Soldier Record
Martin Handley
Contributed by: Zoe Norris, on 2008-11-14
| Rank | |
|---|---|
| First Name | Martin |
| Surname | Handley |
| Year of Birth | 1893 |
| Year of Death | 2006 |
| Regiment | 17th Lancers |
| Place of Wartime Residence | Waterford, Ireland |
Martin's Story
A brave and noble man, my Grandfather only ever spoke of lighthearted incidents from the first world war to us. Having left Ireland with his family as a child and moved to Cricklewood in London he joined the cavalry in India and when war broke out he was moved by sea, with his horse to France.
We can only imagine what this must have been like now. He was among a rare few who, along with his horse, survived the horrors - a cruel turn of fate meant that he had to leave his faithful horse behind in France when he came home.
Snippets of information from other family members indicate that he basically had a mental breakdown in the time after the war but still went on to marry and have a son and three grandchildren, living to the amazing age of 97 - buoyed up always by his overwhelming positive mental attitude.
No additional memories have been submitted