How tragic a death Lawrence suffered. He was serving his country as a young man of just 18 years when he fell to his death when out walking around the area of his home barracks in South Shields. He joined "D"Coy, 3rd Btn Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regt) in April 1916 but just one month later he was walking around the perimeter of the Harton [Click to continue…]

William James Blake Bowhay (1898-1918), a Lance Corporal in the 8th Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps died on 13 Apr 1918 and is buried at Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais. William was the son of William Drake and Susannah of Walford House, Mary Tavy, Tavistock, Devon. Contact me for more information about the family. Email bowhay@one-name.org [Click to continue…]

What happened to our Joe? This is the story of Joe Cree, a young Australian farmer. But it could be the story of anyone who joined up to fight for his country. It is perhaps the archetypical story of war. Joseph Cree was born in Majorca, a little town in Victoria, in November 1894. His father Samuel Talbot Cree was born in County Down, Ireland, probably [Click to continue…]

Ivan Douglas Scott Orbell, to give him his full name, was born in New Zealand on the 18th July 1889. He was the 9th and youngest child of Henry Orbell and his wife Margaret. Henry was born in Suffolk and emigrated to New Zealand in 1849 with his parents  when he was 18. The family were quite well to do by the 1890s and young Ivan was sent to school [Click to continue…]