Extra Resources - Harry's War.

More pictures - After June 15th from Rocco

2008-07-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

Dispositions at Asiago 15th June 1918

2008-07-06T00:49:00.000-07:00

Rocco has turned up some fascinating information on the dispositions at Asiago on 15th June 1918. Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Magnaboschi Military Cemetery

2008-05-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

Stunning Pictures from Rocco. Click on the images to enlarge.

LUX PERPETUA LUCEAT EIS (Let light perpetual shine upon them)

Granezza Military Cemetery

2008-04-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Rocco Chiarolanza
Click on the images to enlarge.

Boscon Miltary Cemetery

2008-04-28T12:52:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to Rocco Chiarolanza.
Click on an image to enlarge

Grumoletto to Arzignano, April 22nd 1918

2008-04-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to enlarge
Thanks to Jono Wood

Granezza to Grumo April 19th to 2st 1918

2008-04-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to enlarge
Thanks to Jono Wood

The Italian Terrain , 2008 - Rocco Chiarolanza

2008-04-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

2008 Map of the Asiago Area showing the location of the British Military Cemeteries with a key to map symbols. Click on any of the images for an enlarged view.

Memorial just outside Granezza and Granezza Military Cemetery

2 Views - Boscon Military Cemetery

Magnaboschi Military Cemetery

Barenthal British Military Cemetery

Asiago Dispositions, April 1918

2008-04-04T00:07:00.001-07:00

Click on image to enlarge.
Thanks to Jono Wood

Asiago View 2 -The Front Line

2008-04-04T00:04:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to enlarge.
Thanks to Jono Wood

Asiago Plateau View 3 -The Front Line

2008-04-04T00:02:00.001-07:00

Asiago Plateau looking East
Click on the image to enlarge
Thanks to Jono Wood

a) Asiago Plateau, View 1

2008-04-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

Overview of the Asiago Plateau from Lake Garda.
Click on the image to enlarge. See the links to the left for further views.
Thanks to Jono Wood

The Long March 5, 28th November -3rd December 1917

2008-03-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

On these 4 days, the Battalion marched a total of 34.5 miles to arrive in the Montebelluna area. The total distance for the whole march was 108.5 miles.Click on the image to enlarge.
Thanks to Jono Wood

The Long March 4, 25th 26th November 1917

2008-03-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

On the 25th & 26th, the Battalion marched a total of 16.5 miles. The next two days were rest days.Click on the image to enlarge.
Thanks to Jono Wood

The Long March 3, 23rd November 1917

2008-03-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

On 23rd November 1917, the Battalion marched 7 miles. Click on the image to enlarge.
thanks to Jono Wood

The Long March 2, 22nd November

2008-03-28T07:21:00.001-07:00

On 22nd November 1917, Harry's Battalion Marched 16 miles.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Thanks to Jono Wood

The Long March 1, 15th -21st November 1917

2008-03-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

First Section of the march towards the front. the Battalion marched for three days to the 21st November, covering 32 miles. Click on the image to enlarge.
Thanks to Jono Wood

Motorised move, Wednesday 27th March 1918

2008-03-26T04:11:00.001-07:00

SARCEDO to GRANEZZA, Click on the image to enlarge
Thanks to Jono Wood

Route March; 25th March 1918

2008-03-25T12:07:00.001-07:00

Eight and a half mile march from BOLZANO to SARCEDO.Click on the image to enlarge.
Thanks to Jono wood

Route March; 16th & 17th February 1918

2008-03-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Montebelluna to the foot of Mount Grappa.Click to enlarge.
Thanks to Jono Wood.

Battle of Caporetto, October - November 1917

2008-03-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

The map shows the territory lost by the Italians between the 24th October and 9th November.Click on the map to enlarge

This terrible defeat for the Italians triggered the movement of troops from Flanders to Italy to halt the slide. Harry's 23rd Division arrived on 16th November just a week after the Austrian army, bolstered by Hungarian and German troops, had been held at the River Piave.

The Italian army had lost most of its artillery in its retreat.

March back to Montebelluna, 25th & 26th February 1918

2008-03-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

"And he marched them back again." Harry's Battalion marched back to the Montebelluna area, 8 days after marching away!Click on the image to enlarge.
Thanks to Jono Wood

2 Day March. 15th & 16 th March 1918.

2008-03-24T07:57:00.001-07:00

This shows the route taken by Harry with his new boots. Click to enlarge
Thanks to Jono Wood

The Piave Italian Front, February 1917

2008-03-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

The troop dispositions at River Piave looking North, February 1918.Click to enlarge

River Piave Front - View to the West, February 1918Click to enlarge.

Thanks to Jono Wood

Company Billets 7th December 1917

2008-03-24T07:39:00.001-07:00

This slide reflects the billeting of the 9th Battalion York & Lancasters as described in the War Diary entry for 7th December. (Harry's Company doesn't get a mention!)
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Thanks to Jono Wood

Overview of the Italian Campaign

2008-03-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

This is the overview of the Italy theatre of war, as it was when Harry's Battalion arrived early November 1917.
Click on the image for a larger view.
Thanks to Jono wood.

2008-01-08T12:44:00.000-08:00

January 8th 2008

Hello,

I'm an Englishman in New York and heard about Harry's blog on the BBC world service. You sir are performing a wonderful and important service to the rest of the world. I have read the entire series of letters this morning (not much work done today) and am entirely captivated by Harry's experiences. I have just finished reading Tolstoy's War and Peace which in many ways documents a war 100 years previous to Harry's. It is uncanny yet depressing to see the parallels in the day to day life of the soldiers in both conflicts; from the illogical and unnecessary troop movements, to the tragic and horrifying deaths on all sides. I am profoundly grateful to have never had to participate in war and part of this is due to people like Harry and yourself who document the real truths and not the propaganda. As these truths are told over the centuries I hold some hope that we as a species will eventually war no longer. As a boy I was taught that war was glorious, I now know that it is exactly the opposite and will teach my children the same.

Thank you for this amazing work – really thank you.

5:54 PM

Lesley said...

Another excellent book of letters from WWI is 'Letters from a Lost Generation' Its a book of letters sent to and from Vera Brittan by her brother and his friends during the war.

Its extremely moving (got through so many tissues reading it!) and, as stupid as it sounds, you forget that the authors don't know the outcome. A very poignant book.

6:55 PM

minidvr said...

Hi!!

This is an excellent site, that presents the First World War from the perspective of an Infanteer serving in hell. My family lost members in the so called war to end all wars, and my father and uncle fought in the second world war. I myself served with the British Army for over 40 years, and nothing that I have seen in that time can compare to the hell and intensity of both wars - in todays climate, the casualties and conditions borne by our forebears would not be acceptable and the media would be anti-war as the US Media was after Vietnam. I am now hooked and will be following this particular blog to its conclusion. A well designed, unique and thoughtful site. By the way, I saw the link in todays Daily Mirror.

9:42 PM

Anonymous said...

Hi Bill - You don't have to approve this for publication as its more personal in nature.

Superb piece of work. More power to your elbow and great success in the project.

The last time we were in contact was over Acorn 3020's etc for the school.

Oh and I think I still have a analogue / digital converter for the BBC that you once made ...

Well done

Ian

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous who wrote that
"as a boy I was taught that war was glorious." In many ways, the US Civil War was a precursor to the 1914-1918 war. William T Sherman was one of its great figures, and is famous for saying this:

"There is many a boy here to-day who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell."

General Sherman 1820-91: speech at Columbus, Ohio, 11 August 1880

4:57 AM

Taikor said...

Hi, I'm from south Malaysia. I heard about this blog from the BBC World Service via BBC Singapore. It's very interesting reading the stories. Keep it up

7:02 AM

Anonymous said...

Hello,

I have just sat and read this all of the way through this morning after seeing a report on Sky News...I want to thank you for sharing this with us, and for the time you have taken in giving the extra information alongside in order to put this all into context. Early on in the blog you mention Sebastian Falks' Birdsong. I read that book years ago, and more than any other book it evoked the feeling of horror, dread, futility and fear in WW1 - I felt I could almost have been there. This blog is giving me that same feeling, and as I read it I share your feelings of horror and fear for Harry in his situation.In getting to know Harry and the characters in his life in just this small way, there's also a feeling of the love he has for people, the need to hold onto that feeling in a time of hell, and the necessity of it as being key to getting through it all (I don't know if I've described that very well, but I hope you understand what I mean). All of these men having to fight this filthy war, whether it was necessary or not, is incredibly sad.

It is such a shame that the correspondence between him and Ethel has disappeared, what an extra dimension that would have brought to this.

The story of Connie has touched my heart. Of Harry and Ethel raising her, Kate not having her, and of the plight of Connie herself.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now! I just really wanted to let you know how much I appreciate this.

Kind regards, Deborah Moran

9:38 AM

Anonymous said...

whats happened to harry after xmas?? i cant wait to find out, im captivated by the letters, keep up the good work!

10:22 AM

Anonymous said...

What a brilliant concept and excellent site. I read about this in the Daily Telegraph yesterday andd immediately went to the site.The personal aspects of this will bring home 'in real time' the horrors of WW1 and the courage of so many young men like your Grandfather.
The impacts are still felt today and the sacrifices must never never be forgotten. My paternal grandfather was about the same age as Harry & enlsted day one of the war, badly wounded at Battle of Loos in 1915 , patched up and a year later sent back to the front line still with shrapnel in his back! My maternal grandfather gassed and died young post war when my mother was a baby. Great uncle died at Arras aged 21. My maternal grandmother lost at least 4 other relatives during the war. It is so dfifficult to comprehend the impact of the conflict not just on the servicemen but also their families . This was the generation that largely, when faced with tragedy dealt with it , put it out of their minds and got on with their lives.
Your research and your site has a historic importance which should not be underestimated

10:29 AM

mariano iodice -www.selfhelp.splinder.com said...

gent.mo amico,
i miei più vivi complimenti per il blog e, soprattutto, per la sua volontà di riportare alla memoria e alla conoscenza di un vasto numero di persone la figura di un uomo che onora la sua famiglia e la sua patria
un fraterno saluto
m.iodice
italy

12:16 PM

Anonymous said...

Hello
I found your blog site from an article in yesterdays Daily Telegraph. I have not read it all yet but shall back track and read it all.
My Grandfather was in first trained at Oakham with the horses and sent to Egypt - when they were brought back to England he was then trained as a machine gunner and sent out to France - I wish I had spoken to him about it but it was something he never brought up.
I shall continue reading your entries.
Thank you and kind regards
Sue Farr

1:16 PM

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I am an Italian woman who is relaly impressed and moved by the letters you are posting. My maternal grandfather was amongst the 17 and 18 years' old boys who were sent by the Italian army to fight the austro-german forces on the same front as your grandfather, after the defeat of Caporetto of 24 October 1917. The defeat, due mostly to the awful inadequacies and appalling inhumanity towards the troops of the Italian army's top brass, had the consequence of pushing the frontline very close indeed to Venice, deep inside the Italian territory. The fear and despair thorughout the country were great and a great number of new recruits, icnluding "kids" such as my grandfather (then barely seventeen) were sent to fight. Luckily the shock also induced a radical change at the top of the army and the disastrous General Cadorna was replaced by a much more effective General Armando Diaz, who also introduced more efficient and more humane methods and attitudes in the army. I suspect that your grandfather's battalion was sent to Italy in the immediate aftermath of Caporetto's defeat to help sustain that crucial front. I like to think that he and my grandfather may have lived for some months and fought relatively close to one another. Unfortunately I have no letters of that period from my grandfather (who survived, went on to become a judge and lived to the age of 87) but I remember his tales of the war period very vividly.
Thanks again and good luck
Antonella

4:23 PM

Keith Ingram said...

Hi heard about this blog via the Daily Telegraph newspaper. May I congratulate you on a wonderful job. The reading is most compelling, and the extra information that you provide is exceptional. I never cease to be amazed at the bravery of ordinary folk such as Harry in times of hell such as these.

Keith Ingram - Croydon Surrey

5:15 PM

Francesco said...

I read about this blog on an Italian newspaper and went through all the posts for the whole afternoon.

This blog comes at the right time as I am working to organise a trip to recollect and bring home my grand-grandfather's remains that appear to be buried in Poland, in the cemetery of Ratowice.

Congratulations for the great job you are doing!

Cheers

Francesco

5:45 PM

Anonymous said...

Hi, I am just one of the many readers who spent the enitre afternoon reading Harry's letters and I want to compliment with you... being from Sanremo (italian riviera) I can picture the beauty of the landscape mentioned by Harry during his train journey from south France to Italy...

7:32 PM

Eileen's Blog said...

Hi,
Thank you so much, finding this so interesting. My grandfather served in the Durham Light Infantry during WWI, he was wounded at the Somme. I too have postcards he sent to my grandmother. Your grandfathers letters are giving me more insight into what he might have experienced, as he never talked about it when he was alive.

Looking forward to reading more. Thanks again for sharing Harry's letters, and learning about your lovely family during this time.

Warm Wishes
Eileen

9:19 PM

Cat said...

Hi,
I read about your blog in the Calgary Herald today and have immediately read all the letters and information on the site.

I'm originally from Scotland and have been in Canada for about a year now. What's interesting is that Paul Gross, Canadian actor turned director/producer (most famous for being the Mountie in Due South) has just filmed a movie out here called Passchendaele,based on the letters his grandfather sent home to him. The movie focuses on the "Fighting 10th" a battalion raised here in Calgary.

You say that you can't accept URLs in the comments, so I will simply say to google Passchendaele the movie for access to the blog which was created during the filming.

What's interesting is that you are both working with similar material, and have given that to the world, just in very different ways!

Keep up the good work on the blog - it's fascinating to have such a personal take on such a huge historical event. Thanks!

10:05 PM

nardi said...

Read about this on an italian newspaper today. Very, very fine. I've been wanting to know more about WWI since I read a war diary some months ago. I'll be around. Thanks a lot.
kind regards
marco biagetti

1:27 AM

Peter Collins said...

I read about the blog in today's National Post (Canada).

It is absolutely brilliant.

Thank you so much for sharing these letters, and the history of your family. I have a lot of catching up to do.

It is on par with Edwin Campion Vaughan's "Some Desperate Glory" and the fictionalized account of Frederic Manning's World War I experience in "Her Privates We."

Thanks again.

3:14 AM

Chris said...

Your blog was also featured by The Age today. (Australian Newspaper)
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/war-still-raging-90-years-on-in-blog-time/2008/01/05/1198950127422.html

Thanks for doing this.

5:54 AM

Antonio said...

Good morning. I read of this blog on a newspaper of us; like many I spent the whole morning reading the letters of your ancestor. I’m so happy these letters have survived and I think your grandfather would be proud of you: the Jews say one isn’t really dead as long as his name is remembered. War exalts both the best and the worse qualities of men, and I think such letters talk to us about the noblest part of our soul.
---
I live near Udine, Italy, in a region that was theatre of war. We have plenty of war cemeteries, Italian, Austrian Hungarian, English, American, from the first and the second WW. It’s always moving for me to discover Italian names in Austrian war cemeteries, and then Austrian names in the Italian ones: so devoid of sense is the war.

10:15 AM

Roger Ward said...

Many thanks for this fantastic contribution to the understanding and comprehension of this aspect of our relatively recent history.

Having recently been involved in a WW1 archaeological dig in Jordan the utter reality of that war was profoundly brought home to me. Indeed one of the things I found was a simple pen nib inside the remains of a tent circle, which evoked emotional and deep empathy with a serviceman writing home from the battlefield. Readers may be interested to find out more about our investigations of the WW1 conflict in Jordan, which may be found starting at http://garp2007.blogspot.com/2007/10/pre-dig-info.html

10:52 AM

Graeme said...

I notice you said you found the Battalion war diaries on-line from the National Archives at Kew. A couple of years ago I did some research on my own grandfather's WWI service and visited Kew in person. It is an amzing experience - which I would recommend to anyone doing similar research - to physically hold the pieces of paper, be they batllion war diaries, or in this instance his joing up papers with his own signature and handwritingon the top. To anyone not as fortunate as you to have handwritten letters, the next best thing may well be to see the handwritten evidence of their ancestor's war service at Kew.

9:55 PM

Don said...

