Less we forget...the brave lads in 1914-18...today we remember them

 A horrendous war fought bravely!

 Indeed we should never forget .But a war even more unnecessary than most .Colonial powers using up not only there own people but ours as well to sate the desire of Kings and other ''leaders'' to one up each other in the great game till it slipped out of their control .WW2 of course was fought against some utterly evil regimes .I had one Great Grandfather fighting for King and Country in the NZ army and one fighting for Kaiser and Vaterland .Utterly wasteful.But I wonder ,as they were in roughly the same area if they ever had the other in their sights ? If the Aussies had of shot a wee bit straighter hitler would have been maggoted there and then ,bugger eh ?Thats pretty groovy about your great uncle being a Bok.

 Great Grandfather was a military man so was already fighting at the Front when he had a young soldier brought to him to be taken under his protection. Turned out to be his under age son, my Great Uncle, who had run away from the Military Academy where he and his brothers were schooled and had lied about his age to join up. A ridiculous coincidence saw him delivered straight to his own, very angry, Father ! However, as my Great Uncle said he would simply run away again if was returned home, Great Grandfather kept him with him, under his care. He wrote to my Great Grandmother to let her know her son was safe and he would look after him. That he did. They both survived the trenches and the entire War unscathed. The same could not be said for my Great Grandmother. When my Grandmother was about 18 months old, she was born in 1915, her Mother died of Spanish Flu. With her Father and a brother away fighting, two other brothers sent to Military Academy and an older sister who had been exiled for divorcing a husband and starting a career as a Nurse, my Grandmother was sent to live with two Governesses in Stratford upon Avon. She remained there until her Father remarried when she was about 12. 
The War had a huge cost, both human and animal.And the death toll of Spanish Flu should not forgotten also. 

 Great Grandfather was a military man so was already fighting at the Front when he had a young soldier brought to him to be taken under his protection. Turned out to be his under age son, my Great Uncle, who had run away from the Military Academy where he and his brothers were schooled and had lied about his age to join up. A ridiculous coincidence saw him delivered straight to his own, very angry, Father ! However, as my Great Uncle said he would simply run away again if was returned home, Great Grandfather kept him with him, under his care. He wrote to my Great Grandmother to let her know her son was safe and he would look after him. That he did. They both survived the trenches and the entire War unscathed. The same could not be said for my Great Grandmother. When my Grandmother was about 18 months old, she was born in 1915, her Mother died of Spanish Flu. With her Father and a brother away fighting, two other brothers sent to Military Academy and an older sister who had been exiled for divorcing a husband and starting a career as a Nurse, my Grandmother was sent to live with two Governesses in Stratford upon Avon. She remained there until her Father remarried when she was about 12. 
The War had a huge cost, both human and animal.And the death toll of Spanish Flu should not forgotten also. 

 1919 the Flu killed more American soldiers on their troopships than they lost in combat .They estimate that around 50000 boys under the age of 18 were pressganged or knowingly allowed to join the Army .One lad of 15 who broke under prolonged artillery fire was executed ,and he was one of many .

Crickey...this tears at my heartstrings...also got Scottish blood from Mom's side

http://youtu.be/rfsasAlICo8

http://youtu.be/hqY79y-SCbA