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

Images of war diary. || We recently discovered our Great Gandfather's typed War diary from Ypres. It outlines some significant events he witnessed first hand including the French-Algerian troops being helped back to the town having suffered the first gas attack of WW1. He was later wounded whilst he and a friend were taking shots at the German lines with a pair of Officer's filed glasses they found. His account of their subsequent escape is harrowing in its matter of fact approach to their unlikely success at escaping. || || Algerian gas attack account and front line fighting || War Diary || Western Front || Ypres Ieper || Diary || Acount of WW1 Ypres, 1916. Algerian's on the receiving end of the first German gas attack. Subsequent sniping resulted in him bring shelled and a grim account of his escape under fire is quite harrowing in its frankness.

Photograph of great uncle Jack probably taken in June 1917