Hello, Bill.
Greetings from "across the pond". I was fortunate enough to have read about your blog in yesterday's issue of The Washington Times.
It is truly a remarkable service to students of history that your work has provided - and a tribute to those who have served in any war.
Males in my family have served during every major war from the Revolutionary War to the War of Northern Agression (a.k.a. the Civil War)to today in Iraq and Afghanistan. My son (Damien) proudly serves as a military officer.
Someday a similar blog may appear about Damien's exploits ... after all, we have carefully saved his email!
Keep up the great work, and thanks again for bringing a part of history alive.

11:34 PM

Anonymous said...

I was interesting until I noticed the text ads and more below each post. Yes you might have had a relative who served and yes you might have transcribed his letters, but to profit from his experiances is really quite amazing. You must be very poor, financially and morally.

7:12 PM

Denis said...

Hi, I'm from Brazil I heard about this blog from the g1(http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Tecnologia/0,,MUL250001-6174,00-SAGA+DE+SOLDADO+I+GUERRA+MUNDIAL+E+RESGATADA+EM+BLOG.html)
nice work friend.

9:20 PM

Anonymous said...

hii

im only 15 and im already sucked into it. Its amazing to read the history of the war and i cant wait to read the rest.

9:31 PM

Anonymous said...

Totally Captivated... I've just read the entire blog in half an hour!

I can't wait to hear what becomes of Harry, although I can't help but fear the worst.

My great, great Uncle dies months before the end of WW1 somewhere in France. He fought for the Australians (not entirely sure why - as he was British...) so the mention of the Australians and New Zealanders tugged a few strings!

I'm only 22 and have recently discovered this about my family. We have a long line of servicemen in the family - my great uncle in the Royal Navy (WW2) and my dad (for 22 years, luckily no wars served.) To have this perspective is fantastic - you mention the tug as Harry faces 'going over the top' I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels the same as you.

It's a totally humbling experience to share these letters with you... thank you for letting us.

Of course a HUGE thank you to Harry and the men that fought that hellish war in order for us to live xxx

11:11 PM

innes wright said...

WW1 if there ever was a war that is so emotional for me it is this miserable one. I am from the highlands, two great uncles died from gas in france,my granfather was in the dardenelles (gallipoli).
I served with the british army in the 80's, it is in my blood as it is in every monument in every village in Scotland.
From my family I say
Damn you to hell General Haig and god bless you LLoyd George where every you sleep to night.

11:38 PM

Erick said...

That's really great, thanks from Brazil!!

12:27 AM

Anonymous said...

Hi... I just found out about this terrific and wonderfully informative site via Yahoo! England. I am currently living in California and cannot wait to see the next installment.

Keep up the good work.

12:30 AM

My Insignificant Life said...

While I am enjoying reding Harry's letters/stories, I came in late (via the media) so i am playing cath up. To say you made it 'complicated' by setting things up in reverse order is putting it mildly. With all due respect, this is a poor way to attract readers.yes you get those who really want to read the blog, but common sense dictates setting it up to read top to bottom not bottom to top. I hope i am many would would like it set up a bit more normal. Thank you.

3:53 AM

Sorry, but I can't think of a better way! Judging by the comments other readers don't have a major problem. BL

Anonymous said...

Hi Bill. Greetings from Mexico. Great idea and great material. I arrived to your blog, luckily, just by chance, didnt see it in any newspaper, radio program or TV. I served only three months in the army at the age of 18 and when I sent letters to my family they said it seemed we did not had anything to eat, because all my comments were related to food. I deeply understand what Harry felt and why he asked once and again food to his relatives. It is a shame that we have to learn to appreciate what we have only when we see it lost. We, the world, should learn to make love, not war.

5:00 AM

Anonymous said...

Hi,

what a great idea - a great educational tool as well as very interesting.

However, I can't seem to find the first 6 months or so of 2007/1917. Am I looking in the wrong place or are they not there?

Thanks

Thea

6:42 AM

Anonymous said...

WOW.

What a pleasure to see and read about so much History. (Only wished it was around when I was at school).

I am just glad that it had loads of media coverage or I might not have found it.

Thanks for all you amazing work.

10:47 AM

Melisende said...

G'day!

Just came across this Blog quite by accident - not through any advertising in news or media - wonderful!

Please "keep us posted!"

10:55 AM

Anonymous said...

Hello,

I am very intrested in reading this blog as my grandfather who was also born in 1887, and served with 6th Battalion, Yorks & Lancs.
Joining as a volunteer in 1914. I shall follow daily to see what became of Harry. My grandfather survived the war and lived until 1958.

12:06 PM

Mark said...

A truly wonderful story,
Thank you.

2:51 PM

2008-01-04T07:55:00.000-08:00

January 7th 2008

Jacaranda said...

My dear writer, you have just been featured on two networks on Australian national tv.

I daresay you should expect more traffic.

:)

10:24 PM

Anonymous said...

An article of the blog is also in one of the most important italian newspaper.

http://archivio.corriere.it/archiveDocumentServlet.jsp?url=/documenti_globnet/corsera/2008/01/co_9_080105072.xml

10:32 PM

Anonymous said...

Well done from an ex Sapper (R.E. 1985 - 1991), this blog has made me proud of our WW1 heroes and the sacrifice they made. It has brought back memories for me as, when I was a young soldier, I received letters and parcels from home. We all looked forward to the mail arriving as our Armed Forces still do today. Letters can be read over and over again and treasured. What a find the letters have been and such a privilege to read.

Keep your chin up Harry.

Thanks
KS

11:13 PM

micat said...

wow this is a great blog. i saw a thing on one of our morning shows about the blog and got right onto it and have just spent the last 2 hrs reading it and love it. my great gandfather was in WW2 and he never spoke about it to us. all i now is he was a prisoner of changgy (sorry i dont know the spelling) and he did come home alive to die of heart break in his 90's 15 days after my great gandmother. i will be looking forword to reading as the letters come. oh and we are australian but my great grandfarther was born in england (somewhere...) in 1905 but between then and WW2 he came to australia and there he joined the australian army and from there he surved... well thankyou again from creating such an impacting blog... regards catherine

11:52 PM

Haywards said...

I am enjoying your site. I am from Western Australia and your site was featured on our National morning news program. I feel you are very lucky to have such memories of your Grandfather and the experiences that he went through. Cant wait for the next letter. My oldest son is in the Army cadets here in Australia and will be touring some of the places your Grandfather fort at.

3:58 AM

Will said...

Dear Writer

I´m from São Paulo (Brazil) !! and
I read an article on web site here and I loved your idea...

Nice work!!

best regards,

William Mass

7:15 PM

Leah said...

I just started, and finnished, reading all of the letters and entries today, and wow, it is an amazing idea. I'm a student at a Canadian University, and althought history is not my major, I really love the letters. My Grandfater faught it WWII and his father in WWI and home gaurd for WWII, and the letters remind me of them. My boyfriend is wanting to join the military in a few years so he can pay for med school, so I can easily imagine waiting for letters like Harry's from him.

7:35 PM

Renato Bellote said...

Great history.
Congratulations!

best wishes from Brazil,
Renato Bellote

7:44 PM

DanN said...

You've also reached the frontpage on Digg.com - Which will probably mean another 15,000+ visitors.

Enjoy,

Dan

8:20 PM

Kags said...

I think Harry looks like a lovely, kind person and I hope the war didn't change that. It makes me sad to look at him and read about his life but glad that people can read about what his fascinating life was like; keep it coming, please!!

Karen

8:25 PM

mario escobar said...

Congratulation for you blog.
The blog 1 war in spain is
http://elmesiasrio.blogcindario.com/

8:25 PM

Kags said...

Harry looks like a lovely, kind man and it's great to be able to read about his amazing life, although very sad. It makes me actually realise what these great men and women did for us and we should all be eternally grateful to them; I know I am!

Keep it coming please!

Karen McLarney

8:40 PM

lucas k. walker. said...

Great blog. A new in El País, one of the best newspaper in Spain.

Congratulations!

9:24 PM

Anonymous said...

I heard about this on SKY News here in Italy where I have lived for the past 18 years. My grandfather was a major in the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery during WW1 and I am now going to try and find out more about him. Thanks so much for the inspiration.
Jane

9:38 PM

john said...

Saw the report in the 'Times',I think this is fantastic. My Grandfather served in the Queens Royal West Surreys at Passchendaele
sadly He did not make it past 1936, so I never knew him. But Harrys letters are giving me some idea of what he went through.
Thanks a lot.
How about publishing it as a book?

10:06 PM

monk.i said...

What a magnificent idea, a superb site. I think that this should be used in history lessons up and down the country. A very moving experience to read such personal letters. Thank you so much for sharing your history with us.

11:37 PM

monk.i said...

11:38 PM

Master-Blaster said...

'El País', the most widely-circulated daily newspaper in Spain has also written about you and your blog:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/blog/Primera/Guerra/Mundial/elpepuint/20080107elpepuint_8/Tes

11:57 PM

Brazil said...

You are also in brazilian press.

10:16 AM

Ismael Vargas Pina said...

Hello.

I have known about this blog today reading a piece of news in a Free Newspaper in Spain ("20 minutos").

Congratulations for this blog.

10:22 AM

clairaonthemoor said...

Dear Writer,
Over the last year or so I have become increasingly interested in my Family History,which has in turn led on to an interest in History itself. Several members of my family were involved in WW1 in both France and also in India. I read about your blog on the Yahoo home page and have just spent the last couple of hours reading up to date and found it rivetting and utterly fascinating. Keep up the good work I will look forward to further blogs.

10:52 AM

clairaonthemoor said...

10:57 AM

Anonymous said...

I think you are famous abroad: http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/blog/Primera/Guerra/Mundial/elpepuint/20080107elpepuint_8/Tes
Well done!

11:58 AM

Patricia said...

Such an awsome idea you have had. Thanks for this beautiful effort to bring history to life.
By the way, this is from Spain, You are getting worldwide famous!

Best wishes.

1:00 PM

Anonymous said...

An article of the blog is also in one of the most important croatian web portal (It's a portal of TV channel NovaTV) http://dnevnik.hr/naslovnica/scena/zanimljivosti/20080108_34460.php

Keep on!

1:09 PM

Derek Andrews said...

What a terrific blog. You were featured on BBC World News (TV) today and I caught it here in Nova Scotia.

5:50 PM

Anonymous said...

HI¡, IM WRITING FROM SPAIN SO EXCUSE ME FOR MY POOR ENGLISH. I SAW YOUR BLOG IN A SPANISH TV AND I THINK THIS BLOG ITS VERY INTERESTING AND VERY USEFUL FOR THE HISTORY SO THANKS FOR YOUR WORK.

5:54 PM

Am a new and avid reader of this blog. Think it's a fantastic idea, and it makes me realise what we today owe the young men who fought such terrible battles in years gone by. How they fought in such terrible conditions I will never undestand, but I will be forever grateful.

10:09 PM

Anonymous said...

I've just finshed reading your blog and wanted to say that it is fantastic! People need to be reminded that war is not as it is in the movies.
There is so much in Harry's letters that ring's true, I'm in the forces myself, and the fact that he keeps saying "write back soon" letters are a big moral boost when away from loved one's.
Keep up the good effort.

10:18 PM

Nathan said...

Those letters are like some that I read in a book called 'Soldier Boy.' I can't remember who the author is but it was a really good book describing what the trenches were like. I've been reading this blog from beginning to end

11:17 PM

Patrícia said...

hey! greetings from Brazil here! i just want to say thank you for posting these moving letters! WWI fascinates me,and altought im only 16 I just love to know the soldier's personal experiences! it must be great have such things in your family! im waiting Harry news!

11:44 PM

daveross said...

Brilliant, I am so glad I found this. I have a blog on a smaller scale of my dad's time as a POW in Singapore during WW2
http://daveross.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/my-dad-private-william-ross-10533623/

11:48 PM

hugoking said...

I am another new reader to the blog and just wanted to add my comment to thank and encourage you in all your efforts here.
It is a truly fascinating collection of letters and information. I have spent most of my day reading through the archives and I'm sure I will read each new entry as it appears with delight.

11:49 PM

Anonymous said...

Hi there.
Could I suggest that you used a different font or different font colour when you are posting as a narrator then when you are posting on behalf of Harry? It would make reading easier.

12:39 AM

Alex Guerrero said...

The leading media in the Spanish-speaking world ("El País") featured your blog today:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/blog/Primera/Guerra/Mundial/elpepuint/20080107elpepuint_8/Tes

1:18 AM

Randy said...

Thank you so much for these letters. My Grandfather fought in the war. He was from Appleton Wisconsin, USA.

These letters give me an idea of what he went through as a soldier.

When he returned from the war he brought with him 2 rifles. I still use his 1917 Remington Enfield 30-06 rifles for deer hunting.

1:25 AM

Anonymous said...

Hi from the US. I read about this blog on Yahoo. I just finished reading it from the beginning and like so many others, I'm now hooked.

Being only 44, I haven't experienced the fog of war personally, but did serve my country in the reserves so in training for that, I can appreciate.

I did, however, remember stories told of my mothers father who served in WW1 in the US Army.

Keep up the good work, and the way you are posting the letters...the date they occurred 100 years later...is excellent in that it keeps us readers on edge awaiting the next letter just as your grandfathers family did, awaiting the next correspondence.

3:32 AM

michelle hays said...

wow. I hope you can decipher it, because Im eager to hear about it. You got us all interested. It feels like the letters were sent to us...

3:34 AM

Espacinsular said...

Excelente por conocer lo que ocurrio hace tantos años como si fuera ahora.
www.espacinsular.org

4:09 AM

Espacinsular said...

Es importante uno poder conocer esta experiencia sin estar presente
www.espacinsular.org

4:11 AM

Anonymous said...

Quite interesting and istructive story. Madness of war appears through soldier's view. They see nothing of the battles, only gunshots, bombing, shrapnels and bullet. Nothing of heroic, but they hereos are.
I've read sime tìme ago the war diary of a man living in Italy dolomites mountains, at that time part of Austria, but the guy speaks italian and he's fighting against people living in tha next valley beyond mountain ridge, people they met at the country fair. They do not understand what is happening, but they are brave.
I recommend to everybody paying atttention to this story to read the last 50 pages of Thomas Mann's novel Der Zauberberg. Rarely i've found better description of war.
Thank you for your time you spend in this blog.

Graziano, Italy

6:10 AM

Chris Flatt said...

Hi there. Just to let you know that an article has been written about your blog in the NZ Herald, one of NZ's largest daily papers. Go to : http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10485789

So you may be getting more NZ readers and comments now. Great blog idea. Keep up the great work!

6:28 AM

Anonymous said...

I saw this post on the BBC news this morning, so I thought I would just drop in for a quick look. I ended up reading the lot with tears rolling down my face.

We really don’t know how lucky we are.

Good luck with the rest of your blog, I shall be dropping in again to follow Harry’s journey.

Helen

anewwayoflife08wordpress.com

6:50 AM

Anonymous said...

Gostaria que fosse traduzido para português, não sei inglês e acho que deve ser bem interessante, quando eu arrumar um bom tradutor voltarei aqui.
Abraços....

8:01 AM

Anonymous said...

Great idea and a brilliant resource for the younger generation to experience life during WW1. I will be recommending that our pupils have a look when they study ww1 life in the trenches.
What a lovely way to remember a loved one.
DDB - HHS, Earl Shilton

9:28 AM

Texas History Buff said...

This is a fascinating, yet sad, soldier's perspective of fighting in and living through WWI. I read about your blog yesterday on MSNBC and spent this whole night reading the blog and the comments.

I was especially touched by how often Harry asks for letters from his family (he doesn't quite beg, but gets close on occasion). Our soldiers today experience fear, boredom, death, discomfort, and the unexpected, but soldiers in Harry's day had small rations of bread and water (no mention of meat except at Christmas), rarely had showers or baths, suffered uncomfortable boots and wet feet, barely stayed warm, and went for days and weeks without correspondence. I am not trying to downplay the havoc and despair of war in this day and age; I'm just pointing out that our soldiers now have much more decent food, clothing, bedding, shelter, leave times, and access to email, cell phones, etc. to keep in touch with their loved ones.

I do not know about my family's service (or lack thereof) during WWI. I am grateful and proud that both of my grandfathers were kept in the States during WWII to help with the war effort from home. My maternal grandfather was a mechanic (he was sent to San Diego to work on ships), and my paternal grandfather was a chemist working for a natural gas company (he was kept at his job in Texas, as maintaining and producing power at home was considered of the utmost importance during wartime).

