.....I'm new to GOY so please forgive me for butting in, but I was quite moved by your search for your 'missing' grandfather. I do hope you manage to locate a grave, but you must bear in mind that if you don't there are things you can do to 'remember' him by....plant a tree in his memory, perhaps, and always, always buy a poppy on Remembrance Day, even though he wasn't actually killed during the War, and pledge your support for ALL soldiers of ALL wars.

Those lads, those young flowers of England, Scotland, Wales, did NOT die 'unecessarily'...they died, mistakenly, perhaps, fighting for a cause they may not even have understood...so many of them thought of it as an adventure, a 'lark', their first taste of freedom.....and, for many, their last...but it was NOT for nothing. There was hardly a home in Britain who did not lose someone in that awful, awful war - a father, a brother, a husband, a son....and as it says, quite clearly on the medal they ALL received...'...the Great War for Civilisation'... not 'The Great War Because We Couldn't Think Of Anything Else To Do So We Thought We'd Have A Bash At The Germans' . People who say it was for 'nothing' need to read a few history books. We still owe those lads a debt greater than we can ever hope to repay.

EVERY man who engaged in what the military call a 'Theatre of War' between 1914 - 1918, and returned in one piece received the identical medal your Grandad had....there were thousands of them struck, each with the name and number of the man punched onto the rim. Whether they served in the army or were involved in activites closer to home, they received this medal. I have one belonging to my maternal Grandfather, who was with the army in Africa and the Sudan....he, like your Grandfather, was one of the 'lucky' ones, he lived to return home to his family, as did my paternal Grandfather, who's 'Victory' medal I also have. You really need to know what regiment, if any, he served with.

My Great Uncle ( my Grandfather's brother ), however, was killed at the second Ypres, aged 25. His body, like so many hundred upon hundreds, was never found and he is buried, somewhere in Belgium, probably in a mass grave. His name is commemorated on the Menin Gate, and even though he died long before I was born, I buy a poppy for him, every November, and remember the day of his death, May 8th, every year. Yes, I feel sad, but I don't get over-dramatic about him. I'm proud of him, and I'm greatly saddened that he was one of the many who never returned. That, alas, is the price we must pay for our liberty. Remember, there is ALWAYS a price....

Your Granddad lived to tell the tale, and I do hope you manage to locate his grave. Do you not have any remaining living relatives who might be able to give you a clue? Have you no idea of when he died? As a family historian and genealogist I must say that it will be quite difficult to locate him without the basics of information. I see from the medal that he enlisted, or was conscripted as a 'Private', so he was probably still a young man in 1914, and probably born around 1895, give or take a year or two.
Have you any idea of when he died? Post 1922, obviously. Many men who served during WW1 ( and survived ) quite deliberately chose NOT to talk about their experiences to their families, so your father may have had very little idea of his father's perception of the Great War, and known very little about it. Your Grandfather fought for the right to maintain his silence...remember that. Maybe digging TOO deep isn't the option to take.

I look forward to hearing whether you manage to locate his grave, but try, hard as it is, to keep things in proportion....he lived to see the end of the greatest war the world has ever engaged upon, and to produce your father.....so many men didn't. He was one of the lucky ones.

Chin up, girl, time only marches in one direction. Honour the past, but look to the future.

;-)

Hi Bscott i dont think your Butting in @ all its good of u 2 give a comment & be honest about how u feel :) I always Buy Poppies & i also Buy The Monthly Raffle Tickets 2 help with The Collection throughout the year :) I wear a "Least We Forget Bangle" in Remeberance 2. All this is Purchable on = http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/support-us/raffle

il keep in mind everything uv z as its helped me reading all uv written Bscott :)