Lorna's father as a young man

In Lorna's war diary entry of exactly 80 years ago that we posted yesterday she wrote about the poor state of her father Albert on his return from France, just three days before the evacuation of Dunkirk.

Today we post a picture of Lorna's father in happier times. This shot was taken in 1898 on a fishing trip for blue sharks in the Bay of Biscay, when Albert was aged about 15 or 16. 

Not long afterwards in February 1901 he left home to join the 1st Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry (3rd Gloucestershire Company) and serve in the Boer War until October 1902. His army record shows that he suffered a wound in South Africa on 20th April 1902, and was mentioned in despatches soon afterwards on 31st May 1902.

It's quite astonishing to think that this picture is 122 years old!