I am especially grateful that my father, who was drafted, and my uncle (my dad's brother), who volunteered, were both 4-F for the Vietnam conflict (they're both legally blind without glasses). My dad's best friend did serve in Vietnam, and Dad said that his friend wouldn't even talk with him about what happened over there, and they'd known each other since diapers! It was truly terrible, and I'm glad I can't even imagine. As one commenter (Beverly) posted: "I suppose each war has its somewhat
unique brand of horror."

Thank you again for this wonderful insight into what life was like for an ordinary family man who was thrown into unspeakable conditions. Several readers and you have recommended books to go along with your blog. Most of the books describe the soldier's point of view. I strongly recommend a book I read in high school; I think it was called "The Black Hand of Sarajevo", that explains WHY WWI happened in the first place. It's been 20 years, but I still remember how the book explained the complexities of world politics, territorial boundaries, treaties made and treaties broken, and how one assassination brought about such a devastating war.

Keep up the good work!

Yours truly,
Texas History Buff

10:56 AM

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful and touching tribute to your grandfather.

My family has a similar story, in that Grandpop's trench diaries survived with him until 1965 - they were read by my mother and uncle when they were deemed old enough, but he rarely mentioned that part of his life. Unfortunately, on his death, his 2nd wife destroyed the diaries and all other family papers and photographs.

In a strange way, this blog brings me closer to the Grandpop I struggle to remember (he was 3 years older than Harry). Thank you.

11:21 AM

Will said...

Nice work.

How about doing an audio version using an Asworth Lad the same age?

Just a thought!

11:30 AM

Anonymous said...

My grandfather, another Harry, went through the war from its start to 1st July 1916. He was killed in action on the first day of the Somme. He was a sergeant in the South Staffs. Nothing survives from him.

My grandmother was left with 3 children under 6, one of whom was my father - another Harry. There had been another child but she died a few months before her father. My own father's earliest memory (aged 4) was the black edged telegram arriving and his mother holding it.

The horrors of the trenches are undoubted, but remember also the pain and suffering of the widows and orphans.

Ros

11:51 AM

ex4thhussar said...

Dear Bill
What a brilliant concept !
As an ex-ww2 veteran who spent most of the years between 1943 and 1946 in Italy it has particular significance for me and I shall await each posting with great interest.
I have already posted a link to "a- Trieste",
http://www.atrieste.org/viewforum.php?f=34
(an Italian Blog to which I suscribe) and I know they will be equally enthralled.
Best wishes
Ron Goldstein

12:56 PM

Germán Ceja said...

I speak spanish... ican't understand... I would like translate the text to spanish... sorry for my horrible english. Hablo español y no puedo entender... me gustaria y estoy interesado en visitar el blog pero no entiendo ingles... podria traducirse o algo por el estilo.
Thanks

3:30 PM

Anonymous said...

I am a 55 year old American. My war was in Vietnam. Reading Harry's letters with his requests for letters from home brought up a well of emotion in me that caught me quite by surprise. I do not believe it is possible for people "back home" to comprehend how treasured each and every letter is to someone so far from home in such an alien environment.

Thank you for making the effort to share this treasure.

3:44 PM

Todos Gronchos said...

Qué guerra al pedo.

6:27 PM

Anonymous said...

Your blog in Spanish main newspaper
Greetings

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/blog/Primera/Guerra/Mundial/elpepuinteur/20080107elpepuint_8/Tes

6:46 PM

Wendy said...

Hi, H,

Very interesting blog, it must have been scary and exiting for you to to discover these letters from your grandfather. As I am Belgian and from Bruges originally, I'm am interested in WWI, as I grew up near the main battle fields.
Both world wars left quite some traces in the landscape, but the most astonishing is still the scars in the landscape that are over 90 years old. Farmers in the Ypres and Passchendaele regions are still finding WWI bombs...

This summer I visited the north of France and I can advise you, if you ever go there, please visit the WWI museum in Péronne, http://www.greatwar.co.uk/westfront/Somme/museums/historial.htm
This link is only in French:
http://www.historial.org/

I did notice in the blogposts that you edit out comments with links, but I can assure you that I'm not spamming!

I just wanted to say, keep up the good work and go to Péronne if you can. It's the best war museum I have ever seen. Not because it's spectacular or overwhelming, but because it's discrete, informative, delicate and confronting. At the time I was there, there was a magnificent temporary exhibition about animals present in WWI.

There there, I shall stop my rambling :-)
Greetings
Wendy

January 6th 2008

Re the comment that Earl Haig never visited the
front [your tame teacher said ] My Father who was
in France in 1914 with the 15th London Regiment
[Civil Service Rifles]in Autumn 1916 wrote at the
families behest only two short stories of his WW1
experiences, I reduce this one to the minimum.....
"Then began our weeks march towards that glow in
the sky , but we were in great form, singing these
old bawdy songs that have been sung since the
Peninsular war......[they saw an ordinary train
being used by ordinary people .]It seemed odd :we
had forgotten there was another world other than
our own and those other people quickly looked away
from us : we were already phantoms to them.
Fortunately our resident comedian, Sgt Murray No 1
Platoon came up with one of his famous stories ,
" Yes ", he said , " I know of a little man
in Kensington who will make you a very decent pair
of shoes for as little as four guineas , not first
class of course , but quite good enough for Park or
Morning wear ." I can still hear the happy bellow of
laughter ...

Every night's halt showed us we were following a
track trodden by thousands before us ...very early
on a grey morning we were halted in company column.
We were all very quiet standing at ease . The copper
coloured sky was constantly quivering and vibrating
and the guns now had individual voices . The we heard
the company being called to attention, after a pause
another company and another and the sound of horses
walking and quickening in to a trot and the a slower
pace again as each company was passed . Then we were
called to attention and I found myself staring up at
two horsemen,so marvellously gleaming and bright they
could have come from another world . Everything about
them shone, from the gilt on the uniform caps to the
black on the horses shoes . Every buckle and strap on
the bright bay horses and on the immaculate uniforms
seemed almost to glow in the dull and heavy light.
The horses were checked to a halt , a gloved hand
raised to the cap and a surprisingly gentle voice said,
"Have Courage my men , be brave." and then the handsome
face with the bright enquiring eyes was gone . But on
the second horseman's face , the impassive sergeant
majors face ,beneath the Commander in Chiefs Pennant,
I could swear I saw a hint of the lips movement ,
" You poor bloody bastards- you poor bloody
bastards " But what of the Generals thoughts ?
Why did he subject himself to what must have been
torture to such a sensitive man ? Why did he have to
see with his own eyes every individual being he was
sending in to that never ending battle on the banks
of the River Somme ?

It was my last visit to Edinburgh with the Haig
equestrian statue on the esplanade that started
this hare ...as for the General he got it right
..in the end , Victory , an Earldom...and a revered
name. I had nothing to grumble about . I came out
of it fit and well and with, I think £24 demob
money . I don't think I got a demob suit of clothes
that time ; not until the second time round !"


I hope that this perhaps in some small way helps
to, correct some of the misconceptions regarding Haig .

You may also note that my father went through
WW2 as well , this time he came out not only
with a demob suit but a DSO with the 4th
Battalion, Queens Own Cameron Highlanders.
Evan
Inverness.
Evan, I thank you for sharing these stories. I have no doubt at all that Haig
was a most honourable and sensitive man. However, it seems to be generally
believed that he never went right up to see a front line trench. It may be just
propaganda from bitter soldiers, I can't tell.

I'm not sure that your father's  account, lovely as it is, suggests that he was
terribly close to the front line trenches. "And the guns  now had individual
voices" suggests that they were approaching the front but  by no means there.
Who knows?

Do you not think that there may be some irony in "As for the General, he got
it right in the end  - Victory, an Earldom and a revered name"? He got it right
for  himself, maybe not for all his troops.

Thanks again for your contribution. BL


What a fantastic blog. I saw it on the local news 
and have been reading with interest. My grandfather 
fought in the area around the same time and 
although we do have some maps we do not have 
any of his letters. This gives a fantastic 
insight to the lives of these brave men.
Please keep up the good work.

Yours
Dave

There is birth of an Arthur Lamin registered in
Basford in 1914. The mother's maiden name is
Watson which was Ethel's maiden name. So this
is most probably Harry and Ethel's son.
Posted by Anonymous
Thank you. I think that you'll find that I have
sorted this one out. I have obtained Arthur's
birth certificate and noted that on the blog -
somewhere!. BL

Just been recommended to read this wonderful site!!
Such a brilliant and poignant idea to post on
exact days of the original letters, keep
it up, and I will pass it on to my friends.
Such a horrid war, as are all wars!! I must
make time to read them all!! THANK YOU
Posted by Marrers

Many thanks for this fantastic contribution to
the understanding and comprehension of this
aspect of our relatively recent history.

Having recently been involved in a WW1
archaeological dig in Jordan the utter reality
of that war was profoundly brought home to me.
Indeed one of the things I found was a simple
pen nib inside the remains of a tent circle,
which evoked emotional and deep empathy with
a serviceman writing home from the battlefield.
Readers may be interested to find out more about
our investigations of the WW1 conflict in Jordan,
which may be found starting at
http://garp2007.blogspot.com/2007/10/pre-dig-info.htm
Posted by Roger Ward

Great idea! My grandfather was in the  folgore
but I guess his letters may be unfortunately
lost! Good  luck with your project.
Duccio from Italy.

Good morning. I read of this blog on a newspaper
of ours; like many I spent the whole morning reading
the letters of your ancestor. I’m so happy these
letters have survived and I think your grandfather
would be proud of you: the Jews say one isn’t
really dead as long as his name is remembered.
War exalts both the best and the worse qualities of
men, and I think such letters talk to us about
the noblest part of our soul.
---
I live near Udine, Italy, in a region that
was theatre of war. We have plenty of war
cemeteries, Italian, Austrian Hungarian,
English,American, from the first and the
second WW. It’s always moving for me
to discover Italian names in Austrian
war cemeteries, and then Austrian
names in the Italian ones: so devoid
of sense is the war.
Posted by Antonio

The story of Harry that we read yesterday on
Corriere della sera newspaper is beautiful
nd moving. We are an italian couple that in
last two years followed the tracks of
a soldier of 96th infantry regiment that died
in an attack near Gorizia (in the est area of
North of Italy) in 1916, 15 of August. We
followed the track in the same manner that you
follow Harry's movement, using the regiment
diary that gave us detailed information about
locations, dates, timing and movement of Concetto
Suma. The Bank Foundation 'Fondazione Monte di
Pietà' and Handcratf Association 'Confartigianato
Vicenza' recently have published the history of
the war of Concetto Suma. During our researches
following infantry man tracks we took a lot of
pics and here you can see some of these WW1
places pictures at this address and take further
information about Concetto Suma
Congratulations for Harry'story!
Francesca ed Enrico

Beautiful!
Luisa

A wonderful blog.

My grandfather, also Harry, was born about the
same time as your's and served in WWI. I know
little of his service history but imagine his
experiences were not dissimilar to your Harry's.

I think perhaps that you have provided a clue
to his fate?
One hundred and twenty years old and still not seen a movie?
Hope I am wrong.
I'm not asking, just commenting.
Regards,Robert Australia
Too Difficult to work with two time zones!
He's 120 today, but when he wrote the profile  he was only
30. No clue there, just a small ambiguity in timescales. BL

Read about this on an Italian newspaper today. 
Very, very fine. I've been wanting to know 
more about WWI since I read a war diary some
months ago. I'll be around. Thanks a lot.
kind regards marco

I read about the blog in today's National Post
(Canada).
It is absolutely brilliant.
Thank you so much for sharing these letters,
and the history of your family. I have a lot
of catching up to do.

It is on par with Edwin Campion Vaughan's
"Some Desperate Glory" and the fictionalized
account of Frederic Manning's World War I
experiencein "Her Privates We."

Thanks again.
Posted by Peter Collins

Having seen several other letters from the same
time period, I can say that it was not entirely
unusual for people to sign their full names or
do as Jack did even to people they knew intimately,
e.g., a mother writing to a daughter.
Posted by Anonymous

I learned of your blog site today from an article
in the Melbourne Age and immediately logged on,
being a keen amateur student of WW 1, in which my
father fought (and never stopped talking about when
I was a child). By a strange coincidence, your
grandfather was in my home town, Cornuda, in the
vicinity of Montebelluna (where he was stationed)
around Christmas 1917. I was born there but
was brought to Australia with my family in 1936
(I was three at the time) and have resided here -
on and off - ever since, ending up as Professor of
Italian at the Flinders University in Adelaide,
South Australia. I grew up with my father's never
ending tales about his experiences as a soldier in
WW1. As a child I used to be bored senseless, but
later realised how traumatic that experience had
been - in fact, he never fully recovered, took to
drink and eventually had a stroke and lived out
his life in a childhood state. It was only on
attaining full maturity that I began to understand
how profoundly his experiences had affected him.
In my professional capacity I studied the cultural
products of the period, especially the popular songs
(mostly violently anti-war), which I used in
theatrical productions with a singing group that I
set up with my students. I think I have read most
of the narrative written about WW1, including, of
course, Birdsong and all the Pat Barker novels about
that horrifying war. I wanted to post this on your
blog site but couldn't find a way to do it, so forgive
me for intruding with a personal e-mail. I look
forward to your granddad's next letter and - with all
my heart - to learning that he survived the ordeal.
With best wishes, Antonio

Beautiful greeting with real embroidery.
Posted by Anonymous to WW1

Thanks for this blog,history seems to come alive.
Beautiful greeting card.
Posted by Anonymous

Thanks for starting this blog.History is coming
alive. The greeting card alive.
I am glad the greeting card is the only surviving
correspondence with Ethel.Now there is scope for
imagination.
Posted by Lakshmi

Thanks for doing this.
Posted by Chris


January 5th 2007

I read about your blog in the Calgary Herald
today and have immediately read all the letters
and information on the site.

I'm originally from Scotland and have been in
Canada for about a year now. What's interesting
is that Paul Gross, Canadian actor turned
director/producer (most famous for being the Mountie
in Due South) has just filmed a movie out here called
Passchendaele,based on the letters his grandfather
sent home to him. The movie focuses on the "Fighting
10th" a battalion raised here in Calgary.

You say that you can't accept URLs in the comments,
so I will simply say to google Passchendaele the
movie for access to the blog which was created
during the filming.

What's interesting is that you are both working
with similar material,and have given that to the
world, just in very different ways!

Keep up the good work on the blog - it's fascinating
to have such a personal take on such a huge
historical event. Thanks!
Posted by Cat
No problem with URLs in general, Cat. At one stage, I got a whole
load of comments that were just advertising!
I believe the one you refer to is;-

www.passchendaelethemovie.com


Thank you so much, finding this so interesting. 
My grandfather served in the Durham Light 
Infantry during WWI, he was wounded at the Somme. 
I too have postcards he sent to my grandmother. 
Your grandfathers letters are giving me more 
insight into what he might have experienced, as he
never talked about it when he was alive.

Looking forward to reading more. Thanks again 
for sharing Harry's letters, and learning about 
your lovely family during this time.
Warm Wishes Eileen

Great Blog. I have two grand parents who fought WWI.
On the father side my grandpa was austrian, on the
mother side my grandpa was italian. So they fought
one against the other. That war was really a stupid
thing.
Posted by Paolo

Hello from Italy.
I read about this blog today, in one of our main 
newspapers. Here my reading starts, right from 
this post, here where the web becomes Poetry and 
History. Thanks for this precious blog.
Anna

I read about this blog in today's Corriere della Sera
(5 Jan, 2008) and I'm enthusiastic for your bright idea.

Thank you very much for this treasure - online- room.
Ines Rome, Italy

Hi, I am just one of the many readers who spent
the entire afternoon reading Harry's letters
and I want to compliment with you... being from
Sanremo (italian riviera) I can picture the beauty
of the landscape mentioned by Harry during his
train journey from south France to
Italy...
Posted by Anonymous

God saw theirs sentiments while they were on
war, God bless them
Posted by Tino

I read about this blog on an Italian newspaper
and went through all the posts for the whole
afternoon.

This blog comes at the right time as I am working
to organise a trip to recollect and bring home
my grand-grandfather's remains that appear to
be buried in Poland, in the cemetery of Ratowice.

