The Decision to End All Decisions

A single choice can have huge, unpredicted consequences.  Today, the 100th anniversary of the End of the War to End All Wars, presents a uniquely personal example of this.

Instead of fighting in World War One, like he thought he would have to (against his conscience and better judgement), my Granddad spent most of his WWI time in the Horse Pistol with the Red Nose Curses.

As he put it back in the late 60s: "I joined the Royal Navy and passed exams for Chief Petty Officer, my trade helps. My reason for joining the Navy, because there was less chance of having to kill. Being killed would not seem so bad. Anyhow, getting tired of waiting for a ship, Bert Bailey (my best pal) + myself joined the Royal Engineers, + before leaving I was instructing fellows in Signalling. However, I was unlucky enough to get a double Hernia with heavy pontoon. Later, which was obscured to me, I was being taken to hospital, there to stay for 5 months with acute nephritis. From the Ramily Road School hospital (temporary) I received my discharge and was told that if I was careful, I would live about 2 yrs. That was 50 years ago. It was while in the Engineers that I met your Uncle Harry, your mother's brother."
If Granddad had gone in the Navy as planned, he'd have never met my Uncle Harry, who introduced Granddad to his kid sister, who became my Nana. He also never would have learned Chess from the Grand Master in the bed next to him.
And if he hadn't gotten a hernia, he likely would have died in the trenches like so many others.

How strange the fates are.  And how important our choices!




Granddad's War Badge papers


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