Don’t forget to upload your stories to For Evermore: Stories of the Fallen

Have you shared your casualty stories on For Evermore: Stories of the Fallen, our online digital stories archive?

Share WOrld War Casualty Stories on For Evermore

What is For Evermore: Stories of the Fallen?

For Evermore: Stories of the Fallen is an online resource for collecting and sharing the stories of casualties in Commonwealth War Graves’ care.

Each of the 1.7 million Commonwealth casualties of the World Wars was a unique individual with their own experiences, hopes, fears, and stories. With For Evermore, we aim to capture, preserve, and share each and every one.

We’ll collate your stories into a single, searchable repository that honours the men and women from across the Commonwealth who made the ultimate sacrifice in these world-changing conflicts.

With over 5,000 stories uploaded so far, we still have a long way to go. This is where we need your help! 

If you are related to any of the casualties commemorated by Commonwealth War Graves, we’d love for you to share their story on For Evermore. Uploading them is quick and easy; you’ll ensure their stories and memories are preserved forever in our archive.

We should stress that you do not have to be related to someone in our care to share a casualty story on For Evermore. While we’ve had hundreds of people share their family stories, we’ve also had many researchers, historians, and military history enthusiasts share casualty tales too.

If you’re an amateur (or pro!) historian, and have a backlog of casualty stories you’ve uncovered, or have a story you need to share, please upload it!

Submit a story

How can you upload a story to For Evermore?

Need a hand uploading your story? View the video below.

Want some extra help? Click here for a step-by-step guide on how to share your story on For Evermore.

World War Casualty Stories from For Evermore

See below for a selection of stories our users have uploaded to For Evermore.

Third Officer Joan Esther Marshall

Image: Third Officer Joan Esther Marshall (photo supplied by Sally McGlone)

Sally McGlone is a regular For Evermore contributor, specialising in sharing the stories of servicewomen whose lives were tragically cut short by their World War service.

Amongst the many stories she has kindly uploaded is the tale of Third Officer Joan Esther Marshall.

Joan was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 1913. She enjoyed private schooling until the age of 13 when, with her family, Joan emigrated to Northumberland, England. 

Joan attended the College of Domestic Science in Edinburgh, Scotland, after finishing her schooling. From there, she gained employment as the Catering Manager for Airwork at Heston.

Working in the aviation sector allowed Joan the opportunity to take the skies herself. She was awarded her Royal Aeronautical Club certificate in 1937 and acquired 30 hours of solo flight time in her logbook before the outbreak of the Second World War.

In December 1940, Joan applied to join the Air Transport Auxiliary. Many women pilots served in the ATA in wartime, with their duties including ferrying aircraft from factories and bases to frontline units, repair facilities, and wherever fresh aircraft needed to be.

At this time, Joan had built up 60 flight hours in her logbook, flying on "Moth I, II, Avro Cadet, Cirrus Moth, Leopard Moth, and Whitney Straight".

Aviation in the 1940s, despite its rapid development since the First World War, was still a difficult, and dangerous profession.

Joan was sadly killed on 20 June 1942 when her Master I N7806 Aircraft spiralled into the ground on Joan’s approach to White Waltham Airfield, Berkshire.

The official report said it was due to "a spin caused by stalling on a turn during a landing approach, for which it has been impossible to find a reason."

Joan is buried in Maidenhead Cemetery. Our thanks to Sally for sharing Joan’s story.

Subadar-Major Sardar Bahadur Balwant Singh

Image: Subadar-Major Sardar Bahadur Balwant Singh (Photo courtesy of Dr Tejpal Singh Ralmill)

Family stories of those who fought and fell in the World Wars have tremendous resonance.

We were honoured when Dr Tejpal Singh Ralmill uploaded the interesting and ultimately tragic story of his Great-Grandfather Subadar-Major Sardar Bahadur Balwant Singh to For Evermore.

Balwant Singh 'Sardar Bahadur' O.B.I, R.V.M was the son of Suchet Singh of Sohal, Gurdaspur, Punjab, India.

A career military man, Balwant enlisted in the Indian Army in 1893, joining 1st Battalion, 23rd Sikh Pioneers.

