Every story, be it a work of fiction or a thoroughly researched scientific paper, should have a beginning, a middle and an ending. That is how writing works. This develops into a series of questions – there’s the who, the what, the where and the when and how questions to be answered and developed.

The parts of the story may not always be presented ‘in order’ and in the case of a novel those parts are often mixed about and the reader may have to grapple with time-shifts and other writerly ‘devices’.

Having though about this I have a working plan which I’m ready to share… 

The key to our immediate family history is my paternal grandfather Bob Renals.

Why Bob?

War is a catastrophe. I’d be happy to debate that long-held view but for now, please go with it! 

Had Bob not survived Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, where he was twice wounded, then moving on to fight in Egypt and Palestine before finishing his war in France, then he would not have gone on to meet and marry Charlotte Orchard. It goes without saying that my uncle Edwin and my father Roy would not have been born. Had Roy not then gone on to marry Sheila my birth and that of my younger sister Lorraine could not have happened.

Life is a series of events strung out across the arc of time. Choices that we make or do not make, have consequences.  

Bob did not live to see the birth of my daughter and later that of my son, his widow Charlotte did though see and hold Sarah and Jeremy as babies!

I realise that these introductory words can to some extent be seen as stating the obvious. Sometime by stating the obvious we can more easily define where we should next proceed.

In Bob’s case we can go back in time to look at his decedents (those who lived and died before Bob) or spring forwards. That said with nine siblings we could easily spend time exploring his generation.

An interesting aspect of Bob’s life is that he and a brother (Jack) married two sisters (Charlotte became Bob’s wife and Betsy wed Jack) on the same day. The wedding celebration, we are told, lasted for a week. There are photos – but I am getting ahead of myself!

We shall also need to reference Bob at a place or places and do so at a time or times. I’ve already alluded to Bob’s first encounters during what at the time was known as the ‘Great War’. Having been patched up in Malta, Bob returned to battle in Egypt, Palestine and later in France. Indeed when I visited the Somme and mentioned to the museum staff at Thiepval where Bob had served in France they were very helpful with information. So maps and diagrams will be needed.

Photographs and drawings will also help with context and provide detailed background information.

Shall we start? Good. Let’s go!

This then is the story of one particular branch of the Renals family tree.