Congratulations for the great job you are doing!
Cheers Francesco

Hi heard about this blog via the Daily Telegraph
newspaper. May I congratulate you on a wonderful
job. The reading is most compelling,and the extra
information that you provide is exceptional. I never
cease to be amazed at the bravery of ordinary folk
such as Harry in times of hell such as these.
Keith  - Croydon Surrey

Your idea of putting all the letters on-line, day
by day, 90 years on, is brilliant. I discovered
your labour of love today through an item on Sky
TV news and have spent the better part of this
afternoon reading to end 1917. Both my grandparents
took part in WW1, my both were injured, one through
being gassed, the other, my maternal grandfather,
with a bullet in his leg after going through the
Somme (I'm not sure which battle as I believe there
were three main ones) and also Passchendaele Wood.

In the letter of 30 May 1917, Newland in Hull is
mentioned and there is Newland Avenue, I was born
about 1.5miles away.

As you did in your comment, I too remember bread
and dripping with plenty of salt. I personally
liked (and still do like) pork dripping! Most
unhealthy these days.

With regard to the 'Nuisance certificate'
(a fascinating name for it!), I strongly suspect
that it was to do with the identification of human
ectoparasites such as fleas and lice, all of which
had a ready source ofhosts in too many areas of
the big cities in those days, plus very probably
infections such as impetigo.

'Liquid fire' (3 February 1917) is of course
petroleum jelly or a sort of napalm, very nasty
but widely used for clearing bunkers both in WW1
and alsoby American troops in the Pacific War
against the Japanese.

A very happy New Year to you, although I suspect
that it brought little joy on the Front, and I
much look forward to continuing reading as the mail
comes through.

With best wishes and respect for your labours,

Andrew Paterson
Torremolinos, Spain

I grew up on bread and dripping it is very tasty..
though considered unhealthy now, remember people
had very few labour saving devices and had to walk
most places..plus, food was not all that plentiful,
we were not overweight because we never had enough
food to make it so no matter what we ate. When a
joint beef was roasted in my childhood (60's) a
pound of lard was added to the pan and this gave a
warm brown pudding basin of dripping afterwards..
the bottom inch was dark brown gooey goodness..no
fridge, butt we ate it for weeks with no ill effects
and the brown bit was often exposed to air through
our diggings...
Great blog..thanks
Posted by Anonymous

Hi,
I am an Italian woman who is really impressed
and moved by the letters you are posting. My
maternal grandfather was amongst the 17 and 18
years' old boys who were sent by the Italian
army to fight the austro-german forces on the
same front as your grandfather, after the defeat
of Caporetto of 24 October 1917. The defeat, due
mostly to the awful inadequacies and appalling
inhumanity towards the troops of the Italian
army's top brass, had the consequence of pushing
the frontline very close indeed to Venice, deep
inside the Italian territory. The fear and despair
throughout the country were great and a great number
of new recruits, including "kids" such as my
grandfather (then barely seventeen) were sent to
fight. Luckily the shock also induced a radical
change at the top of the army and the disastrous
General Cadorna was replaced by a much more
effective General Armando Diaz, who also
introduced more efficient and more humane
methods and attitudes in the army. I suspect
that your grandfather's battalion was sent to
Italy in the immediate aftermath of Caporetto's
defeat to help sustain that crucial front. I like
to think that he and my grandfather may have lived
for some months and fought relatively close to one
another.
Unfortunately I have no letters of that period from
my grandfather (who survived, went on to become
a judge and lived to the age of 87) but I remember
his tales of the war period very vividly.
Thanks again and good luck
Antonella

I read about this blog in yesterday's Telegraph
(4 Jan, 2008) and I will enjoy catching up with
all of the correspondence. What a great idea to
do this and how informative - thank you for sharing
these letters.
Posted by Petula

I am just now reading your blog, and find it most 
interesting. I agree with you that Constance Wilkinson 
Lamin was likely Kate's daughter. She certainly wasn't 
the daughter of anyone unrelated in town, as she is
listed in the BMD birth index as "Constance Wilkinson 
Lamin". You might solve the question by obtaining a 
copy of her birth certificate. Her birth was 
registered in Basford in the quarter ending Jun 1910, 
vol 7b, page 262 (could be 282, my copy of the page 
is a bit blurred.)

Also, in the 1881 census, I find that Harry had 
another sister that youdon't mention. Her name 
was Mary Esther, she's age 9 in 1881. She died in
1889, relevant GRO info as follows:

Births Mar 1872  
LAMIN   Mary Esther  Basford     7b        99

Deaths Jun 1889  
Lamin  Mary Esther 17 Basford   7b        107

many thanks for such an interesting blog!

best wishes,  Diane

I found your blog site from an article in yesterday's
Daily Telegraph. I have not read it all yet but shall
back track and read it all. My Grandfather was in first
trained at Oakham with the horses and sent to Egypt -
when they were brought back to England he was then trained
as a machine gunner and sent out to France - I wish
I had spoken to him about it but it was something he
never brought up. I shall continue reading your entries.
Thank you and kind regards
Sue

What a brilliant concept and excellent site. I read
about this in the Daily Telegraph yesterday and
immediately went to the site.The personal aspects
of this will bring home 'in real time' the horrors of
WW1 and the courage of so many young men like your
Grandfather. The impacts are still felt today and
the sacrifices must never never be forgotten. My
paternal grandfather was about the same age as Harry
& enlisted day one of the war, badly wounded at Battle
of Loos in 1915 , patched up and a year later sent
back to the front line still with shrapnel in his back!
My maternal grandfather gassed and died young post war
when my mother was a baby. Great uncle died at
Arras aged 21. My maternal grandmother lost at least
4 other relatives during the war.It is so dfifficult
to comprehend the impact of the conflict not just
on the servicemen but also their families . This was
the generation that largely, when faced with tragedy
dealt with it , put it out of their minds and got on
with their lives. Your research and your site has a
historic importance which should not be underestimated
Posted by Anonymous

gent.mo amico,
i miei più vivi complimenti per il blog e, soprattutto,
per la sua volontà di riportare alla memoria e alla
conoscenza di un vasto numero di persone la figura
di un uomo che onora la sua famiglia e la sua
patria un fraterno saluto
m.iodice  italy
Posted by mariano iodice

I have just sat and read this all of the way through
this morning after seeing a report on Sky News...I
want to thank you for sharing this with us, and for
the time you have taken in giving the extra information
alongside in order to put this all into context. Early
on in the blog you mention Sebastian Falks' Birdsong.
I read that book years ago, and more than any other
book it evoked the feeling of horror, dread, futility
-and fear in WW1 - I felt I could almost have been there.
This blog is giving me that same feeling, and as I read
it I share your feelings of horror and fear for Harry
in his situation.In getting to know Harry and the
characters in his life in just this small way, there's
also a feeling of the love he has for people, the need
to hold onto that feeling in a time of hell, and the
necessity of it as being key to getting through it all
(I don't know if I've described that very well, but I
hope you understand what I mean). All of these men
having to fight this filthy war, whether it was
necessary or not, is incredibly sad.

It is such a shame that the correspondence between
him and Ethel has disappeared, what an extra dimension
that would have brought to this.

The story of Connie has touched my heart. Of Harry
and Ethel raising her, Kate not having her, and of
the plight of Connie herself.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now! I just really wanted
to let you know how much I appreciate this.
Kind regards, Deborah

Just heard about this Blog on Sky News in  Israel.
What a wonderful way to record history and more
important to pass it on. How many of  us finding
old letters from our dead relatives just
burn them. Do we ourselves pass on our personal
history to our children & grandchildren!! More's
the pity that this kind of thing usually gets lost.
Congratulations to Harry's grandson.
Posted by Naomi

What's happened to Harry after xmas?? I can't wait
to find out, I'm captivated by the letters, keep
up the good work!
Posted by Anonymous

Hello,
I'm from Holland. Today I saw an article about your
site at the paper (algemeen dagblad).
That's why I take a look at it. I have not much
time right now, but when I come home this afternoon I
will read more. I think it's really interesting, my
grandpa (he fights at the world war 2) will read
this too I think.

sorry for this English, it isn't that good
Posted by kristel

To Anonymous who wrote that
"as a boy I was taught that war was glorious." 
In many ways, the US Civil War was a precursor 
to the 1914-1918 war. William T Sherman was
one of its great figures, and is famous for 
saying this:

"There is many a boy here to-day who looks on 
war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell."

General Sherman 1820-91: speech at Columbus, 
Ohio, 11 August 1880
Posted by Anonymous

What makes this hard to follow is NOT the reverse
order, but the extraneous material shuffled amongst
the actual letters, which are
phenomenal.
Posted by biTToe
Sorry that you don't like the background material. However, I think most
readers are pleased to be able to put the letters into context. Comments,
generally, support this. BL

Hi, I'm from south Malaysia. I heard about this
blog from the BBC World Service via BBC Singapore.
It's very interesting reading the stories.
Keep it up.
Posted by Taikor

Superb piece of work. More power to your elbow and
great success in the project.
Posted by Ian Fraser


January 4th 2008

I read about this blog few hours ago, and started
reading, thinking about my grandmothers dads,
which both died in www1. I actually live
near Montebelluna, so it was really shocking to
me to think about your granddad in Italy and my
ancestors in Hungary..
Posted by Lila

Hi!!

This is an excellent site, that presents the First
World War from the perspective of an Infanteer
serving in hell. My family lost members in the so
called war to end all wars, and my father and uncle
fought in the second world war. I myself served with
the British Army for over 40 years, and nothing that
I have seen in that time can compare to the hell and
intensity of both wars - in todays climate, the
casualties and conditions borne by our forebears
would not be acceptable and the media would be anti-war
as the US Media was after Vietnam. I am now hooked
and will be following this particular blog to its
conclusion. A well designed, unique and thoughtful
site. By the way, I saw the link in
todays Daily Mirror.

Posted by minidvr

Another excellent book of letters from WWI is
'Letters from a Lost Generation' Its a book of
letters sent to and from Vera Brittan by her
brother and his friends during the war.

Its extremely moving (got through so many
tissues reading it!) and, as stupid as it
sounds, you forget that the authors don't know the
outcome. A very poignant book.
Posted by Lesley

Wristwatches rare in 1917?
The earlier order that all soldiers must wear
wristwatches was what made them an acceptable
masculine accessory.
Posted by Anonymous

I understood that wristwatches were better than
pocket watches in the trenches but were expensive
and were worn by mainly well-to-do Officers who
could afford them.
Their value in those circumstances made them a popular
accessory. This squad is of enlisted men and so, I
would have thought the wrist watch was quite unusual.

Any more comments please? BL

Just a quick comment, in this entry you write 
"Harry mentioned it in his letter to Kate on 13th 
May." I wanted to look back at it, and read the 
letter about 10 times and couldn't find any remarks 
about it. It's actually mentioned in the letter to 
Jack that is below the one to Kate.

Thank you for sharing this!
Posted by Sandra
Well spotted! O.K., I made a mistake! I'll correct it
"Dreckly" BL

I'm an Englishman in New York and heard about Harry's
blog on the BBC world service. You sir are performing
a wonderful and important service to the rest of the
world. I have read the entire series of letters this
morning (not much work done today) and am entirely
captivated by Harry's experiences. I have just finished
reading Tolstoy's War and Peace which in many ways
documents a war 100 years previous to Harry's.
It is uncanny yet depressing to see the parallels
in the day to day life of the soldiers in both
conflicts; from the illogical and unnecessary troop
movements, to the tragic and horrifying deaths on all
sides. I am profoundly grateful to have never had to
participate in war and part of this is due to people
like Harry and yourself who document the real truths
and not the propaganda. As these truths are told over
the centuries I hold some hope that we as a species
will eventually war  no longer. As a boy I was taught
that war was glorious, I now know that it is exactly
the opposite and will teach my children the same.

Thank you for this amazing work – really thank you.

Posted by Anonymous

How I envy you. My father served as an infantryman
in France and Flanders from March 1915 to Jan 1918
and in the 28 years that I lived with him he
mentioned his experience only once when as a little
boy I asked him if it hurt when he was wounded on the
Somme. his reply was "not much" Later as an adult
and ex serviceman myself I respected his silence on
the subject. Since then I have spent many hours
looking at War diaries and records at Kew but can
only share his experiences through the writings of
others so Harry's letters are very welcome.
Thank you
Malcolm C

 

I listen to an hour of BBC news every morning on 
US National Public Radio, and this morning I heard 
a piece about your grand-father and the blog. I 
found your blog, andlooked at it. My father was a 
German flame thrower (FW) operator in WW I, and I have
been studying the topic for about 6-7 years, and am 
writing several books about the topic.

I looked at my principal time-line on FW, which is 
about 450 pages long, and I believe that I know the 
name, rank, and unit of the two Flamm=Pioniere who 
were killed in Flanders that day.?(Each apparatus 
was operated by a team of two; the two killed were 
probably operating the unit that was captured.) I 
have the death roll of the German flame regiment, 
and I believe that it is extremely accurate and 
complete, for very special reasons. Surprisingly, 
very few FW troops were killed, on average
about one per attack, the majority of flame attacks 
did not result in the death of a single Flamm=Pionier. 
As some FW attacks utilized say about 30 or 60 FW 
(the largest utilized 154!), that was very low. I 
could explain, but the answer would be long and
complex. I know that that is counter-intuitive, 
and my father's letters indicatethat his own father, 
a staff officer and technical expert (explosives), 
did not believe him. His getting wounded four times 
did not help.???

I would think that this information would be of 
interest to you, and that you might be interested 
in incorporating it in your blog. I will go thru 
the whole blog and read it and follow it to its 
conclusion, but as?the FW incident was the specific
incident was the one mentioned to/by the BBC, I 
imagine that it must be one of the most exciting 
incidents in the narrative. I can give you additional 
information, like the model of FW that almost certainly 
was used and captured, and some comments on the sort 
of attack that was attempted. Tell me what you are 
interested in.

I would like to incorporate your material about 
this attack in one of my books, and of course will 
give a proper and scholarly attributation. Toward 
this end, can you tell me where you found the War 
Diary of Harry's battalion ? I know that they are 
in different places. If at Kew, for example, can 
you give the location description? It is often 
something like, for example, "WO 1427"??("WO" = 
"War Office"?) or a bit longer. I only had one 
chance so far to get to Kew, and on that day my 
wife got sick. (She was more eager than I was, 
for her own research, on a 18th Century opera
singer.)
Robert G.

From what I've gathered from Bruce Bairnsfather's
writings, I should think William's Christmas Dinner
was a welcome relief from the endless
monotony of "Pear and Apple! Apple and Pear!" jam.
Posted by Kittybriton

was it the first Passchendaele offensive that
there was mud everywhere.
Posted by John
Passchendaele was a single protracted offensive.  The
main "push" took place in October 1917, the wettest
October on record. Mud, mud mud. BL

I heard about this Blog on Radio 4's Broadcasting
House programme (in the review of the year - not
sure when you appeared on it) and followed their
link to find this site.

What an inspired idea to publish the letters -
and on the appropriate days makes it so much more
real and gives as sense of time - no doubt Harry
himself will give us an insight into the 'place'.
I have lots of catching up to do to get onto real
time (it's 31 December 2007 as I
write this) but I'm looking forward to reading the
letters.

Congratulations on your efforts, a wonderful
lasting tribute to Harry.
Posted by smallbutmighty

Wow this looks really interesting!
I found it after my english teachers (Mr W) wrote
a post about it!
I feel I may be spending the next few hours catching up!
Rachel x

Indeed, the loneliness and emptiness must have been
unbearable at times. The relatives home not quite
realizing the terrible conditions these young men
were experiencing. So tragic, such a waste.
Posted by hildA

I read with great interest about the life and times
of Harry as my own father also went to the front line
in 1917 and as a result I was told all about his life
in the trenches and afterwards of his life in the army
serving in India during the Raj. I used to sit enthralled
by the stories that he told to me of the exciting(to me
at any rate) and some of the sadder episodes that occurred
during his time in France, I have to say that I was quite
young (5 to 10 yrs of age) when I was told most of these
stories and therefore have hazy recollections(now anyway)
of the events that I was regaled with(over 50 years ago
now, where does the time go?) and, due to the fact that
I was born to my parents at a later stage inthere life,
right at the end of the second world war,(Dad was 48 and
Mum was 40) I also had to listen to all the adventures
he had during that campaign as well(in the R.A.F as ground
crew), although it was no trouble for me to sit and listen
for as long as he would talk to me.
Unfortunately there are no written records of this time in
his life and I have only my own (receding!)memories of
the tales he told to me and a few
battered photographs. My father passed away in 1976 and
during the ensuing years I have got to know a lot more
about the two world wars and all the horrors that they
contained and it is only now that I realise that the
"boys" that went to war in 1914/1918 really had no
idea of what they where getting into and the dreadful
(and some seemingly very funny) things that they would
see and events that would happen to them, they must have
been, to a man, the bravest of men.
I would like to thank you for such an informative story
about an ordinary soldiers life at war in very extraordinary
conditions, thank you for sharings Harry's private thoughts
with us all. I look forward to reading all the episodes with
interest.
yours faithfully
Michael

This is a fantastic insight to what it was like
during the first World War. Thanks for these posts.

