Blog archive for 03/2017

Sometimes just one member of a family can serve with a particular Regiment in the Armed Forces. But, sometimes, it can become a family tradition to serve, with multiple members and generations signing up to serve. It is just such a family that is the focus of today’s blog.

Many great inventors and engineers have been part of the Royal Regiment or Artillery, or worked on the famous Royal Arsenal site in Woolwich. This blog looks at perhaps the most famous of them all.

A number of local people in Woolwich came forward, during the ‘Making Woolwich’ project to share their family member’s stories about their service in the Royal Regiment of Artillery (RA).  The story of Francis Smith is one of the more unusual of how men came to joining the RA.

As well as the many stories of heroism that were shared with us during our public engagement in the ‘Making Woolwich’ project, there were also other, more tragic stories. The story of Jack Jones is just such one.

A number of local people in Woolwich came forward, during the ‘Making Woolwich’ project to share their family member’s stories about their service in the Royal Regiment of Artillery (RA). The third story is of Terence Alan “Spike” Milligan,  legendary 20th Century comedian, writer and poet.