tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489548609375906347.post7430048220602731816..comments2023-04-26T02:51:06.747+01:00Comments on SLICE OF LIFE :: Living (with Young Onset Parkinson's): The SharkJon Stamfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10784772414018652597noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489548609375906347.post-36233617693702355002013-08-18T13:05:28.082+01:002013-08-18T13:05:28.082+01:00Long comment but glad to see you back you old blog...Long comment but glad to see you back you old blogger! The is really in respect of your WWI reminiscence of a few weeks back, holiday in France has intervened!<br /><br />A belated response to your blog of a while back regarding your late Grandfather’s war record. As I type this my Grandfather’s Great War service and Victory medals are hanging in a frame in my “office” /spare room/general dumping ground and your article struck quite a chord with me.<br /><br />Grandfather, like many others, lied about his age to join up (he shared the same birthday – 4th August 1900 – with the late Queen Mother, Gawd bless ‘er, and coincidentally our wedding anniversary date). Much of his military records are now “on line” and as he was “officially” an 18 year old he was sent to the front as a member of the Lincolnshire Regiment. Until I learned about the disastrous idea of “Pals Battalions” I wondered why, as Kent born and bred, he didn’t serve with his local regiment.<br /><br />I am not sure of the precise details but he received a bullet in the shoulder and I think played no further part in the War – fortunately it was not a serious wound and he always maintained it was “friendly fire” from a comrade; he also claimed it was suffered whilst earning a VC but no one saw him do it! <br /><br />His military records imply that he served as a “regular” after the war for until 1919, achieving the rank of Lance Corporal and serving in Ireland during the “Troubles”. I know little about this but from a very brief reminiscence I once heard from him it seemed that the authorities took – in the modern parlance - a “robust and proactive” approach to try and keep law and order.<br /><br />His military service later continued as a member of the Home Guard in Speldhurst during WWII – he was a huge fan of “Dad’s Army” and I got the impression from his stories that the show was not too far removed from the reality!<br /><br />His father also served during the Great Year – he was a Coachman for Sir David Salomon at Southborough and like many others in the area was sent to the Dardanelles as a "Driver" in 1915 with the 1/3rd Kent( Fortress) Royal Engineers and thence involved in the HMS Hythe “disaster”. Relative to the whole Gallipoli debacle probably fairly minor at the time but, as you can learn from Wikipedia, a major tragedy in local terms. He survived, a copy of a letter from him testifying to the bravery of Sir David’s only son, Captain David Salomon in remaining on the ship to ensure as many of his men were saved and not saving himself, is held in the archives at Broomhill.<br /><br />He died in the early 1940’s but I know from my mother’s reminiscences he often told the tale of how he escaped from the “Hythe” to the ship that had accidentally rammed it which always ended with “I jumped and I jumped and I jumped all the way from here (Speldhurst) to bloody Langton Green to get off that boat!”<br /><br />I am sure similar tales can still be told and, with the internet, many of the records from the period can be viewed on line.<br /><br />…..One final thing. I know you like to put a twist at the end of some of your blogs. The names of my ancestors, father and son - Frederick Mills!<br /><br /><br />Trainman1959https://www.blogger.com/profile/05379098358374149512noreply@blogger.com