This Friday will mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme and across the country there will be events remembering the men who fought and by extension the women and children who were also touched by that battle.
Now over the last few years I have reflected on the impact of the Great War on Eltham and Woolwich.*
On a very personal level our house on Well Hall Road was one of those built for the munitions workers and the end one of the four was destroyed by a stray Zeppelin Raid.
And that personal link extends to the story of George and Nellie Davison of Hulme in Manchester who were briefly living just yards from our house.
I uncovered the link with Well Hall while writing Manchester and the Great War, and Tricia Lesley went on to pinpoint the house and discover more about the people who shared their home with the Davisons.**
And there will be plenty of people who have direct family connections with the Arsenal, like Jean whose grandfather settled in Eltham after being offered work at the Arsenal.
Finally there will be some who will be able to point to a name on our war memorial and tell a story of a grandfather or great uncle who left Eltham to serve in the armed forces.
Their stories are also in the process of being collected and so I was pleased when Ryan sent me these pictures of the memorial outside the parish church.
I would like to be in Eltham on Friday but will be participating in a service of Remembrance here in Manchester.
That said I would welcome any pictures and stories of the men from Eltham to add to the project Remembering the Battle of the Somme.***
Location; Eltham
Pictures; the war memorial 2016 from the collection of Ryan Ginn
*Eltham and the Great War, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Eltham%20and%20the%20Great%20War
**A new book on Manchester and the Great War, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/A%20new%20book%20on%20Manchester%20and%20the%20Great%20War
***Remembering the Battle of the Somme, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Remembering%20the%20Battle%20of%20the%20Somme
On a very personal level our house on Well Hall Road was one of those built for the munitions workers and the end one of the four was destroyed by a stray Zeppelin Raid.
And that personal link extends to the story of George and Nellie Davison of Hulme in Manchester who were briefly living just yards from our house.
I uncovered the link with Well Hall while writing Manchester and the Great War, and Tricia Lesley went on to pinpoint the house and discover more about the people who shared their home with the Davisons.**
And there will be plenty of people who have direct family connections with the Arsenal, like Jean whose grandfather settled in Eltham after being offered work at the Arsenal.
Finally there will be some who will be able to point to a name on our war memorial and tell a story of a grandfather or great uncle who left Eltham to serve in the armed forces.
I would like to be in Eltham on Friday but will be participating in a service of Remembrance here in Manchester.
That said I would welcome any pictures and stories of the men from Eltham to add to the project Remembering the Battle of the Somme.***
Location; Eltham
Pictures; the war memorial 2016 from the collection of Ryan Ginn
*Eltham and the Great War, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Eltham%20and%20the%20Great%20War
**A new book on Manchester and the Great War, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/A%20new%20book%20on%20Manchester%20and%20the%20Great%20War
***Remembering the Battle of the Somme, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Remembering%20the%20Battle%20of%20the%20Somme
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