Today we remember one of Rutland’s fallen in The First World War, Sergeant Elijah Thompson. He was killed 100 years ago today, shot by a German sniper in France. Elijah was just 21 years old.
Sergeant Elijah Thompson is the Great-Great Uncle of 23ccc’s web developer, Matt. Matt’s family, together with the Rutland Remembers team, have researched Elijah’s life and career, and have shared their findings and collection of photographs on the Rutland Remembers website, a project remembering all of Rutland’s fallen in The First World War. Elijah was described as a fine specimen of a soldier and carried the highest praise from his officers and comrades. You can read more here…
Rutland Remembers is a tribute to the hundreds of men – and three women – who joined up to fight in the First World War – and subsequently lost their lives. Most were killed in battle. Their graves lie wherever the war was fought – in France and Belgium, at Gallipoli, in Iraq and Greece and in 14 other countries as well. Others succumbed to disease or came home badly injured and died of their wounds, in some cases many months after the war was over. Many of these are buried in Rutland churchyards.
You can get involved by visiting the Rutland Remembers website, rutlandremembers.org
