"One in a Million..."
In this section, I've randomly chosen a selection of First World War British and Empire casualties (the total of which between August 1914 and June 1921 totalled nearly a million, hence the title of the page) who I've decided to research at one time or another for whatever reason. The intention of this page is to "put faces to" some of the white CWGC headstones and countless names on memorials worldwide and to show that they were real people, with real lives and stories, and not just numbers quoted in history books.
All of these mini-biographies (mainly focusing on their service during WW1) have been researched and completed without the use of the records held at the National Archives at Kew, apart from to obtain the individual's Medal Index Card (M.I.C.) and have usually taken several months to research. Similar depth of research can be encountered in my Research service, but this usually focuses on the days surrounding a casualty's death rather than his whole army career.
This is an ongoing part of the website and will be updated with information and additional names regularly, some of whom were not actual casualties.
Please click on a name to read the biography...
L/Cpl. Fred Latham , 11/Manchester Regiment.
Pte. John Lavin , 7/Border Regiment
Pte. Thomas Skelly , 1/East Lancashire Regiment.
Pte. Hugh R.Baily , 13th Bn.C.E.F. (Black Watch of Canada)