Today is Armistice day

This is the boy, Arthur Raymond Peacock, who signed up for the Northamptonshire Reserves on his eighteenth birthday, 6th January, 1909, to serve his King and country.

Certified copy of attestation - joining the Reserves for six years service.

Arthur Edward Raymond Peacock

This is the friend who had fun with his mates.... "we have to go bathing at half-past six in the morning and the waves dash into your face....". played practical jokes and complained of six to a tent "...there's hardly room to move..."

This is the son who wrote home to his Mum and Dad.

..."I can't tell you when we shall come back, I don't think it will last long, but I suppose we shall stop till it is done. Of course there's nothing to bother about.....

... who sent love and kisses to his younger brothers. The reserves were amongst the first to go.

Like so many countless others this young man never came home from the fields in France where the poppies grow.

His were the parents who wept. His was the mother who never again locked the front door ... just in case... in desperate hope that it wasn't him.. her first born son.

These and many like him are the ones we should remember

Comments

[Wild Rose]

Words cannot express the sadness felt by those families who lost loved ones. This is such a moving and beautiful post.

Marie x

[Ali]

A beautiful post. Thanks.

[The Bead Dreamer]

How very strong and thought provoking was this post. Each life matters and when I look at how so very young they all are that are sent off to war, I can only shudder and shake. Your post is so very eloquent and profound.

[Andrea]

My Great Uncle was 19 when he fought in France and after he died in his late eighties we found letters and a small diary. The writing is not easy to read but my Mum sat and wrote as much as she could. Ihave then used this for school assemblies. It is astonishing how young these lads were and the conditions and pain they suffered. My Uncle was injured and was dischrged from the army, he was left with a permanant limp. he was one of the lucky ones! Whether is affected him or not I do not know as I was very young when he was still alive he never showed it if it did.
Very touching post.

[Lace hearts]

What a beautiful post. It's all so sad, realizing just how young they all were.

[dottycookie]

Your beautiful post sums it up perfectly. Thank you.

[maria]

It's all so sad. My Grandmother's brother was killed in the first world war as a very young man in France. He had been delivering mail or messages, not sure which, on a motorbike and was advised to stay overnight before returning to his base as it was late, but the tent he was in was bombed and he was killed. He is in a war grave in Hazebrooke, France and we are planning to visit the grave next year as nobody from the family has ever been. His parents also lost a son in the second world war in a Japanese POW camp. It is unimagineable what these normal people from a small seaside town in Norfolk must have suffered.