Our only family photograph of a young man now 17 years my junior lost, like many others, in the build up to the Somme Offensive, September 1916. The photo is of one of my heroes and reminds me of how strong a woman my Grandma (his youngest daughter) was. She grew up without a father and lost her husband in 1939. A different breed. much admired, much loved and very much missed. RIP || Front

Front || Thomas James Morley, on the right here, is my Great Grandfather. He was born 1884, so would be in his early 30s here. I was supposed to be named after him but my parents broke with tradition and instead of becoming the sixth Thomas Morley in a row I was named James Thomas! He was a machine gunner in the 34th Battalion Machine Gun Corps during World War 1. In World War 2 he was a fireman in London (Hornsey I seem to recall). The photograph was taken in about 1917, probably in the UK.

Two brass buttons with possibly the Royal Insignia on them.