Anyone have relatives serving in WW1?

Crockett, that gas was probably Chlorine, the Germans first used gas on 22 April 1915 at Langemark-Poelkapelle, All the toxic agents used in that war hurt the lungs, some more than others. It was discovered that those who remained standing suffered the least, those who fell or lay in the trenches suffered more because the gas collected on the bottom of the trench. It was water soulible and therefore a wet handkerchief on the mouth and nose served many until masks were developed.

A cousin (female) drove Ambulances and was decorated by the King of Belgium for her valor under fire bringing Tommies and Yanks from the front lines. Another family member flew Camels for the RFC, after training in Canada, and cracking up 3, after he walked away from the third one, that was nose down in a pine forest, his CO said he was single handedly doing more for their procurement requests than the entire Canadian Parliment. He was yank but wanted to get in the action so he talked his way into the cockpit. He was in the Layfayette Esquadrille and I have his papers and memoires that have never been published, hence my interest in this amazing era. He talks a lot about the mud, the feel of the planes in flight (like riding a canvas stretcher wtih four guys trying to throw you off), the beauty of the things he saw, and much else. I never thought there might be a sim to give a feel of what he and others did. He talks about how the more missions they had to fly the more a feeling of dread came to rule them ...and then there was a point that you broke thru that, and just did not thiink about it anymore. You did your job and thought about food and leave. And thanked god for your mechanic and good canvas.

Other cousins in England flew, but where and with who i dont know yet. Most of my family were naval, my grandfather was on a DD at the time scouring Baja California for suspected German radio stations, he and another cousin Frlanklin Van Valkenberg Class of 09 Annapolis were our main naval ppl. Franklin rose thru the ranks to be skipper of the BB 39 (USS Arizona) and was at his post on the bridge on December 7, and remains there. Other cousins were airmen in the II but for now, and for here, i am so grateful for the service my ancestors and all of yours gave in the Great War....it was a long and very very hard one. Thanks and blessings to them all.
 
Herbert Roberts, maternal great-grandfather of my better half, Christy, kept a diary detailing daily life, both in the line and in the billets. He served with 3rd Canadian Mounted Rifles at Ypres and the Somme, but the diary stops in September 1916, when he was severely wounded in the fighting for Regina Trench near Flers-Courcellette.
My brother-in-law had a Grandfather and a Great Uncle who served together with the 10th Bn, CEF. They fought side by side at Vimy Ridge. John Patterson was posted missing a few weeks later in the Battle for Hill 70 on the outskirts of Lens; his brother fought right through to the Pursuit to Mons, and miraculously survived the War. The name of John Patterson is inscribed, along with all the other Canadians MiA, on the Memorial at Vimy Ridge.

shredward
 
There's not many families from the UK who didn't have anyone serve during WW1 in some form or another, but whether they know about it or not is another matter.

My Paternal lot:
Grt Grandfather: Northamptonshire Regt 1914 (Age 51) Discharged as no longer fit enough to serve in 1915 (he'd originally been a soldier in the KRRC in the 1880's & 90's in India)
Grandfather (son of the above): Army 1915 but discharged as discovered to be underage (age 15) then joined Navy 1917
Grt Uncle: Bedfordshire Regt. Captured in belgium POW till end of war
Grt Uncle: Northamptonshire regt. Survived
Grt Uncle:Essex Regt. Survived
Grandfathers Cousins: 4 in Lincs Regt. 2 survived tho gassed, 2 killed.
1 in Royal Naval Div. Hawke Battalion; Served in the East and eventually KIA in France and Flanders.

I know that there were 6 sons in my Grandfathers family and all served, just don't have the details for all of them yet

My Maternal Lot:
Grt Grandfather: Machine Gun Corps. Survived
Grt Grandfathers cousin: Royal Navy .Killed
 
My grandfather's older brother served with the AEF, I'm assuming it was on the ground. No real idea of what he did. Unfortunately, there's really nobody left to ask about it anymore. All we have is a picture of him as a dashing young man in his uniform when he returned. He has on the leg wraps (were they leather or canvas?) and his coat has an indian head patch on the shoulder and an overseas stripe on the sleeve and a WWI Victory Medal with two or three bars on it (kind of hard to make out on a 90 year old, sepia-toned photo.
 
I had two in the AEF, from the Blue Ridge Mountain Division. I have one of thier Helmets with the unit insignia, and the others Victory Medal that they awarded the surviviors of WWI with. And a few photos.

ZZ.

PS. Forgot, I have a small map of the Front given to soldiers so they wouldn't get lost, stumble into enemy lines etc., that one of these relatives carried with him while over there. It is now framed and hanging on my wall at home, and is very poignant. It is creased and tattered a bit from use, and from where he obviously carried it in his jacket pocket.
 
My maternal greatgrandfather served in the German army in WW1. He was actually fairly old at the time when he entered the war in 1914. At the time he was in his early 30's and served at the front throughout the entire war. After all I've read, I find it amazing that he survived the war as his entire time was spent at the front. I do have some awesome pictures as well as a few of his medals and his reservist beer stein, dated 1900-1903.
 
I am very glad he survived. they had belt buckles with Gott Mit Uns on them, many of them, that must have helped.
 
My grandfather's cousin (D.Knight) took down ten German pilots, i never got to meet him and he only lived about 90 miles north of us.
 
My Grandfather served in the Royal Horse Artillery on the Western Front and my maternal Grandfather served in the Royal Navy at Gallipoli where he was wounded.

My Wifes Grandfather served in the Royal Flying Corp starting as an Observer then flying Sopwith Camels.
 
Austro-Hungarian Fliegertruppen

Hello, this has been interesting to read little bits of information from family histories quickly becoming lost to time...only one other person mentioned having a relative on the "Other" side?

My grandfather was the Technical Officer for Flik70D from 11/17 to 4/17 - the officer he replaced was killed testing the Knoller C.II which proved to be a Riesenflop. Flik70D was on the Eastern front originally but transferred in 1/18 to San Godega di Urbano. Apparently he completed 82 flight in a dual-control plane - I believe it to be an Oeffag C.II - and eventually made 88 solo flights. In April he returned to Vienna to study at the Technical School (Studienurlaub); evidently never returning to the active duty. Flik70 had a tough time through the summer so perhaps I would not be here had he stayed...

This I discovered through archival material - there are no family memories/stories of him talking about his experiences - only a few photographs.

Regards!
 
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