This is the story of two brothers, Alfred Richards, my grandfather, and Will Richards, my grand uncle. I have my grandfather’s British War Medal (known as the Squeak) and his ID card, his Certificate of Competency for Merchant 2nd Class engineer. He served in the Merchant Navy and I have two documents that make up his Discharge Certificate from the Royal Naval Reserve Force. However, aside of the second document, which details the ships that he was involved in, I have no information with regard to his war record; he served and returned home to Cardiff in Wales. His brother Will was captured in 1914 and became a Prisoner of War (POW) in Germany. He sent home a Christmas card from the camp and postcards that showed Will alongside other prisoners of war, all in football gear. Unfortunately however, I do not know if Will survived the war as I found all these articles after my mother died, and we had lost connection with the Cardiff side of the family. || British War Medal, The Squeak\n Postcard from Genova from Will and Christmas cards Alfred's ID card Photograph of Will in German POW camp Alfred's Certificate of Competency for Merchant 2nd Class engineer Alfred's Discharge Certificates from the Merchant Navy || || Alfred Richards || This is a photograph of Alfred (the date is unknown), and beside him is the British War Medal that he received for his service in the Royal Navy during the First World War. || Alfred's medal || Medal || || Will Richards and his fellow POWs || This is a photograph of Will and his fellow prisoners of war in the football team that they formed during his time in the Ruhleben POW camp circa September 1914. He sent this to his mother. || Will's wartime football team || Ruhleben || Photograph || || Ruhleben, Germany || Will's message home || Letter || This is the note Will sent home to his mother with the photo of his POW football team. || Letter home to his mother || || Soldiers' experience || Memoirs || Photograph || Photographs of one of the ships that Alfred spent time on, and one of the areas visited by one of the brothers || || Memoirs of Travel || Genova; Ceylon || These are three postcards that Will Richards had of two places he must have visited during his service - Genova and Ceylon. || Postcard || Will's keepsakes from his travel || || England || Naval Warfare || Official document || This was Alfred's Certificate of Competency for Merchant 2nd Class engineer he received before entering the Royal Navy in 1902. || Certificate of Competency || || This is Alfred Richards' Identity and Service Certificate issued after the war in 1921. || Alfred Richards' Service and Identity card || Official document || || This is proof of Alfred being apprenticed as an engineer long before the war, with the signed confirmation of he and his father. || Alfred's initiation into engineering || Official document || Certificate of Apprenticeship || || Certificate of Service and Discharge || Certificate accompanying the logbook that detailed Alfred Richards' service and officiates his discharge from the Royal Navy. || || Alfred Richards' service || Certificate of Service and Discharge || This is Alfred's discharge papers from the Royal Naval Reserve Force. || Official document || Cardiff, Wales; Malta || || Official document || Cardiff, Wales; Malta || Details of Alfred's Service in the Royal Navy. || Certificate of Service and Discharge || || Certificate of Service and Discharge || Official document || Details of Alfred's Service in the Royal Navy. || || Official document || Details of Alfred's Service in the Royal Navy. || Certificate of Service and Discharge || || Certificate of Service and Discharge || Document detailing Alfred's discharge with the Royal Navy from Cardiff to Malta when for his first voyage in 1901. || Official document || || This is a collection of different currency notes from around the world that either my grand-uncle or grandfather collected. || Collected Currency || Collection

John Lawrence (front).

Postcards and photos Letter || Patrick (Paddy) and John O'Rourke were brothers of my Mother and were from Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny in Ireland. There was only about 2 years between them. They appear in several of the photos together. They were both members of the Southern Irish Horse and were based in Clonmel and Fermoy. Patrick was injured in the Somme and suffered from shellshock. In 1922 he was admitted to a mental home in Kilkenny City. He died sometime in the 1980s. John was based in the depot and never served abroad, but he was a fine shot. He lived into his 80s and had a family. Marcello referred to in postcards was my mother. Because Paddy served abroad, most of the items are connected with him rather than John. || || Photo of Soldiers || Photograph || || Front || Home Front || Letter to Patrick and John's sister from a (Private?) Pick. || Letter to Miss O'Rourke from Pick || Riverstown, Co. Cork, Ireland || Miss O'Rourke || Letter || || Home Front || Back || Miss O'Rourke || Letter to Patrick and John's sister from a (Private?) Pick. || Letter || Riverstown, Co. Cork, Ireland || Letter to Miss O'Rourke from Pick || || Multiple || Photos and Postcard from Patrick (Paddy) || || Postcard || Backs of postcards. Some addressed to Mrs. (?) O'Rourke, Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland. || Deutsch || English || Postcards || (Mrs.?) O'Rourke || || Front || Postcards || Français || English || Postcard || || Postcard || Miss O'Rourke || Back || Postcards, one of which is to Miss O'Rourke from Patrick (Paddy). || Postcards || || Photos || Photograph || || Photos || Photograph || || Postcard || France || Postcards || Postcards including one from Paddy to May O'Rourke. || || Photo of Bureau de Poste || Photograph || Français || || Postcards, including one from Paddy to his mother. || Back || Postcard || Postcards || || Photo of destruction || Photo/postcard showing destruction of unknown village (location scribbled out) due to War. || Photograph || Français || || Photo of Soldiers || Photograph || || Photograph || Photo of Soldier(s) || || Photo of Soldiers || Photograph || || Back || Postcard from Patrick (Paddy) to his sister(s) || Postcard || || Marcello || Postcard to Marcello (Patrick and John's sister) from Partick (Paddy) || Letter || Postcard to Marcello from Paddy || Back || || Postcard || Back || || Photograph || Photo of Soldiers on horseback || || Photograph || Photo || || Postcard from May to Father || Postcard from May to Father (Outside) || || Postcard from May to Father || Postcard from May to Father (Inside) || Postcard || || Français || Postcard || English || Christmas postcards