Is there any possibility of you scanning the
letters as well as a typed manuscript in the future?
Dan
Several scans are included in earlier postings. BL

What a superb blog, a friend pointed me at it.
I will certainly be looking for updates here.
Thank You
Posted by Jim

Derbyshire, the county in England.
Did the Americans become involved in world war
one?
Posted by nemma
The Americans became involved towards the end of
the war. Harry may well have encountered Canadians
around Ypres (Ieper)

Hi,
Do you know if Stanton Ironworks was in Stanton 
Hill Nottinghamshire? I live in Stanton Hill and 
would be interested to find out where the ironworks 
were. I know there was a pit in Stanton Hill, as my 
house is one of the pithouses!
Posted by nemma

Stanton Ironworks is next to Ilkeston in Derbyshire.
I can't find Stanton Hill! Its still there but now makes
spun concrete pipes and lamposts, I believe. BL

I have read this blog with great interest. My
grandfather was also at Paschendale, he survived.

I will definitely come back as I need to know
what happens.
Posted by Lynne of Plymouth

Hi
What an amazing project and how incredibly moving.
I work as a support manager for one of the leading
software providers to the archive and records
industry in the uk so I get to see many projects
but I don't think I've come across one so simple,
personal and so well done. The blog format really
works! Congratulations and thank you for sharing
your grandfather's memories with everyone. I'm
sure he would have been very proud.
Debbie

GOOD MORNING, your letters are very interesting
especially as i have just one letter from my
uncle taken POW, the letter is from his days in
a POW camp in germany 14/04/18
He was released at end of war,  not sure what
regiment he was in but could have
been the same one, he lived in marehay just outside
Ripley Derbyshire only 8mls
away.
Name was HAWKINS born 1893.
regards  JOHN

This is absolutely fascinating. I feel that the
move to Italy probably saved William's life since
the 23rd Div remained there until the Armistice,
hence he missed the titanic closing battles
of the War (March 21st offensive onwards).
Posted by P

I have only just learned of your blog through 
an article in The Times, so am having to bypass 
the most recent posts to get back to the beginning. 
I have recently been woken up to the stories in my 
family's past, particularly around the time of the 
two world wars, and am rather envious of the letters
and photographs you have in your possession!. My 
great-grandfather Harry Jones was invalided from 
the Somme at 20 years of age through having a piece
of shrapnel irretrievably lodged close to his spine. 
If he hadn't been, I might not be here today!. As it 
was, he lived into his eighties, having been a fire 
warden in World War 2, and died when I was about a 
year old (I'm 21).I have wanted to locate his pictures 
and letters from that time, but fear they have gone out 
of the family and have had no success at finding the
slightest trace of his existence from official sources. 
So your (or your grandfathers'!) blog is of particular 
value to me.

I hope you have every success with this great idea and 
any book you might write.
Best wishes,
Karen

Would somebody please explain the meaning of *coy*
as referred to frequently in the letters

Posted by Justin

"Coy" is the abbreviation for "Company". BL

Seen this in the Daily record today. Excellent!
Posted by Anonymous

How different our world is from those soldiers that
fought in the 1914-18 world war; or is it?

We have more troops away in far off countries than
ever before and, although communications are far
better and life prospect infinity, one wonders what
today's equivalent of Harry will seem like in another
three generations?

Thank God that we survive because of others sacrifices!
Those of us who have never experienced war cannot and
will never be able to appreciate the horrors of it!
Posted by Anonymous

I just heard about this blog from the BBC on NPR in 
the U.S., and I cannot wait to get into it and follow 
it. I was a child during the Second World War, but I 
have always been more interested in the First World War. 
Another book I would like to recommend is non-fiction: 
"The Great War and Modern Memory" by Paul Fussell, 
which, I think, helps to explain why that war holds 
such an important place in many people's imaginations 
and understanding of war and history.
Posted by garbo

Brilliant, keep up the good work. Fascinating
reading.
Posted by thursdaysarefun

I have read this blog with great interest. My 
grandfather was also at Paschendale, he survived.

I will definitely come back as I need to know 
what happens.
Posted by Lynne of Plymouth

What a wonderful and very humbling project,
thank you.   "We will remember them"
Posted by ROGUE GUNNER

I wonder how he felt about being in Italy. 
I assume that, by late 1917, he was used to 
being moved about, and that Italy must have 
seemed like just another military camp, 
although one with intact countryside and
villages rather than shelled wastelands. 
I don't know how common it was for people 
of Harry's background to go on continental 
holidays, if he ever expected to travel so far.

He doesn't seem to mention his fellow soldiers 
very often - perhaps he was worried about getting 
attached to people he might not know for very
long.
Posted by Ashley Pomeroy

Thank you for posting this blogg.

Will we as a race ever learn that war solves
nothing, it only creates thousands of lost
lives and many more scarred for ever.

Yet, in a way we have the 21st century's
Harrys serving in Iraq and Afghanistan;
families still facing the dreaded call
signifying the loss of a loved on fighting
for his Queen & country. One wonders how
future generations will view war with the
benefit of videos etc?

Friends have told me that if you have
never experienced war it is impossible to
understand it; I thank God that I have no
"understanding" of their suffering.
Posted by Anonymous


I just heard about your blog on NPR [public 
radio, New York, USA.My father fought in WW1 
[ he was an officer, fought in France & on the 
Peninsular campaign]. My father was in his 
60's when I was born, but I  did learn about 
his views on war etc. Like your grandfather, 
he was stoic about describing the real horrors. 
But he left me an album of letters to his 
parents which made it all clearer. I found 
them extraordinary & they made me realize 
how brave &  how much those young men gave 
up as a result. I know it completely  changed 
my father.
Because of financial pressures, I sold the 
letters last year, to an  amateur historian 
& philanthropist. He is putting them together 
as a  book & then will probably donate the 
album to a university. You've probably had 
more than enough response to your blog, but 
if you  have any interest in my father's 
letters I can put you in touch with 
the man who bought them.
Felicity

What a fantastic way of bringing the horror of
war into the modern world. It should be part
of the curriculum so all school children
future prime ministers, politicians etc can
read what was like from someone actually there
living it day by day. Maybe it will make people
think before sending someone else's children
off to war.
Posted by community&leisure

The Royal Sanitary institute is now the Royal 
Society of Health and Hygiene
Posted by Richard london traveller

The Royal Sanitary Institute is now the Royal
Society for the promotion of health
Posted by Anonymous

Hmmm: I would think that The Royal Sanitary 
Institute, essentially what we would term our 
modern day environmental health practitioners, 
is now the Chartered Institute of Environmental
Health.
Posted by James

Not quite in agreement there! BL

I had two great-uncles who survived the First World 
War. One was awarded France's Croix de Guerre as a 
stretcher bearer. These letters are interesting 
to read as they never talked about their experiences.
Although, Harry also seems determined to avoid writing 
about the horrors we know he must have witnessed.

It is shameful that our society is still governed 
by donkeys who are so careless with the lives of others.
Posted by toby

Comments received about Harry Lamin's blog

2007-08-20T06:18:00.000-07:00


31st December 2007

From what I've gathered from Bruce Bairnsfather's
writings, I should think William's Christmas Dinner
was a welcome relief from the endless monotony of
"Pear and Apple! Apple and Pear!" jam.
Posted by KittyBriton

Encouraged by the item on Broadcasting House
this morning I spent the afternoon reading
Harry's blog pages from the start to where he's at 
right now. Thank you for sharing these
letters. It makes you realise how family stories
can so easily be forgotten and yet how important
they are to be remembered. Especially against the
backdrop of something as horrific as WW1. Good
luck with the rest of the project -which I
sincerely hope will last at least into November
2008! (Not knowing Harry's fate, I mean.)
Posted by Rebecca

Thank you for your time and effort in making
this stuff available. but most of all thank
you for your initial inspiration . . . excellent
Posted by Wilfred

That's not a lot of weight by modern standards,
but keep in mind their rucks were inferior,
their shoes much stiffer and rough on the ankles,
and the terrain likely rough and not even well
graded, certainly not paved.

I read Rickenbacker's diary a while back. The
beginning of WWI was basically the US Civil War
with observation aircraft and a few machine guns, 
to start with. The technology advanced a bit, but
not tremendously, as the war went on.

I assume powder is either talcum powder or powder
for some minor but annoying infection like sweat
rash  or ringworm.

Posted by Mike

30th December 2007

It's understandable, I imagine, but Harry
sounds so very lonely for his family. Almost
as if, by merely writing each of their names,
he can somehow bring them closer. Most people
today, with constant contact possible through
cell phones and email, will find it hard to relate
to his being so removed from his loved ones. But
for those who want to get a bit of a feel for
Harry's isolation: try, for just one week!, not
to have ANY cellphone, text messaging, email,
facebook/myspace, or internet contact with your
own friends and family.
Posted by-Gustav's great-granddaughter

Very interesting and educational idea .
Will be checking Harry's world more often .
Sad that it was called the 'great war' and
'the war to end all wars' and after all these
years we now have 20 year old present day
soldier/bloggers contacting this blog from
Iraq............
Posted by Antisthenese

24th December 2007

Beautiful
Posted by Will

I wish I could see it in person. This blog
is so amazing. Kudos!
Posted by Michelles Hays

Is that a picture of sewing on that card or
is it real embroidery?
Posted by Tea N. Crumpet

The embroidery is real. These cards are referred
to as "silks", for obvious reasons. B.L.

14th December 2007

A reply to melody haven:Siegfried Sassoon, a world
war one poet, with a very dark, cynical and sad
viewpoint on war, received a medal for bravery,
killing four German men in a machine gun nest
single handedly. If I remember correctly, he said:
'It was not bravery, I had no choice. Either I lived,
and they died, or they lived and I died'. The sanctity
of human life should be held up at all times, but
perhaps only those like Harry can really understand
what goes on when at war. In my own opinion, it was
still a useless waste of human life. Think how our
world might be if it had not happened. But it
happened, and may happen again.
Posted by the other cold one

12th December 2007
Oh my, I do love that title: Inspector of Nuisances!
Wonderful! (But then, I work in an industry where we
just recently changed our union's name from 'Moving
Picture Machine Operators' to the far more pedestrian
'Motion Picture Projectionists'. The old titles may
be a bit odd to this era's ears, but they certainly
had more flavor!)Would you happen to know what, in
general, an Inspector of Nuisances did? Is it something
like a Health and/or Sanitation Inspector, since I seem
to recall Harry's sister was involved with nursing?
Posted by Anonymous

9th December 2007
7 Miles does not seem far to most people. But for
those in war 7 miles can take weeks of moving forwards,
backwards then forward again. KUDOS to you for Bring
some memory out of the real forgotten war!!!
Posted by Thepit

7th December 2007

Harry- I have a question: In war, killing is not
murder, but when you kill someone you are not at
war with, it is a crime. It's either kill or be
killed. What are your feelings about this?
Posted by Melody Haven

I think it is fairly universal amongst soldiers that
they are, generally, not terribly keen on killing and
even less keen on being killed. BL

3rd December 2007

The owner is spending his time, his computer getting
this blog updated. Not to mention his family history.
If you dont like the adverts, simple, don't click on it.
Posted by Anonymous

We have a discussion! Any other views? BL

A real shame a blog of this nature is full of google
adverts - very insulting.
Posted by Anonymous

I'm not sure that the ads are insulting but I do tend to
think that they aren't appropriate. I have decided to
remove them. They did seem to be a good idea at
the time - before the blog took off. BL

29th November 2007

The mention of the Micmac camp on the 15th and
sixteenth is intriguing. The Micmac tribe is a
native Canadian tribe in New Brunswick & Nova
Scotia. I wonder if there is a Canadian connection
here, specifically with a Maritime regiment.
Dave P (Canadian Maritimer)

I've just come across your blog, haven't got
the time to read it properly yet, but I certainly
will. I'm a 50 year old Belgian woman and when
I come in the area where these fights took place
I still think of all the broken lives. When I
think of the thousands and thousands of young
lives destroyed and families shattered I still
get tears in my eyes. These young soldiers were
sent to a foreign country to fight in horrendous
and desperate conditions, it is so ... I just
don't have the words to express the feelings.
Posted by hildA

28th November 2007
I can't wait for the next installment.
Posted by Jaquins Lyre

26th November 2007
One of the little known stories of Passchendaele
is about a Canadian Indian named Pegamgabow.
In the nights preceding the awesome clash,
Peggy went behind enemy lines to return with
detailed descriptions of where the German
artillery and the various gun emplacements where
located, all the way back to the German bivouac
area. When the battle commenced the Canadians
moved swiftly forward, with Peggy reporting
from the flanks. they knocked out all the guns
and captured the bivouac area. Then Peggy went
back to find the relief party, lost in
no-man's-land, guided them to the other troops,
then guided the fighting unit back behind the lines.
It was an enormous shock to the German generals
to find that in all the chaos, a complete and
successful military mission had been achieved,
and many of those generals mentioned it in their
memoirs. Peggy was awarded the Military Medal.
Posted by PhilOwl

25th November 2007

Thank you for re-creating the drama of this time.
The understated way in which Harry writes is very
moving. My husband has family from the area where
Harry was born and I can just hear the accent in
his words! Synchronising the dates is a great idea.
Last Wednesday, when we had that bitter north wind
and driving rain, I thought about Harry and his
friends in France.
Posted by Tracey

24th November 2007
How were things on the home front? Were people
always aware of a war happening or was it like
now-- "War? Oh yeah. We're at war. I have a
friend of a friend over there. . ." So sad
nowadays.Your blog keeps getting more fascinating.
Thank you for including us on the journey!
Posted by Tea N. Crumpet

This was a major war. Everyone was affected and
well aware of it! BL

What could powder refer to? talcum?
Posted by Anonymous

Almost certainly talcum powder to make marching
more comfortable. BL

Hi as a soldier myself, I have recently decided to
start my own blog about my journey to Iraq, while
I'm there and my arrival back to the uk. I just
hope my blog will be as good as yours in the future.
If any ideas to help me improve my blog, they would
be more then welcome. Thanks
Pte Lino Woolfe RAVC
Posted by lino

Your blog and the letters provide an insight into
what was the worst human-initiated tragedy of the
last century; one that we are still coping with today.
Yours is a superb use of the internet.
Posted by Red Cloud

22nd November 2007

This is really the most original blog I have ever
come across. Very nice work!!!
Posted by Bruce

uh ok
Posted by Den452001

Wonderful idea. As a history teacher I loved reading
over the blog. It's also got me thinking trying my
hand at something like this with my WWII relatives.
Posted by Christian Hartwig

'While Harry’s battalion was in the front line,
the main attack on the 12th October was carried
out by the Australian and New Zealand troops.
Their losses were enormous. They had little
success.' Notice how the British used the
Australians and New Zealanders on the front line.
Likewise the Americans put the Negros of the front
line at Vietnam. Australians are aware of being
used by the British but the Australians have forgiven
them.
Posted by Ardent

how bout that sequel ww2????
Posted by L

Awesome Blog I'm a History Freak.
Posted by Anonymous

very good. çok güzel bir blog hazırlamışsınız.
çalışmalarınızın devamını dilerim.Trabzon/TurkeyOkul
zilizil programıokulu zil programı
Posted by sahin1977

15th November 2007

Absolutely fabulous. I hope you don't mind but
I am going to link your site to my grandfathers
site. I am tracking my grandfathers life from
1884 - 1961
Posted by LT

This is amazing. I'll read more about this later too
Posted by Katie

What an amazing blog! Would you consider
introducing your blog to our friendly
blogging community over at Fuelmyblog?
I am sure many of our readers/users would
be most fascinated by your blog.
Thank you Sylvie www.fuelmyblog.com
Posted by sylvie d
Blog added to Fuelmyblog. BL

This is like totally incredible. I can't believe
that you could remember all this. I can scarcely
remember what I had for breakfast today but
dang! That's a lot of stuff to remember!

