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A disaster almost beyond imagination happened off the French coast 82 years ago. The story of a young man – connected to my family – caught up in the horror of the event is told here with the help of research carried out by Norina Dixon. David Jones was a young soldier evacuating war-torn France … [Read more...] about The day 4,000 lost their lives in forgotten tragedy of WW2

When I researched Frank Roberts’ remarkable escape from death in the Great War, I had been unable to trace any of his descendants. That all changed in the most astonishing way when two people closely connected to him attended a talk I gave in Devon about his wartime experiences. The first pictures … [Read more...] about War hero’s family found after extraordinary breakthrough

Clive Johns was a man who ‘lived twice’. He was alive and well when his ‘death’ in the Great War was announced in his local newspaper in New Zealand. Here, I look back at that extraordinary moment in June 1917 – and how he cheated death on the front line just a new months later. I also reflect on … [Read more...] about How Great War soldier Clive came back from the dead

Edward Swift Jones faced a potential jail sentence after his wife, Susan, died in a road accident. Susan – who was connected to my mum’s family – was riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by her husband when it was involved in a collision with a car in Cardiff in 1926. An inquest jury returned a … [Read more...] about Double disaster for Edward after his wife dies in road tragedy

From this month, I have started to honour 104 men connected to my family who died in the two world wars and the 2nd Boer War. I am remembering them all on Twitter on the anniversaries of their deaths. The first seven, who died in the two world wars, were: April 17 Sgt Henry Brookfield was … [Read more...] about My family at war

He was wounded while defending an area known as ‘hell on earth’ in the Great War. Alfred Bishop – who was connected to my family – was recovering from his ordeal when he fell desperately ill at home. He died less than two months after surviving the Battle of Hill 60 in Belgium in 1915. His story is … [Read more...] about Tragic end for Alfred after he survives horrors of Hill 60

Albert Henry Victor Brackley enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force under a false name in 1916. He had ‘deserted’ his wife and two children when he sailed for England later that year. His ruse was discovered when he went absent without leave and after his wife told the Australian Army he had … [Read more...] about Albert dices with death in France after going to war under a false name

The moving story of a young soldier who survived the Great War was told for the first time almost a century after he fought on the front line. The great-grandson of James Henry Bane – who was connected to my family – revealed the horrors he faced in a heart-rending article published in Australia. … [Read more...] about Gassed on the Western Front: The terrible toll war took on James Bane

Illness claimed the lives of countless young children in Victorian times. Daniel and Sarah Arscott, my great-grandparents, lost four children in the 19th Century – three in just 48 days.  Here, I look at how diphtheria brought tragedy to their family. And at how the death of Daniel and Sarah’s … [Read more...] about How the ‘children’s plague’ brought tragedy to Daniel and Sarah

A visit to Knowstone played a key role in revealing the tragedy of four young men connected to my family who died in the Great War. One was killed while fighting with the Australian Army on the Western Front in the Great War. Two died in France – in 1914 and 1917. Another died of wounds in hospital … [Read more...] about How village memorial helped me to find 4 family members who died in Great War