People wish they asked their relatives about their lives – whilst they were alive

People wish they had asked relatives more about their life when they were alive – after discovering an interesting story once they had passed.
In the lead up to Remembrance Sunday, a study of 2,000 people found 53 per cent have learned something they hadn’t previously known about a family member after they had passed away.
Discoveries included tales of their wartime experiences (29 per cent), their childhood (28 per cent) and where they had travelled (23 per cent).
Stories were uncovered through speaking to others who knew relatives when they were younger (49 per cent) and discussions with the wider family (45 per cent).
Of those who have discovered something about their relatives’ lives, 51 per cent admitted it left them with more unanswered questions while a further 45 per cent felt closer to their family.
The research, commissioned by Ancestry.co.uk, found a further 43 per cent discovered a revelation when clearing out their relative’s home.
A quarter of those polled regret not speaking to their relatives more about their wartime stories in particular and 22 per cent would love to discover an unknown war related tale within their family history.
To inspire people to discover their own stories, the family history brand teamed up with poet Nikita Gill this Remembrance to create an emotive new poem, ‘Who You Are’ – recounting some of the untold personal experiences from the First and Second World Wars found in records found on Ancestry.
Nikita Gill said: “Both my grandfathers were in the Indian Army during the Second World War, so I felt like I had a real connection to the subject matter.
“I wanted to do justice to the stories of ordinary people who lived during a time of great change and uncertainty.
“My experience of using the wealth of UK and Ireland wartime records available on Ancestry as inspiration demonstrated