Coincidence?

[Guest Hill 60]

Just thought I'd share this with the Pals.

Last year I went to an antiques fair at my local shopping centre (in Middleton Hall for those who know the 'thecentre:mk').

On one stall I had a look through 2 boxes of photos, numbering about 300. In the 1st box I found a photo of a Middlesex Regt Private, 293089 James Kenney. In the 2nd box I found a photo, taken in the 60's, of a grave with James Kenney's name on it! Imagine my surprise when I matched these two pictures! Then, imagine my complete surprise when going through a box of photos on a stall on the otherside of Middleton Hall I found another view of James' grave at Dozinghem Military Cemetery!!!

So, last Saturday I went to the same place for the bi-annual visit of the antiques fair. I came across a stall (not one of the stalls I visited the last time) and had a look through one of the two boxes of photos. The 2nd handful I pulled out had.....yep, another photo of James' grave!

Guess whose grave I'll be visiting when I go to Ypres this November?

[Rob HAmilton]

Lee

As you know I'm a firefighter and in my spare time I research the men on my local memorials.

I found a lad called T H Lister who was buried in one of the local cemeteries and found that he lived at 23 Alabama St in my local town. A matter of a couple of days later guess where I was called to a house fire. 23 Alabama St !! It gave me a bit of a jolt when I read the address on the turnout slip and I'll admit to getting a few shivers when I walked around the house after we put the fire out.

Life's just full of coincidences isn't it.

Regards

Rob

[ianw]

These little examples of coincidence and synchronicity certainly make you scratch your head and wonder.

[Neil Burns]

I have a related story that has nothing to do with the Great War. When I was in my early 20's I was traveling with some friends out to Pennsylvania and one of my freinds brought his girlfriend along. As we were heading down the Pennsylvania Turnpike she noticed the name of one of the towns and said she had relaltives there we got off the highway to get gas and spotted a giant cemetery.

She wanted to find her Great-grandmothers grave which she just figured was in this cemetary so we drove around pointlessly for about 5 minutes the driver stopped to express his frustrations, she looked out the window and we had stopped right in front of the Great-Grandmothers grave.

Really stops you in your tracks!

Neil

[HERITAGE PLUS]

I've had a similar experience to Neil. After spending some considerable time in a cemetery looking for a grave without success I decided to give up. Walking along a path to the exit I tripped on a raised flagstone and fell right on to the grave I had been seeking!

Dave

[Guest Hill 60]

Rob - I went on duty one night and the first shout of the night was to a fire in the lamp-post outside my house! Coffees all round after that one

Keep safe mate.

Ian - It certainly does, mate, it certainly does.

Neil - That is spooky!

Dave - Hope it didn't hurt!

I have a medal group in my care that, apart from a WWI pair, contains 2 fire brigade medals. One is quite common, but the other turns out to be one of only 7 issued!

I found out that the recipient (Alfred Rapley) had been cremated in the 1950's and his ashes scattered at his local church. I visited the area with my father and got photos of Alfred's old house and the fire station (now part of an OAP rest home) before moving on to the church to get a general photo.

Whilst I was doing my David Bailey impersonation my father walked around the churchyard. He stopped by an overgrown section and pulled the bushes back to find a memorial plaque to Alfred, his wife and one of their daughters!