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Trying To Find Scottish Family WW1 Graves in France
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- Опубликовано: 17 авг 2024
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On the 11th of November 2018, which I remember vividly as being a bitterly cold day, I stood at the war memorial in the Scottish village my family lived in for generations as the names of the young men who gave their lives in the First World War were read out by the minister. Three of those young men listed were my family members and it was at the moment, that I decided that someday I would make the journey to France to see where they lived their last moments and where they were laid to rest.
This is part one of a series exploring the WW1 sites on the Western Front and I start my journey in Arras at the Arras war memorial. Over 100 years ago on the 9th of April, 1917 a huge army was assembled in the historic town of Arras in North East France, many of the soldiers were Scottish or Canadians with Scottish heritage. The proportion of Scottish soldiers involved was higher than in any other battle of World War 1.
Lasting approximately 5 weeks until May 16th, the Battle of Arras concluded in a stalemate, resulting in around 160,000 casualties for the British and 125,000 casualties for the Germans. An estimated 18,000 Scottish were killed during the Battle of Arras and it was during this battle of the Great War that two of my family members died. Join me as I try and find the war graves and memorials of my family members who died in France.
Thank you to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the German War Graves Commission for their assistance in the production of this film.
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00:00 - Battle of Arras
02:09 - Arras Memorial
09:09 - Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery
14:28 - MyHeritage
15:57 - Vimy Ridge
19:10 - Canadain Cemetery
22:16 - Notre Dame de Lorette
23:39 - Ring of Remembrance
28:13 - Neuville-St Vaast German War Cemetery
30:33 - Back at Vimy Ridge
35:14 - Point Du Jour Scottish Memorial
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Do you have any relatives who also fought or were lost in the First World War?
My maternal grandfather played football against the Germans on Christmas Day and survived the war but my wife lost her grandfather and his brother during the First World War and they were both Medics, non combatants. I’m in a generation before yours so I can remember many ex WWI servicemen including a survivor with a VC who lived a few doors away from my family.
My great-aunt served in the US Navy, in France, during WWI. She was a pharmacist mate.
My Grandfather fought in the U. S. Army in France in World War One. It was my Mother's father.
@UC0jfNe2a8S5%F0%9F%98%80eH9YV82leGlQ Thanks for sharing, I'd heard about the football game but it's nice to know someone has a connection to it
My great-grandfather on my Father's side died tragically three weeks before the Armistice in late October 1918. Like many he was killed by German artillery so your point about the bodies is a valid one
One of your finest videos. My uncle from Canada died in WW2 and was buried in Brookwood , UK. When our family visited, the tears never stopped flowing. Having emotions, whether sad or happy, makes us realize we are human. Perhaps more people should visit the graves of their lost loved ones. And put an end to the madness of war.
Thank you, I appreciate your comment about the video. It would be a good idea. I wish I’d visited here on a school trip.
Ruth, yoir a very kind woman, BBC 2 nezt Ruth!
It warms my heart that someone as young as you showing so much respect. Thank you.
Thank you 🙏 it was something I wanted to do for a long time.
Hello Ruth, I want to thank you for this touching video. My great grandfather is buried at Villiers Station Cemetery at Villiers-au-Bois, about 17km from the Arras cemetery He was killed during the WW1 in 1917. It is wonderful to see how caring you are about relatives of your who died so long ago in that horrible war.
I saw so many cemeteries while driving around that area so it's nice to think that some of those graves might belong to your relative or relatives of others who watch this video.
A very moving video, thank you for going all the way to France to post this. Good to know that someone so young takes the time. Thank you. There is hope in the world with people like you around.
My mother in law and sister are going over to France to see her grandfather's war grave, my great great uncle lost his life in ww1 he was in Northumberland fusiliers 😢 beautiful moving vlog xxx
That was a Preety good Survival Rate in Britain in 1918 .Lass .
I have two family members buried in this cemetery. One was my great uncle's brother in law William Vandale who was a Metis soldier from Saskatoon. Buried 50 feet away is my distant cousin Lord Lawrence Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth. My great uncle Cecil Hoskins was a British orphan from Liverpool and a 7th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Cecil's brothers Harold and Percy aka Pudsey served in the Canadian Forces in WW1. Their brother Charles served in the British Navy.
