The twin brothers John Christopher (Jack, who was my grandfather) and Angelo (Lal) Stephens enlisted in 1914 with their cousin Arnold. Lal was in the Fourth Fusiliers Cavalry regiment. He wrote of the friendships he had formed and also about when his horse was killed. Both Jack and Lal were wounded at the Somme. Unfortunately Jack was left injured in the field overnight and because of this, he was not expected to live. He received treatment at an English hospital in Richmond and survived with shrapnel in his right leg. This would have been in late 1916. Amazingly, in 1923 or 1924, Jack met the man who had carried him off the field after he was injured. He died on 15th August 1969 and is buried in Dean’s Grange. Lal received treatment for his injury in a French hospital before being sent to England. He died in August 1980. Another brother, Jim, joined the air corps and upon returning home from the war became founder of the Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire. Also, my grandmother’s brother, Joseph Byrne, died on 1st March 1918 in France (possibly Ypres) He was a Dublin Fusilier. || Picture of cavalry regiment

I found this advertisement in an American newspaper from 1918. Cracker Jack is a popular caramel-coated popcorn snack, later to be associated with the sport of baseball in the minds of Americans. In 1918, Cracker Jack urged Americans to join the US Navy (their mascot was a boy in a sailor suit). Also, by eating the product, consumers could save valuable sugar and wheat for the war effort. The USA had just entered the war in 1917, so the patriotic fever was still strong with the American public. Item from the Library of Congress, Albuquerque morning journal. (Albuquerque, N.M.), 09 June 1918. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. || Newspaper advertisement for Cracker Jack, urging readers to enlist in the US Navy.

6 Photograph of Harold Thompson in uniform || Harold Thompson (the contributor's father) was born in 1898 in Huddersfield. He enlisted in the Army in 1917 and went to Gateshead for training. He was found to have flat feet and so transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He was posted to Walthamstow where he was involved with barrage balloons. Harold was demobbed in 1919. || || Front || Photograph || Photograph of Harold Thompson in uniform. || Harold Thompson || || Harold Thompson photograph (reverse side) || Reverse of the photograph of Harold Thompson containing the following information :- Harold Thompson 1898-1967, from Huddersfield. Dad's War service:- Enlisted 1917 in the Army Gateshead for Training Various embarkation leaves but found to have flat feet Transferred to Royal Flying Corps Posted to Walthamstow on the edge of Eipping Forest Involved in Barrage Balloons, Section Defence of London Demobbed in 1919. || Back