Does Ww1 Still Resonate On Your Family In Any Way?

[10ClarionSt]

I ask this because my paternal grandfather (who died in the year I was born) fought all the way through WW1 without any injuries. However, my dad never had a good word to say for him. He said he was a violent, heavy smoking, gambling, alcoholic. My dad's mother was very sick with pneumonia most of her life and died at the young age of 40. This meant my dad and his siblings were constantly in care of the social services. But on reflection, my grandfather would have been through some horrendous battles and his negative habits these days would no doubt be related to PTSD, something that wasn't recognized back then. In my opinion, it's clear my grandfather was never cut out to be a parent of any description due to his wartime experiences. Something that I still think about and wonder how my dad would have reacted if I'd suggested this to him. But I'll never know now.

[douglas9401]

No, not at all.

[naomi24]

No.

[hc4361]

Have you seen your grandfather's service record, 10C? Could be interesting reading. Of course he may just have been a nasty man.

My paternal grandfather died in WWI leaving his wife to bring up three young boys alone. Only one of those boys came back from WWII, my father.

My maternal grandfather was seriously injured in WWI and lived the rest of his life in pain and disabled.

[Baldric]

I'm the eldest Male in my Family, so not at all.

[hc4361]

You may be able to find it online. I've tried to do the family tree but can find no trace of my paternal grandfather's birth certificate or parents so came to a dead end

[corylus]

My grandfather served and was injured (and survived) WW1, the war was never mentioned in my family, my father served in WW2, similarly nothing was ever said about this but I have some old photos of him serving in Italy and other places with the Royal Signals.

[maggiebee]

My father also served in WW2 in Africa etc. in the Royal Tank Regiment. He was badly wounded in Africa and ended up in hospital in Port Said. He came home safely but my mother always said he was never the same again. My two elder brothers (10 and 8 years older than me) hated my father all their lives. Never spoke to him for years although he lived till he was 95.

[EdmundD]

When the 1910 census was released I did some research into it and found an uncle I never knew existed. I subsequently learned by further research that he was killed in France in April 1915 and is buried there. His name had never been mentioned by either his parents or any of his brothers or sisters. And I'll never know why now.

[237SJ]

My Gran's brother lost a leg in the Great War. He was always a tightwad and a bit of a tetchy character but I don't know how much of that was down to his experiences or his character. Either way, he did'nt have any impact on my life.

[EDDIE51]

I think WW1 'resonates' with every family in Europe!
Over 38 Million people were killed!!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties
Can you even begin to imagine what that was like?

[EDDIE51]

^ Sorry 38 million casualties, 18 million killed!

[RobNorth]

This is difficult to quantify 100 years on in a totally different world.
The vast majority of returning servicemen came back to the same crap existence which they had left, only made worse by unemployment, thanklessness, and in many cases the discovery of infidelity.
All this after the polar opposites of being properly fed, clothed and accommodated, interspersed with the horrors of battle. It would not be surprising if many turned into bad tempered boozers...