Harry Hesling Abbott lived in Walkley, Sheffield and was a regular soldier in 3rd battalion Coldstream Guards for at least 10 years before the war. He left in 1910, came back to Sheffield, got married and then went to Canada to try and find work. Harry came back within 6 months in 1911. When war broke out, he was called up straight away and was in service by 30th August 1914. He was wounded at least once, the first time at the first Battle of the Marne in 1914 while setting up the defensive line that would become the trenches of the Western Front. He had a scar on his shoulder for the rest of his life from this wound. He fought for the full duration of the war, beginning it as a private and finishing it as a sergeant and survived to become a carpenter. He died in 1946. || Embroidered handkerchief, made by Harry and depicting all the battles up until 1917 that the Coldstream Guards fought in. Photograph of Harry with another man. Photograph of Harry with his wife. || || Photograph || Harry Hesling Abbott and his wife || || Harry Abbot and other man, possibly his brother || Photograph || || It is possible that this was made by Harry for physical therapy when he was wounded || Embroidered handkerchief made by Harry Abbott depicting major battles fought by the Coldstream Guards || Other

My grandfather William Berrill I know had signed up with the Royal dublin Fusillers in Naas on the 9th September 1898 according to the enlistment papers attached. Prior to the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 Willam had seen service in India, the Sudan, Egypt then finally completing his active service in Galipolli. In 1920 our grandfather had left the army with the rank of Company Sergeant Major. Unfortunately we do not have any of his medals although we do know what he had been awarded: The King and Queens South Africa Medal and both the World War One medals, the British War medal and the Victory Medal. We had after a lot of searching been informed that William's good conduct medal had been lost following a Drunk and Disorderly charge. The highlight of our Grandfather's career, that could not have been taken of him, is the recognition of his efforts by the commander in chief of the British Armies, Sir Douglas Haig. In Haig's Dispatches published in the London Gazette of the Tuesday the 8th July 1919, our grandfather along with many more men were according to Haig worth a mention. We know when our Grandfather had returned to Ireland he seemed to fall on hard times where he started frequenting the Salvation Army on York Street until his death in 1947. || Copy of medals that were awarded for service in Africa and the Great War ; Enlistment paper for the Royal Dublin Fusileers ; Medal cert for the issue of the King and Queens Africa Medals. William's name appearing in the London Gazette.

Silver spoon || William J. Hayman was the youngest soldier to serve in 1914; he was born January 7th 1900 and was sworn in as a boy soldier on 16th March 1914; almost five months before war was declared. William came from a service family, his Father and Uncle on his Father’s side were in the Royal Engineers and his Uncle on his Mother’s side was in the West Yorkshire Regiment. As such his family had lived in married quarters and he would have been used to the structure of the army; his diaries document how his mother had to leave her married quarter in 1914 because the houses were reassigned to deal with the growing number of recruits being brought into the army. He served as a Trumpeter with the Royal Engineers and remained in the Corp till 1936. This silver spoon is imprinted with 26229, William’s service number. Although he is recorded on the Medal Roll as William Thomas rather than William John it shows that he was awarded the Allied Victory Medal and British War Medal. At the Royal Engineers Museum, Library and Archive we recently received a collection relating to William and the spoon is going to be on display in our Eighth Corridor Exhibition from 23rd April- late May 2013.