Who would you like to meet?

[David_Bluestein]

If you had the opportunity to meet, and talk to any personality/historical figure, of the Great War for several hours uninterrupted, who would it be? And what would you want to know?

For example I would like to meet Piper James Richardson VC 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish) and ask him about his personal experiences, and thoughts on October 8/9 1916, the day he won his VC, and went missing during actions at Regina Trench.

Top of my list would be to meet my great uncle Pte. Samuel Bluestein 1st Bn. London Regt. (TF) Royal Fusiliers, and get a real sense of what he was like, as well as his experiences on the Somme. He was killed at Courcelette on September 15, 1916.

Look forward to hearing from others,

Thanks in advance

David

[Sgt York]

I would like to go back in time, walk into a estaminet and see my two grandfathers sitting at the same table. I'd pull up a chair, order several round of drinks and ask them a 1001 questions...

[Jonathan Saunders]

Having researched several men of HMS Vanguard I would like to have spent some time onboard and amongst the crew.

However if there was one “personality” of the Great War then it would have to be Frank Richards DCM MM of 2/RWF. We are fortunate that he (with the help of Robert Graves) penned OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE, but that merely serves to wet the appetite from this old soldier. He was one of the first to land in France and survived the war without suffering any major injuries and despite being involved in just about every major action on the Western Front.

[ianw]

It would have to be my Old Contemptible Grandfather who I unfortunately never met.

The famous man would be Henry Wilson who would know all the gossip and the inside info about the Great and the Good.

[Guest Hussar]

Sorry, but it would have to be "Dougie"!!

To try and get the real story, straight from the horses mouth, so to speak!

[Terry_Reeves]

Florrie Forde and Lilly Morris, two great entertainers who helped brighten up the Home Front.

Terry Reeves

[BRIAN TALMER]

Hi

It would have to be my two Great Uncles and find out what made them join up and the battles that they fought in and what was it like to be there and also buy them a beer as well

Cheers

Brian

[Tim Birch]

I should like to meet my Grandfather Private William Birch ASC again. He died in 1956 when I was too young to really appreciate some of the tales he had to tell.

Tim

[Andrew P]

Going on a similar theme, I would have liked to have met and had a drink with some of my relations who served in the war, especially Phillip Pittaway who was killed in the 27th Bn AIF in November 1916.

Plus if I could speak Turkish, I would have been great to meet Mustafa Kemal Attaturk.

Cheers

Andrew

[182 CEF]

I would talk to Will Bird 42nd CEF. I think due to the informal way he writes, he would give you all the "low down" and not sugar coat it.

This question was asked on a Civil War forum last year, and I found it interesting that most wanted to talk to men from the ranks and not the "High Priced Help"

Dean Owen

[Guest Hill 60]

I'd love to meet both my great uncles, Edward & William Swain. I'd like to ask why they joined up in 1914 and what they were thinking when they met their deaths in 1916 and 1918. To have bought them a beer after they first saw action at Loos in 1915, within days of arriving at the front would be good.

Then there is my grandfather, George Bradbury. I'd love to be in the same estaminet as him and his mate when they did a runner without paying for dinner! I'd love to see my grandfather's face when his mate threw the table over, and shouting RUN, legged it!! Or to be with him when he was nearly torn in two by shrapnel and to shield him from having to watch his 4 mates dying around him from the same shell. Or to be with him when he died just before Christmas Day in 1981 and say sorry for not visiting him as much as I should have done.

I'd then like to meet my great grandfathers, George William Dean and Samuel Farmer. I'd want to know what happened to George that left him unfit for futher service in the RAMC and forced him out of the Army. And Samuel, I'd like to have helped him get over the shell-shock he suffered after being buried alive 4 times by shell-fire in one day whilst in the 21st Bn CEF.

I'd also want to be with him when he died, alone and insane in a room in a pub in Margate just before midnight on the 31st December 1967, 7 months after I was born. Was he back there on that day at St. Eloi being buried again and again?

Or to be able to get them all in one pub, buy them all a drink and tell them how damn proud I am of them.

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

I would like to meet my two great-uncles John & Charlie and of course my grandfather for a pint, a ciggie and a game of arrows! (I dont smoke now but this is virtual!). Have a good old chat together and tell them not to fall out when they got home.

Above all get some first hand info about their experiences.

