Western Front Association

Just received an email from the London Branch of the Western Front Association showing their speakers for 2013. I'm on for Sept 5th. Now I have to create a 45 minute presentation and find a way to pay for the trip. This is an exciting opportunity to promote my book, tell my grandfather's story and donate his documents to the Imperial War Museum.

While in London I want to visit the National Archives to perform a search of the 43rd Brigade's diary and to see if there are any documents on the 40th battery.

I'll also be united with my second cousins, which will be marvelous. Perhaps I'll meet a few others I've been in contact with through various website and blogs.

Royal Field Artillery documents

The Great Promise

My grandfather's assistant signally certificate

Letter from Liverpool AA Defenses stating my grandfather's appointment to Adjutant. Part of a dispute between he and the army on pay grade between 2nd Lt and that of Adjutant. He eventually won his case. 

One of the Great Royal Field Artillery Stories

Order  The Great Promise

Clarion Review gave it four stars
Readers on Amazon have given it five star
A rating of 4.33 stars on GoodReads

British Soldier Returning Home

I'm trying to come up with an acronym or a title for a new blog about Americans returning British soldiers World War One documents back to England in time for the WWI centennial in 2014.

After writing my book, "The    I pondered on what to do with my grandfather's British military documents. They are a family heirloom that I cherish, but who should I select to take care of them after me? I already experienced the lack of interest from my brother. My children don't seem interested, which causes me concern regarding their care after I'm gone.

Because of their historical importance in telling my grandfather's war experiences I decided to donate them to the Imperial War Museum in London. After all, he was a British soldier and his documents would be of greater interest in the UK than in the US. This decision also gave me peace in the knowledge that his documents will be forever cared for. I will not worry that at some point in time his journal and documents might end up in a garage sale or worse of all, thrown away. Most importantly I feel it would be something that my grandfather would want. He would like to rejoin his comrades, to be taken back home.

So I was thinking last night, "There are no doubt hundreds of families that have inherited pictures and documents that once belonged to an English relative that served in the British Army during World War One." "Perhaps they, like myself, would want to safeguard their precious documents and donate them to the Imperial War Museum."

Please consider this meaningful gesture and let me know if you are interested by adding your thoughts in the comment section of this blog.