Soldier Record

My Great Grandfather joined his family regiment, to support his many brothers, uncles, cousins, etc, despite not having to due to the number of men from that family and the farm commitments. Just at the beginning of the Somme, when my grandfather was only 2 weeks old, a grenade was thrown into the trench. It did not detonate immediately and he threw himself on it to prevent the shock waves going along the trench and casuing multiple deaths and injury. He died, leaving my great grandmother to raise 7 sons and run the family farm. She died when my gran father was 9 years old, probably due to over work, and he was raised by two maiden aunts. My Grandfather was a sapper and played an important part in Malta during WWII. I think of them both often