Teddy and George

In 1897, Alice Forbes was born in Deptford, London. She is about 9 years old in this photograph.

In 1909, sixteen year old Alice had her photograph taken at her elder brother’s John’s wedding. She was there with her brother Edward, her three sisters – Caroline, Rebecca and Rose – and her little brother George.

Edward Rosina Alice CarrieRebecca George

Alice’s father John had died five years earlier, and when the First World War began in 1914, her mother Caroline also died. By this time, both her eldest siblings (John and Caroline, named after their parents) were already married to their partners.

George No longer with the need for his mother’s permission, Alice’s brother George enlisted in September He was still underage, and at seventeen years old should not have been allowed into the army, but his parents were not alive to verify his age.

George His sisters, particularly Carrie, tried their best to write to the army to get George back out, but by the time they succeeded, it was almost a year later and he was re- enlisted the very next day.

George in the trenches George served with the Royal West Kent Regiment.

George in the trenches

In 1917 George was injured during a battle in France. He died on 31st January at a casualty clearing station at Avesnes, in Northern France.

He is buried at Avesnes le Comte cemetery.

Teddy Andrew Edward, or Teddy for short, was born in 1889 and was 26 years old when he enlisted in He enlisted through the Australian Imperial Forces, as he was living and working there at the time.

Teddy After a year in the 49th Battalion he was promoted to Corporal.

What details can you see on the form?

The sisters tried to find out exactly what had happened to Teddy by writing to the army. Rebecca had also married by this time, and information from the army was sent to her husband, Joseph.

Teddy died on the first day of the Battle of Messines Ridge on the 7th June It is said that the explosions from this battle were heard in England. He is buried in the Messines Ridge Cemetery in Belgium. He is also remembered on a memorial in the town of Mackay, Australia.

All four sisters received a sum of money, which was the rest of Teddy and George’s pay that they had been owed as soldiers. Rose spent her share of the money on two very special bracelets to remember her brothers, Teddy and George.

Over time, as the sisters grew older and had children of their own, the bracelets were handed down through their family, with each new generation treasuring them and remembering the significance of why Rose bought them to remember her brothers who fought and died in the Great War.

Teddy and George’s sister Alice went on to have three children – George (named fondly after her brother), Joan, and the youngest, Teresa, who was born on the 21 st May 1927 in London. Here is Teresa on the beach on holiday!

In time, Teresa had two daughters of her own – Sarah and Lorna. Here is a photo of Lorna in her school uniform!

And then, Lorna had three children of her own – Ben, Oliver and Aimi! Do you recognise the little girl?