Veterans

[Tim Birch]

The recent sad passing of Jasper Hankinson and Alfred Pugh has made me realise how privileged some of us have been to meet and know some of these men.

No doubt many of us, particularly those of more mature years, have met many veterans and probably not realised the historical significance of these relationships, friendships and meetings. In my case particularly poignent are memories of my grandfather William Birch (formerly Private ASC) who died in 1958; General Sir Richard Goodbody a former neighbour and retired army officer who I knew in the 1970s, and who had fought as a junior officer in the Great War; Brigadier Selby another retired neighbour from the 1970s - formerly RA and seconded to the RFC and shot down 3 times, and at the end of the war opting not to join the fledgling RAF, but returning to his parent Regiment; Lt CW Hill RFC (later Squadron Leader RAF) who was the co-author of "The Road To Endor" who I met in the late 1950s; another former RFC Officer who was a client of mine in the 1980s, and whose name I am ashamed to say I have lost, who told me he was a pall bearer at the funeral of Von Richthofen; and Mr Billingham aged 104 a resident of Hastings whom I met in 2002 and who had spent the winter of 1916/17 in the trenches at Beaumont Hamel, then in early 1917 marched "with rifle and pack" to Arras where he was wounded in the 1917 April offensive. Mr Billingham sadly passed on a few months after I met him.

Those of us who have met and talked these men are lucky in that we have known them as living people. When we die the link will be severed and their memories will be consigned to the history books and will be as remote to future generations as Wellington's Redcoats.

Tim

[Bob Coulson]

Tim,

I agree it is a privilege that sadly I have not experienced.

Bob.

[Andrew P]

It is indeed a privilege to have met some of those who have served in WW1. Unfortunately as a teenager in the 1980's/90's, by the time I became interested in these WW1 men and their stories, the majority had passed away. In another 20 years we will be in this position with WW2 veterans, so if you have a chance or know any WW2 veterans, it would be a great idea to record their opinions and thoughts on their service, before it is to late.