Sarah von Allmen
@svona.bsky.social
English by birth, Swiss by marriage, living in rural Alsace. Family historian (MSc Genealogical Studies), avid reader, amateur musician, and crafter. https://www.angloswiss.site/ https://www.heatonsww1
Working my way through old #Stockport newspapers, and I'm in June 1917. Along with those recently killed in action are guys "missing" since July 1916, whom the Army now assume killed. But there are no bodies, no eye-witnesses, so do familes accept, or cling on to hope? #WWI www.heatonsww1.com
So many idealistic guys lying about their age on my #WWI database: 15 yr-olds who swear they're 19 and 54 yr-olds who claim to be 40 so they can enlist. 😟 It's almost a relief to find a farmer who adds a few years onto his sons' ages in the hope of keeping them on the farm. www.heatonsww1.com
We lost one of our cats (age 14) and the dog (age 10) in just over 2 weeks. Hard for us humans, but the youngest cat, taken in off the street as a half-starved kitty, is really struggling. He keeps trying to lead me outside to look for them, and he's gnawing nervously at his fur. 💔
Thomas Mullaney was born in Stockport in 1899 and grew up mainly with his mother and her parents. At 13 he was sent to Canada under the British Home Child Scheme to give him a "better chance", and placed on a farm, but 2 years later he absconded, lied about his age, and enlisted in the army.
My trawl through old #Stockport newspapers has reached July 1916, and the casualty lists have exploded - a lot of local men joined the Manchester Regiment, which was one of those which got absolutely hammered on the Somme.😢 #WWI www.heatonsww1.com
Local lycée protest Day 2: one police car parked out front and 2 gendarmes watching a dozen youngsters idling in the bus turnaround. (Yesterday there was noise, some scuffling with the gendarmes, and 3 lycéens hauled off to the gendarmerie.)
Today's additions to my database of #WWI soldiers from #Stockport include several underage volunteers, including one 15 yr-old who got away with it, and was in the trenches in France aged 16. Can you imagine it? The worst thing on the horizon for me at 16 was O'levels... 😢 www.heatonsww1.com
Arrived at wind orchestra rehearsal tonight to find the (council-owned) building minus electricity due to rewiring works - they hadn't bothered informing us. 😡 We fell back on the choir rehearsal room in another building - too small, but better than cancelling. #AmateurMusic #Harmonie
A Sunday morning session to kick off the new season with wind orchestra. 1. First pieces for our autumn concert. 2. Apéro! (Vin nouveau) #AmateurMusic #Harmonie
Following up the #Stockport #WWI soldiers reported "missing" after Mons, I was surprised to find that all but one were later found to be prisoners of war. Their war lasted just 10 days, and time must have dragged until 1918, but they were more fortunate than many. www.heatonsww1.com
Back to browsing contemporary local newspapers for my Stockport WWI project. Lots of appealing to patriotism in the early weeks of the war, but on 2 Oct there's a list of 601 men of the Cheshire Regt "missing" after Mons - nearly half the regiment. #WWI #LocalHistory
Sunset tonight started golden and dazzled through to red. It doesn't last long, but we're getting our money's worth at the moment.
Not the greatest photo, but there were dramatic clouds across the moon this evening - and yes, that's a clumsy call back to a hit 40 odd years ago.
Very much enjoyed the relays at the #EuropeanAthletics, but was mildly depressed to realise it's 40 years since I cheered home Roger Black, Kris Akabusi, Brian Whittle (minus a shoe) and Derek Redmond. 👟
Sorting books post-move, and found a Georgette Heyer I didn't remember
Found these when we moved house and have no idea where they came from. Too recent for Dad's Navy days, and he wouldn't have needed them as a Scouter. Too advanced for my lovely Beavers, so can only think I got them when I ran a base on Norfolk Scout night activity?
