Collection

The novel Major Tom’s War is fictional, but only just.  It began its decade-long journey into print as a transcript of the author’s grandfather’s war diary, crammed with photographs, letters, postcards and posters he sent back to his future wife 1914 – 1918.

When completed later this year, the collection will display every individual item (over 400 in total) within the family archive digitally, plus some of the additional images and documentation Vee Walker has collected during her research trips to Bavay which relate to its mayor Gaston Derome.

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Gaston and Marguerite Brasseur as hostages at Holzminden

Between November 1916 and April 1917 Gaston was taken as a hostage along with Marguerite Brasseur, who is standing to his left in this photograph

01 November 1916 - 30 April 1917

Gaston and Marguerite Brasseur as hostages at Holzminden