Harold served in the same Battalion as William Vandale (46th South Saskatchewan) at Vimy Ridge and was killed a month later at Arras while attempting to assist a wounded friend. Their brother Charles had a brother in law Francis aka Frank LeBreton who was killed at Vimy Ridge on April 9 1917. Frank's son Frank served with the British Artillery in WW2. Shortly after Ravenna Italy was liberated, Frank was shot down while flying an air reconnaisance flight. Charles, Cecil, Harold, Frank, and Percy had a first cousin who was killed at Passchendaele. They also had two second cousins who were killed in the Battle of Gallipoli. In all I have traced dozens of stories of close family who served in both WW1 and WW2. My mom's dad missed Vimy Ridge convalescing in the hospital but he served at the Somme and took part in the last Canadian Cavalry Charge at teh Battle of Moreuil Wood.
@ruthaisling Thank you so much for this video and teh one on the Somme. I am deeply moved seeing the resting places and memorials close to where my family fought. If you would like help finding more about your Canadian relatives who served please let me know and I will send you an email.
Powerful and deeply moving, Ruth. This stoic American (whose grandfather fought in and returned from WWI) unapologetically shed tears for these noble, irreplacable lives cut short. + May they and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen. +
Thanks for watching Michael, it's so emotional. 😢
So well said. You managed to put into words my thoughts exactly. My grandfather also returned albeit with a shell wound on his hand that he only acknowledged whenever I asked him what the mark on the back of his hand was.
Amen @MichaelJRussell.
A very moving video, Ruth. Your care in remembering family members lost speaks to your character.
Thank you ❤️
Thanks for visiting the Canadian cemeteries. Lost two great uncles during WW1. Very humbling to see all these brave individuals. 🇨🇦✌
Do you know if your great uncles have graves or are they listed on the memorial?
A J Trebilcock, Nov 6, 1917. Buried in the new military cemetery in Vlamertinghe Belgium
J A Trebilcock, May 21, 1918. Buried in Le Bac du Sud.
q@@ruthaisling
A beautiful, respectful, and so clearly heartfelt, tribute to those who gave everything. A great-uncle of mine fell at Martinpuich, late in "the Somme". He was never identified, but, thankfully, is commemorated at Thiepval. I know well the feeling of being a lone visitor in WWI cemeteries. Having visited also busier ones, I prefer the solitude, and space for reflection, afforded by the smaller, quieter, sites. On one occasion in the '90s, I fell into conversation with an older French CWGC gardener at work, and learnt that he was second-generation in the job, his Scottish soldier father having stayed on in (or even returned to) France - post-demobilisation in 1918 or 1919 - specifically to work with the Commission on tending the graves. That's dedication and commitment, of the highest order, to one's fallen comrades. Your videos are full of worthwhile background information, and a joy to watch. All the best, from an appreciative doonhamer.
Wow, that's interesting to hear the story about the gardener. Thank you for watching.
Thank you for visiting our sites and cemeteries, delighted you were able to discover so much about your own family and about some of the casualties we commemorate.
Thank you for the incredible work you are doing.
Ruth, thank you for sharing this.
My grandfather served in WW1. He lost a leg and was burned by gas. He would never talk about it, except to say that he considered himself as one of the luckier ones that were able to return home.
Wow, one of the luckier ones. So sad 😢
My grandfather, John Denning Wallace, from Paisley, Scotland, was WIA (GSW) in the village of Fampaux, just outside of Arras, on 15 July 1918, while serving with the CEF 1st Div, 3rd Bde, 3rd Bn. He survived the war, but died a few years later in Kearney, NJ, at 30 years’ old from what was known then as “trench exposure” while serving in the trenches outside Arras. My family lost another 3 Scottish family members - just teenagers KIA- while serving in the A&S and the RNVR in the Great War”, and are buried in British cemeteries in northern France. Their legacy had the effect on me to volunteer and serve in 3 wars during 20 years in the US Army. I hope to one day visit the battlefields and their grave sites.
Thanks for sharing about your family members. I hope you can visit someday. 🙏
One of the most emotional things to occur in my job was a visit to the Commonwealth Graves Commission in Arras.
Helping them with their methods in restoring the headstones and to see two being machined and the engraving of the ages of the two young soldiers only 17 and 18.
Very sobering.
A visit to Thiepval and the Canadian memorial brings home the reality of it all.
It must have been really an emotional experience! Thanks for sharing your story!
While you were at the memorial, the strain and emotion in your voice and face was so evident.
Yes, it was very hard walking in there and seeing all those names. There are just so many names.
Thank you Ruth and kudos to you for going to the memorial on the day. "Lest we forget." I'm named for an uncle who died in a trench from gas poisoning. Another was a belly gunner who was lost in the Channel in WWII. I'm glad my parents were able to visit his memorial in Romsey. Let's all hope there is never a third.
