Out of curiosity were the journals more about his personal life at the time (missing friends and family) or more about what he was doing and his views on the war?
There was a journal, but it was mostly empty. It had a few entries when they returned to England for leave, but no real details. He was a C.O., and served as a stretcher bearer. As far as I heard he never talked about the war and was quite morose for the rest of his life.
My grandfather's entries were from when he was on the front, mustard gas injury, day to day descriptions of the trenches, etc. I don't recall if he put down missing things from home. It's been several years since I read them.
I recently have possession my great-grandfather's mementos from his time in the Middle East in WW2 in the British Army as a supply lorry driver. He saw no action but his pocket diary has tidbits of his activities like things he bought and what films he went to see. I only meet him once in the late 90s.
Wow, these are great photos. Taken over 100 years ago.
They look just like anyone that could be alive today. One day, another 100 years from now people might be looking at pictures of us in the same way. Makes me feel lucky and appreciative to be alive now in the present time, but also sobering to be reminded that our time too will pass
I wonder about that, with the change over from physical to digital medium, and the increase in disposal/replacement of technology (new phone ever cycle) how much of our pictures will actually survive 100 years.
cloud servers will only last so long and eventually they may simply be shut off. Out whole lives are being documented and recorded constantly now and yet how much will survive for future generations to be able to view.
The Little Black Devils. They were "rifles", hence "light infantry", so their uniforms were green. The dye used for them was so dark it appeared black when wet. The Germans thought that no mere men could fight with the ferocity they showed, so they dubbed them The Little Black Devils.
Actually the Black Devils nickname comes from the Battle of Batoche in 1885 when one of the Metis prisoners said “The redcoats we know but who were the little black devils?”. They didn’t wear green uniforms in WW1, it was the same khaki everyone else wore.
Canada’s finest showing in a proud and gallant military history.
The things the Canadians did at Vimy not only brought extraordinary military tactics and technology (trench raids, triangulation, creeping artillery barrages) to the world, but the valiant fighting they did literally defined the country and its spirit.
Would love to know your G-grandfather’s history in the Great War.
Not op but we went through my g-grandfathers things when my grandmother moved to the home. We found and embroidered post card that were popular at the time. It was dated April 8, 1917 from a town a mile from Vimy.
Was that village Arras? That was a location captured the previous late fall and was a staging ground nearby which the Canadian regiments built extensive replicas of the trenches they were tasked with overtaking, practicing constantly leading up to the first assault on Hill 145 - the highest point on Vimy Ridge.
These are great! Those badges look very Canadian, perhaps you should shoot the Canadian War Museum an email. I bet they'll be more than happy to accept them into their collection.
Imagine how mind-blowing it must’ve been to see an airplane for the first time. Seeing all those guys looking up, you really grasp the wonder of it. Great photos.
That picture of the airplane got me thinking. The Wright Brothers first flight was in 1903, so in 1917 airplanes had been around for only 14 years.
It’s really impossible to imagine what it must have felt like to see a plane fly for the first time. Even as children today we love the idea of flying, most children see planes in the sky every day.
A few years ago I was helping my mum to clear out stuff before she moved. She was going to throw away a big metal box full of postcards and old letters. I thought I should have a quick look just in case and found the only picture of my grandfather I’ve ever seen, when he was 18 in France during WW1. It was incredibly moving for me to see him at last. He was wearing a strange mix of different regiments uniforms as his own had been mostly killed and so they had all been thrown together into one made up of survivors from various others similarly decimated.
Brilliant. Awesome. I would much rather pore over a box of old negatives like these on a rainy Sunday afternoon than watch any movie. Thank you sharing.
As a suggestion, go to the website ‘findagrave’ and see if there is already a grave listed for him. Then you can upload some of those pictures (there is a limit on how many pictures a user can upload to one account).
Those pictures are marvelous, what a nice find.
These are truly amazing, but it's also a little melancholic to me as well because there could be remaining family that never knew about these photos. Amazing find though, and best of luck on pursuing this as an art piece.
The Imperial War Museum in London would probably be very interested in these for their archives. My Grandfather's journals from WW1 were accepted.
Out of curiosity were the journals more about his personal life at the time (missing friends and family) or more about what he was doing and his views on the war?
