The men lost in my village to two wars
1914-1919
B.S. BANHAM
J. HOWLETT
W.W. REMBLANCE
W.R. BARBER
S. BARNES
H.R. BEDWELL
A. CLARKE
E.J. GOOCH
J.K. HIGH
H.J. HOLLAND
C.W. HOOD
H.G. HOUGHTON
W.H. HOWELL
W. JOLLY
R.P. MEADE
W. PAGE
E.C. PRIME
V.J. REMBLANCE
H.W. RUNACLES
L.W. SAUNDERS
A. SMITH
A.T. TIBBENHAM
A.G. THREADGOLD
S.W. THREADGOLD
W. WILBY
1939-1945
V.R. CANHAM
R.T. GILHAM
F.C. GOOCH
F.J. HOWELL
A.L. LEWIS
E.W. LONGSHAW
T.E. SOUTHGATE
It never ceases to affect me. This is a small village, even now - there are about 400 houses. A century ago, there were probably half as many and, although families were larger, only grown men (albeit teenagers, some of them) would have gone off to war. But twenty-five of them died.
Not often that one uses the word 'decimated' literally. But in this case, one can.
8 comments:
I'm avoiding posting about this, this year, as my emotions feel too raw.
Nice to see the word decimated being used correctly. Albeit sadly.
I'm upsetting you nearly every day, Dave. Sorry.
Not your fault. Don't apologise. The clown will keep on grinning.
I see that the Threadgold family lost 2 members in WWI, and the Gooch family 1 in each war.
I find Remembrance Sunday doubly moving these days. I remember not only 'Our Glorious Dead', but watching the Service with my mother (1913 - 1998).
A brave face will often get you through, sometimes it's at least as brave to acknowledge that's what it is.
In one of our villages (three get together for a joint service and for each the roll of honour is read aloud) four members of one family died. It's an even smaller village than ours.
The minister who took the service said that his grandfather survived the First War and then died in 1918 of flu.
I'll write another post, so as not to leave us all feeling sad.
People tend to forget the sacrifices made during WWI (and WWII) and the amount of casualties. There was a fascinating story in Newsweek or Time about a man in Washington State who has done vast research on WWI. He was able to talk with elderly soldiers and get first hand histories.
There are too many I remember who died preparing for war also. I also remember what it was like to be a USAF wife during war (D*esert Storm)and have huge empathy for the families who are affected by any war. I am looking forward to a world without war anywhere.
Huge numbers can be too overwhelming to feel. It's when you think of the individuals that it hits home.
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