Faded Footsteps: Three Williams, Alf, Bob and Sam

This is the story of six of my ancestors who joined up and fought in the Great War. Three of them were called William and the others were Alf, Bob and Sam. They were six ordinary men from families in Birmingham, London and Hertfordshire who died during the Great War of 1914-1918. Three were or had been professional soldiers, three joined up early in the war and, two were underage. All came from ordinary working-class backgrounds, all had a basic education, all had jobs before joining the army. Four were Anglicans, two were Catholics. Two were married and left eight children between them, four were single men.Like Laurence Binyon’s poem, For the Fallen, this book has been written so that they will not be forgotten.“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morningWe will remember them.”