Mothers of the Empire

Mothers of the Empire

Mothers of the Empire

A few years ago, looking into my Family Tree, I discovered I had a great Uncle, Benjamin, killed in action 3rd October 1918 in France and buried in TEMPLEUX-LE-GUERARD BRITISH CEMETERY on the Somme.

The name is on the memorial on the Bexhill Marina and the family address was 59 Sidley Street, Bexhill.

We made a visit to the Cemetery and found the experience quite emotional.

Recently my son contacted the Bexhill Museum and they supplied even more information and I found that the F. CAREY, also on the memorial was another great Uncle, Frederick, who was killed at Mons in 1914 right at the start of the war. Sadly unable to find his grave and it appears he is one of the unidentified soldiers of the Great War laid to rest somewhere in Belgium.

The museum also supplied a newspaper cutting from the 1917 Bexhill paper that showed a photograph of Mrs J. Carey, the mother of Benjamin and Frederick, together with a further 4 sons who were also in the war effort. One of these of course being my Grandfather. MOTHERS OF THE EMPIRE referred to any mother who had 3 or more Sons in service. You cannot but wonder at how my Great Grandmother must have thought having 6 sons involved in the Great War.

It is difficult to comprehend.

This story was contributed by Robert Carey