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90th Anniversary 1914-18 - 2008

terry carter

terry carter

Birmingham Pals
Around 13,000 Birmingham service men were killed during WW1 and perhaps around 40,000 more suffered from serious wounds. Its been said that 90% of the men who saw service in WW1 would have had no intention or inclination to become a soldier prior to the war. Yet, once the war broke out hundreds of thousands of British men of all ages volunteered and then later to keep the forces supplied conscription was introduced. These men were my grandpa's your grandpa's your great uncles in fact I doubt if any family at the time did not have one or more men serve in one of the forces in WW1. Many households saw all the male members serve, dads, sons and son-in-laws, and no doubt the female members of the family went into the munitions factories aswell.
Over the years I have copied the 'Roll of Honour' that was published every Saturday in the Birmingham Weekly Post. My intention, if the Administrators do not mind, is to pick at random, and give the details of a Birmingham soldier or soldiers that were killed during WW1.

Remembering ​
 
Terry what a wonderful gesture. Thank you for reminding us, sometimes in our busy lives we forget these dates. I think it would be a brilliant idea to publish names and details from the Roll of Honor. This may also help some to find a missing relative.
 
Corporal George Holmes, No.305370, Died of wounds aged 33 years old. He was the eldest son of George, of Chester St, Aston. He joined the Territorials at formation (April 1908, 8th Royal Warwicks Aston Manor .. Terry) and was called to the colours at the outbreak of war. He succumbed to wounds on October 18, 1917, serving with the 11th Bn. Royal Warwicks. He leaves a widow and seven little children at 2 back 46 New Street, Aston.

George is buried in GODEWAERSVELDE BRITISH CEMETERY, France.

(To the British Tommy, the names of villages in Flanders were sometimes hard to get their tongues around and GODEWAERSVELDE became known as 'God wears velvet')
 
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Oh my Terry, that certainly brings the horror of war home, 7 little children its so sad.
 
Hya Terry This is a great idea.
Your special work in this area is so valuable to so many of us on this site and I for one have already gained so much from it.
I am sure many others will echo this sentiment.

family names: smith, wilcox, ingram, farmer, smart, haden.
 
I think that this is a wonderful tribute to these men and i am sure that members of these families will think so too. Thank you Mr Terry Carter for your thoughts, feelings and kindness...Cat:)
 
Re: 90th Anniversary 1914-18-2008 (G.Holmes)

May I thank you all for the positive replies. What do you think? shall I 'Remember' a Birmingham service man/woman each day or once a week until 11 Nov 2008.

regards

Terry
 
Perhaps weekly Terry this will give people time to reply if they want.
 
Hi Terry:
Thank you for bringing me and I am sure many others on this forum out of the "darkness" regarding the suffering of soldiers in WW1. By the time I was born in 1941 my parents were in the midst of the second war of their lives. People were trying to get on with their lives at this time and apparently the "War to End All Wars" was seldom discussed even in my own father's family who had lost a son in WW1. I didn't learn much about my Uncle William until my own parents had died and I found his letters medals, etc.
The sorrow of his death even followed me to Canada when in 2001 I was shown letters written from France to his sister, my Aunt Eva, who emigrated from Birmingham in 1912 to Peterborough, Ontario. It took almost 40 years for those letters to appear. Also, we have all learned more when the Internet came along with all it's revelations about this dreadful war.

Since the day that my printer rolled out my Uncle's outline from the Commonwealth Graves site, I have wanted to know more about him and
the local Witton men, many of them who were his school friends growing up playing in Aston Park or along the Canal and walking to school every day and then not long afterwards off they went into the Forces and so many of them died in the horrors of battle...well, they were sacrificed. So yes.....I would very much like to read your special outlines for these men who gave so much. I look forward to your posts. Thank you.
 
Jennyann that was truly moving to read, as you say its only recently many of us have learned of the suffering caused by "The Great War". I think Terry's help and posts are just wonderful and also from the heart. This will be a wonderful resorce for people searching also. Thank you for doing this Terry.
 
Can I just echo what everyone else is saying Terry...thankyou.
It's a sad but fascinating part of history, I lost a great uncle in WW1, but my father-in-law came through the Somme - but would never talk about it because he said no-one would believe it and he didn't want to think about it. He died aged 98.
 
I supose it should not be a suprise that a lot of us were connected to someone involved in this terrible war.
 
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