On November 11 every year we remember those who have lost their lives in the service of their country. For many Novembers I have attended the Remembrance service at the local Cenotaph, and shivered in the cold while the bugle sounds the Last Post and local dignitaries lay the wreaths of poppies, but this year is different thanks to the Covid restrictions. The Remembrance services will be live streamed via the internet in the comfort of home.
Two minutes silence at 11:00 o'clock on the 11th day of the 11th month.
I have posted about these two brave men before. I remember them with honour every November.
IN MEMORY OF
PRIVATE JOHN TURNBULL CHANDLER
175142, 5TH COY., CANADIAN MACHINE GUN CORPS WHO DIED AGE 20 ON 03 JULY 1917.
ONLY SON OF JOHN WILLIAM AND AGNES CHANDLER, OF GEDNEY DYKE, HOLBEACH, LINCS.
NATIVE OF SOUTHEA, NR. WISBECH.
REMEMBERED WITH HONOUR
BULLY-GRENAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY, BRITISH EXTENSION,
BULLY-GRENAY, FRANCE
John Turnbull CHANDLER was my mother's cousin. He was born 31 August 1896 in Lincolnshire, England, and was known as Jack.Jack left England to learn farming techniques in Canada and settled in Grimsby, Ontario. He joined the 86th Machine Gun Battalion of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 13 August 1915 at Welland, Ontario, stating that his date of birth was 1894, not 1896. At that time he was already a member of the 44th Regiment of the Canadian Militia. His enlistment papers show him to be “apparent age 21 years 8 months”, 5’4”, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, a member of the Church of England, and fit to serve with the Forces.
His life ended in France on 3 July 1917, serving with the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.
His obituary:
I visited his grave in France with my two sons in 2005. Perhaps the only family members to do so.
His life ended in France on 3 July 1917, serving with the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.
His obituary:
GEDNEY DYKE SOLDIER FALLS We regret to report the death in action of Pte. John Turnbull Chandler, son of the late Mr. John W. Chandler, schoolmaster, Parson Drove, and of Mrs. Chandler, schoolmistress, Gedney Dyke.
The deceased was educated at Barbourne College, Worcester (1908) and Framlingham College (1909-1912). He learned farming and went to Canada in April 1912. He enlisted in January 1916 in Grimsby, Ontario, came over to Shorncliffe June 1916, went to France October 1916, and was killed in action July 3rd. He was only 20 years of age. He leaves a mother and six sisters to mourn his loss.
I visited his grave in France with my two sons in 2005. Perhaps the only family members to do so.
AND ALSO REMEMBERING
Herbert Leonard Darch, known to his family as Len.
Len was born in the village of Combe Martin, in North Devon, England in 1895. He was the son of Matthew Darch and Sarah (nee Rooke), who lived at Glenwood, Combe Martin.Len had three brothers, Theo, Bert and Wilf, and one sister, Aileen, who married my Uncle Albert in 1919, and therefore became my Auntie Aileen.
Len joined the 1st/7th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, and was sent to France to fight in WW1, also known as The Great War. 1/7th Battalion Worcestershire Regt was part of 144th (Gloucester & Worcester) Brigade. This photo may have been taken when he first volunteered.
Herbert Leonard Darch, Private 202233, probably took part in the ‘Pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line’ (14 March – 5 April 1917), but on Monday 24 April 1917, at the young age of 21, he was killed in action at Gillemont Farm.
His life is comemmorated with honour on the Thiepval Memorial, Thiepval, Department of the Somme, Picardie, France, Plot: Pier and Face 5 A and 6 C. As there is no grave, his body was not recovered. His remains are probably still lying where he fell in a farmer's field.
It breaks my heart to think of all those young men dying Shammi, a very emotional remembrance 💙💜
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful tribute. They were really just kids fighting both wars. What a terrible loss.
ReplyDeleteWe will remember indeed. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning...
ReplyDeleteTo die that young before even having a chance at life is very sad. An emotional tribute for those young men.
ReplyDeleteWe will remember them.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully said.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same here; the national service is a scaled down affair, with invites only.
So many lives wasted. So much promise never fulfilled. It is always so sad to hear these stories and it is right and proper that we remember the sacrifices that were made so we could live in freedom.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful tribute. In my school days, I learned mass killing by advanced weapons in WWI. Why should so many die in such a hideous way? We shouldn’t let their pains, blood, and toil fade meaninglessly away.
ReplyDeleteYoko
Such a beautiful tribute. The history makes it even more poignant.
ReplyDeleteSue
Thank you for posting this memorial to these young men. My mother's cousin Keith Bielby died in 1944 at age 19 when his plane was shot down over Belgium. He is buried in Yorkshire, not too far from where his family originated. My parents visited the grave in 1998.
ReplyDeleteThat is a thoughtful and sad post. So many brave young men died in that awful war. I think every family I knew in France had someone in their family who had been injured or died in that war. My grandfather was in that war, my father in WW2 (and handicapped for life.) I was disgusted when I read back in 2018, when Donald Trump visited France, that he had refused to go to the Aisne-Marne American war cemetery because if was raining and it would mess up his hair. Then talking about the 1800 US marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood he said they had been losers and suckers. It was reported in the US media in 2020 but I had already read it, in French, in a French newspaper in 2018. There is no word. All these young fighting men were courageous.
ReplyDeleteA lovely tribute. I recall as a young girl soliciting funds for which the contributor received a Buddy Poppy — a yearly fundraiser for veterans through the U.S. American Legion organization then.
ReplyDelete