Genealogy Chat

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I started researching my family tree approx. 6 weeks ago and I am, like most of you, always excited when I find another ancestor and refer to them, again, like most of you as 'my' sarah or 'my' thomas, with affection as they are part of my family, but there is a distance between us. However, I have just spoken to my aunty who was 83 yesterday - I had sent her details of what I had discovered so far and this included details of her uncle who had been born in 1920 and was killed in an air-raid in 1940. He was a couple of years younger than her and the same age as my mother and they had been brought up together. I had found a memorial on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Site in memory of him - Wilfred Lamb - Civilian War Dead, aged 20. - He was killed at the house of a girl (and her parents) who he was about to become engaged to that evening. She was so thrilled and comforted by this as she remembered HIM, not just a name, but a precious person who she grew up with - she told me lots about him and has promised a photograph which I long to see but it just brought it home to me that whilst we try to uncover the mysteries of our past and find details of our ancestors, some people still remember them in actuality. - We can feel affinity and affection but they can feel love and loss. I don't really know what I am trying to say but I just wanted to share this with people who would understand. The quotation has never before seemed more appropriate to me than now - 'lest we forget' Forgive me for rambling. Dea.

Dea I too understand. I MUST post those letters to my rellies tomorrow - they can probably tell me all sorts about my grandad that I don''t know. Debby

I know exactly what you meen Dea. The relle that stated me of on this journey, Became more than just a referance the more I research him, To my wifes late granfather (He died a month ago) he was a brother, to my mother-in-law an uncle, and to my wife and I a brave and heroic man who gave his life to preserve the safty and lives of hudreds of others in the air raide he died in, You would under stand this better if you look up The Shell House air raid in Copenhagen or read the book The Sixth Floor. His Name Was Wing commander Peter Kleboe DSO DFC AFC.

Dea, I fully understand you. I'm sure your aunt was also thrilled that someone had remembered Wilfred's existence. Every time I look for, and find a relation, or find out some little detail I feel a little closer to them. I'm very fortunate in having letters between my grandparents - some of them love letters. I didn't read them for ages - they were private, but since I have, I feel closer to my gran, who died a couple of years ago aged 99, and feel I know a little of what my grandad, who died befroe I was born, was like. As for the 'lovey' bits - just brings home the fact that everyone was young once - and sex before marriage wasn't invented in the 1960's - all the servants were at it LOL !!!! maggie

completely true Dea, I have a lot of ancestors in Scotland, and due to reason s I have yet to fathom out nobody will talk about them - its great when I find a solid connection, like you say, it makes them real.... Teri

Dea, I am an ex-serviceman, and proud of it. I never served in a worldwide conflict as some of my, and my good wife's, forebears did. Saying that, I still have lost a few friends in the past and think about them still. May I ask, Dea, without hi-jacking your thread, that due respect is given to those who sacrificed their all. So much is now concentrated on other issues. Paul

I feel priviliged to be in such company as an unsung hero (Peter Kleboe). One of my relatives was involved in the 1940 london blitz in which he was killed. Indeed 'lest we forget', but we will never.

....a very 'moving' thread. I'm with all of you.

Thats not rambling, brought a lump to my throat i know exactly what u mean Tony

We will never forget what they gave up for us. Our freedom, our future is all because of them. My granddad died in 1914 in Ypres. I too didn't know this until I started family history some 4 years ago. All I knew was he died in WW1 no one knew where. Then my Uncle died and granddads medals were given to my cousin which had his number on, with this I was able to trace him. We have been to Ypres now and said our goodbyes (& Hello) he was never found but his name is on the Menim gates. I have also found some of his papers in the PRO at kew, this gave his details hair & eye colour other little bits of information were saved but I was lucky there are lots missing. This to me was very moving he sounds like someone I would have like to known, at least I have this little bit of granddad. My Mum was the eldest of 4 and she was 5 years old when her father died. No we will never forget them. Irene