Over the years, Balwant steadily rose through the ranks, reaching Subadar-Major, the equivalent of a Major in the British Army, in April 1908.

His pre-First World War military service saw him mostly operating in the North West Frontier and Waziristan in modern-day Pakistan.

Notably, when still a Subadar (equivalent to a Captain), Balwant led a contingent from the 23rd Sikh Pioneers to London for the Coronation of King Edward VII. 1,200 Indian soldiers attended the Coronation, participating in parades through the British capital.

Come the First World War, The 23rd Sikh Pioneers fought against Ottoman forces in Aden in present-day Yemen. It was here that Balwant would lose his life but in unusual circumstances.

Alongside Subadar Paritam Singh, Balwant was murdered in his bed by Sepoy (Private) Basakah Singh. Officers had tried to wrestle with the rogue Sepoy but were unable to prevent the deaths of Balwant and Paritam.

Basakha Singh was court-martialled in a military court in Aden and hung in Aden Special Prison on June 7, 1915.

According to battalion war diaries, it is believed Sepoy Singh was motivated by the caste dynamics in the regiment for the murder, potentially being overlooked for advancement due to his standing with the complex caste system.

Subsequently, when the 23rd Sikh Pioneers 2nd Battalion was raised in 1917, the commanding officers were keen to emphasise that all castes were considered for promotion.

Balwant Singh became one of the only Subadar-Major's to be killed by one of his own men in the First World War.

The war diary of the 23rd Sikh Pioneers describes him as a man of great ability and one who was held in high esteem and respect by every British Officer he had served with. 

He also held the affection of the Indian Officers and the rank and file whose interests he had at heart for whom he did so much. The Commanding officer said he'd lost a personal friend.

Thanks go to Dr Tejpal Singh Ralmill for uploading his relative’s interesting story to For Evermore.

Private George Adolphus “Gus” Tucker (Alias Rucker)

Some of the stories shared by our For Evermore users are some of the more intriguing World War tales out there. 

Many people from outside the Commonwealth served in the forces of the British Empire in wartime.

Among their number was Private George Adolphus “Gus” Tucker.

Gus was born in Overton, Texas in the United States of America in 1880.

Gus travelled to the United Kingdom and, at the outbreak of the First World War, enlisted in the British Army. His motivations are unknown. He enlisted under the name “Rucker” and claimed he was Canadian, getting around the US policy of strict neutrality it would adopt until 1917.

As Gus Rucker, he enlisted in the Gloucestershire Regiment and was posted to the 7th (Service) Battalion. 

In June 1915, the 7th Battalion set sail for Gallipoli for the infamous campaign aimed at breaking the Ottoman Empire and capturing Istanbul. Gus, however, would not arrive until October 1915, arriving with a draft of 50 men to reinforce the battalion.

With the 7th, Gus fought at Sulajik in Sulva Bay. The battalion was under heavy fire and endured casualties until it was finally evacuated in January 1916.

Following Galipolli, the Battalion retreated to Egypt before it embarked for Kuwait and onto Iraq to fight in Mesopotamia.

On 19 April, the 7th Battalion was involved in fighting around an Ottoman-held position at Beit Aiessa known as The Pimples.

In the first hour of its attack, the 7th was battered by accurate Turkish artillery fire, taking some 50 casualties. Between 20-23 April, the 7th was constantly battered by Ottoman fire but continued to dig communication and fighting trenches as ordered.

Finally, the battalion was relieved on the 23rd where it was sent into reserve bivouacs and reinforced.

Gus was likely wounded in the attacks of 19-23 April 1916 at Beit Aiessa. He had been evacuated to a military hospital at Wadi but succumbed to his wounds on 26 April 1916. 

We are grateful to Nick Tucker for sharing the story of this American soldier who fell so far from home, fighting for another nation.

Share your story today on For Evermore

By sharing your stories on For Evermore, you’re helping the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation achieve one of its key aims: preserving and sharing the stories of the Commonwealth’s war dead so we might educate future generations on their incredible sacrifice. 

If you’ve got a story of a casualty commemorated by Commonwealth War Graves, we’d love to hear it! Upload it on For Evermore: Stories of the Fallen today.