Comments on: Who Do You Think You Are? – Alan Carr tracks a deserter

By: Gail Duffy

Gail Duffy — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 14:49:57 +0000

I find it very hard to pass judgement on anyone’s actions almost one hundred years ago as I don’t have enough access to their personal reasons for their reactions to the situation. I personally don’t know how I would react either! My own great-uncle signed up at 16 in order to allow his 17 year old sister to get a dependent’s allowance for their five brothers and sisters which would allow her to keep the family together when both their parents died. He was injured, recovered, returned to the front, and died age18. Who can really say which way is correct and proper? I only know the anguish sit caused my grandfather who never mentioned his elder brother. There are as many different tales as there were men and women and why do we feel the need to say who was right and who was wrong?

By: Les Holmans

Les Holmans — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:55:52 +0000

I find it hard to believe that the authorities did not trace him. He and his wife may have been able to maintain the Mercer name change but what of the children? Children are renowned for letting slip a secret. Such stories would have filtered back to the headmaster/mistress who would have felt duty bound to investigate further. Perhaps there was a compassionate government overseer who turned a blind eye?

By: Sue Lovett

Sue Lovett — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:10:53 +0000

Very thought provoking indeed. Having ancestors who died in the Great War, I was initially aghast at the revelations. I was also shocked at the large number of these domestic deserters. I wasn’t particularly surprised that Henry Carter was able to disappear so easily – after all there was no technology to track him down and can you imagine how many folk were displaced and on the move during these chaotic times? Somewhat begrudgingly I then found myself admiring him and his capacity for self preservation. I’ve been thinking about it on and off all day – and my opinions swerve wildly from one extreme to the other. Without knowing all the facts it’s very difficult to reach a conclusion about Henry.