A rare and precious thing.....

[Home Guard]

DD, That is an very special piece of history. Do you also have the full name to go with it?

Terry

[Padre]

There, I think two, in the church in Epsom where my mum and dad married in 1961. I went down there last August and found them.

[dumdum]

Originally Posted by Home Guard

DD, That is an very special piece of history. Do you also have the full name to go with it?

Terry

Hi Terry

Sadly, no, but maybe the relative anonymity of the piece underscores the loss of so many who were "known unto God". That inscription ALWAYS gets to me....

I don't ever plan to sell it and will one day place it in a repository where it can be preserved.

[Home Guard]

DD, I quite agree, and am glad it found it's way toa collector who knows and values such pieces of history.

Funny, but not so funny, when my son was shot he thought he was going to wear he bullet on a chain around his neck. To which, his dad said "Absolutely NOT!". Of course he thought it was going to still be bullet shape (seen too many movies), and not the piece of mashed metal it was. Cause of the shooting - a friend playing around with a rifle not thinking it was loaded, aimed it at him and pulled the trigger!!! My son was 16 at the time. He's in his mid 40's now and don't know if he even still has it.

Sorry if I got off topic a bit.

Terry

[dumdum]

Hi Terry

Not off topic at all and glad that he is OK. I used to visit a dear old WW1 vet who told me that he had been shot in the leg in France in 1916. His leg had been immobilized but he seemed to manage OK after all these years.

We chatted over the years and it was only when soldier's files became available online that I found that he had indeed been shot in the leg, in France, in 1916 but...by a silly idiot cleaning a rifle in camp!

Wonder if he'd have told me if I'd asked.....

[Home Guard]

DD, a great story. I had the honor and privilege to meet several WWI vets back in the 90s, and was talking with one for a good 45 minutes, well, I was listening as he told me stories. I asked him for his autograph and only then did he say "I'd be happy to, but you'll have to help because I am blind." I was nearly moved to tears.

He was a gunner who went to war with American 3 inch guns, but said they were a terrible gun. They were replaced by the quick-firing French 75 and he said that was a sweetheart! he also talked about being in a gas attack which was frightening, but he said they just donned gas masks and went to a closed dugout and when the gas cleared they went back to firing their guns.

Stay well,

Terry

[dumdum]

Hi Terry

Thanks for your follow up to my post. I've met a few WW1 and have the odd autograph too. As a schoolboy, I even once changed a tyre for a WW1 V.C. vet!

He and his old buddy had probably been to a reunion and had the odd drink, or two or three...

They offered me the price of an ice-cream (20 cents back then!) but it was just a privilege to have helped.

He had survived Gallipoli and maintained that he survived unwounded as he was too short for the bullets to hit him.

Famous for saying that he got the Victoria Cross while his mates got wooden crosses...

[Home Guard]

DD, Great story and a very moving statement the vet made. Thanks for sharing.

Terry

[dumdum]

Hi Terry

Glad you liked it! It is as true as I can remember it. I didn't connect the incident of the tyre changing until some years later when I had contact with his granddaughter.

She confirmed that Grandad did have a teal blue Morris 1100 and that he was fond of going out to "socialise" with one of his old comrades. Cyril Bassett for those who might be interested further.