217888 George Snaith British Army 2nd Btn Durham Light Infantry from:Newcastle Upon Tyne My grandfather George Snaith was a regular soldier in the 2nd Btn DLI. He spent some time in Ireland and was then sent to France, I think in August 1914. I always thought he disembarked at St. Nazaire, but I'm not sure of this. He received the Mons medal with a bar indicating that he was in that battle. He also fought on the Marne and Aisne, before being wounded.
I remember him telling me how food was hard to come by. He and a group of DLI soldiers came across some German soldiers cooking their dinner, it ended up in the hands of the DLI.
One poignant moment he mentioned was that his captain (Captain Northey) was wounded on the Aisne and caught in no mans land in wire, unfortunatley he had to be left to die. He named a daughter Northey Aisne after his captain and the River.
Two years ago my wife and I visited the 1914 battlefield areas. In one cemetery we saw the graves of DLI men who I presume were possible mates of my grandfather. I have to say it moved me much more than I expected.
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