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AAh, if only. Unfortunately, my father died young and we somehow lost touch with his family in South Durham. So I have little to go on. Whilst I do have my dad's photo albums, his dad's are still in his family somewhere I guess. When my Mum died, I inherited Grandad's MM, which set me off on a quest. Peterhastie put some photos up on this thread further down. Have you seen them?
All of the people who might have known something, like my Uncle Les and Auntie Millie, are gone now of course. The only relative I actually met who might still be with us is my cousin Colin Bell. I tried to find him, but it is a common name and the search defeated me.

You are right about the photo. I copied it and it all came out.

Thanks Tessy.

It's not that incident I'm really concerned with, although we think he may have lost his arm as one of the wounded. It's what he did to win his MM. We have a vague family story of him rescuing his officer under fire, but no citation.

Peterhastie said that the battalion was at Villers Foucan during the summer of 1917 when he won his MM. There was a story on one of the websites about a padre who won an MC in action near Epinay - Lempire at about this time. Although not a 19NF, he was in a unit of the 35th division, so the whole division was in that area.

I figure there must have been skirmishing going on, rather than an all out battle, but I can't seem to get any further.

I would buy"The History of the 35th Division" if I knew there was good info in it. Anybody read it?

Thanks Peterhastie. I'll study those pictures closely.

This is the only photo I have of Corporal Robert Hopper, taken in 1949 with his son Robert, who would have been about the same age as Grandad was in 1917 I guess.

Thank you Peterhastie. That is very interesting. It means he only lost about a fortnight of the war!

Some say the politicians and Generals had already agreed the armistice, but let the war go on to the symbolic 11/11 date. If so, Lloyd George and Haig cost my grandad his arm, and could have been his life.

However, I still don't know what he got his MM for, or when or where. I only ask now because my mum has just died and I have come into possession of the medal.

Does that CD have such information on it?

Regards

BA