The Manx Aviation and Military Museum is seeking the help of the public to identify fifty Manx First World War soldiers whose photographs are in their archives. For many years the pictures were on display in the Oddfellows Hall in Castletown but there were no names associated with them.
Ivor Ramsden, director of the museum gave more details of their request:
“These are very good quality postcard-size portraits of fifty soldiers from all branches of the army. We know that they date from the 1914-18 war by their uniforms and badges, and some are from the very early days of the war but only one picture has a name on the back. The rest of them are unknown, and it’s such a shame because we would very much like to know who they are and incorporate them into our First World War exhibition which will be opening this summer. They might be all southside men; they might be casualties of the war, we just don’t know. I have compared them with other, identified, photographs of WW1 soldiers in our collections and those of the Manx Museum but only one has been identified that way and even then we aren’t absolutely certain. We are hoping that people will give us some names and maybe, with luck, some additional information about the men.
We shall be very pleased to let members of these men’s families have copies of the pictures.”
Easter opening
Ivor is pleased to announce that the museum will be open daily throughout the Easter school holiday:
“We get a number of visits from school groups during the winter and the children enjoy learning about a special part of the Island’s history. They can get their hands on some of the objects used by their military ancestors and I’m told by their teachers and parents that they enjoy their visits very much. Several parents have asked if we can open over Easter so they can visit again and as a result we shall be opening from 10am to 4.30pm every day of the Easter school holidays. There’s a lot to see and admission is free.”
Photo - one the hundred-year-old mystery photographs of soldiers.
Researching your Manx family history can be a very interesting and rewarding hobby. Trace your roots in the Isle of Man with our helpful of guide.
