Missing The Boat: War Stories of Thomas Alan Dirkin

116 Ernest Littley, (my mother’s father) Served in the Royal Artillery from May 26, 1915 – August 5, 1919. Army number: 836245. Wounded at the Battle of the Somme, in France. There were 57,470 British casualties, including 19,240 dead. These losses were the worst in the history of the British Army David Cooper, nephew of Thomas Alan Dirkin, said of this picture: “ Believed to be 1917 Palestine, he was sent there after being wounded at the Somme. Suffered from malaria caught there for the rest of his life. He told me he used to ride the horses towing the artillery guns into position. The wound was through his arm and he told the story of the same bullet killing his chum behind him”.