The Unknown Soldiers

Been taking a well-earned break from work this week but since the weather's been truly awful since last Sunday, I'm reduced to clearing out piles of accumulated paper and other junk. I was prompted to blip this after reading drcraig's and Impoftheyard's offerings for today and the interesting questions they pose about memory and identity.

Mid clearance, I came across the photo of the young soldier on the right, which Mrs B found one day just lying in the street with no indication of how it got there. The picture is typical of the style that soldiers often sent home or left with their families when they were leaving to go to the front during the First World War. I've often wondered who he was and whether he survived to get any older than he was in the picture. I think there's something quite sad to see the memory of people's lives reduced to faded images like this, particularly if they're then just discarded.

The other image I've paired it with is of my grandfather, taken around the same time as I think the other is (1914 or '15). He did survive the war but died well before I was born. In effect, I know almost as little about him as the other young man but at least I'm interested in finding out. I hope the other guy still has someone interested in him. Such things are important.

(In the very, very unlikely event that someone does recognise the man, please let me know as I'd love to send the picture back to a relative)