How many wars did you serve in ? I am currently
in U.S. history class and would like to use your
information in my National History Day project.
And by the way love the blog 2!
Posted by sarah

14th November 2007

Bravo! Wonderful use of a Blog! It's a shame that
so few people have the insight to educate their
readers when it comes to this format.
Posted by Steve

I knew a WWI veteran when I was a kid, 4-5.
He was a man physically and emotionally damaged
by his experiences.I wrote a blog about him at my
site about my parents and their experiences in the
concentration camps of WWII.Here's the
url:http://lightning-and-ashes.blogspot.com/2007/11/november-11-1918-day-world-war-i-ended.html
Posted by John Guzlowski

 13th November 2007

What an amazing thing you are doing in your
Grandfathers memory! I went back to the beginning
and found it so interesting. My Great Grandad was
in that same war and was from the Birmingham area.
I have an old portrait photo of him in uniform.
You`ve made me want to get it out and have another
good look at it and try to imagine what they must
have saw. If it`s there, in his eyes. tea xo
Posted by Tea & Margaritas in My Garden

Thanks for this blog
Posted by Daryl L. Hunter

I was wondering why he had to put the address in
the middle of the letter?
Posted by Sadie

 12th November 2007

wow I have just come across this blog and it looks 
really interesting. I am a history lover and have 
always been interested in the 20th century wars 
although I haven't been able to go as much in 
depth as I would have liked to. To follow the 
story of this individual sounds like a great plan. 
keep it up.thanks
Posted by Javier Rincón

This is terrific! I'm linking you to my blog.
Posted by Chanticleer

This is a great idea; however, when there are breaks
in the dates, can you please put at the bottom of
the post when the next entry will be? I
think that would be a great help.
Cheers, mjc
Posted by Mike C

One of the features of the blog is to put the reader
in the place of the family - not knowing when/if the next
letter is going to arrive. There is an RSS feed to give
some help with new post timings. BL

Nice stuff! Even from here, where no war was done,
it sounds amazing.
Posted by Rômulo

Hi there, Just found your blog. Fascinating. 
My Dad is transcribing his father's WWI diaries. 
I have thought about blogging them when they are
done. Here is my grandfather's 11-11-1917 entry:
Sunday, November 11, 1917 Weather: Showers
Were relieved this morning at 9 A,M, Was never so
thankful for anything in my life. Was wet thru & 
coated with mud from head to foot. Returned to 
billets & turned in for a sleep. Stayed in
bed all day. We fired 240 rounds during our 
twenty-four hours duty This is my twenty-second 
birthday. Spent my last birthday in England and the
one before that in Canada. Where shall I spend the 
next? I hope in Canada.
Posted by tracey.ca

Hi, thanks for your comment on my blog. Re my
grandfather being at the same school as yours
- I think probably not as by 1891 his direct
family had moved from Awsworth to Ilkeston
(not many miles away)although his grandparents
were still in Awsworth. I have put a photo of
him on my family history blog and a link in my
post.I am so pleased to have found you and look
forward to following Harry's story.
Posted by Rosie

I really enjoy reading this blog. Thank you so 
much for creating it and
letting us read it.
Posted by KARATEKID and TRUE INSANITY

Amazing blog. I will keep my eyes peeled for
the diaries, and good luck...
Posted by Trish

I've just found this fascinating story via the blog 
Corners of My Mind and have read through it all - 
appropriate on Remembrance Sunday. My grandfather 
fought with the 5th & 6th battalion of the Warwickshire
Regiment in WW1 but I have never heard or read anything 
about his experiences so this gives me a small insight 
into his life. I look forward to reading more.
Posted by Rowan

This has to be one of the more original and ingenious
blogs out there. Thank you for coming up with this.
As a student of history, there is simply no way to
factor the value of the release of the letters 90
years, to the day.Thanks again for your blog.
Posted by The Accidental Existentialist

11th November 2007

Hi,This blog is really good. Keeping me in suspense
and great from a historical point of view. Have
added it to my favourites.Here at the Grimsby Wargames
Society we play WW1 games frequently and about to make
some new terrain for those games.Good work.
Posted by generalgrant

10th November 2007

Simply brilliant. The idea of recalibrating
time to fit a blog is a true stroke. I can't
wait to see where you go with it. Todd
Posted by todd vodka

Thank you and keep up the good work.
Gypsy at heart
Posted by Gypsy at heart

Great topic.It feels great to find this stuff being
blogged about.Keep it up mate
Posted by Satellite TV

I am amazed and fascinated with this incredible
collection of letters. Thank you so
much for sharing them online.
 Posted by DMS

Seriously Wish that I could experience the same
that you went through.
Posted by Fazlul

is this real ?
Posted by Selma

Certainly is! BL

Wow, I'm looking forward to become a military 
historian and this is amazing.I absolutaly 
love it, keep it up.dana
Posted by dana_hun

I am in my Senior year at college (studying
English, French, and Education) and I am in
the process of creating a unit for a secondary
English class. The book at the heart of the
unit is Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on
the Western Front. I was THRILLED to discover
this blog. I think it is an innovative idea to
publish your grandfather's letters in this form
and it is very generous of you to share your
family's experiences with all of us. I look
forward to reading more about Harry!
Posted by Jaclyn

Great blog-- I am so glad you are doing this
in his honour and to show us what your grandfather
was going through.
Posted by Tea N. Crumpet

Incredible. This is more worthy of posterity than
probably most of the stuff on the Internet (mine
included). Our history is important and this blog
really brings it alive. Thanks.
Posted by Demented Clanger

My great uncle Alex Latta died on passchendale
ridge. He was a Cree indian and an olympic long
distance runner. The first of his race to become
an Edmonton city policeman and by all accounts a
very fine man. I have always wondered what he
went through during his last days. keep the blog
going please.EBL
Posted by Ernesto

9th November 2007

Have you found out more about that son?
Posted by Jennie Around the World La La La La La

Great idea! Great blog!I have added you to my links.
Thanks for yourtime and effort.
Posted by Gypsy at heart

This is interesting stuff!
Posted by Family Rally

Thank you for creating this blog. I have my students
create a family project and one of the components is
comparing their life to their great grandparents or
great great grandparents using primary documents.
This will be one of my future resources.
Thanks again!
Posted by Ms. Anderson

Amazing stories told through letters. It puts flesh on
bone and makes history come alive.
Posted by Trish

What an interesting blog!I've bookmarked it!
Regards from Canada, CHVNX.COM
Posted by CHVNX

8th November

A fabulous blog! What history should be - alive, vivid
and moving. Manythanks
Posted by Robin Bowman

7th November

This is terrific!
Posted by G-Man

I have been an Anglophile ever since watching Up
Stairs Down Stairs on public TV. I am an amateur
military historian and read all I can about the
Victorian and WWI period including the Boer war.
It is criminal that the lessons learned by Jr.
officers in the Boer war did not translate when
those same officers were Sr. commanders in WWI
As a Vietnam Vet I have a trunk of photos, home
movies and letters as well as an audio tape or two.
I think it would be fantastic to release my letters
and pictures as you are doing. Its been 35 years
since I looked at my letters and I can't bring my
self to look at them.Perhaps in 55 more years a
grand son or daughter will find the time and
inclination to blog them. Best wishes. I can't wait
to read more.
Posted by Pete B

What a cool idea! Thank you.
Posted by Allie, Dearest

6th November

Such a great site ... I'll be back.
Posted by Sidthegnomenator

Hi I'm Really Impressed By Your Posts
Posted by Anonymous

This is fascinating! Found this through Blogs of Note,
and will be bookmarking.
Thank you.
Posted by ~Denise~

We remembered the battle of Passchendaele and all
our NZ countrymen who died last month during the
anniversary. Our Prime Minister attended services
at Passchendaele. I think it's really important for us
to remember all those who were lost.
Posted by Shelley Munro

good story!keep it up.
Posted by ixtremixpert

5th November

Very moving. I could see and feel what you
were writing. well done!
Posted by jkru7777

Really good subject for a blog!
Posted by Johan Olsson

Is not possible to found words for all that
sorrow.May a hug be sent 90 years after a
pain? I hope the answer is "yes".
Un abbraccio fortissimo,
Posted by Cantalupo

otimo
Posted by Aprendizagem

: )
Posted by R2K

Yes! I like your blog. It reminds me of the book
"The Patriot's Progress" (by Henry Williamson)
which is very much worth reading, even though the
author fell to the british fascist movement later.
regards
from germany, -herbi-
Posted by Newdy

My grandfather fought in WWI. I never had the
chance to ask him about his wartime experiences.
Your blog helpd me to understand what it was
like for my grandfather and all those brave men
who fought to keep us free. Heroes all! Thanks!
Posted by Coach Pete

Congratulations on earning the Blogs of Note
distinction. That's how yours caught my eye,
and I've spent the last little while reading
from beginning to end. In the next week we
celebrate Veteran's Day here in the US, most
people don't remember the original significance
of November 11, 1918 which I find very sad. On
a more personal note, your blog has inspired me
to find out more about my great uncle's WWI
service. Keep up the wonderful blog. I'm looking
forward to finding out how Harry's war experience
ends.
Posted by Tonya

What an interesting and original way to tell
an amazing story. I will be following your
posts with interest.
Posted by Kawidawn

With all the attention that is generally given to
WWII, how wonderful that you are honoring and
bringing attention to the very horrific and
compelling events of WWI. Thank you.
Posted by Suzanne

Thank you for this interesting blog.Posted by A Listener

I think this was your first post but I'll need
to go back and check that. Just so you know where
I commented. What a truly fantastic idea for a blog.
I came across it from the blogs of note. My eldest
boy and husband will be fascinated to read it.

 4th November 2007

Nice blog! I will follow it. I have just 
discovered it now. War is a experience that 
Brazillians had never experienced. Greetings 
from Brazil.
Posted by Rita

Nice going. Last month, me and my history class
went on a WW1 trip around France - it's a bit
odd seeing you mention Passchendaele, and
Menin and stuff seeing I've only just come
back from there. actually,if you're interested,
we all blogged the trip as we went:
www.radiowaves.co.uk/tpyf
There's photos and stuff of all the memorials
we visited. in case you're interested
Posted by Ninquelosse

Oui, c'est pas mal
Posted by SAd_

Hi there. Lovely idea for a blog. This 90th
anniversary of Passchendaele has become poignant
for me in that researching my family I found a
Great Uncle was one of those who fell.
Posted by enfieldian

Esta e uma mensagem para todo o mundo:Fujam 
enquanto podem...Corram plas vossas vidas..
salvem as vossas familias..Lutem pla vossa
subrevivencia..A terceira Grande guerra vai 
comexar..ELES FINALMENTE CHEGARAM!!
Posted by Anonymous

I'm fascinated with WWI trench warfare. War
strategy has a lot of good comparisons to
living through life. Battle of attrition seems
to me like a war strategy as well as a popularity
strategy for us today, we want everybody to
like us even if it means paying little attention to
all rather than a lot of attention to some. But,
in the end, don't we want exposure? Candidates do,
they want their name out there to everybody, not
just to some. I dunno, just a thought.
Posted by Kid Marine

It's wonderful to see the First World War still 
has a following. Sometimes I feel, there was a 
period where the hopes and fears of the soldiers 
fighting there had been lost in the shadow of 
the Second World War. I love reading the letters 
from any of those fellows somehow keeping it 
together. Thanks!
Posted by Bill ( A different Bill to the next 
comment's author - I assume. BL)


I'm very pleased to see your blog. It's wonderful
to see any letters or journals from this forgotten
heroes. We just recently had a memorial dedicated
to Canadians at Passchendaele within our House of
Commons. In Canada, most of the population speaks
of 'Vimy', but have long ago forgotten some of the
more horrific battles our lads took part in. Please
vist my blog-Canadians in the Great War.It's my
small attempt at providing a venue for historians
looking for information and an outlet for
discussion on this subject.Thanks!
Posted by Bill

I enjoyed...Thank You!
Posted by DeportNow

What a great idea for a fascinating blog. I
read a lot about WWI and happen to be reading
a soldier's memoirs right now.What a shame that
you deface the blog with all the advertising.
Posted by L-girl

I agree L-girl. It seemed like a good idea at
the time. They will go. BL

Congratulations on a wonderful blog.I shall 
return often.
Posted by Anne Whitfield

I have never been a history buff, but this blog
highlights the importance of learning about the
past.
Posted by Jackie

Wait... When you say Derbyshire, which state do you
mean?
Posted by Anonymous

Derbyshire ENGLAND! BL

3rd November 2007

your blog is really original, and the story is
interesting, ;) 
Posted by vid's

very interesting blog--www.xrust.blogspot.com
Posted by Игорь

Thank you for doing this blog; it really gives life
to an era probably no one reading this lived through.
I wish I had as much from my own great-grandfather,
who may very well have faced Harry across some
no-man's-land between the opposing trenches: my
great-grandfather was a sergeant with the 8th
Infantry Detachment, Lorch Germany. He left his
wife and three small children (one of whom would
eventually become my grandfather) to serve in the
Kaiser's army; I have his medals, but none of the
family now living knows anything about his years
in the service. If my grandfather knew anything
about his father's war experiences, he refused to
say. (There are apparently no existing WWI army
personnel records to be gotten from Germany: they
were, it seems, bombed out of existence during
WWII.)You are fortunate indeed to have Harry's
letters, and we are fortunate you are sharing
them with us.-
Gustav's great-granddaughter


What an excellent blog and thank you for sharing
this with others. I have always wanted to learn
more of WW1. My grandfather and his brothers
served but he never spoke of it. My father is
a WWII veteran. He and others should write blogs
such as these. It is very important that these
first hand accounts of war is told and preserved.
Hats off to you and congratulations for a blogging
job well done!
Posted by kansasrose

this is all very interesting.. I'll be following
this, for sure!
Posted by azzief

What a fantastic blog. I have just started reading. 
I am from Sweden, we never got drawn into any of 
the wars, but I am still very interested in 
history.Anyway, I just want to comment on the bread 
and drippings food. It brings back memories to me. 
My father had it a lot when he grew up,he was born 
in 1924. And I remember that we had it now and then
when I was a kid, I am born 1964, but I never liked 
it. Not because we were poor, but the people back 
then just liked it I suppose. My father loved that 
kind of food, he had bread and drippings all his 
life, he passed away 2000. But now that tradition 
is gone for ever here in Sweden too I am sure. I 
for sure haven´t passed it on.
Posted by Svenne Farang

Right now in History, we're studying the Somme
Offensive and Passchendaele and this puts it into a
much more interesting and personal perspective than
any textbook ever could. Thank you so much for
blogging his accounts.It's true, Haig never visited
the front line but since he was supported by the King,
he was kept in charge. Even though the prime minister
at the time disagreed with his methods.
Posted by girl in the know

oh my goodness! what a mysterious, interesting 
blog! :-)
Posted by Charity

Great write up. This story just exemplifies the
conditions and horrific battles of WW1. These
such stories must be preserved and told in order
to continue to learn. Keep up the great work.
Posted by Chamberlain

This is a great blog. We can't forget those
who gave us the freedoms we enjoy today.
I'm linking this to my blog.
Posted by Bryan

Your blog is really intriguing. I think
it's incredible to read someone's thoughts
from many years ago!
Posted by Nicole

Cool!
Posted by David Darg

2nd November 2007

Congratulations for you blog. My grandfather
served as a military doctor in the Portuguese
Army during WWI. He went to South Angola and
in France.I managed to preserve some of his
memories through my father.Thats is how I
developed my blog Antigamente (In the old
days). It has a collection of postcards from
my grandfather. It includes postcards from
France in the years of WWI.Just a note: It
is all written in Portuguese. Sorry about that!
Posted by Marco

Thanks, WWI is just so much ancient history,
sadly. Thank you to the stoic canadians and
english who suffered through the slaughter
that was Passchendaele.
Posted by Spaceman Spiff

Thank you for bringing WW1 back to life, 90 years
on. I've posted a blog with Faces from the War
Memorial from the Isle of Lewis, which lost 1,150
of the about 6,000 that went to war between 1914
and 1919. 200 of those drowned within sight of
Stornoway harbour on 1 January1919, as they were
coming home on HMY Iolaire. You still can't talk
about that here in Lewis. 
http://facesmemorial.blogspot.com/
Posted by ADB

