Taken at an unidentifiable location: Jack Elkins, on the left, with unknown compatriot

My great uncle Jack (John William Kingsland) was called up in August 1917, on his 18th birthday. He joined the Seaforth Highlanders as a private. His father was a travelling Congregational minister and Jack lived in Devizes. He had done very well at school and postponed going to university to serve. He was sent to the Western Front on the 18th May 1918 and was in the front line that September. He wrote many letters to his parents (about 80)and kept a war diary, written in shorthand, about half of which has been transcribed. He was in action at Valenciennes, was injured and died about 6 days later. His parents wrote trying to find out about his injuries and the telegram, telling them he'd been killed, arrived at 9am on Armistice Day. They received about 150 letters of condolence, some from his fellow soldiers, and these letters give an idea of how the middle classes dealt with grief. The collection of artefacts also includes medals and correspondence from authorities (including the bill for engraving his name on the war memorial); we can be contacted if people would like to see the material.

Our Great Grand uncle John Lucas had been one of the first recipients of the Victoria Cross for his efforts in the New Zealand Wars