You might describe this post as a work in progress. I do not have a photo of a soldier from WWI like the one in this week's prompt.
I know that my father and at least one of his brothers took part in that 'war to end all wars.' I know this because of the Roll in the porch to St Mary's Church in the Rutland village of Ketton.
To see who others are remembering march over to Sepia-Saturday-211,
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| Roll of those who served in His Majesty's forces in the War of 1914-1918 |
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| Enlarged section |
My uncle Stan (Scotney HCS) was a Sergeant in the Bedfordshire Yeomanry; the first brigade fought at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. I do not know whether my uncle was there, but he would have been 21 at the time. Stan never married and died in the early 1960s. He left me £149 in his will which we used to buy our first car.
My father, Charles William Arthur Scotney, was a Private in the Army Service Corps (ASC). Born in 1897 he would have been 17 when the war started. I'm sorry to say that is all I know at this time as I have still to find his (or his brother's) war records.
There are no photos of him that have survived from his life. The ASC was the Corps responsible for getting supplies to the armies. A lot of the transport in those days was drawn by mules or horses. My grandfather had been a saddler and harness maker by trade and I know that my father had learnt the skills from him. I like to think that he would have been able to put these to use when in the ASC.
If you look back at the Roll in Ketton church you will see names in a different colour at the top. These are the 38 men who did not return. Counting names on the Roll cannot be completed from the photo but I estimate about 150 survived the bloodshed.
As far as I know there is no war memorial in Kirklevington, the village where I now live. The village is quite small with a population of 1295 in 2001. However is does have a village hall.
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| Kirklevington and Castlelevington Memorial Hall |
The hall was opened and dedicated in December 1954 as a war memorial to those who died in the two world wars. The structure at the front has since been replaced by a new building in 1983.
The town of Yarm, about three miles away, has some special events scheduled for 2014 as part of the commemorations of WWI.
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| Yarm War Memorial |
When you look at the inscriptions this is what you can see.
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| Yarm War Memorial - those lost in WWI (The Great War) |
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| Lives lost in WWI |
I have counted 56 names in these two photos. The population in Yarm in 1914 was 500/600 people. (8674 in 2001). On Remembrance Day this year it is intended to display a wall of poppies on the town's buildings projected over a map of Yarm showing each of the soldiers names and where they lived.
I just might be there, with a camera at the ready.
To see who others are remembering march over to Sepia-Saturday-211,