It's nice that the names were used again in the families. Some of my family members are also named after my 3 relatives who died.
Same@@ruthaisling
We have so much to thank those people for that fought in WW1 and WW2, it's only when you see the names on the memorial that you realise how many people paid the ultimate price for our freedom
Thankyou for this Ruth ❤
Thanks for watching Phil. Seeing all those cemeteries and names on the memorials is just so so sad.
@@ruthaisling let's hope that it never happens again
Very much.
Ruth,
You were sent to the Canadian war cemetery, because your an angel.
I had tears seeing the waves of names on the walls.
I'd like to think that
I did this for my Great Aunt whose Son my Uncle died in WW2. I found the grave she had never seen placed flowers and both American/ Italian Flags and took pictures in 1984. Her son my Uncle died in 1944 at age 19 in the Battle of Metz. She died in 1988 at age 91. As far as I know I was the only family member to have visited it until my daughter repeated the process in 2015.
Oh wow, she must have appreciated seeing the photos so much. ❤
Hi Ruth, in the memorial where are all the names , if you look at the start of the column on the left hand side that are all the Arnold, if you count from the bottom up, on the 18th line is Arnold- William, George. I don’t know if you spotted? Is so sad seeing all this graves from all those young men and how their lives were wasted. You did a great job by visiting all the memorials and all the sadness that one must feel there. I thought that all the bad things that happened to you in France after visiting all the cemeteries, maybe has to do with the sadness you had in your spirit and brought to you all these accidents etc. much love to you and thank you for your videos. 😢❤😊
God bless you and your ancestors Ruth. TOTAL RESPECT. GOD BLESS THEM.
Thanks for watching this video!
My husband and I have done a similar trip, but we are old, it's so great to see a young woman like yourself, remembering these young soldiers, so: thank you,thank you thank you ❤
Thank you 🙏
I agree- I have visited many war cemeteries in France and Belgium and it is very emotional. Very humbling. So sad.
It's a feeling that is very hard to convey in the video.... 😢
This was a very moving journey to watch. My grandfather actually fought in the Great War. He was only 17 in basic training and barely 18 when sent into service. He was injured by shrapnel and mustard gas but survived to return and start a family. Sadly, he died before I was born. My father says he would never talk of his experience and could never bring himself to return to France and see the graves of his fallen friends. I can imagine it was an emotional experience to visit and research your own family members. I've visited a couple of times now myself, and it really brings home the vast scale of loss. It's very a very humbling and thought-provoking experience. Thanks for a very well considered and researched video Ruth.
Thank you David. Wow, your grandfather was so young too. I can imagine the memories must have been so painful to speak about 😢
Greetings from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil! I was very moved by watching your video of your search for your Scottish relatives killed during the First World War. It is very important to know our family tree and honor those who are gone, since it is because of them that we are here.
I have many books about World War I and World War II, I study both conflicts a lot. In fact, the Battles of the Somme and Arras were important and costly in terms of lives lost.
My great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers were also killed during the First World War, but in the interior of Turkey (then the Ottoman Empire). My ancestors were Armenians and were part of the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks - most historians accept that 1.5 million Armenians were killed during the First World War. My paternal grandfather managed to escape to Syria and, after the war, took a ship to Italy and, from there, to Brazil, arriving in São Paulo in 1926. In 1929 he called his girlfriend who was in Syria (my grandmother) and, in 1930, my father was born in São Paulo.
My mother's parents (also Armenian genocide survivors) fled to Lebanon, got married in France (Lyon) and came to Brazil (São Paulo) in 1932. My mother was born in 1937.
My parents got married in 1956 and I was born in 1957. I am Brazilian, but the grandson of Armenians.
It's a shame I don't know where my great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers were buried - if they were buried. Our family doesn't have the records, not even pictures. As Armenians have always been Christians, at the time there were no birth certificates - newborns had their names recorded in family Bibles, and these books were burned by the Turks. It is not possible to understand why even today Humanity has not learned from the mistakes of the past, we still see wars and a lot of intolerance around the world.
Thank you for sharing your video, my wife and I really enjoyed watching them. Your work is very beautiful and of excellent quality. And let's move on!
Thank you for the kind comments 🙏
I love even more now than you could ever know ❤
thank you Ruth for your search for loved ones.
I'm so glad I could visit.
Hi Ruth, why you visited France makes sense to me now. It was a trip of remembrance for you. I lost relatives too and one of them was before his time due to drowning, not in battle though he was a U.S. Navy veteran. I can't say I understand how you feel. I am sorry so many died Young in battle.
