Our Father’s Experiences in World War 1 and Their Subsequent Careers

Introduction

For our age we are quite unusual in that both our fathers served as soldiers in World War 1.

Ernest Whitehead enlisted in October 1914 and lost an arm whilst serving in France in 1916. He subsequently became a postman, the only disabled postman I have ever come across. He served as a postman for 29 years.

William Poole enlisted in November 1917 and was captured at the 2nd battle of the Somme, May 1918. He was a POW until the end of the war. He subsequently joined the GWR in 1919 eventually becoming a Railway Signalman a job he held until retirement in 1968.

The film “Oh What A Lovely War” is a moving, funny and informative portrait of WW1 using actual quotations and songs of the period. It is available on DVD now and I urge you to buy or rent a copy.