Remembering Christmas During the Great War - Television Advert

As we move towards Christmas retailers are releasing their Christmas adverts. I saw the one for John Lewis last week and thought it was long and very sweet, but the advert I am about to share is my one of the season.

Produced by Sainsbury's it encapsulates the spirit of Christmas and friendship even in a war torn Europe during the First World War.



There is also film about the historical event behind the advert.



The final video is about how Sainsbury's made the advert



I think it is a lovely advert. Capturing the spirit of Christmas and enabling us to perhaps learn and ponder over Christmas in the trenches. Whoever thought of the advert has down Sainsbury's proud!

In Remembrance of William James West

William James West 1898 - 1918
Image from the family collection of Julie Goucher

As we commemorate the beginning of the Great War. Today I am remembering my Grandfather's first Cousin, William James West (1898 - 1918).

The Lives of the First World War is using the twitter tags of #LivesofWW1 and #remember

I have written about William before, and you can read those earlier posts at the various links below.

• Lives of the First World War
• In Remembrance of William James West (2011 post)
• Sepia Saturday 178 - Eyes, windows to the soul (2013 post)

William's life was tragically cut short just two months before the war ended. He paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Rest in Peace William, knowing that we honour your sacrifice.

Tuesday's Tip ~ Where Family History and Local History Unite*

Image courtesy of the
Project via Facebook

I recently spent some time on the newly launched site Lives of the First World War, a joint effort between the Imperial War Museum and FindmyPast. On the day it was announced I nipped on and set up an account and then wanted to gather my images and data for the First Cousin of my Grandfather; William James West was just 20 years old when he died in September 1918.

I was then pondering on the data I had collated for the Shared Endeavour Project which is the brain child of the Society for One-Place Studies. You can hear about the Shared Endeavour Project via this YouTube video



I have three One-Place Studies registered with the Society. One of the studies is for a road in central Guildford. There are nine individuals from that road that I have tracked so far and nine seems such a lot for just one road.

What I discovered, is that via the site of the Lives of the First World War you can create a community and thereby have your Shared Endeavour material together in what the site is calling a community. Here is the link to my Walnut Tree Close Community. I am still adding my individuals to the site at present, but what a fabulous way to bring research all together.



*"Where Family History and Local History Unite" is the tagline used by the Society for One-Place Studies

Military Monday ~ Letters to an Unknown Soldier - Paddington Station, London

War memorial Paddington station
© Ceridwen

The statue shown here is from London Paddington Station. It was built to commemorate members of the 100 members of Great Western Railway Company staff who perished in the First World War.

The Letter to an Unknown Soldier Project is an opportunity to write the letter the soldier is reading, 100 years on.

The Letter To An Unknown Soldier website will remain open for 37 days, from 28 June when Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, triggering WW1, to 4 August when Britain announced it was at war.

People can post letters on the Letter to an Unknown Soldier website or send letters to the statue at an address at Paddington station. 

Letters will remain on-line up to the anniversary of Armistice Day 2018.

Wedding Wednesday - Frederick William Wait & Bertha Agnes Turner 1917

So, Who was Fred?.....

This was a question that I strove to answer back in December 2011 when I showed this picture on Guildford & District Blog

A search of the Marriages for a B Turner in Guildford 1916+ to a Fred revealed one such entry. The marriage of Bertha A Turner to Frederick W Wait in the September Quarter of 1917 at Guildford. (Ref 2a, 201).

Working backwards to the 1911 Census. Did that reveal more of Bertha? The index revealed one entry for a Bertha E Turner. I took a chance and looked at the data. It didn't pay off, and revealed a Bertha Elizabeth Turner residing at 144 Walnut Tree Close Guildford, a stones throw of my Grandmother at 114. Isn't research curious?

Anyway, A quick look through the First World War records didn't prove obviously helpful, neither did the Commonwealth War Graves website. So I still didn't know who Fred was. A quick search of the 1911 Census for him and I was surprised. It revealed one entry; just one.

Frederick William Wait, Single and Aged 20 years born 1891 Guildford. On overseas military duty and recorded as in the 7th Dragoon Guards and stationed at Hislop Barracks, Trimulgherry, Duccan, India.

That I had not expected. This is still not conclusive that the Fred in India is the Fred in France. Were regiments pulled from various bits of the Empire in order to fight in Europe. Quite possibly.

Into June of 2013 and Ancestry have just released the Surrey records - a fabulous day! I took opportunity to see if I could locate the marriage record that had appeared in the indexes.

And here we are. The marriage  a little over 96 years ago!

Courtesy of Ancestry.
Marriage September 13th 1917 St Mary's Guildford

In Remembrance of William James West (1898 - 1918)

In Remembrance of William James West

William James West was born in Aldershot Hampshire in 1898, the son of William Arthur West, a military man and, Emma Jane Ellis (Harris).

I had always known that my Grandfather's first cousin had died in the First World War, and then I was presented with a photograph of William, such a handsome young man! The moment I saw that photograph I wanted to know all I could about William.

Private William James West served with the 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment. He is Commemorated at: Ligny-Sur-Canche British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. He died of wounds on 5th September 1918, aged just 20 years.

He is commemorated on the War Memorial at Stony Stratford Buckinghamshire, where his parents, William Arthur and Emma Jane West lived & ran their newsagents business at 63 High Street.

I submitted the details for William James to the First World War Digital Archive whilst material could be submitted. As I wanted to further preserve the details of William.

William James had two army numbers and was Private T4/212898 William James West, Army Service Corps, and later was 51275, 1st Bn. Cheshire Regiment. His T4 Army Service Corps prefix indicates he once served in transport.

As I said I submitted his details to the Digital Archive and they further spotted a detail I had not known about the photograph, as he is rather oddly, pictured above wearing a 'lamb and flag' cap badge, relevant to neither unit he was known to have served in, (unless he served for a time in the small Army Service Corps Armoured Car Companies, recruited from transport personnel. Their 'Light Armoured Motor Batteries', operative in Palestine, wore a similar badge unofficially).

Bombing during the Second World War destroyed some of the records from the First World War.

I was lucky, in that William James's record survived and is a total of 24 pages detailing when he enlisted, his service and which regiment he was attached to and then, finally his gun shot wound to the chest leading to his death in 1918, just months before the war ended.

I have downloaded a copy of his Service Record and have just noticed a mention of the Devonshire Regiment that I had been unaware of.

His medal card, confirms what medals his family were entitled to claim after his death and this corresponds with the Service Record.

May he rest in peace and know that even though he paid the ultimate sacrifice he is still firmly in the heart of his family.

Strangers in a Strange Land Belgian Refugees 1914 - 1918

Written to accompany the exhibition of the same name located in the In Flanders Field Museum in Ieper this book tells the fascinating account of the people of Belgium.

Thousands of Belgians fled their homeland to avoid the occupation of German forces during the First World War. Many fled into the neighbouring countries such as France and The Netherlands who were, in accordance with policy at the time placing Belgians of fighting age into internment camps where they could be joined by their families. It was a matter of time before The Netherlands were simply out of room and France was no longer safe and so many thousands sailed across the Channel to the United Kingdom.

This book tells the story, initially with a series of chapters explaining the historical events and is accompanied by quotes from people who recalled the events. There are also some amazing photographs of not just Belgium, but also of France and the United Kingdom and of course the refugees.

Upon the end of the First World War many Belgians returned home and were ridiculed by fellow Belgians because they had not endured the occupation of the German forces and I was very aware of a similarity with a book I read about those who fled the Channel Islands for the United Kingdom in the Second World War.

A fascinating book, both in terms of written subject matter and photographic substance.

Paris in July  ~ 1 - 31st July

Taking part in War through the Generations and Paris in July which is hosted by Karen from BookBath and Tamara from Thyme for Tea

Postcard Friendship Friday - Happy New Year From the Front 1916

Purchased for my Guildford & District Collection

So, Who was Fred?.....

A search of the Marriages for a B Turner in Guildford 1916+ to a Fred revealed one such entry. The marriage of Bertha A Turner to Frederick W Wait in the September Quarter of 1917 at Guildford. (Ref 2a, 201).

Working backwards to the 1911 Census. Did that reveal more of Bertha? The index revealed one entry for a Bertha E Turner. I took a chance and looked at the data. It didn't pay off, and revealed a Bertha Elizabeth Turner residing at 144 Walnut Tree Close Guildford, a stones through of my Grandmother at 114. Isn't research curious?.

Anyway, A quick look through the First World War records didn't prove obviously helpful, neither did the Commonwealth War Graves website.  So I still didn't know who Fred was. A quick search of the 1911 Census for him and I was surprised. It revealed one entry; just one.

Frederick William Wait, Single and Aged 20 years born 1891 Guildford. On overseas military duty and recorded as in the 7th Dragoon Guards and stationed at Hislop Barracks, Trimulgherry, Duccan, India.

That I had not expected. This is still not conclusive that the Fred in India is the Fred in France. Were regiments pulled from various bits of the Empire in order to fight in Europe. Quite possibly. 

Hosted by The Best Hearts are Crunchy 

Lest we Forget.....William James West

Just joining the new weekly 100 words challenge for Grown ups and a straight prompt which is below. For more details click HERE

lest we forget.....