What a lovely poem - I'm going to print that off - I've tears in my eyes! I have the grave number of my grandads brother killed 1917 in France aged 20 - I feel shocked that I didn't already know that. 2 of his cousins also died in WW1 and I'll probably come across more as I go along - haven't got as far as WW2 yet. I would love to visit the graves and pay my respects - intend to do so sometime in the future. Debby

Hi Dea, I would just like to say that i do fully understand as well. I found my gt gt grandfather on the War Graves site as well as he died in WW1, My nan cannot even remember this man as he died so young when her mother was a child also. Just looking at the memorial that has been built in France to remember him and all the other men that died in the same battle brought tears to my eyes and made this man 'real' to me. I told my nan about him, his name was Oliver Cromwell Johnson, and she then remembered just how he had died and why he is in an unmarked grave in France. Regards, Claire

I understand as well. My oldest relative is 90, & was born in Aust so when I find details of her family, it is all new to her. All her siblings have died & she didn't know about the family back in England. I even found a birth of a sister which she knew nothing about. Must have died at birth or not long after. BUT, I have found relatives in England who knew some of the names on my tree. That is exciting. I even found someone who had photos of me when I was little !!

Yes, I do feel that by doing this research we are honouring those people who went before and without their sacrifices we would not be here. I recently started re-looking at my Grans life. (Strange how those closest you seem to neglect). This woman was a chief fire officer during the London Dockland Blitz. I have pictures of her with the American Ambassadors wife being presented with commendations for her work. I remember mum telling me once that Nan had to estimate the number of dead by dividing the number of limbs found after a bomb went down an underground station. My gawd, they were brave people.

I know were your coming from,i've been trying to find out why my great uncle won his medal it was the B.E.M. and he would never tell anyone and the secret died with him,just recently have found the site for all the ship's he sailed on and tell's the brave story's of some of the men he would have known and had been friend's with. I now feel that he would have felt that he was not worthy of his medal has so many of his friend's were killed or died after such act's of bravery.I now feel I should honour his wish to stay silent, after now reading some of the harowing event's. Angie x

What a beautiful poem had me in tears again. I received a death cert Monday for my gt,gt grandmother she died at 32, by poisoning her self with carbolic acid leaving behind 5 girls under the aged of 10, i spent the morning crying for someone i didn't know, i can't imagine what she must of been feeling to do something like that. I will be printing off the poem and i hope one day to find her grave so i can place some flowers and a copy of the poem. Julie

Dea, I know exactly what you mean - I have been searching since about November, but as both my parents are no longer with us the amount of info I had was limited to some papers that they had left and my own memories. I have one living aunt who is 76 and one living great-aunt who will be 94 in May, and decided to get as far as I could without disturbing them, but a couple of weeks ago I had hit some brick walls. I had a couple of names in my memory that I couldn't 'fit' into the puzzle and decided the time had come to phone my aunt. I rang and told her what I was doing and she became more animated than I have ever known her! Not only did she solve my puzzles (an 'Uncle Jack' turns out to be 'John Leslie', and an 'Uncle Will' becomes 'Alfred William') but gave me several other avenues to try as well. She spent well over an hour on the telephone telling me stories of her youth and giving me memories of my great-grandparents (who I never knew) and the type of life they led. I now know what they did for a living, that they all had scarlet fever and survived, my ggrandfather, who I thought was a farmer, actually worked for a large department store in London (travelling by train -one of the first 'commuters') and my ggrandmother was in great demand as a dressmaker at the 'big house'. I really feel as if I know something about them now, rather than them being just a name on a cert. Sorry for waffling, but I totally agree with Dea - 'lest we forget' they are all someone's mother, father, sister or brother. Trudy

highlight the poem, then right click amenu will appear go to copy click on that. i then open word and paste it there so and can print and save it. Hope that helps Julie

Anne in Surrey, There is probably a better way to do it but I always use the 'cut and 'paste' into a word document Dea x