Originally Posted by
Spike
As we approach the 90th anniversary of the end of world war one we will rightly remember those that gave their lives in all wars and conflicts. Yet do we only remember those that died? what of the injured and crippled, and those that came home with mental problems? what of the woman?
One grandfather fought in the Boar war and WW1, as a sergeant or sergeant-major. He died well before I was born, but my mother said he had terrible scars on his arm. After the war he was de-mobbed and went straight into a recession. He ended up being evicted from his rather nice home with his family - one member being my mother.
The other grandfather was 36 when WW1 broke out and never volunteered. Sensible man.
My great uncle was No. 2 on a large Cunard Liner (he had a captains ticket). He was in charge wen the ship ran aground in Newfoundland with 18,000 Canadian troops destined for France. The ship sunk. The family thought he went down with the ship. Subsequent information was that no one was lost on the ship as it sunk slowly in shallow water. He disappeared into the USA or Canada leaving a wife and two children back in Liverpool. Why? We think the shame of taking down a large liner.
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His wife was a member of a team of volunteers in WW2 that attended to wounded seamen, of all nationalities, in Liverpool when they docked. A lot of U-Boat crew members too. She never re-married.
Two families affected.
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