I look at the photograph of a young, handsome man. There is something about that image that urges me to find out about his short and purposeful life. 

He was just 20 years old when he paid the ultimate sacrifice. 

His war record shows that he perished from a gun wound to the chest at 43 casualty clearing station in France. I can not help but wonder, was he alone? was he in dreadful pain? I suspect that deep down I know those answers. 

That makes me very sad. Although he has been gone 93 years, he is not forgotten.

For more details about William James West click HERE

Taking part in the 100 word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week #18

In Remembrance of William James West (1898 - 1918)

In Remembrance of William James West

William James West was born in Aldershot Hampshire in 1898, the son of William Arthur West, a military man and, Emma Jane Ellis (Harris).

I had always known that my Grandfather's first cousin had died in the First World War, and then I was presented with a photograph of William, such a handsome young man! The moment I saw that photograph I wanted to know all I could about William.

Private William James West served with the 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment. He is Commemorated at: Ligny-Sur-Canche British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. He died of wounds on 5th September 1918, aged just 20 years.

He is commemorated on the War Memorial at Stony Stratford Buckinghamshire, where his parents, William Arthur and Emma Jane West lived & ran their newsagents business at 63 High Street.

I submitted the details for William James to the First World War Digital Archive whilst material could be submitted. As I wanted to further preserve the details of William.

William James had two army numbers and was Private T4/212898 William James West, Army Service Corps, and later was 51275, 1st Bn. Cheshire Regiment. His T4 Army Service Corps prefix indicates he once served in transport.

As I said I submitted his details to the Digital Archive and they further spotted a detail I had not known about the photograph, as he is rather oddly, pictured above wearing a 'lamb and flag' cap badge, relevant to neither unit he was known to have served in, (unless he served for a time in the small Army Service Corps Armoured Car Companies, recruited from transport personnel. Their 'Light Armoured Motor Batteries', operative in Palestine, wore a similar badge unofficially).

Bombing during the Second World War destroyed some of the records from the First World War.

I was lucky, in that William James's record survived and is a total of 24 pages detailing when he enlisted, his service and which regiment he was attached to and then, finally his gun shot wound to the chest leading to his death in 1918, just months before the war ended.

I have downloaded a copy of his Service Record and have just noticed a mention of the Devonshire Regiment that I had been unaware of.

His medal card, confirms what medals his family were entitled to claim after his death and this corresponds with the Service Record.

May he rest in peace and know that even though he paid the ultimate sacrifice he is still firmly in the heart of his family.

Wordless Wednesday - William James West (1898 - 1918)

Taking part in Wordless Wednesday

You can read more about William's life HERE

Ancestor of the week - Willliam James West

This is the belated post from 26 February.

William James West was born in Aldershot Hampshire in 1898, the son of William Arthur West, a military man and, Emma Jane Ellis (Harris).

I had always known that my Grandfather's first cousin had died in the First World War, and then I was presented with a photograph of William, such a handsome young man! The moment I saw that photograph I wanted to know all I could about William.

Private William James West served with the 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment. He is Commemorated at: Ligny-Sur-Canche British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. He died of wounds on 5th September 1918, aged just 20 years.

He is commemorated on the War Memorial at Stony Stratford Buckinghamshire, where his parents, William Arthur and Emma Jane West lived & ran their newsagents business at 63 High Street.

I submitted the details for William James to the First World War Digital Archive whilst material could be submitted. As I wanted to further preserve the details of William.

William James had two army numbers and was Private T4/212898 William James West, Army Service Corps, and later was 51275, 1st Bn. Cheshire Regiment. His T4 Army Service Corps prefix indicates he once served in transport.

As I said I submitted his details to the Digital Archive and they further spotted a detail I had not known about the photograph, as he is rather oddly, pictured above wearing a 'lamb and flag' cap badge, relevant to neither unit he was known to have served in, (unless he served for a time in the small Army Service Corps Armoured Car Companies, recruited from transport personnel. Their 'Light Armoured Motor Batteries', operative in Palestine, wore a similar badge unofficially).

Bombing during the Second World War destroyed some of the records from the First World War.

I was lucky, in that William James's record survived and is a total of 24 pages detailing when he enlisted, his service and which regiment he was attached to and then, finally his gun shot wound to the chest leading to his death in 1918, just months before the war ended.

I have downloaded a copy of his Service Record and have just noticed a mention of the Devonshire Regiment that I had been unaware of.

His medal card, confirms what medals his family were entitled to claim after his death and this corresponds with the Service Record.

Snippets from the the news......

BBC News - Life goes online after death with 'memory boxes'
Published 3rd December 2010
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11900774

The Independent - Identified at last: faces of the Somme - Europe, World
Published 28th December 2010
http://ind.pn/dRYl4n