LINCOLNSHIRE, ENGLAND—The Spalding & South Holland Voice reports that independent archaeologist Neville Hall spotted graffiti dated August 4, 1914, the day of the outbreak of World War I, on a barn door in eastern England while surveying historic buildings ahead of a construction project. The images include horses, a bicycle, two plows, names, and initials. Historic environment officer Ian Marshman of Lincolnshire County Council said a past owner of the farm was able to help researchers identify the two youngsters who carved the pictures and trace what happened to their families during the war. The first, William Bristow, was the youngest son of the family who owned the farm. He remained in England and produced food vital to the war effort. The second, John Leusley, was the eldest son of the landlord of the nearby pub. He was injured during military service in France. Leusley’s brother Richard was killed in action in 1918 at the age of 21. His brother William was awarded the Military Medal for “gallantry and devotion to duty under fire.” The door will be preserved by descendants of the Bristow family, Marshman added. To read about a World War I military camp in Scotland that was partially exposed last year by a summer heat wave, go to "The Marks of Time."
