Should old acquaintance be forgot?

As the new year gets underway I wanted to take a moment to thank all my visitors for their support, especially those who took the time to contact me in 2014. Your feedback is much appreciated. I find it very gratifying to connect with both fellow researchers and descendants of soldiers commemorated on my blog.

2015 is a big year for me as I begin a new chapter in my life. I bid farewell to far too many friends, family and acquaintances in 2014 and it served as a sober reminder that life is both precious and short. I want to make the best use of my time, energy and passion to help others both remember their ancestors and to pass their stories on to future generations. I look forward to revealing more details in the coming weeks.

I also have some very exciting news to share about an article I researched in 2014. Unfortunately I’m not in a position to make an announcement today but I hope to do so within the next two weeks. Suffice it to say that if I never publish another First World War article I can walk away knowing that I ‘did my bit‘.

That being said I have no intention of being demobbed any time soon and so dozens of new stories are planned for 2015.  I’m looking forward to continuing my story of Private John Denholm and his experience in the 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish), including a new article featuring photographs of the 16th battalion crossing the English Channel aboard H.M.T. Maidan and another focusing on a souvenir associated with their famous attack on Kitcheners’ Wood. I’ll also introduce readers to three Canadian brothers, the first of whom saw action as a doctor at the Second Battle of Ypres, a British Nurse who encouraged wounded soldiers to record their thoughts and drawings in her autograph book, and a Scottish relative who died in action at Gallipoli in June 1915. Remarkably this soldier, a Sergeant in the 7th Battalion Royal Scots, narrowly escaped death in the Gretna railway disaster. More remarkable still is the fact that I only discovered my great-great uncle served in this unit while researching a series of articles related to postcards sent by a fellow soldier killed in the crash.

Thank you again for your support and I wish you all a very Happy New Year!