Every year in November, I find myself gearing
up for Remembrance Day (always a big commemoration
in Canada) & start looking for new material, TV
shows, films, etc. And here's your blog; I'm so
glad I found it. It's just the most marvelous
memorial of & to the common men caught up in
duty & honour. You are very very lucky to have
theseletters & very very kind to share them with
the world. Thank you so much.
Marita Yellowknife, NWT, Canada
Posted by arctic dreamer

Have happened across your blog through the blogs
of note section. A most interesting account, and
very moving. Amazing how you can see a very brave
man in the letters. A bit of a do (39 killed, more
wounded!) etc. My great-grandfather was a sniper in
WW1, and the only thing we have as a reminder of
that time are the Bruce Bairnsfather cartoon
magazines, which in all probability he carried with
him during the war, judging by the state of them.
He lived to be 95, and died just after I was born,
but apparently never ever spoke of his experiences.
As Siegfried Sassoon said, there is no bravery on
a battlefield, just necessity, and stark choices.
Probably hard to explain to anyone without
firsthand knowledge. I shall keep following your
blog with interest. Thank you.
Posted by the other cold one

si quieres hacer porras sobre la liga, informarte
d partidos, pasartelo bien entra
encharlieeldelosmallos.blogspot.comeste blog esta
mu bien t felicito x aberlo echo
Posted by Anonymous

"By the evening of October 14 there simply was
no one left alive on the battlefield."That must
have been a horrible sight to see! I like the
way you write, with such detail and description.
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by Jamie

Just to put this all in a context, the action
at Passchendale was the last stage of a larger
offensive aimed at capturing U-boat bases on the
Belgian coast. The summer offensive near Ypres
was kicked off brilliantly at Messines Ridge in
June, but was drowned in unseasonable rains. It
was perhaps the most senseless of all the British
offensives during the Great War.
Posted by Kevin

I wish I had been aware of your blog b4 my
November 1 post, in which I advocate for the US
to return to calling November 11 "Armistice Day,"
as a way to honor those who fought in WWI. I would
have linked to your blog.
Posted by Mr. McGregor's Daughter

Great story. Now ure more than hundred years
old right? ;p
Posted by Zang

Good, fantastic history lessons Congratulations
From Bolivia Percy Herbas.Muy interesante blog,
la historia verdadera de un soldado inglés.
Posted by ojoconelsordo

It seems to me that Haig's statements were
for a press release. more toward encouraging
others to join the fray than give moral support to
his men. :)congratulations on having recognized
as a blog of note. :)
Posted by kenni

good write up. keep it up.
Posted by evirtualpie

Wow! This is interesting stuff! Thanks for
blogging this!!
Posted by Amber

very nice blog good work
Posted by me me


I heard the broadcast on Radio 4 the other
Sunday.  Like you, we found letters from
my grandfather to his family when we cleared
my mother's house two years ago.  My grandfather
came from Nottingham and was conscripted into
the army in 1916.  His name was John George
Osbourne but everybody called hm Jack!  Unfortunately
his army career only lasted a few weeks and he was
killed on the Somme just a couple of months before
my mother was born.  His letters are more about the
training they had in Sunderland before embarking for
France.    The last letter is from France.  There
is also a return letter from my grandmother which
is extremely poignant as it mentions a local woman
who gassed herself and her children when her husband
was sent to France.  We have scanned the letters and
my brother has added transcripts onto a CD.  Our
schools's A level drama and English depts want to use
them as resources for the students.  I have passed
on your blog address so no doubt there will be more
'hits' to your website!
Posted by Margaret Wilde

30th October 2007

 This blog looks great, but question. Under the
profile it says born August 1887, but on one of
the October 2006 posts it says 1888... was this
a typo?Posted by Angel Nodal

Well spotted! I always understood from the family
that Harry was born in 1888. However, quite recently
I managed to find the official record of  his birth
29th August 1887. I’ll update the early post.

Thank you.BL

29th October 2007

I am addicted to your blog by the way
– I think it is fantastic! I am doing a history degree
currently and tackling the question of the boy labour
problem pre-first world war. I would really like to use
this case study in an essay and was wondering if you had
any further information on his lace-working background?
Also if he does survive, what he goes back to doing post
war? Many Thanks Kate Todd

October 13th 2007

Yeah, I heard about it on Radio 4. Brilliant
idea. I'm an English teacher and I'm always
trying to think of ways to use blogs (although
we don't have access to a class set of computers
at the moment). I could do a wartime project
with a novel set in a war and letters home
from the character whilst looking at your blog
every lesson. Even when we know the ending I
could just do a month per lesson or something
so I could make it into an annual thing. Sorry,
perhaps you all didn't need to know about that!

Posted by El

October 12th 2007

I'd like to join those who are saying thank
you for this wonderful blog and who had
relatives at Passchendaele too. My great
uncle was there, a Suffolk farm labourer
conscripted earlier in 1917 who had
transferred to the Yorkshire regiment (but
I don't know why)by the time of his death
in September 1917. I have held the war
diaries of his regiment in my hand at the
National Archives. What a feeling. He died
at the casualty clearing station known as
Mendinghem and is buried in the cemetery
of the same name. (Say the name aloud to
realise the humour that helped them survive.)

Posted by Ernie's niece

I heard about your blog on 'Broadcasting House'.
My attention was grabbed immediately, partly
because of my general interest but more because
my grandfather, George Burleigh, also served at
Passchendaele in 1917. He volunteered on the
outbreak of War and tried to get into the Navy.
At 16, he was under-age and they wouldn't take
him. The army, however, had other ideas! He
was with the Rifle Brigade and was a Bugler
and, like Harry, spent at least part of his
time as a Lewis Gunner. Sadly most of the
Rifle's records have been lost so we have
not discovered exactly where he was. Anyone
who was at that terrible battle would never
have come out the same person they went in.
My grandfather never spoke to anyone about
his experiences, except me but unfortunately
I wasn't really old enough to appreciate how
valuable this might have been. I do remember
him telling me that he once spent a night is
a broken tank which he said was called
'Charlie Chaplin'. Although there seem to be
no letters, I am delighted that I have a
number of artifacts from his time in the
Rifle Brigade. There are his badges and
medals (he was mentioned in Despatches but
for what I don't know), his bugle, pay
book and some postcards and silk cards
which he sent back to my grandmother (they
were childhood sweethearts and married in
1922). His father was in the King's Royal
Rifles and I do know they met up while
they were over there, my great-grandfather
arranging for a birthday cake to be made
for him! Other than that I have very little
information about his war service. He was
always extremely proud of his Regiment and
a bit of this pride has transferred to me!
Your posting of Harry's letters are a
wonderful idea, especially as it is exactly
90 years to the day and date. Now I've
caught up with the story I'll be checking
daily to get the latest. Well done and many
thanks for  sharing this with us.
David Burleigh.

For Ernie, who wanted to read all the letters
in the right order - I, too, came new to this
after hearing the broadcast on Radio 4 on
Sunday. I hot-footed it to the computer, and
read the lot - As far as I can see, the only
way is to click on the earliest entries and
read them in order that way - that's how I did
it. I was enthralled until I'd read all of them.
Now, I read in the War Diary that Harry went
into the front again on the 10th October - and
I'm on the edge of my seat until I find out
how he fares. I am also a complete newcomer
to blogs, but I am so impressed by this one,
being similarly interested in my own Grandad's
experience of fighting in Passchendaele, that
I have begun my own blog about it! They say
imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
Unfortunately, all that survives of his
communications with his wife is a few
postcards. She pre-deceased him, so I suppose
he destroyed anything too personal, keeping
the less personal postcards for history's
sake.Your blog is a fine, fine tribute to
Harry and all those who fought in that
terrible war. We have visited Ypres several
times over the last few years. I've heard it
called "Holy Ground".....it surely is.

Posted by Greg's granddaughter

October 10th 2007

Thanks for this, I too heard about it on Radio 4.
I shall follow the succeeding instalments with
great interest. My grandfather was at
Passchendaele in 1917, so he couldn't have been
too far away. His story, more particular what
happened to him after he was captured near
La Fere in March 1918, can be found at
http://www.1914-1918.net/heroes/carpenter.htm.

My uncles were out in France in a Lancashire
Regiment. My Dad ran away to join up but he
was too young and His mother brought him back.
They all survived but one of them was gassed
and their health was affected.
All of them dead now.
God bless them and Harry.
Posted by PI

October 9th 2007

Congratulations on the blog for your grandfather
which I've just found after hearing you on Radio 4.

I have a quick technical question:
Is there a way I can reverse the order of letters
so that first one is at the top? (I'm new to blogs).
Having arrived late to the story I wanted to read
the earliest first and carry on down to the latest
but can't see how. Not to worry if it can't be done.
Congratulations again. Tremendous stuff. I'm sure
he'd be very proud and amazed at what you've done.
Best wishes
Ernie Fortnum

Can anyone Help Ernie?

I think ADMS is probably Assistant Director of
Medical Services. Tim

I believe it (A.D.M.S.) stands for Assistant Director
of Medical Services. I found it on the following link.

http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/GREATWAR
/2004-06/1088332207

Keep up the great work. My 10 yr old is really
interested in the blog and if it teaches him anything
about WW1 and it's horrors, all the better.
Paul

What a fantastic collection of memories.
Thank you so much for sharing.I am hooked
and can't wait for the next letter. I can
only imagine how Harry's wife and brother
must have felt waiting for news.
Thank you

Paul.

October 8th 2007

GREAT 1918 CALENDER. I FOUND IT WHEN LOOKING
AT THE LETTERS. WILL YOU BE SHOWING MORE?
Posted by HARRY POTTER #1 FAN 

I have read most of your letters and I love
all of them
Posted by rincy james

October 7th 2007

I too heard about this on Radio 4. I think you
are doing an amazing thing by bringing this to
the rest of the world. Harry would be so proud.
Posted by Richard & Ali

I am 64 years old and knew men who fought in
the first war. All my life I've been in awe
of every last one of them from both or all
sides bvc
Posted by codders

I have just started reading about William
Lamin and see your query about Harold
Bentley.

According to The Commonwealth War Graves
Commission web-site :-

Private Harold Bentley
11th. Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment
Age 23
Died 28th April 1918
Service No. 11/1141

Son of Robert and Amanda Bentley
of 50 Sharp Street, Newland Avenue
Hull

Commonwealth War Dead
Grave Reference 62.6201 Hull
Western Cemetery ( He must have been
brought home before dying of his wounds)
His medal card showing his campaign medals,
available on the National Archives Web-Site
is Reference 35592/23697
and can be purchased on-line for £3.50.

Keep up the good work,

Regards,

John White

My blood ran cold when I read in the diary
for 30th September, the opening of the battle,
that the enemy was using "flammenwerfer" -
flame throwers. Film archive of these in use
has been shown on TV -absolutely horrific.
Apparently, we used them too...

About the souvenirs - my Grandad, who served
throughout WW1 and was wounded in the Battle
of Polygon Wood, Passchendaele, had a little
collection of souvenirs from his time in the
Somme area in 1918...an enamel brooch with
the name of the town Amiens, a little
silver-coloured ring engraved "Somme", and a
rosary with markings from the Somme
battlefields. I think the people in the towns
and villages servicing the needs of the huge
numbers of soldiers behind the lines made a
living how they could, including selling them
souvenirs! Apparently, the front in France
and Belgium was always simply referred to
as France. Oh, if you don't mind a little
correction, The local namefor Ypres is
Ieper, not Leper.
Posted by Greg's granddaughter

Great Blog. I fully agree with the anonymous
comment. My great uncle was on the Somme
and my father a POW in WW2. Nowadays I meet
graduates who haven't a clue who McMillan or
Kennedy were. How can so many know so little
of our nation's past. Cenotaphs are inscribed
"Lest we forget". Rings a bit hollow doesn't it.
Thanks for bringing a little bit of history back
to life, albeit from a tragic time. I will
definitely continue to follow Harry's story.
Posted by Mac

Last week I visited Hill 60 with my brother
and family, and saw the Caterpilar crater -
we took a photo. It certainly makes an
impression! Thank you for sharing all this.
My grandfather (S Staffs) survived Passchendaele
with a blighty wound, and we went to "walk the
ground" as near as possible to the 90th
anniversary.
Posted by Greg's Granddaughter

I also got the intro via Radio4 - please
keep up the excellent work. One of the most
moving experiences anyone can have is a guided
tour of the WWI area around Ypres and
Paschendale. It makes grown men cry, and
maybe ought to be compulsory for all
schoolkids.
Posted by Colin

Heard about this on Radio4, I look forward
to following.My father was wounded in WW1,
I can find no information, not even where he
served, you are lucky. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by Pastel Artist

Hi,

I just heard your interview on radio 4.

With regard to what to do with the letters.
you might want to donate them to the Imperial
War Museum, London, which has an archive and
reading room for such materials. The staff
there were very helpful and it would be a
good place for the original letters to be
stored yet remain accessible to the public.
Adam

I couldn't imagine wearing shorts in a
trench environment.
Posted by Anonymous

What a great idea! Thanks for posting this.
I'm going to follow the blog, rather than
google our soldier, to learn his fate.
Posted by gouldie

September 26th
Texas Yank here. Really enjoying this. Just
read several of the Wordsworth Military
Library Series on WWI (Loos,Mons,1916
Somme,Jutland). This puts a face to it.
Thanks.

Sept 23rd 2007
Hats off to you! A taste of history to be sure.
Yahoo did good to put this on the fore-front
so to key interest. Most of our nation is
now "history brain dead" and it shows in
the stupid mistakes we make,over and over and
over again - all the way to the top. Maybe
this will spur some interest in a subject as
important as math and science. More
needs to be done. Thanks.

Sept 22nd 2007
This is awesome. I found this on my Yahoo home
page and as big history buff, I was fascinated.
Keep it going. I will look forward to the next
one.

Sept 5th 2007
What a wonderful idea! This makes history come
alive! For today's young people who cannot see
the relevance of history, what a fabulous tool
this could be! Thank you for posting the old
pictures on your blog. I love viewing them and
seeing those who lived so long ago! I believe
the camera was the best invention ever. I will
have to pick up the book you recommended
"Birdsong". If you have not read Anne Perry's
WWI series,they are well worth the read as
well!2003: No Graves as Yet2004: Shoulder the
Sky: 19152006: Angels in the Gloom2007: March:
At Some Disputed Barricade2007: April: We Shall
Not Sleep.Thank you again for
sharing!
Posted by Lisa from Texas

Endsleigh Financial can help with UK mortgages

Sept 4th 2007

All the explanation and the blah-blahs make
this kind of complicated to follow.
Anonymous

Thank you for sharing your family and a look
to our past. My English heritage runs deep
through my Texas roots. I just became aware
of this site and will be catching up with
the postings. The blog was introduced
through a computer site.
Dallas/ Ft Worth Texas
Posted by diana

What a wonderful tribute to all those that
served in World War I.Just a possible
correction. The letters posted May 14, 2007
with two letters. One to Kate where did not
have an address to give her to write back
dated The same day 1917. The second letter
to Jack could not have been written the
same days as he gave Jack a mailing address
to send letters to. So the letter to Jack
must have been written sometime previous to
the letter Kate because he gave Jack the
address to the West York and he told Kate
that he was transfered from the West York
to ninth Bat York & Lancaster so the 9th
Bat York and Lancaster May14, 2007.Weather
it is correct or not it is a very moving
site.
R. K. Staggers

Well spotted. You're absoluteley correct.
One letter has no date and so I had to do
some detective work myself - obviously not
as well as Mr Staggers' efforts. BL

Posted by Anonymous

Hello, What a great idea to publish the letters.
Thank you so much for sharing them with everyone.
The thought struck me that the letters may be
very valuable. I saw an appraisal on Antiques
Roadshow US for one letter written by someone
on a wagon train going West (in the US).
Anyway, it was worth a lot of money---and that
was just one letter. I thought someone probably
already had the idea of their value but wanted
to make certain and just had to send you an
email. I hope, if you do get them appraised,
you will share it on your site.
Thanks again,
Leslie Kight
Moline, IL
USA

I know the feelings you have about the letters and
diaries - my grandfather was in the Canadian 20th Bn,
and I recently came across some of the letters he
wrote to his fiancee, family, and one of his personal
diaries - which contains the entry describing his
wounding!

His battalion's war diaries are posted online, so it's
been interesting to compare the two!

