This story is about my maternal grandfather, “Jack” John Bates. He served in the British army at the Somme and at Ypres during the First World War. Jack was in the Prince of Wales Leinster Regiment. His father was an army man and Jack was an only child. He served in the Labour Corps and in the Expeditionary Forces. He was married to Irishwoman, Maggie Behan in January 1909. He was gassed as a Prisoner of War which affected him but fortunately he survived the war. He died many years later in 1956. His mother was from Drogheda and his father from Newcastle in England. He was born in 1878 in Guernsey or on a ship heading there. I have a treasure trove of memorabilia dating from my grandfather’s time serving during the Great War. Material that we have includes 2 medals and a miniature souvenir helmet as well as two prayer books – ‘A simple prayer book for soldiers’ and ‘The manual of catholic piety.’ He also kept what appears to have been a German Shell made into an ash tray and what was possibly a match box holder or cartridge case. I still have my grandfather’s baptismal certificate from Guernsey Church. The photographs and letters include a number of embroidered greeting cards which my grandfather sent to his loved ones at home in Drogheda, Ireland. || two medals a miniature souvenir helmet two prayer books – ‘A simple prayer book for soldiers’ and ‘The manual of catholic piety.’ a German Shell made into an ash tray and what was possibly a match box holder or cartridge case. my grandfather’s baptismal certificate from Guernsey Church photographs and letters a number of embroidered greeting cards which my grandfather sent to his loved ones at home in Drogheda, Ireland. || || Jack Bates || Photograph || Dublin 12 July 2014 || Jack Bates, soldier of the first world war || || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Postcards, Christmas card and letter || Greetings from the front || Trench Life || Jack Bates || Remembrance || Letter || || Christmas cards from the front || Jack Bates || Postcard || Western Front || || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Recruitment and Conscription || Trench Life || Telegram, labour corps document || Prisoners of War || || Letters on official stationery to Mrs. Bates in Drogheda || Trench Life || Prisoners of War || Jack and Maggie Bates || Correspondence between Jack Bates and his wife, Maggie Bates née Behan || Women || Letter || || Jack Bates || Memoranda and pension documents || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Official document || || Certificate of identity for wife or child of a soldier || Jack Bates's wife, Maggie Bates née Behan || Official document || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || || Trench Life || Jack Bates || Photograph || Photographs featuring Jack Bates and postcards from the edge || || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Women || Trench Life || Letter || More postcards from the Great War || Jack and Maggie Bates || || Jack Bates and family || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Trench Life || Women || Miscellaneous correspondence between Mr and Mrs Bates || || Trench Life || Jack Bates and family || Women || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Correspondence between Mr and Mrs Bates || Letter || || Prisoners of War || Further correspondence || Women || Jack Bates and family || Letter || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Trench Life || || Trench Life || Women || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Letters from Maggie Bates née Behan to Jack, her husband || || Trench Life || Women || Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland || Maggie to Jack Bates || Letter || || Prisoner of War, Labour Corps Document and more letters || Jack Bates || Prisoners of War || Trench Life || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Women || Letter || || Maggie to Jack Bates with home news || Women || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Letter || Trench Life || || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Jack Bates || Women || Prisoners of War || Home Front || 'A simple prayer book for soldiers' and 'The manual of Catholic piety' || || Trench Life || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || Prisoners of War || Women || Prayer book and letters || Home Front || 'The manual of Catholic piety' and letters || || A German shell made into an ashtray and medals || Medal || Remembrance || || Reverse of ashtray made from German shell, medals and a miniature souvenir helmet || Memorabilia || Dublin 12 July 2014 52 || || Photograph || Jack Bates || letters, postcards and embroidered greeting cards || Dublin 12 July 2014

George McMullan was my great uncle. He was born in 1887 and joined the Royal Inniskilling Hussars at the start of the war. He was encouraged to join the war because of his past history at home. He died at the age of 28 on April 21st 1915. The boat he was on sunk at Gallipoli where a war commemoration statue was built in Turkey to honour those who died. My grandfather Patrick Johnson was born in 1884 and had six children. He joined the war in 1914 and was assigned to the 36th Ulster Division. He joined the war because of his nationalist ideals and he fought in order to help Ireland secure Home Rule. He fought in the Battle of the Somme and also at Ypres. He also served in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish Riffles. He died in the military hospital on August 6th 1917 at the age of 33. He is buried at Menim Road, South West Flanders. || The items associated with this story are a J. Hudson & Co. 1914 whistle belonging to my grandfather Patrick Johnson and a photograph of my great uncle George McMullan and four other soldiers messing in the army barracks.

In the attached interview, Beryl Wardle analyzes the different experiences of her two uncles during the War and the everlasting effects in their later lives; the Spanish flu would lead a horrid trajectory for one…Contributed via Age Exchange (http://www.age-exchange.org.uk) as part of the Children of the Great War project (http://www.childrenofthegreatwar.org.uk) at a collection day at the Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice, Kent, UK. To see all material contributed by Age Exchange, or to see more contributions from this collection day, follow the links at http://www.childrenofthegreatwar.org.uk/archive.html - For further information email: greatwar@age-exchange.org.uk || || Samuel Peters || Portrait of Samuel and Amelia Peters || A week or so after Samuel came back home to England on leave to marry childhood-sweetheart Amelia, the young bride died as a result of the Spanish flu epidemic. || Photograph || || Photograph || Percy Clement Rushton || Percy Rushton, at POW camp || || Beryl had heard that the German commandant shot himself after the release of the POWs || Percy Clement Rushton || The German commandant || || Percy Clement Rushton || Percy with believed fellow POWs || Photograph || || Photograph || Samuel Peters || || Photograph || The 'lads' || || Français || Insignia reads: Honi soit qui mal y pens (Shamed be he who thinks of ill). Relates to the Army Service Corps up until 1916, or the Royal Engineers (transport) thereafter, until the 1960s || Samuel Peters || Cap-badge of Samuel Peters || Memorabilia || || Samuel Peters || Samuel Peters with regiment - and one female || It remains a mystery exactly who the lady on the lower right was || Photograph