This photo was taken in the 1930s of Olga Dorling in the Stanley area of County Durham. The photo was kindly sent to me by Marg Burgess who found it in her late mother's possession. It took a while to find out which of 2 possible Olga's she was.
Olga was b. 1923 the daughter of Thom Dorling b. 1895 Urpeth Durnham (son of Thomas Jacob Dorling b. 1836 Barton Mills who moved to County Durham between 1851 and 1861, where many Suffolk families went for work at around this time) & Jenny nee Wright.
Thom had survived the 1st World War after both getting married and joining the Durham Light Infantry in 1915. He received a gun shot wound to his arm, which was classified as "mild".
In 1939 the family were living at 31 The Bungalows, Stanley, Durham. Thom was Colliery Deputy Overman Below and an A.R.P. Ambulance Driver. Wife Jennie / Jane Dorling 2b. 6 Apr 1896 Unpaid Domestic Duties , 1 closed record (presumed to be eldest daughter Phyllis), and Olga Dorling (Jarvis) 07 Aug 1923 who was a Chemist Shop Assistant and Single. Olga married and had a family, so some descendants are probably out there somewhere.
Photo and following information kindly provided by Jacqui Meekins: "Alf, or 16007 Lance Corporal William James Meekins of the 1st / 1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment died on 23rd September 1918 following the Battle of Epehy in Northern France. Alf had been in the army for the whole four years of the war so it's terribly sad that he died so near the end of it. I don't know what injuries he sustained but I know he died five days after being wounded because my Grandad was also in the trenches at that time and asked permission to visit his brother which was refused - something that upset Grandad for the rest of his life. Apparently, the last time Alf was home on leave before he died, he really didn't want to go back and his father had to make him go, so you can imagine how my Great Grandad felt when Alf was killed. When Alf did go back, he kept coming back to the top of the road (Fletcher Rd in Acton) to wave. It was as if he knew he wouldn't be seeing the family again. Alf is buried in the war grave at Epehy Wood Farm Cemetary. 