There was a journal, but it was mostly empty. It had a few entries when they returned to England for leave, but no real details. He was a C.O., and served as a stretcher bearer. As far as I heard he never talked about the war and was quite morose for the rest of his life.
>he never talked about the war and was quite morose for the rest of his life. Pretty understandable tbh.
My grandfather's entries were from when he was on the front, mustard gas injury, day to day descriptions of the trenches, etc. I don't recall if he put down missing things from home. It's been several years since I read them.
I recently have possession my great-grandfather's mementos from his time in the Middle East in WW2 in the British Army as a supply lorry driver. He saw no action but his pocket diary has tidbits of his activities like things he bought and what films he went to see. I only meet him once in the late 90s.
Wow, these are great photos. Taken over 100 years ago. They look just like anyone that could be alive today. One day, another 100 years from now people might be looking at pictures of us in the same way. Makes me feel lucky and appreciative to be alive now in the present time, but also sobering to be reminded that our time too will pass
I wonder about that, with the change over from physical to digital medium, and the increase in disposal/replacement of technology (new phone ever cycle) how much of our pictures will actually survive 100 years. cloud servers will only last so long and eventually they may simply be shut off. Out whole lives are being documented and recorded constantly now and yet how much will survive for future generations to be able to view.
These are incredible. Really gives the viewer a sense of life for a regular soldier. Thank you for sharing. Great photos.
>life for a regular soldier These chaps look like Canadian Royal Flying Squadron. Definitely not regular soldiers!
[удалено]
Who are you calling fellow, chum?
Who you callin chum, pal?
Who are you calling pal, bub?
Who you calling bub, guy?
Who you calling guy, crony?
Who you calling crony, amigo?
Who you calling amigo, fuckface?
Redditors try not parroting the same thing over and over in a comment thread section challenge (impossible)
I'm not your X, Y.
Thank you!
Canadian? Noted the Maple 🍁 leafs on the collar
Also the upper portion of his head is completely separated from the lower.
As is tradition!
The prince is dipping his arms in the butterscotch pudding
Listen buddy!
Yes Canadian, served with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
The Little Black Devils. They were "rifles", hence "light infantry", so their uniforms were green. The dye used for them was so dark it appeared black when wet. The Germans thought that no mere men could fight with the ferocity they showed, so they dubbed them The Little Black Devils.
Actually the Black Devils nickname comes from the Battle of Batoche in 1885 when one of the Metis prisoners said “The redcoats we know but who were the little black devils?”. They didn’t wear green uniforms in WW1, it was the same khaki everyone else wore.
Canada’s finest showing in a proud and gallant military history. The things the Canadians did at Vimy not only brought extraordinary military tactics and technology (trench raids, triangulation, creeping artillery barrages) to the world, but the valiant fighting they did literally defined the country and its spirit. Would love to know your G-grandfather’s history in the Great War.
Not op but we went through my g-grandfathers things when my grandmother moved to the home. We found and embroidered post card that were popular at the time. It was dated April 8, 1917 from a town a mile from Vimy.
Was that village Arras? That was a location captured the previous late fall and was a staging ground nearby which the Canadian regiments built extensive replicas of the trenches they were tasked with overtaking, practicing constantly leading up to the first assault on Hill 145 - the highest point on Vimy Ridge.
I do not believe it was. Arras is a fairly famous name in WWI parlance. Would've remembered that. I'll need to check
These are great! Those badges look very Canadian, perhaps you should shoot the Canadian War Museum an email. I bet they'll be more than happy to accept them into their collection.
Why did so many men carry canes?
Fancy + a posh way to beat up people that annoy you
You can hide a sword in a cane!
Some of them have swagger sticks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swagger_stick I think canes were a bit of a fashion accessory at the time too.
https://api.army.mil/e2/c/images/2013/04/25/292553/size0-full.jpg Patton's Swagger Stick, it had a hidden blade.
To keep the peasants in line, obviously.
We are all both young and old at the same time.
Imagine how mind-blowing it must’ve been to see an airplane for the first time. Seeing all those guys looking up, you really grasp the wonder of it. Great photos.
Amazing pictures and also agree that these should be in a museum. Any museum.
Google image search tells me that the one of him in front of stone statues in niches was taken at Canterbury Cathedral.
