audio-talk

My great uncle Ralph Mole, more German than English (they chnaged their name fro Muller to Mole when the imegrated, and thye married other Germna imegrants, was killed in WW1, on the British side.

If I don't remember him, noone else will. Hope you don't mind.

Very interesting, never occurred to me there might be any Germans fighting against the Kaiser.

Yes another brother Herman a real good German name died inthe war too, one or both are listed in the Somme. My uncle who is giving me the info has been to the Somme to see the name/s.

I'm probbaly 1/4 German. Can't speak a word though. But on my Dad's side furthest back we know of is 17th Century Church records a place called Newbold not sure if North or South. somewhere near Cave North and South. They were Squires with land, but non of it lasted long neough. I didn't even inherit from my dad a brass farthing. The whole lot went to my wicked German step mother.

Germna this and German that. I don't know why they imigrated from Germnay to Britain. Nobody ever talked about it, Grandad never said a word about the ww1 either. Never told a living sole whta he went through. Alot of ww1 vets never spoke of it. So horrific.

One regret I have, That grandad came downstairs one day with a sword in his hand and said, "would you like this?" He and grandma had obviously given it a lot of thought and presented it to me. But I hadn't realised at the time I was singled out for something special. Being a dick I refused it. I would take it now.

After the funeral I said the gathered family, "what happened to Grandpa's sword?" "what sword?" Seemingly he never even showed it to any other family. What a dick I was refusing it, and how special it must have been to him. Probably brought it back from the war.

I did get a sword from my uncle on the other side. When he offered it I was by then aware, and I nearly nawed his arm off. It is a Navy Officers Sword from 18th Century, which my greta grandfather that I never knew took for a gambling debt.

I vaguely remember something about, in the late 19th century, some German industry folded up, or became obsolete, whatever, so a large number of Germans emigrated to England looking for work. Something like that. Could've been that.

Yes that would be the period.

If someone offers you something, ALWAYS take it.

Even if it's a pile o crap.

The amount of shit I've taken over the year's is unreal.

Mudshark wrote:If someone offers you something, ALWAYS take it.

Even if it's a pile o crap.

The amount of shit I've taken over the year's is unreal.

Exactly whta the uncle who gave the sword that I do have said. I took it thta time. Your very same words. "Paul, if someone offers you something, take it, because they might not offer it again." some years later he offered me a sword. nearly broke his arm taking it out of his hand.

Paul Barker wrote:

Mudshark wrote:If someone offers you something, ALWAYS take it.

Even if it's a pile o crap.

The amount of shit I've taken over the year's is unreal.

Exactly whta the uncle who gave the sword that I do have said. I took it thta time. Your very same words. "Paul, if someone offers you something, take it, because they might not offer it again." some years later he offered me a sword. nearly broke his arm taking it out of his hand.

Used to keep it by the bed, but no longer, since I learned it is not classed as reasonable force. I heavy torch (one of those long metal ones) by your bed is aparently something you can get away with, according to a local police woman who has exactly that by her bed.

I had heard though from other people if you slash an intruder with a sword do so below the knee, as above the knee chance of killing them. I mentioned this to a Para mate and he said just cut their toes off.

This is the Para in the building trade who broke a man's finger for poaking him in the chest, a sort of Para reflex action. When his workmate screwed his mrs and stole £2000 from him, he said "have you seen him?" (said with intimidation)"no" (said with knees knocking), " if you do tell him I'll nail his balls to a tree" "you don't mena that do you?" " I've done it before"

He who lives by the sword dies by the sword, and I don't ordinarily harness the skills of these characters. But I was very tempted when a girl I know was beaten by her partner, she says he nearly killed her. My mind went straight to the balls nailer. But, no I didn't make contact over the matter. The offender is in jail now anyway for glassing someone in her family that was trying to prevent him from finding her.

I only hope the wing find out what he's in for.

Interesting post Paul
Not exactly 100 years ago but very nearly on Feb 12th 1917 my Dad was shipwrecked off the Cornish coast.
He was an 18year old Merchant seaman and his post was a Radio or more correctly for 1917 a Wireless Operator.
Following the loss of the Titanic an increasing number of ships were equipped with the new fangled radio comms.
His ship was the Lucent a 10409 ton steamer which was shipping coal dust from Cardiff to Southhampton.
After rounding the Lizard and off Dodman Point the Lucent was ordered to stop by U boat UC66 which surfaced beside her and was boarded by
a German officer waving a revolver who gave the order "You vill get in zee lifeboats" or something similar. After the crew had obeyed this command U66 proceeded to sink the Lucent by gunfire. All very gentlemanly in those days.
The Lucents company rowed ashore and landed at Hemmik Beach. There was only one house at Hemmik and I think this is still the case.
The inhabitant of this house was the local Postman who was rather alarmed at the unexpected gang of coal dust encrusted seamen arriving on his doorstep.
Apparently he saddled up his pony and made his way to Port Loe just around the coast, alerted the local fishermen who rowed round and transported the crew back to Port Loe where they were accommodated in the local Pub.

According to WW1 U boat records U66 commanded by Herbert Pustkutchen after some more successful damage to shipping was bombed and sunk on 17/5/1917 by a RNAS Curtis H12 flying boat with the loss of all crew.
The horrific working conditions on a WW1 U boat and the bravery the men who crewed cannot be underestimated.

In 1917 with radio on ships being a rather new thing Dad was treated as something like cross between god and a magician and could do no wrong in the eyes of the Lucents captain.
Dads main memory of the day was that after U66 had surfaced some of it's crew exited the conning tower and their first task was to tip the gun barrel downwards to empty it of seawater.
Just another minor incident from 1914/18.

Very interesting story, Stuart, thank you and nice to see you are still here. I hope all is good with you.

Yes indeed!

Great story Paul....luv it....all the more poignant for being true.

Mudshark wrote:Great story Paul....luv it....all the more poignant for being true.

Thanks.

Weierd thing. When my gramdad passed away I had a dream of him and Herman being happy together. Only problem is I never knew about Herman. I said to my mother "he's with Herman now". Then she told me Herman was his favourite brother thta didn't come back from WW1. Noone in the family ever talked about WW1. Conversely my dad talked baout WW2 every single day of his life. He was on a destroyer.