Cartes postales, photographies, photographies de groupe, photographie de famille, portraits, Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, Paris, Roubaix.

Private Oscar Coleman was the contributor's great uncle. He was born c1894 and died of his wounds on October 24th 1916 aged 22 at Whitchurch, Cardiff. He is buried in a village called West Tofts, which later became an army training village, now ruined. He joined up in 1914 in the 10th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. These were chums rather than Pals. His thigh bone was shattered by machine gun bullets. The letters are written from the trenches and one is written from the Welsh Metropolitan Hospital, after he was wounded. || Photograph album Envelope of letters, photos and cuttings Death plaque & medals || || Collection || Oscar Coleman- a collection of photographs and letters || || Newspaper cutting || Other || || Death plaque and medals || Medal

Two photographs, portrait and group. Enlistment & discharge certificates. || Oscar was working as a civil servant in Whitehall, when aged only 16 years and 2 months, he accompanied an older colleague and enlisted into the London Rifle Brigade. On 2nd August 1916 he was present on the first day of the battle of the Somme. He had previously walked the battle line in search of his older brother, Frank, who was a member of the London Scottish Brigade, only to be told that he was no longer there. He feared the worst, but it turned out that Frank had been badly wounded and returned behind the line. Frank, whilst in the military hospital, contacted his parents and persuaded them to send Oscar's birth certificate to the War Office, to prove that he was under age. Oscar was subsequently recalled behind the lines and discharged. The London Rifle Brigade was involved in the battle of Combles, which was part of the Somme offensive. On the second day, they suffered horrendous losses and the colleague Oscar had enlisted with, possibly Norman Harrison, lost his life. As soon as he could legally enlist, Oscar joined the Royal Flying Corp where he worked in accident investigation, based at Doncaster Racecourse. || || Oscar James Dean || Photograph || || Photograph || Group photograph || || Enlistment & discharge certificates. || Official document