Hi Viktoria,
Many thanks too for your post and positive feedback.
This is so sad that your Grandfather knew comrades who never received comforts from home such as knitted items, cigarettes or chocolate which would have practically demonstrated that someone cared about them and loved them.
We must remember them each and every one for what they went through.
When I read your post this reminded me of a man I researched for my local war society. This man fortunately appeared to have a family who cared for him. However, I found a story about him in my local paper. A school girl from his locality had received a letter from him thanking her effusively for a pair of socks she had knitted and sent out to the front. The family must have sent in the letter to be published. What comes acrossin his published letter is his immense gratefulness. He said that receiving a letter was like receiving a five pound note and how pleased he sounded to get the socks!
I suppose socks would have often been a real life saver to those in the trenches. They were at risk of 'trench' foot and losing their feet and legs through infection by standing in water for long periods. No wonder they were so grateful if they could get a dry pair of socks occasionally as this may have helped them get through the war with their two legs, that is if they were not, slaughtered in the fighting.
I think it is not just those who had no one to care for them who are at risk of being forgotten sadly.
In my own case, I knew very little if anything of my ancestors who served in the Great War until I started researching my own family history. Their stories had just become lost in the sands of time. I had grown up with a plaque for my Great Uncle John on the wall at home. He was my Dad's Uncle. However, once I started researching him and my Grandfather's cousin I actually discovered that there is a lot out there about them which none of us in the family knew anyhing about previously. I now feel that I know them and their stories very well and they feel like family members and not just names carved on stone. In the case of Jacob, he is named on a monument about a 20 minutes bus ride from where I live. The monument is behind some trees and next to a pub. Would you believe it that until I started researching I and other family members had not even known that this monument even existed let alone of Jacob's sacrifice! Now, we have each been along to see this. It just shows that even in close family's like ours in just a few generations without stories being gathered there is a risk of forgetting, sadly. I have now amassed a lot of information about John and Jacob. I have come across documents sent to and from my Great Grandfather Simon who was John's father for instance and I have a very good photo of Jacob now. Believe me, there is lots out there to find on people who served in the Great War if people look in the right places.
Once again, thanks for your support Viktoria.