Frontline Walk 2014

Those of you that bought our wonderfully produced programme from the Worksop Town game last Friday 15^th August, will hopefully have read about a charity fundraising challenge I've undertaken namely the “Frontline Walk 2014”

Whats a “Frontline Walk”?

Well its clearly... a walk, of some 60 miles (if that distance can ever be called a walk?), across the battlefields of world war one starting in Albert, France and ending in Ypres Belgium. organised by ABF – The Soldiers Charity in association with Ancestry.co.uk. to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of World War One.

Heres a google map of the route.

The Charity

“ABF – The Soldiers Charity are the national charity of the British army and have been since their inception in 1944 , providing financial support to soldiers and their families whenever they need assistance. That’s for life too so they help whether they are in the army currently or stormed the beaches in Normandy.

Examples of which are – 

87 year old former Welsh Borderer from 1944 Ronald Watkins who now doesn’t live in a freezing cold house because ABF sorted out his central heating system.

and 

Derbyshires own Chris Parrott

Why do it though?

World War two has, for want of a better word fascinated me since doing a school project on the subject at Inkersall Primary. (that’s a long time ago).

The advent of the internet gave rise to the art of family history research and as such I've used it to try to find out what my Granddad, Samuel Ellenbogen from Liverpool did in WW2, unfortunately It’s at least 5 years down the line and I’m still none the wiser apart from that he was demobilised, after serving in the Royal Army service corps not just in Staveley but in the Drill Hall that is where the speedwell rooms are now. i.e. right next door to our home of Inkersall Road.

Samuel Ellenbogen - far right, somewhere in Belgium

You'll notice that his name is not exactly an English sounding one, well thats because it isn't, his Jewish parents Joseph and Minnie were forced to leave Russia for well documented reasons back in the early part of the 20th century, and without the sacrfices made by the soldiers that ABF look after I may not have been here today...

and this is an opportunity to say thankyou by helping ABF in a small way...     

Its about World War One though isn't it?

The thing with family history research is that there's loads of information and all you have to do is stick a few details into a search site like ancestry.co.uk and you’ll find out you’re the second cousin 3000 times removed from Boudica in about 10 minutes, and although nobody alive today has ever met any of my ancestors they somehow matter….

That's where I found my Great Great Grandad Charles Edward Askew, he served in World War One as an anti aircraft Gunner, of the Royal Garrison Artillery. 

Originally from Nottingham he passed away (aged 35)  suffering from pneumonia at his fathers house in Derby Road, Chesterfield, in 1919 and is buried in a soldiers grave close to his original Nottinghamshire home.

The idea of the Frontline walk is to get people to represent at least one of the 200 regiments that went out to fight and I will be walking in memory of Charles and the Royal Garrison Artillery.

Also, seeing as though I’m a fifth generation resident of Staveley I'm also going to do the challenge in the memory of the 100+ boys from our parish that never came home. 

I’m thinking of getting a Staveley Miners Welfare shirt and having everyone that donates sign it, taking it with me then having it displayed somewhere afterwards in a “just to show we haven’t forgotten the boys of our town” kind of way. 

That depends on how many people donate, it’ll look a bit rubbish with just me on it…. 

You can donate by texting to STEH66 £ (insert amount in numbers) to 70070.  

By clicking this omnipresent button


or

by dropping it to me at the Staveley games.

Thanks for listening.

Steven.