By this point Granny, as she was known was already a widow. Her husband, my Great Grandfather, Charles Butcher died in December 1943 and my Grandfather was given a month of compassionate leave from his army service in Sierra Leone to come home and pay his respects to his father.
As we research and collate the material we discover, I think we forget that all the basic emotions we feel were felt by previous generations. How must my Grandfather have felt, as he made his way from Africa back to England? A long way by modern standards, and even longer in 1943. The feeling of helplessness, and of course grief. Did he reflect on his last conversation with his father? Wonder how his mother was? She was not alone, as her other children remained in the area and her remaining 3 sons were working on the farm the family had farmed at since 1930.
In this photograph, Granny is in her early 70s and she was to live another 20 years, but more of that later in the month.
I think you're right about the emotions and feelings. I try to put myself in their place like you did with your grandfather above.
ReplyDeleteIt is so true that we should try to walk in our ancestor's shoes emotionally not just in terms of data. I thought it was interesting that he was able to travel so far and be given the time in the midst of war. How lovely that your Reat Granny used this same photo.
ReplyDelete