11 November

Through to the VOCAL conference today in Glasgow. Looooong day. Good conference. Lots of lovely folks from across Scotland to catch up with & interesting, inspiring, thought-provoking speakers. A bit sad I'll miss the 2nd day tomorrow (as off to Dumfries & Galloway).

Wandered past the Field of Remembrance again this evening. I've done a lot of family history research & it seems that every branch & family was touched by WW1. Maternal side: two of my gran's older brothers fought, one losing a leg in Egypt, both dying too young after the war (pneumonia & TB). A gt-grandfather also served, as did at least three of his wife's younger brothers - with two dying, in 1918 & 1919 of flu & TB. On the paternal side, my gran's eldest brother served, as did two of my grandfather's three, older, male cousins - the middle brother drowning in Egypt & the eldest injured in action and later awarded a medal for conspicuous gallantry at Passchendaele. The youngest was a merchant seaman, who was shipped to Liverpool from Canada in 1918, on a ship full of 'distressed British seaman'.

The more I research, the more similar stories I find - brothers, young men, young families, young widows, bravery, death and lingering illnesses killing, after the mechanised killing is done.