Soldier Record

I was nearly 15 when my Grandad Tuffin died. He was a big man but always kind and loved us as grandchildren, though I think our childish racket must have got to him sometimes, hence his friendly cry: you'll wake the Ransomes! (my grandparents neighbours, two of the sons of whom were nightworkers). Some of the toys we were allowed to play with were little brass tanks and planes that we later discovered were made from brass shell cases by German POWs. I knew of course that Grandad had fought in the Great War and indeed that his experience in that war had led him to volunteer for home guard duties on the anti-aircraft guns in Chelmsford 'rec' in WW2. He never talked to me about war, or anything unpleasant, come to that. I remember that he used to be in pain after work, in the winter especially, because of the moaning noises that he made until he had sat down in his chair for a while. As children my sister and I just came to accept that as 'normal' grandad tuffin noises! My grandmother told me that he had been wounded on the Western Front and had been "pulled off barbed wire" and hospitalised. According to her that experience had damaged his heart and continued to give him pain throughout the rest of his life. I also found out later that his brother, Herbert William Tuffin had been fatally wounded and died on 23rd December 1916. Herbert is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Belgium near Ypres. According to my mother Herbert was only 20.