BOTH of Gordon Clapp’s grandfathers served in the Great War and survived. They also forged strong links with Gordon’s home town of Poole.

Gordon’s grandfather on his father’s side, Albert William Clapp, was living in Branksome and was working for the Bournemouth Gas and Electric Company at Bourne Valley at the outbreak of the Great War.

“He had previously served in the Royal Navy for 12 years and fought in the Boer War in South Africa with the rank of Chief Stoker. He had been a member of the Naval Brigade of HMS Powerful and fought at the Relief of Ladysmith,” said Gordon who lives in Canford Heath.

Albert was called back from retirement from the Royal Fleet Reserve in 1914. He and his wife Kate moved to Portsmouth, where Kate joined the Woman’s Royal Naval Service as a Cook.

“Albert first served on HMS Victory, and then on HMS King Alfred, which was part of the Cruiser Squad assigned to convoy protection duties.

“However, being a Gunnery Instructor he was soon posted to the Royal Navy Gunnery School at HMS Excellence in Portsmouth, where he trained Gunnery Lieutenants from May 1915 until 1917,” said Gordon.

He then joined HMS Egmont, a Depot Ship at Malta. Malta was then known as ‘the nurse of the Mediterranean’ with its hospitals treating thousands of wounded men, the majority casualties from Gallipoli. Albert also helped out at Valletta Hospital.

After the war Albert and Kate returned to Branksome, and Albert went back to his job at the electric company.

He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal, the Victory Medal plus the rare Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

During the Second World War Albert served with the Civil Defence on fire watch above the Regents Cinema in Poole. He died in 1947, aged 79.

Gordon’s maternal grandfather William Henry Birch and his wife Bertha lived in a cottage at the New Inn in Wimborne Road, Poole.

“The family had moved down from Evesham in Worcestershire a few years earlier and it was back to here that William returned when war broke out in 1914 to join the Worcestershire Regiment with other members of his family,” said Gordon.

“But due to his work with horses on the land, he was transferred to the Army Veterinary Corps.”

He saw action around Ypres in 1915 and in July 1916 was at the Battle of the Somme, finishing up in Mametz, a village taken from the Germans early in the battle. In 1917 he was at Passchendaele where his brother and brother-in-law were both killed.

“William finished the war in the rank of sergeant and received the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal,” said Gordon.

“ He returned to Poole and joined the Poole Volunteer Fire Brigade, beginning a family tradition.

“He became grounds man for Poole Town FC at Poole Stadium, and died in 1964. He didn’t talk about the War.”