To the memory of Alfred Charles Gramson, Royal East Kent Regiment, service number 2395.
© Crown Copyright Images - downloaded from Ancestry.com used without permission.
Sunday, 19 February 2017
Touching History.
It was a moving experience to discover documents relating to my Grandfathers War Service Record on Ancestry recently. I never knew him as he died in 1956 two years before I was born, but have heard loads about him from family, and to see his name and signature on an old document meant a lot to me. The records show that he served in The Royal East Kent Regiment the famous 'Buffs' in the 8th Battalion, and that he signed up in 1914 aged 21(?) for 3 years service, was based 'home' (Canterbury Barracks) until 31/8/1915 when he was sent off to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force, returning home in late 1918. As a side story I still recall my Grandmother telling me how she prepared a romantic homecoming for him only to find he was still 'running alive' with lice!
To the memory of Alfred Charles Gramson, Royal East Kent Regiment, service number 2395.
To the memory of Alfred Charles Gramson, Royal East Kent Regiment, service number 2395.
A nice piece of family history. 'Total War' is still about the individual stories of millions of people.
ReplyDeleteI often feel that the horrors of the twentieth century are terrifyingly recent, 'Lee.
ReplyDeleteWow... I bet that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up!
ReplyDeleteI knew nothing about my Grandfathers War Service before discovering these documents beyond the fact that he had served in France, so was delighted to see them. It was certainly one of those moments Steve!
ReplyDeleteI've often thought of looking into obtaining my own Grandfathers' war records from their time in WW2 and Korea. (One a Brit, the other a Yank.). One day perhaps.
ReplyDeleteI hope you've since framed those precious papers or stored them away mate? :)