224247 Pte. William Joseph A. Ryan British Army 10th (Liverpool Scottish) Btn. King's Regiment (Liverpool) from:Gladstone Road, Wallasey My Uncle Bill Ryan enlisted early, and married before embarkation. The only memory he ever shared with me was being blinded by a mustard gas attack in the Ypres area. They were all blinded, in his case temporarily, and they were led out of the area, through snow, each holding onto the man in front.
I am sure he never went to London or the Imperial War Museum, but his description fits exactly to the Singer Seargent painting, with the exception that his kilt was tartan, not buff coloured. He remained a semi invalid after the war, but lived to be 72. (Editor's note: The buff kilt is actually a cover which would have been worn over the tartan when they went into action)
|