'Lest We Forget' New Year Resolution?

[River Tyne Lass]

That time of year has come around again when people are thinking about New Year Resolutions.

I am posting to suggest that RootsChatters might consider a resolution to research one name on a local war memorial in their area and send the info to a local war society for posterity?

Here we are approaching the 100 year mark when the Great War finally ended and so many who gave their lives have been long forgotten.  Last year I started doing a little bit of voluntary researching for a local war society.  I have found it incredible to discover that it seems that a lot of those named on monuments have indeed been forgotten.  No one knows who they were or what they did, what they sacrificed.

So I am suggesting and hoping that some of you will research just one name this coming year.  I am sure this would make a massive difference and help future generations know more about the sacrifice that their ancestors made.

Thank You.  HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

[dowdstree]

What a brilliant idea River Tyne Lass.

I suppose most of us have researched "our own". It will be 100 years on the 12th January since my grandfather was lost at sea in Orkney.

Yes, I will make a point of doing this next year. Perhaps I could choose a shipmate of his from HMS Narborough.

So many gave their lives in this futile conflict and we must never forget the sacrifice they made.

Happy New Year.

Dorrie

[Viktoria]

Yes,a wonderful idea,so sad if there are soldiers who are not remembered.
If they had no family or perhaps were estranged from their family no one would research them and they are gone and never even thought of.
After what they went through too.
My Dad said some of his comrades in the trenches never got a letter or a parcel from their families,no socks or knitted scarves and gloves ,no cigs or chocolate . They did not really look forward to home leave and were glad to get back to their comrades. They did not even look forward to demob.

A HAPPY  NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE,with peace and good health.
                                                Viktoria.

[Guy Etchells]

Could I suggest before researching individual soldiers named on a War memorial that everyone checks their local war memorials have been transcribed and if possible photographed.

Since I transcribed the memorials around Wakefield in 1997 hundreds of War Memorials have been destroyed.

The problem is many War Memorials are in churches and schools or are even in buildings such as nurses homes or local halls that have been demolished over the years. Sometimes the plaques are saved but often they are destroyed with the building.
Some of the men and women recorded on the plaques are also recorded on a local cenotaph but often they are not.

Please do not let these men and women be forgotten they all deserve to be remembered for the sacrifice they gave so we could live.

Cheers
Guy

[jess5athome]

On a similar theme, I am a member of my local Facebook group, and write up a piece on the men on my local War Memorial on the 100 year anniversary of there sacrifice, hopefully it is now "Out there" and they will not be forgotten.

Happy New Year everyone, Health and Happiness to you all.

Frank.

[sleepybarb]

Super idea, I think I will look in our local cemetery as there are graves of soldiers who died in the local  hospitals in WW1 there, they often look neglected.
Barb

[River Tyne Lass]

Many thanks for your posts Dorrie, Viktoria, Guy, Frank and Barb.

I am heartened by the positive feedback you have posted regarding my suggestion about researching someone on a local war memorial as a New Year Resolution during 2018.  Rather than write one long post I will respond to each of you in turn ...

[JenB]

Here in Hexham Alan Grint spent many years researching the lives and,sadly, deaths, of all the men whose names are on our war memorial.
The result is a magnificent book called ‘The Faith and Fire Within’ (available on Amazon).

[pharmaT]

What a great idea.  Not sure who there is locally to send the information to though. On a plus side it does seem to be recorded and well photographed online. I don't even have to go out in the rain to check the names.  I have wondered for some time how many of those on my local memorial were related to each other as I live in small, close knit community.