" Stones Military Histories will investigate and, if you choose, analyse for you the military history of a particular person or persons "
Sgt W Hallion (Royal Dublin and then
Northumberland Fusiliers) Capt JT Stone MM (Cheshire Regt WW1,
South Staffs WW2)
Northamptonshire Home Guard
Stones Military Histories will investigate and analyse for you the military history of a particular person or persons. Typically the person under consideration will have served in the armed forces of 20th century Britain, and you may be a family member. In fact it is not restricted to any nationality or creed, or for that matter period. Stones Military Histories is currently run on a non-profit making basis so as to provide an opportunity to fully develop the product. A number of papers have already been completed and it has been particularly satisfying, and a special privilege, to hand the completed folders to the families involved. The larger papers are usually well enriched with copies of original documents and photographs.
I hope you will agree that is appropriate here to agree what I do not do, and that is genealogy; spicy as that may be, it can take the focus away from what I do best, military history. I can assist you to identify correctly the individual you are considering, and always take great care to make sure no misleading information is added for embellishment or pecuniary reason; it being all too easy to follow the wrong path on simple word searches and family allegory, however exciting for the uninitiated that may be. In other words, I can focus directly on your military history question regarding a family relation, and/or complete those aspects of your own genealogy study in respect of the military history of your relative.
Costs are low, in the order of £60 for the presentation to you of an A4 folder, and electronic copy of the basics of our individual’s military history, in the order of 1500 to 2000 words. This is likely to include copy of one original document pertaining to the individual. Also, where provided by the family to me, documents, photographs and ephemera can be scanned or digitally photographed and included in your folder. While this may sound attractive, it would clearly be a sum you would not wish to waste. Commissions are only undertaken when both you and I are sure we have the right man, and can be positive about a useful outcome. I have had particular success writing for families of men that completed war service during the First World War 1914-1918; however we need not be limited to this.
Men from Dorset serving with No8 Company, Imperial Camel Corps Sgt HJJ Guppy, DCM, MiD, Dorset Yeo, Corps of Hussars
As your folder captures the imagination and confidence, you may choose to expand the analysis. Most to date have, as when the first paper is shown to family members much useful and additional information or artefacts suddenly become available. To date each additional 1500-2000 words will add costs pro-rata to the first draft (£60 per 1500 words where the paragraphs are rich with information pertaining to the individual). This is in some part due to honouring that information available from period tomes, and the need for me to purchase documents or a book to provide appropriate academic rigour to the extended analysis, and to support the bibliography. In other words, a man who had an ‘interesting war’ would command in the order of 6000 words to do some honour to his record; those men who additionally are found to have a medal for bravery or gallantry 12000 words (approximately 30-40 pages including photographs and documents).
You may well ask what right do I have to offer to write and honour the military record of your grandfather or other family member. As well as some success with papers written on men who have served in France, Gallipoli, Egypt and Mesopotamia, a deep and sincere interest, but also service to the Crown myself in the Falklands, Balkans, Persian Gulf, and other less publicised events. An Engineer by background I have additional academic qualifications which include an MA in Defence Studies from the military college at Shrivenham, and have been privileged to access period documents and books in defence libraries and specialised public libraries not easily available to all. You may, sensibly, have chosen not to read your way through the entire account above, please feel free to Email me at stonesmilitaryhistories@gmail.com
Costs Recap (1st June 2008):
| Description | Price |
|---|---|
| option 1, primary analysis, presentation, and file | £60 |
| option 2, available on successful completion of option 1 | see text |
| option 3, necessarily limited to men that have received awards for bravery, gallantry, or especially recorded in period documents. |
see text |