Military Chat

My husband's grandfather served in WW1 and died in the Battle of the Somme. We have his army record and have visited his grave but we don't have a photo of him. Is there anywhere to go to see if we can find one?

The best bet might be to contact the extended family ie descendants of his siblings etc. As he was married, include his wife's birth relatives as they might have been sent a family group/wedding photograph.

If he had a sister, that might be the best line to start with - women have a tendency to hang on to photos more than men (in my opinion!)

It was not unusual for Studio Portraits to be made before the young men went to the Front. Copies of these might have been sent to anyone related.

May be someone distantly related has inherited an unidentified photo - if you can recognise your husband in the image, you might be able to put a name to the face.

It's also worth checking his local newspaper - there may have been an article about his death, which may include a photo, although it may have appeared sometime after his death, so it might be quite a long search. In a few instances, newspapers of the period have been indexed to show WW1 deaths. Where did he/parents/wife live?

Thank you for your responses. There is only one cousin left now and he has no photos. I wonder whether the Records Office at Kew would have more information. I will try there

I will also try local newspapers.

You say there is only one cousin left - have you traced the descendants of the others??

What about the non-direct line? We inherited a photo of an aunt's husband's sister. No 'blood' relationship at all. You may need to expand your search to other people who might be vaguely related to the couple.

Have you used the Search all members trees facility to see if his name is on anyone else's tree?

It's unlikely that Kew would have anything that they could identify as being him, unless he was an Officer. Even then the chances are remote.

There won't be a photo of him at Kew.

Have you tried the Regimental Museum for the regiment he was in? It's a pretty slim chance but they may have group photos. I've found most museums that I have contacted very helpful - although I haven't had any success.

Kath. x

Thank you all so much for your help. I now have several ideas to pursue. I have also contacted Kew through their chat line and have a couple of websites to investigate concerning photos. The one cousin left is the only descendent I can trace but I shall check other trees to see if I can expand our knowledge. I also intent to contact his Regiment. Thank you.