WORLD WAR I: William Henry Bonser Lamin, a blog

I saw a story about this WWI blog on the nightly news; I'm offering a link to WW1: Experiences of an English Soldier because I'd like to see war blogs like these to continue surviving on the web, long after we're gone.

According to the blogmeister, Mr. Lamin's grandson, the blog "is made up of transcripts of Harry Lamin's letters from the first World War. The letters will be posted exactly 90 years after they were written. To find out Harry's fate, follow the blog!"

The blog is comprised of scanned letters along with the transcribed text as written by Mr. Lamin from the front to his family.

William Henry Bonser Lamin's profile: "He was born in August 1887 in Awsworth Notts, to Henry and Sarah Lamin. Elder Sisters Catherine (Kate) and Agnes (Annie) and Elder brother John (Jack). Educated at Awsworth Board School, just outside Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England."

My own grandfather, Harley David Semple, was born in 1901 and served in France in 1918--just a lad of 17. He never talked about his war experiences (at least to me), and if any letters exist, I don't know of them. He was so young that he had not met my grandmother yet; I suspect that any letters went to his mother and siblings.

I often wonder how the war affected him, but he was not one to ruminate much about such events.

He was a quiet man who loved to tell stories.

And I miss him.

Best, Jennifer