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19 October 1915 : Pte William Bailey

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William had relocated to West Marton in Yorkshire where he was employed by Lt. Col. Roundell as a worker on his Gledstone estate. After two unsuccessful attempts at enlisting, William was finally accepted into service at Keighley in early 1915 and, after training, was sent as reinforcement to Gallipoli in mid September 1915. Evacuated from the p…

Nobody of any importance: a Foot Soldier’s Memoir of World War I

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Reviewed by Michael Lucas. Nobody of any Importance is a lengthy and detailed account, written from memory, in the 1970s, from early childhood to age 21, with 50 pages of editorial notes. Sam Sutcliffe enlisted at 16 in September 1914, trained as a signaller, went to Gallipoli and fought at Suvla, with 2/1st Londons (Royal Fusiliers -29th Division…

Revealed: The soldier with two families. How The Western Front Association's Pension Records helped unravel a family mystery

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This story of discovery begins with researching the life of my Great Grandfather Alfred Nelson William Beckley BAKER. This research was undertaken as part of the wider exploration of my family’s history. The story comes full circle at the end with the information found on The Western Front Association's Pension Index Cards and Ledgers that have rec…

2 August 1916 : 292 L/Cpl Stephen Henry (Harry) Horrocks

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Harry was the son of Henry Horrocks and Mary Ann. The family had emigrated from Lancashire to Australia and lived at Palmyra, Forrest Street, Freemantle in Western Australia. Stephen wasa mill hand before the war. He enlisted in Perth, 2 March 1915 and attended a medical in Bunbury on the same day. His service record states that he was 5…

The loss of Royal Navy monitor 'M-15' : 11 November 1917

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HMS 'M-15' was a First World War Royal Navy M15-class monitor. She was sunk off Gaza by German Submarine UC-38 on 11 November 1917. Above: HMS M-15 November 1917 saw the key battles that allowed British and Australian forces to break through from the Sinai Peninsula and into Palestine. Turkish and German defences extended from the Mediterranean…

31 December 1916 : Staff Nurse Kate Rosina Sturt

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Kate's parents were William Sturt (a retired Company Sergeant Major in the Royal Garrison Artillery) and Kate Jane Colebrook Sturt. Kate had a younger sister, Violet and a younger brother, Sidney. At the 1911 English census Kate was age 22 living at home and working as a machinist in a Baby Robes Factory. The following year she enrolled to…

24 January 1915: Bertram Welby Hart

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He was the third son of James Hart, Superintending Pharmacist at Plymouth Hospital and mother Emily. Bertram was educated at Collegiate School, Malta and Devonport High School. He was studying to become a dentist when he volunteered at the outbreak of War. He obtained a commission in the Royal Naval Air Service 7 Sept. 1914. He contracted …