We were overwhelmed with responses during the phone in this morning with people's family stories from the First World War and other conflicts. Here is a selection of some of the correspondence we had.

My Great Grandad was in the trenches in the 1st world war when he had his leg and half his side blown away. His mates buried him alive during a German advance and retreated. 3 days later his mates dug him back out after an allied advance. He survived and made his own wooden leg to get around on. He died in the sixties from his war wounds. - John Tilley

My Great Uncle, Bombardier Arthur Dorman of Uppingham, Rutland, was killed on the Somme while laying wires in advance of the front line trench! His officer said "I always selected him for this work on account of his coolness and courage under fire at all times... a more loyal, brave and courageous man never existed ... the gallant work of this man has been beyond praise."

His generation had a tremendous sense of duty, and a stoic acceptance of whatever life brought to them. We have visited his grave in France with great pride but also with sadness at the loss of his life and all those around him, and even more so that the loss of young lives continues today. - Liz Neeves

Today I remember my Grandad who survived U-boat attacks while serving in the First World War on the Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic. This was converted into a troopship to bring thousands of Canadian and American troops to England. In May 1918, the Olympic was off the Lizzard heading towards Southampton with 5,000 Americans on board when the U103 surfaced directly ahead, so the troopship's Captain decided to run it down.

My grandad was at the Olympic's wheel and succeeded in ramming and destroying the U103 which had gained notoriety for machinegunning sailors who survived sinkings. This is the only known instance of a merchant vessel sinking a warship.

My grandfather, a humble Liverpool seafarer, died in the Seventies and never breathed a word about this but after he died my mother gave me a letter from the White Star Line, which owned the Olympic, and that described the whole incident. I am so proud of what my grandad did. - Neil Dunkin of St Albans

My great grandfather survived the Somme and Ypres. My late father told me of his grandfather's struggle with what had happened. The worst part was his total feeling of guilt. He sat quietly somewhere shoulder to shoulder with his life long friend. Two young boys who had played and fought together through the these two terrible battles. This was two hours after the war was over when a sniper's bullet hit his friend in the forehead, killing him instantly. His guilt came because he spent the rest of his life saying thank God that was him and not me. - David in Somerset

My maternal grandmother received a first telegram from the War Office which "regretted" that my grandfather had been posted as "missing in action". Ten days later she received a second telegram from the War Office which "further regretted" that grandfather had now been posted "killed in action".

About two months later, Grandfather turned up on the doorstep, alive and well. Walking down the road in Bermondsey where my grandparents then lived, he was puzzled by twitching curtains in the various houses. As he reached the front gate, the front door opened and grandmother, dressed in black and ready to go to his requiem mass, saw Grandfather and came out with a classic remark: "Oh (deleted) I've just spent your insurance money". - From James Wells listening online in Saudi Arabia

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