It was a trip I wanted to do for a long time.
This is a very touching video Ruth & beautifully done. My great grandfather's served in WWI & my grandfather's in WWII. All were fortunate to survive war & served in the Australian armed forces. I totally understand your feelings in visiting sites of battle & the cemeteries. You can feel the history & know you're standing on hallowed ground. It's a chance to pause & reflect. Thank you for your poignant video & for sharing some details of your family who perished in the war. ❤
Thank you for watching and your nice comments. I had really wanted to make this video for ages.
I remember as a child bisiting Montecasino in Italy it was so vast with so so many different graves of soldiers from all over ..the memory has stsyed with me all these years .. I also recently revisited graves in Thailand near river Kwai and the grief never goes away. I didnt hsve any relative involved in wars but nevertheless brought it all into perspective and just pray never reoccurs..
😔
Hello Ruth, as a regular visitor to the Great War battlefields I'd like to compliment you on your sensitive production and professional way that you treat the topic that is so dear to so many of us. I really like all your videos. Thank you so much for what you do.
Voyages en toute sécurité
Thank you so much, that means a lot.
What a wonderful & touching Video... I'm American, and our family lived in Paris for a few years when Dad worked for the IBM Plant there in the late 1960s... We visited many of the Battlefields, including the Argonne Forest in France where his father had fought --- the most moving & somber of these was in Verdon... Just the massive scale and the endless sea of Grave Markers was overwhelming..
I’d like to visit there if I go back again.
Thank you for the tour of the Arras Memorial.
I have a first cousin listed on that memorial, Lieutenant Lewis George Madley of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, killed in action 14th May 1917.
Best wishes from Wales.
Same month as one of my relatives. Thanks for watching. ❤️
What a wonderful respectful presentation, thank you and may God bless you and your family
Thank you for watching! ❤️
Thank you Ruth, for allowing us to accompany you on this journey.
War cemeteries are as you rightly allude too are somehow more poignant. Such bravery, hardship and sacrifice. So many futures lost, and more still who would live on with the scars of the war, physical and mental.
Such a senseless waste of life and lives fighting for reasons most of us have now forgotten, and at the order and behest of people long since gone.
How many of those young soldiers would have been friends if given the chance, if it were not for the ambitions of people and governments who would have never even known their faces? How many children were never born because thier future fathers never returned home? I have the deepest respect for those who did what they felt was their duty, but I despair at the ambitions that brought them to those places.
I hope one day humanity will finally learn, but sadly I doubt it.
Very well said, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you so much for this video. As a veteran it touched me deeply. I recently found your channel and I am enjoying it immensely. Thank you again.
Thank you so much Keith.
A beautiful video Ruth, highlighting the war memorials. I wasn't aware that there are quite a few! Regarding your Canadian family member it's funny how intuition / instincts take us to places that are meant to be allowing us to make important new discoveries. As I believe you were alluding to in your video it is such a shame that most people look past these memorials (not just war but memorials in general) like they are nothing when in fact so many people lost their lives so we all can walk. Incredibly moving. Stay true to yourself Ruth and keep up the great videos! :)
I really appreciate our comment Leon, thanks for watching the video!
Thank you Dear so much for allowing us to experience these things we will probably never be able to. As far as the coincedence? goes you are a SCOT this should feel natural. Right now a thunder storm is blowing up so I gotta Go. Thank you so much and keep up the AWESOME WORK and stay HEALTHY.
Thanks for watching Jack!
Proportionally Scotland suffered a higher price than anyone for this war, with the exception of Serbia. I lost many relatives. The Highland regiments especially suffered to the point that many regions have depopulated and never recovered. My Granny came from a croft near Fortingall, her 3 brothers never returned and the croft was abandoned, its now covered in forestry
So so sad 😞
France had one million casualties.....so.....you know what I mean.
Ruth, thank you for creating a thoughtful, beautiful, and eloquent memorial to those who gave all.
Thank you🙏I’m glad you enjoyed it.
So many lives lost, such a moving video, thank you. I have not seen any videos of this nature, so glad I came across yours, well done. We had plans to visit Vimy Ridge in 2020, but unfortunately our plans were cancelled, hopefully we can make it there someday. Lest We Forget 🇨🇦
Glad you enjoyed it. I do hope you manage to get there 😞
Nice video Ruth ! My son did a battlefield and cemetery tour with his school last September. It’s great that we are still remembering the sacrifices made by so many. Keeping the young informed will encourage each generation to remember.
