This film in the Between Islands project by Shetland’s  Jenny Napier Keldie tells the story in song of Samuel Angus Ward.

Jenny explains:

Samuel Angus Ward didn’t make it home from WWII.

A definitive benefit of growing up as an islander,  is having family around you and knowing who and where you are from.

As a bairn,  stories of the past can take on a fairytale quality; not really knowing what bits are real, because sometimes the past is idealised, or hearsay, or mundane.  And then, there are some things, rarely spoken of.    

Growing up, we knew we had a grand uncle who had been a hero, on a ship in a war, but was not often spoken about.  When pregnant with my second son,  I began to think about names. Jamsie was named  after my granda, who was very present, as I grew up,  and so I came to focus on his brothers, and Samuel. 

My aunt showed me a box of memories and photos of a son and brother who wrote of love for his family; and of whom others spoke so highly.  

As an adult, I began to understand how pain of loss could lead to quiet, as a means to move forward, not to forget, and remain ever family. 

And our second son is Samuel.

This lovely piece of film can be viewed here: