WW1 Letters Discovered During Family Business Refurbishment Reveal Tragic Plight of Ancestor
HARROGATE, England, May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
During the recent refurbishment of their family jewellery business Ogden of Harrogate, brothers Robert and Ben Ogden uncovered a cache of correspondence in the attics that had lain unopened for almost a century. It revealed the moving story of their great-great-uncle, who as a nineteen-year-old commanded a tank known as 'Harrogate' and gave his life for his country at the battle of Cambrai in 1917.
Walter Ogden was the youngest son of the jeweller James Roberts Ogden, who had founded Ogden of Harrogate in 1893, and who would later advise Howard Carter on the gold work on Tutankhamun's tomb and receive the Freedom of the Borough.
Walter, following the lead of his three older brothers, enlisted when he was sixteen and was made Second Lieutenant of the Tank Corps. The tank he commanded was nicknamed 'Harrogate' after his affection for his home town.
The letters give an incredible insight into the final few days of Walter's life - and the terrible impact the Great War had on both those who enlisted and the loved ones who waited at home for news.
The cache of over 100 documents includes letters sent to the Front from the premises that Ogden of Harrogate still occupies today, the last letter written by Walter to his parents and his final order for battle.
"We were amazed to discover the documents," said Robert Ogden, fifth generation jeweller. "We had always known that our great-great-uncle had died in the Great War, but to find the original letters and the pencil-written order for battle, which effectively sent Walter to his death, was incredibly moving."
His brother Ben Ogden added: "Many of the letters, telegrams and artefacts we discovered are now on display in our newly refurbished showroom. We are very proud of our great-great-uncle who, like so many men of his generation, gave his life for his country. It is a privilege to be able to honour his memory with an archive display of the documents. Many of our customers have been very moved by the display and in this centenary year of the start of the Great War we feel it is a poignant mark of remembrance."
Extracts from the documents can be viewed at http://www.ogdenharrogate.co.uk/downloads/8/0/Walter_Ogden_1st_World_War_Document.pdf.aspx
Please contact Abi Briggs, abi@ogdenharrogate.co.uk for more information.
Share this article