Arthur Wallace: 1896-1955 – Great Uncle.

 

Albert Wallace: 1907-1976 -1st Cousin, 1 x removed

 

 Great Uncle:  Cecil Spence Park – Palestine 1930’s                                                      *A photographic memoir of conflict in the Middle East

Cecil’s Photo Collection was left to me by my late Mother in 2007.  Of the 140 photos and cards, many are mementos of Cecil’s time serving in the Royal Ulster Rifles in 1930’s Palestine. They give a fascinating snapshot into a period of British involvement in the Middle East that is a precursor to many of the events that take place there today.

Unfortunately, most of the photos are of people and places I know little or nothing about.  I do know that Cecil was about to be demobbed from the Army just as WW2 was breaking out in Europe in 1939.  This meant that his Army days were extended for an additional 6 years until the end of the War.  He fought at some of the most famous WW2 battles, including Dunkirk, and survived with barely a scratch.

I have no idea whether the photos were actually taken by Cecil or not.  The collection does not say anything about how the pictures came about.  The card mementos of Malta and those of the Christian  story, may well be the tourist cards of their day.  The latter offer an interesting insight in to life for tourist visitors to the Holy Land prior to the creation of the Israeli state after WW2.

I hope you will find these pictures as fascinating and interesting as I have.  To my mind, they are a superb collection of interwar British military history that deserve to be published.  Cecil passed away at the tragically early age of 49.  I hope this will be a fitting tribute to him, his friends and comrades.

**If you have any information about this collection, the people, places, or the conflict itself in Palestine then I would love to here from you. 

For more on Cecil’s life, check out his name in the Wood Family section of my website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

See attached link:

Reeder brothers – Pals website

 

 

Hi all,

I have now added a New collection of photographs of the Wood/Park families from Belfast.  This new collection comprises volume 1.

More volumes to follow..

Any questions or queries, get in contact.

Mike

In Remembrance:  100 years on from the start of the battle of the Somme.

Bob was ‘Killed in Action’ on 28 March 1918, retreating under heavy fire near the town of Albert, Somme, France.  He is buried at Martinsart British Cemetery.

RIP

In Remembrance:

100 years ago in 1916 – Charles was awarded the military medal for bravery on the battlefields of Flanders.  He died of wounds on the 18.07.17 near Ypres, Belgium. RIP

Charles is buried at the Railway Dugouts burial Ground (Transport Farm) near Ypres, Belgium.

Wood Family:  Great Uncle

See the latest addition to my website:  Cecil Spence Park.   Cecil’s birth certificate has just come to light and provided new information about his birth mother and his original birth name.  There are other documents of Cecil’s military days in 1930’s Palestine which will be added at a later date.

Here is a newly acquired collection of photographs passed on to me from the Reeder family. A huge thank you to cousin Lily for being more than generous with the photos, letters, booklets and much more which have helped me to add all of this information to my website.

Thoughts/comments welcome

Mike

 

I have been fortunate to receive a photo of the Godwin sisters (and their mother) taken around the turn of the century in Lancashire.

At no point did I think that a photo like this would turn up – After much discussion among cousins in Lancashire we finally agreed it was likely to be the Godwin’s originally from Colchester, Essex.

Go to the ‘Gallery’ section to view the picture.

Once again, any thoughts/comments always welcome.