Medal display case containing: 1. Copies from a mint in England of Paddy's Service Medal and Frank's medals (including his 1917 Military Medal and 1914-5 Star 2. Copy of photograph of Frank and Paddy Fawl 3. Copy of a poem

My uncle, Frank Fawl from Ireland, was already a regular solider when war broke out. Frank Fawl survived the war, and was awarded the Military Medal in 1917. He spent fourteen years in India before eventually settling in England. Frank rarely spoke about the Great War. Although Frank warned his brother not to enlist, my uncle Paddy Fawl volunteered in December 1915. He was commissioned in early 1916 into the Middlesex Regiment. Paddy died on 15th November 1916, having been wounded during the final days of the Somme Offensive. My own father fought with the anti-Treaty forces in the Irish Civil War. He never spoke about his brother's experiences of the Great War. || The medals are copies of those won by Frank and Paddy from a mint in England, including: Paddy's Service Medal, Frank's Military Medal (1917) and Frank's 1914-15 Star. Frank and Paddy are the two soldiers in the photograph. The grave is that of Paddy Fawl and is found in the Couin British Cemetery. His surname is incorrectly written as 'Fall' instead of Fawl on the gravestone. The letter is from Paddy to his brother Leonard Fawl. Written in January 1916, it discusses daily in Ireland. I only found this letter after my father's death.

William and Elizabeth's wedding photograph, 1918; William's British War Medal (obverse); William's British War Medal (reverse); William's Victory medal (obverse); William's Victory medal (reverse); John J.'s grave, Bailleul Communal Cemetery in France. || William Gill was my maternal grandfather and he and his two brothers, John J. and Martin served in France during WW1. They were born in Ballyclemock, Newbawn, Co. Wexford in Ireland. John J. served first in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and then with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He died from wounds received in battle on 21 October 1916 and is buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery in France. Martin was the youngest. He had gone to Wales to work in the coal mines. He joined the Welsh Regiment in March 1914, before the war. He was severely wounded on several occasions but survived the war although he had a metal plate in his head from his injuries. After the war he married and lived in Co. Wexford. My grandfather, William served with the Irish Guards and was at the Somme. He often told my father stories about the war of an evening by the fire. Once they were in the trenches and they had a letter they wanted to bring to the command centre to ask for help. It was night time. My grandfather volunteered to go and, as he told it, he used the light from the shells exploding around him to light his way. He had to stop and lie low when it was dark and run for it when the area was lit up. Brigadier Plunkett from Newbawn, Co. Wexford told my father that my grandfather was offered a promotion to a desk job at one point during the war but refused it saying that he wanted 'another crack' at the enemy. He also told this story himself. His attitude was that you had to stay and fight it out. He also recounted how they would raise their helmets up over the trenches perched on their rifles and draw sniper fire so they would know where the snipers were. William married Elizabeth Kelly in 1918 and settled down in Co. Wexford. || || Photograph || Wedding photograph, William and Elizabeth (Kelly) Gill || Remembrance || Wedding photograph of my grandparents, William Gill ad Elizabeth Kelly, 1918 || || Medal || William's British War Medal (obverse) || British War Medal - William Gill || || William's British War Medal (reverse) || William Gill's British War Medal || Medal || || William's Victory Medal (obverse) || Medal || Remembrance || William Gill's Victory Medal (obverse) || || William Gill's Victory Medal || William's Victory Medal (reverse) || Medal || || Photograph || 50.736482,2.735590000000002 || John J. Gill's gravestone, Bailleul Communal Cemetery || Remembrance