In the course of my family research, I often come across people who served in various theatres of war. There are always a few moments of anxiety until I can find out if they survived, or if they made the ultimate sacrifice. Whether on land, in the air, or at sea, it is sad to learn of lives cut short by war. In past years I've written about the lives and service of some of those in my family tree who fought for their country. Recently, I've developed an additional appreciation for those who didn't see active battle, but stayed home, quietly holding things together on the home front. For families in North America and Australia, life was very different from what families experienced who lived with privation, under fire, threat of invasion, actual occupation, in England, Scotland, Europe and Asia. Some men, like my grandfather Stan Ticknor & great-grandfather Charlie Ticknor, worked in factories that were essential to the war effort, like General Steel Wares (GSW) her