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Grandparents in WWI
AVSFHG event
‘Our Grandparents in The War’ — a talk by Dave Empson
On a dark, wet, autumn evening better suited to ducks, the audience at the October meeting of the Alde Valley Suffolk Family History Group was treated to a wide-ranging talk by Dave Empson. A life-long collector of medals and related military memorabilia, Dave’s passion for his subject dates back to his childhood when, at the age of 12, his imagination was first fired by his ‘Action Man’ toy and a number of wartime films and TV dramas popular at the time. He attributes his undying obsession with medals in particular to their enduring link with the deeply personal experiences of the recipient.
Dave has now amassed a huge amount of archive material, the scope and quantity of which became only too clear when we learned the 3 x 6 feet trestle tables on which he arranged the exhibits for his talk represent only one percent of his collection!
The primary focus of Dave’s collection and related research is World War One, although he was quick to stress that both of the 20th Century global conflicts are inextricably linked. Central to his talk were colourful biographies of several ‘Brave Men of Ipswich’, whose lives were captured on beautifully presented story boards.
We also learned a lot about other aspects of WWI. Among examples too numerous to include here were that:
● the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, so often seen as the event that triggered WWI, was used as a convenient ‘excuse’ for war by Kaiser Bill (Wilhelm), who was desperate to fuel his personal ambitions by securing similar economic benefits to those enjoyed by Germany in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War.
● the first military medals struck and awarded to British soldiers date back over 200 years to the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
● German Zeppelins had flown reconnaissance missions over the Suffolk coast some six years before the outbreak of World War 1.
● the introduction of dog-tags became necessary when the physical features of those who died during the Gallipoli campaign were rendered unrecognisable after several days exposure to the elements.
● the number of deserters ‘shot at dawn’ at circa 346 (including some 40 murderers), was relatively small in comparison to the 200,000 who were court-martialled for the offence.
Other fascinating artefacts included a ‘Princess Mary tin’, an original ‘ticket to Blighty’ given to men who were granted a week’s leave after spending six months in the trenches, and the cap of a member of the Inniskilling Fusiliers, the badge of which had served to save the wearer’s life when hit by a piece of shrapnel. Remarkably, the bullet-shaped piece ‘missile’ that lodged in the cap was preserved and is now attached to the cap on a length of string.
Usefully, for those keen to research their ‘military ancestors’, Dave’s talk included some guidance as to the nature and source of surviving records. He was also very generous in allowing items from his collection to be passed around the audience and then spent a lot of time talking to individuals who had brought along medals from their own family archives.
Chris Broom
On a dark, wet, autumn evening better suited to ducks, the audience at the October meeting of the Alde Valley Suffolk Family History Group was treated to a wide-ranging talk by Dave Empson. A life-long collector of medals and related military memorabilia, Dave’s passion for his subject dates back to his childhood when, at the age of 12, his imagination was first fired by his ‘Action Man’ toy and a number of wartime films and TV dramas popular at the time. He attributes his undying obsession with medals in particular to their enduring link with the deeply personal experiences of the recipient.
Dave has now amassed a huge amount of archive material, the scope and quantity of which became only too clear when we learned the 3 x 6 feet trestle tables on which he arranged the exhibits for his talk represent only one percent of his collection!
The primary focus of Dave’s collection and related research is World War One, although he was quick to stress that both of the 20th Century global conflicts are inextricably linked. Central to his talk were colourful biographies of several ‘Brave Men of Ipswich’, whose lives were captured on beautifully presented story boards.
We also learned a lot about other aspects of WWI. Among examples too numerous to include here were that:
● the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, so often seen as the event that triggered WWI, was used as a convenient ‘excuse’ for war by Kaiser Bill (Wilhelm), who was desperate to fuel his personal ambitions by securing similar economic benefits to those enjoyed by Germany in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War.
● the first military medals struck and awarded to British soldiers date back over 200 years to the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
● German Zeppelins had flown reconnaissance missions over the Suffolk coast some six years before the outbreak of World War 1.
● the introduction of dog-tags became necessary when the physical features of those who died during the Gallipoli campaign were rendered unrecognisable after several days exposure to the elements.
● the number of deserters ‘shot at dawn’ at circa 346 (including some 40 murderers), was relatively small in comparison to the 200,000 who were court-martialled for the offence.
Other fascinating artefacts included a ‘Princess Mary tin’, an original ‘ticket to Blighty’ given to men who were granted a week’s leave after spending six months in the trenches, and the cap of a member of the Inniskilling Fusiliers, the badge of which had served to save the wearer’s life when hit by a piece of shrapnel. Remarkably, the bullet-shaped piece ‘missile’ that lodged in the cap was preserved and is now attached to the cap on a length of string.
Usefully, for those keen to research their ‘military ancestors’, Dave’s talk included some guidance as to the nature and source of surviving records. He was also very generous in allowing items from his collection to be passed around the audience and then spent a lot of time talking to individuals who had brought along medals from their own family archives.
Chris Broom
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