It's a great feeling holding a piece of history in
your hands, isn't it?!

John Fisken
Oak Harbor, WA

Do we know who Jack and Annie are?

Drippings - that must be the yummy bits of brown
pieces in the bottom of the pan after cooking a
roast, or pork chops, etc. that I sneak and eat
in the kitchen when I am cleaning up after dinner.
Is that right? So yummy!

Posted by PeacePug to WW1: Experiences of an
English Soldier at 3:56 PM

Reply Peacepug - You've got it. It is explained
in the commentary to the letter. Jack and Annie
are Harry's brother & sister. Also explained
in the commentary BL

August 29th 2007
Hello, I am a huge history buff, especially where
military conflicts are concerned. This kind of
insight regarding a man in the midst of such a
conflict is priceless to me.I found out about
this site by accident yesterday while looking
up other info on WW1, and am already caught up
on all dispatches and letters. I find myself
refreshing the pages in hopes of finding
something new immediately - or perhaps
something I've missed (not likely).As I read
the letters and reports, and view the
various pictures, my mind is putting me right
there with him (as best my imagination can,
having only movies to go by).Thank you very
much for sharing this story!

Sean McCormick Dallas, Texas, USA

August 16^th2007

Its amazing 2 be able to experience the things these
amazing people did. We will never understand exactly
but they help us 2 appreciate all of them.
My Pops a vietnam veteran and i have much respect
for him. And all of the people who fought for our
country..you are all amazing, and

yes, thank you for sharing this!, x

August 8^th

Firstly, I think this is excellent. I first
heard about it on Five Live few weeks ago
and have been checking in every day since,
after getting up to speed with the earlier
material. I'm only in my late thirties,
but have always been fascinated by the
World Wars, particularly the First, when
the sacrifices ordinary people made was
incredible. I have a young son and
intend to ensure that he continues to
remember them. I visited the Thiepval
Memorial in the Somme a few years ago,
and intend to take my son there one
day when he is old enough to start to
understand. With regard to the war
diaries, why not upload all of them to
date in one place so that we can "catch
up" and include a copy in the right place
chronologically to date and from now on.
Provided you refer to them occasionally,
people can goto find them. I know I went
back to the beginning when I first visited
your site. Please keep this going. I
think it is hugely important. The
last surviving British soldier who served
in the trenches is 109 years old and once
he's gone it will be harder and harder to
keep people interested in what is one of
the most important times in our history.
All the best. Ed Quarmby, Cornwall

July 27th

I JUST FOUND THIS SITE I HOPE YOU KEEP
IT UP TO DATE THANKS JOHN PUGH

USA

My grandfather served in WWI. He is of
Welsh descendant but from the USA.
He lost his hearing in the trenches.
We have been told that a bug lodged
in his ear and ate his inner ear.
Because of this site I am compelled to
research more on my own grandfather’s
life.

Dear Bill,I've found it quite moving
working through from the beginning.
It must be particularly poignant for
you. I do hope it becomes a resource
for pupils and will make people aware
on my travels.

Regards David

I have just discovered this wonderful
historical weblog. this is what I see
as a perfect use of the new online
multi-media tools,such as blogging.
history and discovery, on a personal level.
I am sure it has been a labor of love for
you, and I thank you for what I am sure
will be an enriching experience for myself.
I do have a question. is it possible for
you to include a photograph of the grave/
gravestone of the final resting place of
katie and Connie? i love the history
resplendent in cemeteries, and the
constant mystery of what stories those
headstones could tell, if only... well,
this unique blog would be a 21st century
way of connecting the history and mystery.
i have often wondered if i myself could
take on such a task, perhaps photographing
small rural South Carolina cemeteries,
and then finding bits and pieces of the
history to go with the tombstones. thank you,
from across the pond...sandy

July 26^th 2007

Just found this by chance and I've got to
say it grabbed me right away...

This event came into much clearer focus
tonight as I was watching a
show on the Discover Channel
called "Digging Up the Trenches"
(UK History Channel) This show
talked about the trench warfare of
WWI and specifically talked about
the details behind this explosion.
For wider understanding of this
event and trench warfare in general,
I suggest watching this show.

July 25^th 2007

I read "Birdsong" which I believe
you mentioned the first time I saw
your site. It was excellent and
reveals the particular horrors
experienced by the WWI soldiers.
I suppose each war has its somewhat
unique brand of horror. My mother
(born 1906) lost her only brother on
a bombing run over Germany on
Easter Sunday 1944. But at least
he was in comfortable lodgings when
not flying. In fact, a couple of
wealthy English spinsters entertained
his crew on leave several times.
My mother's parents passed away
soon after WWII ended but Miss Violet
Rhodes wrote to my mother for many
years after the war was over. Neither
my mother nor any of her 5 sisters
ever got to visit Uncle Ken's grave
in England. But I've inherited her
copy of his picture, which has an
honored place on my bookshelf.
I barely remember him home on
leave holding me in his arms and
"dancing" with me.
Beverly Oregon, USA

July 17^th

The information that you are providing
is fascinating. I hope you are considering
putting this all in book form. You write
with such warmth and colour, I look forward
to finding out more as the weeks go by!

Listened to your interview. Fascinating.
I have just returned from a music tour
with my Big Band to Belgium. On the
way back we stopped in Ypres for a
battlefield tour. One of the most
moving experiences of my life. T
he students were stunned to silence
at the enormity of it all.

Fantastic blog. How did you link
the broadcast to the blog? (If you
don't mind me asking.. Keep up the
good work... I've added links to it
on my department blog for the
students to follow as well.

I just received scans of the letters
my great-grandfather wrote to his
family--and vice versa--during WWI,
while he was stationed with the
American North Russian Expeditionary
Forces. I'll be posting them on my
blog as well.I look forward to reading
more of your letters and comparing
them with my own family's.

July 16^th 2007

Thank you for creating this blog.
Also heard your article on Radio
5 Live. I have just caught up on
all the entries to date - it's
absorbing. I will continue to
follow up. Best regards, Sally

I heard you being interviewed
on Radio 5 and today have accessed
your diary of Harry Lamin.
It reminded me of the family trying
to get Grandfather to talk of his
experiences in 1917/18 and the
horrors of those times. He never did.
Harry's letters are quite remarkable
in their modesty as he does his best
to allay the fears of family at home.
You are to be congratulated on an
inspired idea to share them with so
many enthusiasts. Well done!

July 15^th

Hi Thanks for your blog.

My great uncle was in the 9th Yorks &
Lancs but wasn't transferred to them
until 4^th July 1917 - so am looking
forward to the letters from here on.

Any chance of a sneak preview -
does your Harry get as far as Italy?  
{Does he remain in the 9th Yorks &
Lancs for rest of war?]

Thanks for taking the trouble
to post this stuff - its great.

(Same contributor as previous comment-
following my reply asking for information,
but NOT giving anything away)

I assume you have looked for Harry's
service record (if it survived) and
Medal Index Card?

The 9th Yorks & Lancs were in the
23rd Division.  There is a great WWI  
website at    www.1914-1918.net    
and if you go to
http://www.1914-1918.net/23div.htm it
lists all the battles that the 23rd
Division were in.

The War Diaries of 9th Y & L are in
the National Archives at Kew.  I've  
started to take a few notes from
them - but it's a very long job.  
However the War Diaries do not
usually contain the names of
ordinary soldiers - only officers
get mentioned - and then probably
only if the died or left/joined
the Battn.

On 4th July 1917 your Harry
probably saw the King - here
is the entry from the War Dairy:
"HM The King passed HALLEBAST CORNER
about 9.15am. The Battn. collected
informally by the roadside to cheer
The King".

My great uncle was Harry Gall -
the family originally came from
Norfolk but moved to London around
turn of century.  My Harry was in
the Northumberland Fusiliers first
(he probably didn't even know where
Northumberland was!), then when he
got to France he was transferred
into the 9th Y&L - on 4th July 1917
- perhaps to make up the number
after the battle of Messines? I
have a photo of  somewhere - but
no letters (except a couple in
his service record).

July 14^th 2007

Hi Thanks so much for your letters.
I am a mere 51 and have no experience
of war nor wish to have.I too heard
our interview on Radio 5 and as I
was driving pulled over to make a
note of the site.I live in Notts
and worked for a while at Stanton
Ironworks and have fond memories
of the area. Keep up the good work

Thanks for posting these. Very
interesting reading. I only
found out about it when I heard
you interview on radio 5 Live
on 13/7/7. Looking forward to more.

I just wanted to say how brilliant
this is.  it must have taken some
time to put together and makes a
fascinating and thought provoking
read, at this  current time.  I'm
on the edge of my seat with fingers
crossed to see  if harry makes it
in one piece.

Many thanks for taking the time
to write this blog

Anna Porretta

Your grandfathers letters are wonderful,
such an important account of the terrible
conditions these brave men had to endure,
you must be so proud of him. One can only
be inspired by their selfless call to
duty unlike some of their senior officers
who hid behind their labels. Their
actions could not of been seen at
the time to be so instrumental in
shaping the democracy and freedom
we take for granted to-day. And
some might say was it really all
worth it?

Heard about you on Radio Five Live.
Just a quick note to say thank you
for such an interesting story and h
istorical resource, I look forward to
reading more as the days go on.

Andy in Beeston, Notts

Really good blog - my father
and two of his close relatives
fought in WW1 - two in Gallipoli
and one in France - sadly my
Father was the only one to
survive -badly wounded but
alive - these letters make
it so much more real - what
brave young men -
thank you - Sheila

I recently came across the
blog you have created about your 
grandfather. I have found the
letters to be sobering and inspiring
in  equal measure. And it is certainly
the most original use for a blog I  
have ever come across.

I have written about your blog
on my own website today, and
screen  captured two small images
of the letters to illustrate the
piece I  have written. I am hoping
this is OK, given that the picture
of your  grandfather can be
downloaded as a digital image.
The images I have captured are
too small for anyone to do anything
else with, but I  will of course take
the pictures down if you want me to.

 hank you again for publishing your
grandfather's letters.

With very best wishes,
Paul Deegan

http://www.pauldeegan.com/

I heard the broadcast on five live
about your grandfathers lettersand
was very  moved.

I have taken the liberty of adding
a link to the blog and a picture
of Harry on  the british Army Rumour site.

http://www.arrse.co.uk/cpgn2/Newfront2.html

I hope you don't mind, if you
do I can quickly remove it.

Thank you for shareing this
family treasure with us.

regards

Michael kelly

Thank you for sharing this ..
how proud you must rightly be !

July 13^th 2007

Thank you for sharing this.

Heard about your blog on 5live,
will follow it with intrest.
I'm in Northern Ireland.
I was at the Somme last year
for the 90th ann. Great idea
to blog the letters, very moving to read.

Heard about this on 5 live -
very impressed, it is very
interesting and moving.
Thanks for sharing it with us.

I only heard about the blog
on Five Live today, but I
will be a constant reader
from now on. As more time
passes since WW1, there are
less and less people who can
pass on their memories. Reading
Harrys' letters can help us to
understand what these brave men
went through and remind us of the
debt that we owe to his generation.
These letters must fill you with
so many different emotions, but
I hope that pride is one of them.
Thankyou.

Just heard about the blog
on radio 5 live

Brilliant idea

Will sign on every day to
check the post box for letters !!

Mark Dutton

it is very good

These letters are so touching -
thank you for sharing them.
I am reading them in Holland. Lor.

I think this is a very
interesting website and I
will pass it on to my family!

From a patriotic Englishman....
.I cannot tell you how grateful
I am to share this blog, we owe
our lives to gentlemen like
Harry, so glad he will never
be forgotten now he's found
the worldwide web.....

Congratulations on the blog
and may I also add my respect
in your republishing of letters.
I have just finished my History
degree and my dissertation was
on Wilfred Owen's representation
of the conflict through his poetry,
and the reliance on his letters
also gave me a great insight into
the battles and daily life.
I will regularly check this
blog; my interest in my special
subject of the First World War
will always stay with me, and I
hope that my generation continues
to keep a keen interest in what
was the most devastating war in
our history.

Thanks again.Matt

July 6^th 2007

I'm following the letters with
interest from Puerto Rico.
Thanks for bringing them.
Sergio

July 5^th 2007

Dear Mr. Lamin, Just today
I discovered your grandfather's
blog. What a wonderful idea to
post his letters online 90
years after they were written.
My father, who lived in the Netherlands
also joined the army in 1917, he was
19 at the time. I'll be reading more
with great interest. Thanks for sharing!

June 28^th 2007

I've been studying up on WWI
in my spare time and have found
that the things that cement the
details -- horrible and otherwise --
are the stories of the individuals,
like your grandfather. I've
bookmarked your excellent site
and look forward to continued
reading. Thank you!

June 18^th 2007

While it might be a bit too late
to share this, I wanted to tell
you that Iam fascinated by your blog
project and lament that I had not
heard of it earlier.

Wonderful blog (in both concept
and content), the idea really
resonated with me as I am working
on genealogy research for my family's
history.I wanted to share a link to a
news program that ran on Public Radio
here in the States (I heard it on my
local station here in San Francisco).

It was a nice piece about your blog
and lead me to you..

Thank you so much for doing this,
posting the letters. I deeply
appreciate reading them. Respectfully,
C. Reed, Nashville, TN USA

June 16^th 2007

I love what you are doing with
your grandfather's letters- very  
inspiring and engaging.

This is a very imaginative
and delightful way to share your 
grandfather's letters. I look
orward to reading your blog
as the  letters come out. Thank
you for your generosity and your
cleverness.

I heard about you on "The World"
program on the radio today in Los   
Angeles, then I visited your blog
this evening. I am interested in   
your project because a similar
circumstance happened to me in 2006.
A   book entitled "The Millionaires'
Unit" came out which tells the story  
of a group of undergraduates at Yale
in 1916 who formed an areo club  
that  subsequently became the
originating  squadron in U.S.
naval   aviation. My grandfather
John M. Vorys was one of these early   
aviators. Following the publication of
the book (by author Marc   Wortman),
I discovered a trove of letters written
by my grandfather during this era.
My mother was also in possession of
a number of   sketches that my
grandfather did at the time. To
make a long story   short, since
the publication of the book and
discovering these other   prime
resources, I have decided to make
a documentary film about the unit.
I am in the process of doing so
at this time. I have enjoyed  
visiting your blog and will
come back from time to time
to see what   happens in the
story. Thanks for sharing these
letters. The blog was a great
idea and it is terrific that your
story was picked up by "The  World".

Sincerely, Ron King

As I drove home today I was
rivetted to a radio broadcast f
eaturing this blog and these wonderful
letters. I look forward to following
them. Thank goodness they were saved!
ps. I was listening to "The World" on
"National Public Radio." Dallas, Texas. USA

June 15^th 2007

Would you consider scanning
the letters and putting the
images of the letters up on
line as well?

June 12^th 2007

It must have been good to have
loved ones back home so ready
to please with little treats
but above all communications.

June 7^th 2007

Caught you being interviwed
on BBC radio Five live and got
interested.I'm enjoying reading
this and have added your site
to my 'blogroll' as I believe
it's great idea and a damn
good read.

June 5^th 2007

Listened to your spot on Up
All Night last night and was
intrigued.

Have just finished reading the blog
– excellent work – can’t wait for
the next installment!!

I’m slightly puzzled as to how old
you are. If your granddad, Harry,
was born in 1888 and your father
in 1916 (and still alive), then
presumably youmust also nearly
have grandchildren of your own –
any clues???

Keep up the good work.

I heard about your blog on
Rhod Shrap's Up All Night programme
on Radio Five. It is indeed an
excellent idea and I shall be
following Harry's letters with
interest. Well done.

30^th November 2006

Great blog!!!! I'll certainly follow it!

Oct 26^th 2006

My fifteen year old grandson who
is living with me has a history
assignment. We live close to a
street called Messines and he
had decided to make the Messines
Ridge Battle the subject of his
assignment. His great great uncle
Lance Corporal Matthew Carroll 34^th
Btn AIF was killed at Messines
on the 8th July, 1917. I have
postcards

from him to his family and other
old papers. Very interesting and
very sad. The research he has been
doing has sparked a strong interest
and we are looking forward to
reading your blog.

Oct 24^th 2006

Are you continuing with this project?
It looks really interesting -
I'm looking forward to it:-)

August 22^nd 2006

This looks really interesting.
Will you release how many letters
there are ahead of the Publication?

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