Framed sepia photograph of No.2 Machine Gun Corps Cadet Battalion, 2nd Course March 1917.

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.

My maternal grandfather, Arthur Wallis, fought throughout the war on the Western Front as a member of the Machine Gun Corps. This is his diary from 1918... While on the front my grandfather bought a card embroidered by one of the local French women. He sent this card with a message inside to his daughter, Minnie, who is my mother. The letter reads: 'Dear Minnie, Just a few lines to let you know I am quite well, so I trust you and all at home are the same, trusting I may soon see you all.' The letter was written in August 1918 as the war was nearing the end. || 1918 diary, also containing a photograph and money, some from Yugoslavia. German shell case July 1917 from 77mm field gun Embroidered card