That's really great to hear. I wish I had done school trips here when I was younger and learnt more about WW1.
One reason I can think of on why there is more space between some headstones is because maybe some had caskets and others might have been cremated or there was only small amount of remains left or no remains left so those would be closer? I'm not sure. Thank you for this somber video that pays tribute to those lost and educating along the way.
Thank you for watching ❤️
Very moving! The size of some of these cemeteries and the amount of names is unbelievable. My great grandfather was killed in the Somme, around the same time my grandfather was born back in England, so they never got to meet. Look forward to the next one and you've inspired me to look more into my family history. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Dan, hopefully you'll find the next video about the Somme interesting. That's so sad they never got to meet. 😥
A moving piece of work - well done. When travelling through France with our children, who are of your generation, we always made a point of stopping at war cemeteries. I think that it isn't possible to grasp the scale of loss of life until you see with your own eyes the ranks of grave markers and the unending lists of names. We should always remember the huge sacrifices that our ancestors made lest we let it happen again.
Yes that's so true, the loss becomes so real when you see all the graves and names on the memorials
Thanks for such a touching video Ruth and for your connections with the Canadian Engagement. Travelling through my province of Nova Scotia and in particular the small towns all over the province you will see War Memorials of those lost. Scary given how small these towns were and the impact it would have had. Tears yes, many many tears.
We lost Uncles on both sides of our family in WW I and WW II.
Thank you for watching, have you ever been to France to visit the sites?
Thank you for doing this very informative and heartfelt video. I am very lucky that my Grandpa and his 3 brothers from County Tyrone all came home. One brother was only 13 when he went to France and fought again in WW2. I just discovered your vlogs and am very much enjoying them. Thank you
I’m so pleased you are enjoying the videos. Thank you for watching 🙏
Hi Ruth, what a wonderful,moving video. I'm scottish, living in the US.
We had a President, who was a sad excuse for a leader of a modern country, just a few years ago. This man had never served in the armed forces.Having been born into a rich family, his father paid a doctor to say he had bone spurs in his feet, thereby keeping him from serving. This poor excuse for a human being, called all wounded, maimed and dead soldiers, suckers and losers. This man us running for President again, only this time, he wants to make himself a dictator. God help us all if he gets elected again.
Ruth, great videos; keep traveling and keep making them!
Blessings
Thank you..Will do!
What a powerful and personal story Ruth! Your video is very touching and I appreciate you taking us with you. Thank you for sharing. 🏴🥀🙏
My two great uncles (who were from Scotland) on my mother's side served in The Great War as well. They survived and immigrated to America in 1923. It was interesting to hear their stories from those days.
Thank you very much for watching. ❤
I'm sure somebody mentioned this but graves in close groups were mass burials (often field burials done when the battle was ongoing) and the more spaced-out graves were later internments when the cemetery was established.
Thank you 🙏
ルースさんの親族の亡くなった地を巡る旅に感銘を受けました。繰り返すまいと誓って慰霊したのに終わらない争いに暗澹たる気持ちになります。😺
平和のために祈ろう。
Hi Ruth - My grandmothers brother - Pvt Kenneth "Kenny" Green, 2nd Gordon Highlanders, Died of wounds 1915 at Festubert (age 19). Born and raised in Lochmaben (a few miles from Lockerbie) quite near your home village - we never forgot you Kenny!!
So sad, Lockerbie has such a sad history too
ルースさん、言葉になりません。
ルースさんがなぜフランスに渡ったのか、そして、英仏海峡トンネルがなぜ掘られたのか、何となく分かる動画でした。ルースさんみたいに親族を探している人は、まだまだ沢山いることでしょう。
そのための一つの案になれば良いと思いました。
日本にも、第二次世界大戦で亡くなられた方々を祀る施設があります。日本国内の旅中にご覧になられたかもしれませんが、胸を締め付けられる施設ばかりです。
この動画で、似た感情を抱きました。弔いの旅だったんですね。なるほどです。
ルースさんの動画では長い時間でしたので、何故だろうと思ってましたが、合点がいきました。気づきのある動画をありがとうございます。
ご視聴ありがとうございました。
沖縄の戦没者墓地も訪れましたが、とても悲しい場所でした。広島を訪れたときも涙が出ました。また日本に戻ったら、もっと多くの場所を訪れたいと思います。
Eerily similar to my family, my grandfathers three brothers left the Scottish settled part of New Zealand and never returned, they are buried in Egypt, Turkey and France, their father was from Scotland.
