one grandfather failed to get into the army because of his health
the other did the full 6 years and we have his medals at home. he died a long time before i was born, but my dad said he would never ever talk about it. he had an accordion that he carried around with him throughout the war, and when he got home, he put it in the attic, and never touched it again.

what we do have is a stash of cards that he sent back throughout the war to my grandma, dad and uncle, for their birthdays, christmases etc. we also have the ones that my great grandfather sent to my great grandmother from ww1, which are very sweet but soooo formal. "dear miss wilson..."
( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:03, 2 replies, latest was 13 years ago)

My grandad's medal were nicked in a burglary at his home
I'll fucking kill whoever nicked them
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:05, Reply)

my dad and his brother sold their dad's when he died
they were pretty young and he had only ever left them in a box in the attic, but i think it was still a terrible thing to do. certainly they deeply regret it now. my dad wrote to the MOD a few years later and the MOD made him copies, which he now has on the wall in his office, but it's just not the same.

yours is horrible. can i suggest running him over very slowly with your car?
( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:08, Reply)

You certainly can

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:19, Reply)

You'll have to find me first.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:10, Reply)

Both of my great-grandfathers on my mum's side died at the Somme.
I'm sure that was a cheerful year.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:07, Reply)

that must have been horrific

( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:09, Reply)

I suspect so
although as a family they've been through worse.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:11, Reply)

i meant the somme, mindblowingly awful
but yes of course for your family at the time too.

i think this post may be the worst grammar i've ever used. EVER.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:13, Reply)

Oh, right, yeah
Unimaginable I expect.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:13, Reply)

luckily for us

( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:16, Reply)

My great great uncle bought it at Ypres
We're one of those military families.
( Kroney, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:11, Reply)

Those ones who were all killed?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:16, Reply)

One killed every generation
at least until my uncles came to their senses and went into accounts/sales.
( Kroney, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:17, Reply)

when presumably the boredom made them want to kill themselves?

( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:18, Reply)

Mainly the garlic

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 18 Jul 2012, 15:20, Reply)