[Burrington WW1] Have received information about an Exhibition and Book Launch to be held next weekend Nov 29th and 30th in Burrington. Many Parishes have been or will be holding similar events and some really interesting exhibits are being displayed.
published by Caroline Morris on Sun, 04/05/2014 - 12:46
The next Buckets and Spades will be special. Dedicated to those who were alive during The Great War. Lets make this special. Do you have any snippets of information about your ancestor in WW1? If you wish to put an article together, however short or submit a photograph please do contact me via the website. The deadline for articles is Tuesday 20 May.
published by Caroline Morris on Sat, 12/04/2014 - 12:06
The next edition of Buckets & Spades will be dedicated to those who lived through World War One.
If you are working on any research for Memories of WW1 we need your project to be ready for the END OF MAY!
Have you thought about investigating what your relatives did between 1914 and 1918? It is not too late to start and their story could be included in Buckets & Spades and our special Open Day in July. It does not matter how small the research project is we want to know! We already have some interesting stories to tell. One of our members is working on research for an ancestor who dug trenches in WW1, others have nurses and land girls in WW1 and of course we do have soldiers and sailors. Does anyone have a link with one of the early RAF pilots?
Do tell us your ancestors story especially if they have links to Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding district.
If you are working on a project please do contact Caroline Morris who is collating all the projects.
published by Brian Airey on Sun, 23/02/2014 - 09:00
Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum seek WW1 photos.
"We at the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum in Caernarfon are starting the mammoth task of looking for photos of individual soldiers from the RWF who were killed in the Great War.
We are trying to put each man’s name on display on a screen on the centenary of his death and would dearly love to be able to add a photograph of each man to go with his name. It is a huge undertaking as there were over 10,400 men from the RWF that were killed. But even if we only get a fraction of the photographs we believe it is worth doing. Many of the RWF were from all over so we are asking please could you help?
Many families have photographs tucked away so this might prompt them to seek them out. We accept scans or copies and any that appeared in newspapers, which often carried obituaries including photographs. We need as much information as possible to go with the photo to make sure we
fit the right photo to the right man – but sometimes a name and date of death might be all we need.
published by Caroline Morris on Tue, 21/01/2014 - 20:00
Well 2014 has arrived and I am sure you have seen lots of news stories and forthcoming events to remember World War 1. The BBC will be running special programmes across the network, both television and radio throughout the next four years.
To give you a taster of what is to come here is a special story of an amazing find involving a Weston-super-Mare family.
Please click on the link to read this special story.
Don't forget your research. We want to know all about what your ancestor did during the 1914-1918 war. Remember it does not need to be a military person, we want to capture what life was like for all during this time in history.
Please let me know if you are working on some research.
Lets make our ancestors proud and find out as much as we can about their lives.
published by Caroline Morris on Wed, 16/10/2013 - 19:52
The BBC have just announced they are doing a series of programmes through 2014 to remember those affected by World War 1 in our area. They are going to be covering all sorts of aspects from those who went to war in the military to what people did at home. This is very close to our project! As they are looking for stories to include I would love to go to the BBC with lots of our stories.
Please do get in touch with me if you have a story about an ancestor from 1914. You never know it could be featured on the television!
Remember it isn't just about those who joined the forces but about those left at home or worked in factories.
Waiting to hear from you!!!
Caroline Morris
Memories of WW1 co-ordinator
Caroline can be contacted using the Contact Us facility towards the top right-hand corner of the screen, and select in the Category box Memories of WW1.
(Please do not attach comments to this posting but create a new News & Information item using the Category Memories of WW1.)
published by Michael Oram on Tue, 15/10/2013 - 21:45
My Father in Law, Harold W. R Williams was born in Weston S Mare and served in the Parachute Regiment during WW2. He was living/working in Nottingham at the outbreak of War but returned to Weston after war ceased.
Link to the Paradata site where I posted his service record.
He also received a scroll from the Mayor Aldermen and Burgesses of Weston S Mare recognizing his Loyal and Gallant Service, a copy which can be used if it can be uploaded.
I realise this is for WW2 but thought it might be of interest to those with relatives of where information on their service can be recorded.
My grandfather, ALBERT JAMES COLES, was born in May 1876 in W-s-M and went into the Merchant Navy at 17. He took all the necessary exams in Bristol and became an Extra Master in 1904. In 1914 he went into the Royal Naval Reserve - whether he volunteered or was consripted I don't know! After a very short training period he became Patrol Leader of Armed Trawlers in the Straits of Dover - The Dover Patrol - sweeping for mines. Off the coat of Folkstone on 14th September 1915 a Dutch ship almost cut his vessel, 'The City of Dundee', in half. My grandfather was on th upper bridge and became entangled in signal halliards. He eventually freed himself and swam to a raft where he managed to pull on board 3 other men. They were eventually rescued but 7 men from his crew died in the incident. In July 1916 he was presented with The Distinguish Service Cross by George V at Buckingham Palace. He was dishcarged from the RNR in 1919.
Ernest Henry George Phillips, born 8 April 1898 was the cousin of my grandfather, Arthur Charles Phillips, known as "Charlie". Ernest's parents were Ernest Henry and Hannah Eliza Phillips.
Ernest was called up on 30 March 1917 and was at the Royal Marine Depot at Deal on 7 April and by 11 July was in France serving in the Royal Marine Light Infantry, which as part of the Royal Naval Division was present at the struggle for Paschendaele from 31 July 1917. On 28 October 1917 Ernest sustained serious injuries and was taken to the 3rd Canadian Hospital at Boulogne and his parents were notified by telegram that he had been seriously wounded.
On Saturday 3 November they received a letter from the chaplain at the hospital saying that Ernest had received his "Home Call" on 1 November. Sadly on Monday 5 November they received a letter sent by Ernest, expecting to be in Blighty by the time they received his letter.
On the Worle War Memorial is remembered, "Phillips E RMLT" (sic), which I passed on many occasions on my way home from Worle Junior School without recognition.