George’s mum believed he was dead for months after tags mix-up
11/11/1918-11/11/2018: 100 years since end of World War 1 Readers share their memories of loved ones who fought for our freedom
As we approach the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, we will be telling the stories of the ordinary people who made an extraordinary sacrifice. Here Edward Arnold, of Winsford, Cheshire, tells how his father George Arnold was mistakenly thought to be a casualty.
MY father was born in Liverpool in March 1897 and in June 1914 joined the King’s Regiment (Liverpool), aged 17. Four weeks later, we declared war on Germany. He went to France on December 24, 1915. The Army was getting ready for the big push – the Battle of the Somme. My dad and a few other soldiers were selected to go out on night patrol in no man’s land. After a few hours they stopped for a break in a bomb crater when they heard a noise. They looked up and saw Germans about to open fire. Although he was badly wounded, he managed to escape. Good luck was on his side as he made it back to the British lines. His injuries were half his left hand blown off and three bullets in his left shoulder. Stretcher bearers were taking him to the field hospital when the German artillery opened up.
His trenchcoat was too heavy for the bearers so they threw it to the ground. Unfortunately, it fell on to body parts and in it was his name tag.
His mother got a telegram saying her son had been killed. He was too ill to write home, so it was months before she was told he was still alive. As I write this I try to imagine my father as a young man going off on his adventures with all his pals as they laughed and joked, saying they would be home for Christmas. But what I really see is a man old before his time, a man carrying the woe and pains of war. Still, he never moaned, complained or talked about it. All that was left of his adventure was an old medal found at the back of a drawer. The best thing about it is it’s in the shape of a star. Please share your relative’s story. Email features@mirror.co.uk or write to WW1 Memories, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AP. Please include a phone number.