So many young lives lost 😢
Always very emotional when visiting these graves. Very well kept and regimented headstones.
Totally agree, the upkeep of the graves is incredible. I'll be sharing more about that in the next video.
Ruth, very touching video this week, so sad to hear of the great loss in your family. What a terrible waste of young lives. May they all rest in peace. Look after yourself, Neil.
Thanks for watching Neil.
Very moving and powerful - thank you so much for sharing
Thank you for watching 😢
Good for you Ruth. It's important that we remember all those that died in the wars. It's always emotional visiting war graves even those who were once our enemies. As you say lots of tears shed at the time and since. Everyone came from a family and were loved.
Yes so true, every single person was loved and missed. 😢
The 9th division started off entirely Scottish and saw first action at Loos in 1915 but as time went on it got battalions from other regiments and by 1917 one of the brigades was South African so it makes sense there'd be a lot of South African brigades in a 9th division cemetery. It's pretty typical, divisions got mixed up a lot as time went on and tended to lose some of their original identity.
This episode affected me more than I'd care to admit. As a veteran of a couple, albeit more recent wars myself I am astounded by the amount of casualties in a single battle much less the entire war. Numbers on a screen or on a page will never do them justice. I pray that all our peoples of the World will not allow our respective leaders to be that careless and foolish again. We'll see... excellent episode ❤
The numbers which died are truly shocking and so hard to visualise. I pray for that too. Thank you so much for watching. ❤
Definitely did your Family members proud & there memory who lost there lives in WW1 the Scottish regiments always answered the Call to Fight looking forward to pt2
Thanks Frank, appreciate you watching the video
I'm really Sorry for you Ruth .i'm breton and too my grand uncle been killed june 1915 Amiens ,grandfather gazed on somme 1916 ,other granduncle loss a shoulder in Verdun ,mom's father burried alive in Aisne 1917 ,the ones who come back ,suffered from gaz ,and more .Sorry for all. 8:02 thé scottish people.hope we'll never lived this butchery while our lives .
I went to Scotland to find my ancestors graves. After months of research I found a family graveyard with only 4 marked graves (we had to uncover them as they were taken over by brush), and I found the graveyard of an ancestor that died in the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, but it was so long ago we couldn't find his actual grave marker. I did go to the battlefield where he died though. It was an incredibly overwhelming but lovely experience, and I'm happy you got to go to your ancestors graves in France.
That battle has a great name! Thanks for watching my videos.
Thanks Ruth - Appreciate all the hard work you have done presenting this video...
Thank you. It was one I really wanted to make.
Hi Ruth my great grandad was gased at the somme. And his wife went over to help nurse him If I remember rightly he was in hospital in france
Thaks for sharing your family story. ❤
I watch a lot of RUclips and you are the only one that makes this kind of you tube looking for your family member that fought in the wars very interesting this is the kind of RUclips should be made very good 😅
Thank you for the kind comment!
Hi Ruth, thanks for doing this. My great-grandfather, Duncan MacPhee, was in the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots and was KIA at Arras by German artillery on 9th April 1917, aged 28 years. His name is on the wall at Faubourg d'Amiens. I have his photo, funeral card, and a photo of the local memorial at Taynuilt on my wall. I wore a small badge from his unit as a kilt pin at my wedding. One day I hope to take my son to France to see that area as well as some of the others. Lest we forget.
I hope you can visit sometime, it's a very impactful experience going there when you have family members listed on the wall.
A very tough video to watch Ruth.
I am certain hard to make as well.
So thank you.
At least you know where the lie & can pay your respects
The madness of that war & the second 21 years later is difficult to fathom.
My familiea story is from WW2.
Thanks for watching, yes it was quite hard to make as I wanted to try and get all the information correct
Ruth, a very moving video. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
I think you are brilliant doing this Ruth 🙂
Thank you 🙏
Hi Ruth. My grandfather, Roy McKinley Young, fought in France during WW1. He was the United States Marine. He survived the war. I loved him. I was 15 when he died. T. NC USA 🇺🇸
That's so lovely your grandfather returned and you had such a special relationship with him.
Thank you Ruth. As a Scottish-born Canadian, I found this to be particularly touching.
Thanks for watching from Canada.
My Scottish grandfather was injured during the war but recovered and returned to his family. So sad to see how many lost their lives then and how we continue to engage in war after war. It would be nice if we could figure out a way to get along. My wife and I visited the American cemetery at the Normandy beaches....made a lasting impression. A very moving tribute to your family members and to all those who gave their life in World War1.
