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Harry Lamin

The Power of Blogs

It is truly amazing the rise in the power of blogs as a communication medium.  Blogs (or web logs) started in the pre-Web 2.0 days, sometime in the mid-1990’s, as being little more than online diary or journal, hand-coded in HTML.  Now they are beginning to be seen as a valid method of communicating on a large range of ideas and issues.

One thing has brought it home to me how influential blogs have become.  A few days ago it was announced that Private Harry Lamin [^] would be commemorated on a series of British Indian Ocean Territory Postage stamps [^].  The stamps mark 90 years of remembrance for the fallen of The Great War, the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day.

Harry’s "claim to fame" is in being the subject of a blog by his grandson, who posts the the letters that Harry sent from the Front on a blog exactly 90 years after they were written.

Lamin stamps

Is this a sign of how global our outlook has become that a group of islands half-way between Africa and Indonesia is recognising the sacrifices made by "ordinary" people and families more than 90 years ago.

This is a date that deserves remembering, regardless of what has happened since.  It is a shame that Harry is being commemorated so far from home.  But it is a revelation that he is being remembered in such a manner at all.

It will be interesting to see if there are any other people recognised in this release, there are no indications on the BIOT Post Office [^].  The Australian and British Post Offices have uncharacteristically decided to let this important date slip by unremembered.

Come 11th November, here at Brizbunny "We Will Remember Them".

World War 1: Experiences of an English Soldier

It’s been a while since the last post, sorry.  This is a blog that I keep on bumping into, and need to spend the time to sit down and read it properly.

This blog is made up of transcripts of Harry Lamin’s letters from the first World War. The letters will be posted exactly 90 years after they were written. To find out Harry’s fate, follow the blog!  WW1: Experiences of an English Soldier

This has to be one of the very few original ideas floating around on the internet.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bill Lamin for sharing this.