The interview was conducted by Age Exchange in partnership with The University of Essex and The First World War Centre –University of Hertfordshire –as part of the Children of The Great War project. Brian Key came to share the story of 3 men important to him from his family. There were 2 Grandfathers and husband of a cousin of his father. Fascinatingly they fought in three different theatres of war. The husband of the cousin of his father was Sidney James Scarfe. He was born in 1897 and died in 1952. He had worked as a groom at Rettendon Hall. By the time of the war he was working at Hoffman’s Factory in Chelmsford. He served on the Western Front including The Battle of Messines Ridge where he was injured invalided out. He recorded a cassette tape lasing one hour, His injury came about in a dugout on Menin Road when a whizz bang came over. Some men were killed but Sidney had a shrapnel wound in the leg that caused him to be invalided out. After spending times in nursing homes he looked after Prisoners of War later and had correspondence with them. Brian’s paternal grandfather was Thomas Albert Key who joined 1915. He ended up in the Army Service Corps in Park Royal. At the end of war was sent to Russia to support white Russians. He was stationed in Archangel and Murmansk looking after Bolshevik prisoners during 1918-1919.They lived wooden Huts. Little known about it as a conflict and Brian has the feeling the soldiers were unsure why they were there. Illness and disease were the major dangers to life. Died 1951 George Huffey was his maternal grandfather. He was a master wheelwright and joined in Thaxted. He initially joined the Royal Garrison and was finally sent to East Africa. He worked repairing and making cartwheels. It was a mostly a guerrilla form of war with hit and run attacks rather than trench warfare. Again more men died of disease than conflict. He died in 1957. Brian brought along a cassette recording and transcription of the recording with Sidney Scarfe He also brought photographs from North Russia with a collection of postcards both personal and general. There were photographs of Sidney having just joined up and Thomas in Russia. || || Western Front || Photograph || Sidney James Scarfe || || Balkans || Photograph || Thomas Albert Key || Thomas Albert Key & co. in Russia || || Sidney James Scarfe on a ward || Photograph

- Moïse FABRE, dit Léon, est le grand-père maternel de la contributrice Mariette COMBES. Moïse naît en 1895. Il est mobilisé en 1914, il participe à la guerre de la Marne où il se blesse au chemin des Dames. Il s'engage pour l'armée d'Orient 6 mois plus tard, jusqu'en mai 1919. Il va en Serbie, en Bulgarie, Albanie, ainsi que Dardanelle puis il finit à Zaghreb, Cet évènement a été vu par le poilu comme un évènement inévitable auquel il avait dû participé. Une fois revenu, l'homme paraissait normal, joyeux et sans soucis particulier. Il décède en 1959. - Joseph COMBES est le grand-père paternel du mari de la contributrice. Celui-ci a étéf gazé en 1917. Il décède en 1970 || - Moïse FABRE: carnet de guerre écrit après la guerre par le poilu d'après ses notes. Anecdote sur les grives mangées à temps avant l'explosion d'obus. Volonté de transmettre aux plus jeunes la mémoire de cette guerre. Patriotisme. - Joseph COMBES : cartes postales, correspondance amoureuse avec sa future épouse. Pas de faits de guerre mentionnés. || || 01 - Carte postale du poilu || Letter || || Letter || Guerre mondiale (1914-1918) -- Femmes || Remembrance || Women || 01 - Carte postale du poilu || Back || Guerre mondiale (1914-1918) -- France || || 02 - Carte postale || Photographie de carte postale représentant une famille serbe : un homme, une femme et un enfant, tous trois mort asphyxiés. || Eastern Front || Guerre mondiale (1914-1918) -- Campagnes et batailles -- Balkans || Gas Warfare || Guerre mondiale (1914-1918) -- Femmes || Remembrance || Photograph || || 03 - Extrait du journal de guerre du poilu || Diary

Enlisted men dated 1917, who are apparently making the best of it with an accordion for entertainment; and in an unrestrained manner.