My grandfather was a mechanic on them in WW1 and flew to Egypt, apparently back then the mechanic would fly with the pilot (made sure he did a proper job )
I was told he at some time flew with T E Lawrence, but no idea how true that might be. So a tentative link to Brough Superior, I really ought to have one (I wish ).
There’s history in every family, some forgotten, some lost to the mists of time and even, in some cases as I’ve found, sold or given away.
I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve been asked to re-imagine and produce new family items to commemorate and honour family’s ancestors.
I found every one of the stories and histories I was told equally fascinating and awe inspiring.
We’ve all got some history hanging around and, I for one, would love to see them.
So, here’s one of mine to hopefully start us off…history in your hand
A General Service Medal from the Napoleonic Peninsular Wars awarded to a distant relative passed down to me.
The clasps show the battles he fought in. He was wounded at Vittoria. Didn’t make it to Waterloo as he was sent to Quebec to hold the Americans while we burnt down the Whitehouse in Washington. Served in the Army of Occupation in Paris after Napoleon’s defeat.
A beautiful piece of metal…
I have a trinket box containing a little glass monkey and other bits that he kept in his tunic pocket.
I believe he was at Ypres but not sure when. Walked with a limp all the time I knew him due to shrapnel wound, or that was the story!
When I was a kid my Dad had a German bayonet his dad picked up in his army days, but that vanished years ago.
Brilliant. Do you know his regiment? Medal card/entitlement and all that stuff so you can check in his unit’s war diaries.
I assume you had the photo copied and put onto the plate. A great family item.
My parents had it put on a plate. He was in the Kings Own Lancashire. Their museum is in Lancaster and is in my list of things to look into. I went to the one in Carlisle but that was the Border regiment.
With the two medals (no Star) meant he served after 1915, there’s loads of info available these days to research. There’s quite a few people who will carry out the research for you and have access to Kew archives war diaries etc and the various family history sites - they obviously charge a fee but will find a lot of information.
Best of luck with the research and keep hold of those items.
The plate is with my parents, not sure for how much longer and I will never get rid of the box.
Cheers for the comments @Iron
I fully intend to find out more about his service.
@Dawsy … it’s surprising what you can find. After a great family story about my great uncle Fred (note- also Border regiment)… I did a little digging and found this obituary. Kinda fleshed out what little I knew about him… which was one photo but some nice stories.
)
and I will never get rid of the box.