Remembrance Sunday - is there anyone you particularly remember?

[Difficultcustomer]

I remember three - two 19 year olds and a 20 year old killed in the first gulf war 1991. The brother of one was in my class at school.

RIP

My great-grandfather was lucky. He wasn't thought fit enough to be on the front line and so was sent to India. Three of his brothers were killed. One in Egypt just a few days before the end of the war, one in France and one in Belgium. Another of his brothers was seriously wounded and another escaped relatively unharmed. So out of six sons, my great-great grandparents lost three.

Reading through their army records is fascinating. I recommend doing it for anyone that has had relatives in WW1. We must never forget them.

@WhentheRabbitsWentWild I would like to think they would be proud that they fought for us and we honour them. The whole country comes to a standstill, all backgrounds, cultures, politicians and all standing together for 2 mins of silence, I shed a little tear for them in the 2 mins of silence.

My dear cousin, who I was very close to. Killed in friendly fire on tour in Afghanistan in 2010. 27 years old.

My 90 year old friend who struggles on Remembrance Day. Her brother was parachuted into France with the SOE , caught, tortured and killed by the Gestapo. We took her to his memorial at the National Arboretum.

My grandad who survived WW2 but rarely spoke about it.

My two cousins who were deployed in Northern Ireland in the 80s. Both severely traumatised by what they witnessed (from both sides).

Dan Clack, who I never knew in RL, but who was killed in Afghanistan between the filming of the documentary about Sandhurst and its transmission.

I posted about this a while ago, and his mother responded. If you are still around proudestmum he's not forgotten.

I was thinking this at poor remembrance parade this morning. I don’t know my family history beyong grandparents, but remembrance Sunday ours always very poignant and moving for me. It’s just a general sense of loss , remembrance and gratitude for all loved lost on war.

And a strong strong sense that we must never, never let it happen again.

RIP

My father was named for his uncle, who had been killed at Gallipoli just before DDad was born. I found his name on an interactive display at the Imperial War Museum, which gave me a huge emotional jolt

We think of lots of our family especially today and tomorrow....

My dad who was a gunner and signaller in WWII
My 2 uncles who were in the navy in WWII
My uncle who was in the army in WWII
My FiL who was a rear gunner in a Lancaster in WWII
My DGF who was in the navy in WWI and in the merchant navy in WWII
DH's grandfather who was in the army in WWI
DH's uncle who was in the army in WWII and was killed in Italy and is buried there..
DF's cousin who was also in the army in WWII and was also killed in Italy and is buried there

Finally DS's school friend who was seriously injured in Afghanistan and who died in Selly Oak hospital ....

Just so many.....

My Grandad who fought in the second world War. Also, my Grandma's brother who had epilepsy and was sent away to fight when he really shouldn't have been. He was traumatised when he was sent home and died shortly afterwards while having a particularly bad seizure.

My Uncle who served in the troubles in NI, and lived with PTSD afterwards until his premature death.

My friends father, who was killed at Warrenpoint in an IRA ambush.

My great uncle. Only one l think to survive 2 battles of Passchendale. He was on the tv in the 70’s talking about it. I hardly remember him, but l do remember him saying he hated poppies and would never wear one

@loutypips how do you view someone’s army records please?

I remember my grandfather, who served in WWII. He was a prisoner of war in Germany and served as the camp barber.

@Stillabitemo on ancestry. They have more WW1 records at the moment though. I think the national archives website might be a good place to start though as I think they have all the places the records are stored on there.

FindMyPast is actually free to access today and I think until tomorrow (11 Nov): www.findmypast.co.uk

It has lots of military records, including a fairly newly available set: "British Armed Forces, First World War Soldiers' Medical Records" search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/british-armed-forces-first-world-war-soldiers-medical-records

It's actually records of British medical units rather than British servicemen & women, so there are all sorts of nationalities being treated by the Field Ambulances and Casualty Clearing Stations.

It can be rather upsetting reading. We have memorials listing the dead, but if someone didn't die in the war you may not have known about their injuries or mental health problems from it. These new records may reveal that.

I remember my Great grandfather who served in the Royal Horse Artillery in WW1. Also both grandfathers who served in WW2. They all came back.

I also think of the Scout Leader of the group next door to ours who died at Ypres in 1917. We went to see his grave in 2017 which was such an emotional day. The war graves were so poignant- I was really glad DS was able to go - so many unknown soldiers.

My Grandmother who was a WAAF plotter, she died 3 years ago at the age of 98
A formidable lady who is much missed so we've been to the remembrance parade today to remember her.

There are a huge number of people with British families in the Australian records of World War I.

Many of these have been scanned and can be searched. Try the Australian War Memorial site: www.awm.gov.au

The site can be frustrating to use, but contains astonishing material, not just basic military records. Eg photos taken by servicemen & women during action, and letters from the Red Cross which provided a tracing service to help people find out exactly how their loved ones died.

You can also look at Discovering Anzacs: discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au

This link directly to the National Archives of Australia may be easier to navigate than the AWM one: www.naa.gov.au/collection/explore/defence/service-records

Great Uncle, buried in Cambrai, aged 20. He'd volunteered at a recruiting station in Liverpool but was turned away because he was only 17 and therefore underage. He went to the one around the corner, lied about his age and was accepted.

Uncle, joined the Merchant Navy at 18 and was on the Murmansk Run. He survived three separate occasions when the ship he was on was torpedoed and sank but he was never the same again. A shell of a man till he died.

Dad, one of the last conscripts. Served in Malaysia as a bombardier and range setter. It destroyed his hearing. Also gone now.

My three great-uncles, James, Arthur and Frederick who all died in WW1, aged from 21 to 35.
My two grandfathers, Matthew (Army) and Jack (Navy) who also served, were injured, but were lucky enough to come home.

My late FIL, Bob (Army) who survived many major campaigns, including D-Day, from 1939-45 with barely a scratch and my dad Alfie who wasn’t old enough to serve in WW2 but joined the Army afterwards when he was old enough. Very proud of them all.

A friend from school whose brother died in the Falklands during our 'O' Levels. I always think of the family from time to time and especially this time of year.
As a mum of someone in the RAF, I hope I never have to march for him on a day like today.

Also two great great uncles, one died in Gallipoli, the other in France.

My granddads who served in the RAF and Army in World War 2.
My brother who’s currently serving in the Army in the same regiment as one of my Grandads. Luckily he was with us today at DS’s first parade as a cadet.

My friend's brother (and my friend), who signed up with his best friend at 16.

They served together in Afghanistan and he held his best friend while he died after being caught by an iud. He has also lost most of his hearing in his left ear. They were 24 and 25.

While I feel sad for the man who died, my friend's brother came home a different man. An angry alcoholic who couldn't afford the extensive therapy he needs. My friend's brother lost his best friend, and my friend lost her brother.