Secondly I would like to meet a certain Austrian Corporal in the German Army and...........shoot him!

Ian

[mordac]

I'd like to have a cigarette and a couple of beers with Arthur Currie. There's a few questions I'd like to ask about his decision to launch an attack on Mons the night of November 10th and morning of the 11th, 1918.

I'd love to share a good Cuban cigar and a couple of glasses of single malt whisky with Julian Byng and just listen to what he had to say about his experiences in the Great War. At an appropriate moment, I'd ask him about his role in the Canadian constitutional crisis of 1926.

Garth

[the german]

I would wish to meet german Oberstleutnant Hentsch and ask him about the things he did from September 8th to September 10th 1914.

Hinrich

[InkyBill]

Hello

I would like to meet all the men on my local memorial who's story

i'm reserching and whos service records DO NOT EXIST, if you know what i mean!!!!

Bill

[ttd0]

Would like to have seen how two of my Great Uncles were both captured in September 1914 with the Wiltshire Regt.

Would also like to meet J B Priestley as I spent a bit of time studying his works when I was in school

Tim.

[Mike Steele]

For me it would be Albert Jacka VC. Having just finished reading 'Jacka's Mob' it would be great to meet the real man and find out about his 'unorthadox' disciplinary techniques !!!

[Charles Fair]

Like others, those family members that I never met would be top of my list - see my signature.

I'd also love to meet a couple of fighting padres, in particular:

David Railton MC - padre to 141 Bde, 47 Div who led the first memorial/burial service after the taking of High Wood on 15 Sept 1916. Id like to hear his sermon, and hear my grandfathers address at the same service.

Edgar Popham - padre with 1/1 Hertfordshires and the only officer left in the front line who was not killed or wounded after the battalion's abortive attack at St Julien on 31 July 1917.

[armourersergeant]

I never knew my grandfather he died four months after i was born so he would be number one on my list but if i had to pick a top ranker so to speak i would be torn between Smith-Dorrien and Willam Robertson both men i hold in great esteem.

If i had a big table and a history book i would aslo sit down at that table Phillip II of Macedonia, Winston Churchill, Marshall Ney, Lord Allanbrooke,John Churchill Duke of Marlborough, Sepp Deitrich, Josef Poniatowski,

Opps i could go on better stop.

Arm.

[CROONAERT]

It'd have to be one of my long-time heros Ernst Junger (even though I did actually (sort of) meet him once, but not to talk to beyond "hello"). It'd have to be in his old age, just to ask him how he felt to be 100 after vowing to not want to live to old age!

Dave.

[Guest FRANKBARTHOLOMEW]

Personally, I would like to meet my great grandfather (James Bradford), Adrian Carton de Wiart (I'd be a bit concerned, something would have to blow up ), Lord Plumer (to discuss Messines Ridge) and Winston Churchill (just to meet the guy).

[Martin B]

I should like to have had dinner in the Officers Mess of the 10th Hussars at Potchefstroom in South Africa on the day they received news that war had been declared against Germany. I would follow it up with a pint in the Sergeants Mess to see how the views of what might be to come compared.

[Will O'Brien]

After giving it a great deal of thought, changing my mind, debating the rights & wrongs of self interest verses the greater good I would choose to speak to Gavrillo Princip about 5 minutes before he pulled that trigger. I'm not naive & I realise war may have come anyway even without the assassination of Franz Ferdinand - but then again maybe not. I would lose my favourate interest but imagine the millions of lives that would not have been cut short & the things they may have achieved.

Will

[iain mchenry]

I would enjoy the chance to speak to members of the Tunnelling comapnies as they dug the infamous mines of the Messines offensive. just to ask them about their feelings and thoughts. From the "Enemy" side I would have enjoyed a good chat with Ernst Junger. Finaly from the hierarchy, I would like to have had the chance to have spoken with Gen Plumer.

[Andrew Hesketh]

Will, whilst you're talking to Princip I'll be chatting to the Archduke's driver and ensuring he knows exactly which way to go!

On a serious note, the man below, without whom the Great War would never have interested me. His sister (my Grandmother) never really got over the fact that she hadn't seen her elder brother since she was six. She died two years ago. I am proud that his medals (the usual treble) have been entrusted to my care, along with his death plaque, scroll and only surviving photograph.