Thank you 🙏
Thank you for sharing such a meaningful video. Beautifully produced, rich content, one of the best RUclips videos. Brought a tear. Being there alone, in the cold, must have intensified your visit. Your Canadian connection is quite interesting, and the Scottish Cairn was a nice stop. Look forward to seeing your next videos. Lest we forget. ❤😢
Thank you for watching and for your nice comment, I really appreciate it. The cold was bitter 😢
I visited the Flanders fields and their many cemeteries (large and small) many, many years ago and it was such a moving experience. You hear about the human cost but it its not until you see the names listed on the memorials and gravestones that the magnitude of that war truly hits you. To think about the Menin Gate and Thiepval Memorial together listing the names of 120,000+ people who have no known grave is just indescribable.
Yes, so so shocking to see all those names listed on the memorials.
Wow. what an amazing video. I'm a coach driver from the uk. I go on these battle fields a lot with different groups mainly school groups. you really did an amazing job on this video and can't wait to see the next one. So many people died it's hard to imagine what it was like. You keep there memories alive by creating such a great video.
Thank you Tom, that's nice to hear that school groups are visiting. I wish I had visited on a school trip when I was younger.
My Great grandfather name is on the menin Gate, he died 1915 RIP xxx❤
I’ll be visiting the Menin Gate in a future video
@@ruthaisling Thankyou Ruth xxx
I'm an old soldier myself and have nothing but respect,pride and thanks to all those brave lads who fought for our freedom and made the ultimate sacrifice.
"WE WILL REMEMBER THEM" !!
Thanks for watching Anthony
Dear Ruth, You are an extremely good-natured and lovable PERSON. I watched your careful reporting with infinite sadness. I am grateful for it. I am shocked to see the reality in the cemeteries shown. Here in Pécs, there are also many graves of World War 1 soldiers. (As well as a World War 2 grave...) Thank you for this poignantly close-to-life coverage. I hug you with love from Pécs, HUNGARY. / Kedves Ruth Te egy rendkívűl jólelkű szeretnivaló EMBER vagy. Végtelen szomorúsággal néztem gondos tudósításod. Hálás vagyok érte. megdöbbenve látom a valóságot ott a megmutatott temetőkben. Nálunk Pécsen szintén nagyon sok 1. világháborús katona sír van. (Valamint 2. világháborús sír....) Köszönöm ezt a megrendítően élet-közeli tudósítást. Szeretettel ölellek innen MAGYARORSZÁGról Pécsről.
Hi Ruth, my Faither fought in WW 2 with the Black watch, thank goodness he came back, but what a terrible loss of life in WW1. So many young men lost.
The scale of lives lost in WW1 is so horrific. That’s good your dad came back!
@@ruthaisling Hi Ruth, unlike his brother who lost his legs, my faither came back physically ok, but six years of war took it's toll on his mind. While I suppose dreaming
He had his hands around my mother's neck thinking she was a German soldier.
😥
I remember going there as a young boy, to try and find my great grandmother's (who was still alive back then) father's grave. I grew up a bit that day when I realised that his name was on the wall, not on a grave, and what that meant. I grew up even more when we had to tell my great grandmother.
Grace and peace to you and your family.
You did your relatives a great service that I am sure your family will be so proud of!! I took my father to the grave of his uncle. A very moving experience! Keep up the good work!!
Thank you Stuart, it must have been a very moving experience for your father with the close relationship of only one generation
Ruth, a very sad video. I lost a first cousin in WWII on Iwo Jima at nineteen in the U S Marines. Also a sad story. Really just a boy.
So sad how young so many of these people were 😥
Thank you so much for allowing us to see this video, Ruth. I feel privileged to have been able to follow you on your visit to these sad places Your loyalty to your family members who sacrificed their young lives is commendable and moving. We shall remember them.
Thank you, I appreciate you watching. ❤
Hello Ruth I’ve visited Arras’s Memorial few times now it’s such an overwhelming feeling when you see all those names on the walls of the missing soldiers in ww1 😢. My great uncle being one of the many thousands of names there . Killled in action April 1917 🌹 . I will be visiting again quite soon to pay respects - thank you Ruth for this video ❤
Thank you for watching and it's nice that your great uncle is also mentioned on the Arras Memorial.
In tears over here Thank You for sharing I will expand MyHeritage pages. PhilW.🌹
Your video really struck a chord for me. It’s been a long time since I thought about my grandfather who served during the Great War, and fought at the Somme and came home after the war. My Mum was born in 1933, and then years later I came along in 1958. I think it’s time for me to find out my Grandfather’s story of the Great War. Thanks for starting that journey for me.
