There’s been a notable growth of interest in First World War Genealogy in recent years. I think there are probably two reasons for this – programmes such as Who Do You Think You Are, and the prominence that they give to military history; and also the recent passing of the last veterans of the Western Front. Therefore this book by Paul Reed is most timely.
Many military genealogy books seem to follow a structured but disjointed route – this is how you do this, this is where you go to do this, etc etc. and by the way, you can find this out from here because etc etc. But here Paul Reed has followed a different model, by purely writing about 12 individuals, and THEN explaining HOW he found out about them. I think this approach works, as the reader can become fully immersed in the story without being interrupted with details of musems, archives and suchlike. I think its a much easier approach for the layman in particular.
Reed has chosen a broad but well-balanced range of individuals to write about. We find out about a Field Artillery subaltern who was killed in action but whose body was brought home to England; the village of Wadhurst (a timely counter to the perception that all Pals units came from ‘oop north’); The Royal Naval Division at Gallipoli; A Greek man on the Western Front; A Tunneller VC winner; A man who died in a base hospital; A Vicar’s son who fought in three theatres; A Royal Marine at Passchendaele; A ‘Great War Guinea Pig‘; An Officer who was dismssed from the Army for striking a French woman, but then re-enlisted as a Private; A Black Flying Corps Pilot and a little-known War Poet.
Plenty to get stuck into, and plenty to inspire too. I’ve found it useful and inspiring for my own Portsmouth WW1 Dead research.
I have been trying umpteen sites for information about my uncle, William Crumplin born Winchfield Hampshire c1895, died France 1916. I was told by my mother he was Royal Hampshire Regt. but can’t get any official info. Any advice?? Ednamay
Hi Edna, this is the only William Crumplin I can find on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s online register who died in 1916:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=757853
If its the right one, he died during the latter stages of the Battle of the Somme, and he has no known grave. Unfortunately there aren’t any personal details such as family or address.
There is a Sgt William Ewart Boulter b Oct 92 d 55. Won the VC in France, later became a Lt. Do you have anything on him or his family?