This letter is written on notepaper headed with crossed Union Jacks. H.M.S. Diadem, Jan 3rd 1916 Dear Mother, Many thanks for your kind letter and parcel. I came aboard the training ship on New Years 's Day. Cannot get ashore not while a week next Sunday. It is look out for your self here as regards food but I do not miss any. I sling my hammock in the mess deck, but several sleep on the upper deck. We are packed like herrings in a box, but you may bet I am in a good place. I have had a look round the armoured deck, and stoke hold to-day. Talk about having something to learn, "nor arf". I have a had head-ache ever since I landed at the barracks. I shall not do much work this week only looking around different parts of the ship. Glad to hear you had a merry Xxmas, and I hope Dad did not make a fool of himself. I wrote to H Frow a week before Christmas but have not had a reply. Perhaps he is angry with met yet. I did not expect he would come to see F. F. any more, when I left. Will get my photo taken when I get ashore again. So when you get them you can send one to Aunts Sarah and Eliza. Tell Dad to remember me to Jar, and any-body who inquires after me. I have not received the New Year's gift you have been talking about from the proceeds of the concert. Well give my best love to all at home, hoping you are all well as I am right at present. Must Close with you all in my thoughts. I remain Your Loving Son Joe XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX p.s. Do not change the address when you write, excuse me for not replying sooner, but stamps are a scarce article here. (Just struck eight bells) Joe made reference regarding his father not making a fool of himself. Apparently my Grandfather, rather liked a drink, tho according to work note books I found in the Grandfather Bag, he was only earning £2.0s.0d at this time.

The last of my parents died some 18 months ago.  I cancelled the insurance on their home and had a new policy written under my name.  The insurance company sent a refund cheque made out to my deceased parents. I probably don't have to tell you that they can't cash it or deposit it.  Perhaps I could take a funeral urn down to the bank along with the cheque and ask if they would cash it. This experience reminded me that "you're not dead just because you are buried."  There are people listed on war memorials under the wrong names.  A few are listed twice.  Some didn't die, but the memorial implies they did.  And errors in the census returns make you want to pull your hair out.  Last month my wife got mail for her father who died 11 years ago. A great deal of this is human error.  In the case of my insurance company I have discovered that they have a "procedure" of not removing a name from a policy.  Didn't matter that I waved a death certificate at them and a letter from my attorney.  Of course, this is the same insurance company that couldn't get my name right on the new policy even after 4 visits to correct the problem.  I now use a different company. War memorials were often dependent on local sources.  Often these sources seem to be mentally deficient.  Some men stayed in France after the Great War.  Did they meet a lovely young French girl and decide to stick with her?  Was life in a foreign country more appealing than being an Ag. Lab. back home?  Who can say. What to do about it?  Well, find as many sources as you can.  If you find a will, did you also find a burial entry in the church register, a gravestone, a death certificate? My mother, who was the last of her siblings to die, had Alzheimer's disease.  She often told me she had to get home to Mick when she got flustered.  Well, Mick was her deceased husband and I had to gently remind her of this fact.  I often wonder if and how she filled out the census form sent to her home, but I don't worry about it.  She threw out most of her mail.  We had to go through the trash to look for important mail (like tax notices), until we finally moved her to a care facility.  She hated that so much, but it was necessary.  So if you find a person in their 80s or 90s listed in the census, take care and verify the data. The reason for all this is to tell you that not everything you find in civil or church records is correct.  People often made mistakes.  It's human nature.  Ever have those moments when you can't remember your spouse's name?  It's OK, we all do it.  (Just call him "Honey".)  Now, if you can't remember your own name, better get a bracelet with your name inscribed on it.  ("If found, please drop this individual in the nearest postal box.") Gravestones have errors, death certificates were filled out from information given by an "informant", who might be a neighbor, and wills, alas, sometimes don't give relationships.  It's hard for me to tell you that because I think wills are an overlooked resource.  So, the more sources, the better. And "chill out."  Just because the church register appears incorrect, don't write the vicar a nasty note and ask for it to be corrected.  Don't take your own chisle to the war memorial to correct uncle Albert's name.  Tell US about the error.  You'll get lots of sympathy and maybe an "Atta boy" too. Maybe I should file a "Freedom of Information" form to see what the government has wrong about ME!  Nah, I don't wanna know.  I do know that they have the wing number of the airplane I flew into the US on in 1947 when I was three.  Of course, this is the same government that asked me to prove that I was a citizen.  I did.  You'd think they'd keep track of that, eh?     Lou