I'm glad this video inspired you to find out more.
This was an extremely powerful video. I am so moved by your journey and tribute to your family members who served and died in World War I. Thank you for sharing this with us. As a child, I knew a great-uncle who served in WWI as a member of the American Army. He was a victim of a gas attack and had lung problems for the rest of his life. Your video serves as a tribute to both your family and all the brave soldiers of the Great War.
Thank you for watching and for your comment. The lung problems sound awful. 😢
Great Uncle was in KOSBs we took a Tower Moat poppy to Tilloy Les Mofflaines back in 2017 for the centenary. There are photo's on Google Maps. Best S
Just watched this and straight after I had to listen to the" Fureys and the green fields of France" Powerful lyrics . Great song.
I just listened to it after reading your comment. Thank you for sharing about it.
The memorials and cemeteries are truly overwhelming . Both my grandfathers were gunners and survived albeit one of them was badly gassed in 1918 . My great uncle was an officer in the Black Watch in WW1 and was awarded the MC . Excellent video I so enjoyed it . I am now too old to visit the battlefields again.
Thank you for watching and I'm glad to hear your relatives survived.
A very thought-provoking video. We are in a generation now that doesn't seem to appreciate the human sacrifice made in WW1. A reminder to so many of this. The numbers you quoted was horrifying and really put the sacrifice into perspective. Thank you for sharing this especially as was an incredibly emotional experience for you
I’ve thought a lot about this and I didn’t know of these family members until 2018. I think when it’s 4 generations later, the information gets lost and with my family, the memories were very painful and it wasn’t really spoken about. I also didn’t learn much about WW1 when I was younger and have asked many friends of mine in their 20s and 30s if they have relatives buried in France and the answer I mostly hear is “I don’t know…”. If even one person watches this video and they end up discovering about family members, I’ll be very happy.
There’s been quite a lot about WW1 in schools in the last 20 years. The war poets are on the English syllabus so they learn some of the history too to give them some background for schools trips to France. Plenty of school orchestras go to play at the nightly service at the Menin Gate.
Geroge's Cap Badge is the Argyll & Sutherland Higlanders. My old Regiment.
さすがは歴史のはっきりした記録の残っている国ですね。私たち日本人の大方は家族の歴史を語り継がれて聞かされることはあまりありません。私の父は第二次大戦にかかわりましたが戦後その事はほとんど語ることはありませんでした。他の家族もそのようなことと聞いています。
それは興味深いですね。
私の家族、特に私の祖父の世代では、このことはあまり話されませんでした。
英連邦戦没者墓地委員会には感謝しています。
It is very emotional visiting the war graves from WW1. Also, we visited the war graves from all sides following the Normandy landings. Very upsetting though visiting the war graves from Arras, The Somme, Pachendale, and all the other places. The Pals Battalions from Scotland meant whole villiages lost all their young men. I am with you on this. XXX
I'm glad to hear you've managed to visit some of the war graves too, it's definitely emotional and so sad when a village would lose all the young men. 😢
Ruth, your lovely commemoration for your relatives was made more poignant by the loneliness of the visit. I sometimes visit the lonely memorial in mountainous Glenlyon and the silence, save for the wind and the birds, seems to highlight the loss, just as it does in the outback of Australia where the tiniest of outposts have their WW1 memorial crosses.
Yes, I imagine that at other times of the year there would be more people visiting these places. I'll need to look out for the Australian WW1 memorials if I've ever back there
That was so touching. We visit France almost every year and always make a point to visit one of the many war grave sites. It's sobering. Notre Dame de Lotette is particularly sobering. Thank you for sharing this Ruth.
Yes sobering is definitely the right word to describe it. Thank you for watching. ❤
Ruth I need to travel out there to visit the grave
If you can, I recommend to visit. It's really moving to see these places in real life.
Looking at a 5 day guided tour for£400-£500
Simply one of your best videos to date. Thank you
That means so much, thank you. ❤
If not the best. Certainly the most emotional.
That was a very emotional and moving video, Ruth. I served overseas in the US Air Force during the Vietnam "conflict" and I saw the after-effects of war daily. I can't look at even a photo of the Vietnam War memorial without breaking down. Thanks for posting this.
Thank you for sharing Alastair, it must be very tough 😥
My grandfather served in WW1 in France on a machine gunner team of 3. He was blessed to come home alive.