Hello again my droogs.
now under normal circumstances, I only ever use the moddb blog for Mod/mod related issues, but now, it appears something else must adorn my wall for my good chums to take a butchers at.
Friday, just gone, had possibly one of the strangest and proudest moments of my adult life. But for this story to begin my friends, I must start way back, as a wee lad.
note 1
Tucked tightly into my bed, Thomas the tank engine bed covers, and a lamp burning its ugly flourescent glow next to my pillow I laid and dreamt my young boyhood dreams. It was not an uncommon experience, my friends, for your humble narrator to recieve burning visions, and vivid accounts of like, falling into a muddy hole, and being not able to pull my battered body out, and helplessly drowning, sinking lower and lower, and all along the smell and taste of the thick mudding burrowing deeper and deeper into my nostrils and mouth. I reported these to my mother figure, and she put it down to an over active immagination, and it wasnt until later life that accounts of things I'd personally seen crawled their way in and replaced these horrid images.
note 2
My family is made up primarily of Anglo Irish descent. Both Grandfathers being from the Emerald Isle. Now Grandmothers are a different matter, on my fathers side being from Spain, but on my mothers, I knew them to be of German/Jewish Heritage, coming over to the glorious United Kingdom somewhere in or around the 1880s. My Maternal Great Grandmother was a wonderful woman in her Youth, she dodged a falling building during the blitz by only a few feet as it collapsed following a direct hit, and survived an unexploded doodlebug landing solidly in the rafters of her East London Home. When older, she began to.... well lose the plot my friends. She sported a thicker moustache than Josef Stalin (although I am told that this was not her choice!) She had this wierd habit of Calling me Audrey (I am serious, this is not a sketch from Bottom) But we put this down to the fact that she was well and truly, over the hill and far away.
note 3
My Maternal Grandfather, had four Uncles. 3 We're killed on the the opening gambit of the Battle of Loos in 1915 (25th of September 1915), the other thankfully survived.
The Unwraveling truth.
Well by fans, Friday saw a bit of a lull in the continous work-stream at my office, so i thought i'd lend my hand to a wee bit of Artwork for my mod, and then post it on facebook.
Facebook.com
Note the comment from a Certain Bob Fox. Robert Fox is my great Uncle, and his wife has researched the family tree. He makes mention to a great, great, great uncle killed in the 2nd battle of ypres. So I prodded for more information. It came to light:
His name was Aubrey Gluck. Reference to 'audrey'
He was in 12 Rifle Brigade. The same Regiment as me
He Died on the 15th of September 1915. His 21st Birthday and the same day as the relatives from my Grandfather.
His freind wrote to my great great great grandmother telling her he was hit and fell into a shellhole, and that he went to get him out but was hit himself. I can only link this to the nightmarish dreams of my youth.
now this may not mean anything to you, but to realise I had a relative from the Rifle Brigade, who died for king and country, make me so proud. And the erie other notes, make it much more worthy.
this picture was taken during the christmas truce in 1914 and is now widely reproduced for books. My Great great great uncle is second man from the right.
Rest in Peace
Rifleman Aubrey Gluck, 12 Rifle Brigade
See you at the Rendezvous my uncle
Rifleman Anthony Barker, 7 Rifles
Celer et Audex: Swift and Bold
Rest in peace. 3 relatives dead in the same battle, guess it's just the lucky number. Kind of reminds me of a story of some soldiers during the American Civil War. 7 of the soldiers were related, all died in the same year of the war days apart. Can't remember if they were Union or Confederate soldiers, but I believe they were part of the Union.
Great discovery, similar case happened to me. I managed to spot my grandfather from old footage(s) of the Vietnam War, First thing that popped in my head was:
"Did that just really happened?!, It cant be real can it?"
After a bit of research and questions, It was really him!
aye it is a good and somewhat humbling feeling to see things like this!!!
Christ, i can see the similaries between the two of you. Thats... weird.
In my case, i think theres one or two great, great great uncles involved in the trenches, along with the great great great grandfather who was the Harbour Master at Ostend in Beligum. We're not entirely sure what happened when the Germans took over, but we knew that he refused to allow them to use it as a naval dock - its not hard to guess what happened next. Anyone who thinks German warcrimes was just WW2, needs to think again. =/
Hi there,
I don't know if you will get this Hendrix, but my maternal Grandfather is Bob Fox's cousin and also Aubrey's nephew. So I think we are related. Thank you for this post not just for remembrance but also for information as well. We been trying to update the family history and keep in touch between continents, but couldn't find any photos of Aubrey except one big one of the Gluck family with Ignatz and baby Millie. We have Aubrey's medal card (well a picture of it) and his trials from the old bailey so do not hesitate to ask if you would like to see or get a copy of them or add to the post. Here's to remembering Aubrey and to meeting new family members! RIP Aubrey Gluck, you will be remembered as a hero!