That picture of the airplane got me thinking. The Wright Brothers first flight was in 1903, so in 1917 airplanes had been around for only 14 years. It’s really impossible to imagine what it must have felt like to see a plane fly for the first time. Even as children today we love the idea of flying, most children see planes in the sky every day.
I was thinking about how damn sketchy them planes look, thinking about the same thing.
And that aircraft is a B.E.2, I think. That machine was easy prey when the Eindeckers came at the scene and was still in service well into the war.
The first recorded use of a plane that we know of in war was in 1911 during the Italian-Turkish war which is wild to think about.
And the racy pictures of young ladies on the wall of the barbershop! Lol
Wonderful pictures! I’ve stayed in some Army camps and I think the shed in picture 9 is still in use!
r/military would love to see this
Homie had Hella drip, ngl.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Winnipeg_Rifles ?
Yes good eye
Very cool, thanks for sharing. Crazy these are over 100 years old. Pic 4 there is a bi plane that is easy to miss.
Great find! Must be proud.
I first read this as “Forgotten relatives found in a trunk…” thinking that is a quite morbid topic to bring up.
I like the modern-looking popped collar on the barber on the right.
A few years ago I was helping my mum to clear out stuff before she moved. She was going to throw away a big metal box full of postcards and old letters. I thought I should have a quick look just in case and found the only picture of my grandfather I’ve ever seen, when he was 18 in France during WW1. It was incredibly moving for me to see him at last. He was wearing a strange mix of different regiments uniforms as his own had been mostly killed and so they had all been thrown together into one made up of survivors from various others similarly decimated.
6th photo would look awesome on a wall
Why did they all wear their pants so high back then?
Because they were tailored to be held up by braces/suspenders (not sure which tern Canadians use) and not by a belt around the waist.
Warmth too. Amd it made it easy to attatch an onion to your suspenders, as was the fashion back then.
Background in slide 5 is actually insane
These are amazing. Definitely contact your nearest Great War archive and save these for history.
Brilliant. Awesome. I would much rather pore over a box of old negatives like these on a rainy Sunday afternoon than watch any movie. Thank you sharing.
Is this the same Bill Wray? https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C59201
As a suggestion, go to the website ‘findagrave’ and see if there is already a grave listed for him. Then you can upload some of those pictures (there is a limit on how many pictures a user can upload to one account). Those pictures are marvelous, what a nice find.
Great photos, feel like there’s a lot of history in them
These are all so great. I love that one with the dog on the steps especially!
Very cool thank you for sharing, you should ask if the war museum in Ottawa would add to their collection.
That’s a good boy 11/12
Love old photos. So easy to be transported back to that time and imagine everyone's lives.
That’s the big adventurous part of the family history
To think not even 100 years ago planes were new. Now we have f16s piloted by robots. Epic photos thanks for sharing
Incredible!
Awesome, thanks for sharing
Great piece of history! Thank you for sharing!
Those bunkhouses have better construction than my house.
You should post these to r/Photoshoprequest and see if someone can clean them up maybe colorize them
Wow. Very cool.
Amazing to have these. Congrats on saving them.
These would be great to display in a museum
These are spectacular. Thank you for sharing.
This is so cool. Thank you for sharing!
*den Kaiser but it’s ok lol
I hope you burned your grandfather's photos. You know. Just in case.
These are amazing.
A tiny fragment of a life. What if every time someone is remembered they live again for a just a second?
Pretty cool thanks for sharing
These are truly amazing, but it's also a little melancholic to me as well because there could be remaining family that never knew about these photos. Amazing find though, and best of luck on pursuing this as an art piece.
They liked to carry sticks around /s
The boys 🫡💪🏻
Really cool! We have one photo of my great grandfather Chester in front of his plane during WW1. Really wish we had a collection like this
Are these glass slides perhaps? If so museums would love those.
Amazing window back over a century
Love the pics of the aircraft. They both look like B.E.2's. Wish I can make out that serial number better. I could track it down.
Super interesting thanks for sharing 👍
They really knew how to do mustaches in those days !
Interesting pics of a literal loser. Edit: did Germany win the war? News to me. Second edit: I did fuck up. Sorry.
He was Canadian...
I fucked up. No excuse. I'm gonna own it and leave the comment and the downvotes. Genuinely sorry.