Do you have a family member who fought in World War One?

[RGA]

My wife's grandmother, born in Stoke, England, in 1917 was given the middle name Louvain, in remembrance of the town in Belgium that suffered in 1914.

[Ganbatte]

My great-grandfather did his military service by the 2 nd Esquadron Cuirassier Regiment Graf Gessler (Rheinish) No. 8.
I think that he served at the selfsame in WW1.
One interesting thing, if you mind what leads our ancestors all times must have experienced.

[ohms_law]

My Great Grandfather, Casey H. Hayes:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Major (Field Artillery) Casey H. Hayes, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 10th Field Artillery, 3d Division, A.E.F., at Greves Farm, France, 15 July 1918. Major Hayes, then on duty as battalion adjutant, assumed command during the absence of the battalion commander. Communication between battalion headquarters and the batteries had been cut off by an enemy bombardment of the greatest intensity, but this officer, in entire disregard for his own safety, went to each battery position and gave orders, the execution of which aided materially in stopping the German advance at a critical moment.

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[ohms_law]

My great-grandfather did his military service by the 2 nd Esquadron Cuirassier Regiment Graf Gessler (Rheinish) No. 8.
I think that he served at the selfsame in WW1.
One interesting thing, if you mind what leads our ancestors all times must have experienced.

From one great grandson to another:

[ohms_law]

I wish I knew more about my family.

Try familysearch.org to start with, or ancestrry.com if you're willing to pay a little. It's worth it, I think.

[RGA]

Ancestry.co.uk (ancestry.com) has a collection of British WWI service records, unfortunately it's not complete as the collection was partly destroyed during WWII by German bombers. I have found relatives though so always worth a look.

[Ebbingford]

This is good too, full British navy records to 1923. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

[RGA]

This is good too, full British navy records to 1923. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Many thanks Ebbingford, I just found my great grandfathers service record.

[Matto]

My great-grandfather was technical engineer in Austrian Naval Arsenal in Pula ... on submarines

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[Matto]

Another my "great-grandfather" (in fact cousin of great-grandfather up) died in Russia like soldier of 4th Regiment of Czechoslovak Legion ... sometime during November 1918

[TrenchFoot]

Another photo of my great uncle Elbert Tye. He was not a real tall guy, only about 5'5'', and served as a runner. During the Meuse-Argonne offensive he was wounded by enemy fire while relaying a message.

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[GlobalExplorer]

This is my great-uncle Erich who was a lieutenant in Infantrieregiment 303 / 2. MG Kompanie (he is the first from the right) He was killed by artillery fire during one of the last US offensives in France in 1918. Everything that remains of him is a self portrait (he could paint), his EKII and his French dictionary. One of the other two later became a family member by marrying a great-aunt but I am not sure which.

Anyway, I think these 3 friends deserve to have their picture in the internet.



There were other family members who went to the war, but survived. Erich is the only one that died and remained in France. My father once tried to find his grave around Verdun but couldn't locate it.

[ohms_law]

Awesome pics. I especially like the one of your great uncle and his friends, Global. It's easy to forget the real human side to these conflicts.
I really need to get some pics of my great grandfather, among other people in my family tree. Waiting on relatives for all of that.

Anyway, have you checked out findagrave.com? You never know, you may be able to locate his grave...

[GlobalExplorer]

Some of his drawings

Self portrait:



A few tactical sketches of the "Kanonenberg", I think they are not by him but from his belongings:

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[ohms_law]

Another my "great-grandfather" (in fact cousin of great-grandfather up) died in Russia like soldier of 4th Regiment of Czechoslovak Legion ... sometime during November 1918

My (step) grandfather, Jan, was Czech. Great guy; passed in 2005.
I miss him.
*sigh*

[GlobalExplorer]

Another photo of my great uncle Elbert Tye. He was not a real tall guy, only about 5'5'', and served as a runner. During the Meuse-Argonne offensive he was wounded by enemy fire while relaying a message.

He may not have been tall but he's a magnificent looking guy! Great photo, this could be the cover of a book.

[Matto]

My (step) grandfather, Jan, was Czech. Great guy; passed in 2005.
I miss him.
*sigh*

Interesting ... was he emigrant? When he arrived to US?

[ohms_law]

Interesting ... was he emigrant? When he arrived to US?

He got here some time in the 70's. I only got part of the story, but he actually escaped. He was granted asylum or something (I was still a kid, and then I never did ask him for the whole story later on... dammit. ), then met my grandmother, and the rest is history.

[Matto]

He got here some time in the 70's. I only got part of the story, but he actually escaped. He was granted asylum or something (I was still a kid, and then I never did ask him for the whole story later on... dammit. ), then met my grandmother, and the rest is history.

Hmmm he probably escaped after Russian occupation in August 1968 ... many people left this time

[minipol]

My great grandfather fought in Liège, Beglium at the start of the war and judging from where he was,
he probably fought in the 11th or 31st line regiment of the 11th mixed brigade Hasselt of the 3rd Army division.
My father is looking up more info.

He was captured by the Germans when they assaulted the forts en transferred to a prisoner camp at Hanover.
He was a prisoner there for 3 years and fled the camp with help of his friends.

They had to work in a stone quarry. A friend of my great grandfather was ill and almost couldn't work.
He and his friends did the extra work of their friend to help out.
One day, at appeal, the friend couldn't stand up anymore. The german guard told him to stand up
and when he could not, he shot their friend in his bed.
My great grandfather attacked the German but was subdued by the guards and the fact that he was weakened.
The camp commander order them to hang my great grandfather nude at the entrance of the camp.
It was freezing, - 11°C. His friends thought that was the last of my great grandfather.
Hower, a German guard who's son was fighting in the west of Belgium, put some brown paper around
his hands and feet, put a blanket over him at night and gave him some snapps at several occasions.

Luckily for my great grandfather, the next morning the guards changed and apparently there was another
commander as well. He ordered that he could be released from the pole.
My great grandfather was ill for 3 months after this ordeal and then decided to escape.

In a farmers disguise he travelled from Germany back to Holland where he crossed the border.
After the war upon his return to Belgium he was imprisoned as they thought he was a deserter.
After the liberation of the prisoners of the Hanover camp, his mates testified that they helped him escape.
He was released again. They also testified that if he had stayed in the camp, he would have died.

He never fully recovered and whenever it was winter, he suffered from the wounds he sustained.

[Forezjohn]

One of my great grandfather left a lot of letter he wrote to his wife from the front.
He fought and was injured in Verdun : the trench collapsed during a bombing and he was buried alive but saved by his mates.

[minipol]

It's nice to have something tangeable left. I do hope my father finds his old military papers.

[TrenchFoot]

Its a treasure to have a family members own words about their service, since most have passed away now. My great uncle wrote this account of his service in 1979 for the local newspaper:

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I researched the friend he mentions named "Doaley Mays", and found this:

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[minipol]

Cool to actually read his own words on the matter

[TrenchFoot]

Cool to actually read his own words on the matter

Yes, I just wish he would have been a little more detailed. I met him once when I was a small boy, but didn't think to ask him anything at the time! DAM!