THIS year has been incredibly poignant, memorable and one of touching stories and sadness tinged with pride.

It has, of course, been the year we remembered those who fought and lost their lives in World War One and those who returned never to be the same men again.

Military historian Charles Sandbach was so touched by the story of his own ancestor that he set up a business helping modern day victims of war and raises money for their treatment.

Charles has set up PTSD Action with his wife Terry and this non-profit company provides much needed support for members of the armed forces suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

His company raised £27,000 in six months to help ex servicemen and women and through the charity PTSD Resolution, who receive, 100 per cent of the profits service personnel who suffer from the horrendous disorder get treatment within a week of seeking support.

Around 30 sufferers have, so far, been put into immediate treatment therapy with many more destined to be helped by the charity.

It is a massive task but one Charles, who used to live in Bolton, is more than happy to be involved in as it was all inspired by the uncle of his grandmother, a soldier called Jimmy Smith who was executed in World War One in 1917.

Jimmy, says Charles, had a condition which today is known as PTSD and this dreadful condition cost him his life.

He was shot for supposed cowardice but Charles always believed his uncle was suffering from the stress and trauma caused by what he witnessed and went through during World War One.

Rather than being a coward Jimmy, was, says Charles a victim of the war and was a victim as much as any of the dead who gave their lives in the name of their country.

Private James Smith lived with his family in Great Lever in Bolton.

His early childhood is one of sadness as his father left his mother, Eliza, shortly after he was born and she re-married a man named John Culshaw.

Because of the stigma attached to be left by her husband, and her son, Jimmy, having a different name to his mother and subsequent younger sisters, Eliza brought Jimmy up to believe she was his aunt and told him his mother had died.

"It is very sad that he thought she was his aunt but it was how things were in those days. There was such stigma attached to things like that," explains Charles, who is 48-years-old.

Jimmy would, sadly, grow up feeling, no doubt that he had no permanent ties to the family, never knowing the woman he called aunt was actually his mother.

When he was old enough, at the age of 18, he decided to join the Army.

He was in the 1st Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers and was sent to India in 1910. Then in 1915 he was shipped out to Gallipoli.

Jimmy was on the famed "Lancashire Landing" which took place on the Gallipoli Peninsular on April 25, 1915.

There, 1,000 men of the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers stormed the beach under heavy fire from the Turkish soldiers who were defending.

During this action six Victoria Crosses were won before breakfast, explains Charles.

There were heavy losses and of the first 200 ment o land only 21 survived and 600 were killed or wounded. The beach was later named "Lancashire Landing" in honour of the Fusiliers and the action later referred to as "Six VCs before breakfast".

Having survived this horrendous slaughter Jimmy was evacuated from Gallipoli only to be transferred to the Somme.

It was there he was "blown up and buried alive" explains Charles.

Jimmy was brought home and admitted to the Townleys Hospital (now the Royal Bolton Hospital) suffering from serious injuries.

He was then sent back to the front after being discovered hiding under the stairs at home where he told his mother he did not want to go back.

He was transferred to the King's Liverpool Regiment and was court marshalled for disobeying a command from a sergeant and sentenced to numbe4r one field punishment.

"He was strapped to a gun carriage and left in the open air," says his emotional great nephew, Charles.

After two days he was cut loose — it was destined to be a seven day punishment but the regiment was losing so many men in battle they needed Jimmy in the firing line.

But Jimmy's mental health was clearly failing him and he disobeyed an order and was court marshalled again and this time sentenced to execution by firing squad — a firing squad made up of men from his own regiment.

This would be a dreadfully traumatic event for the men who were forced to fire on poor Jimmy and he did not die from the first round of bullets and his commanding officer refused to fire the bullet that would kill Jimmy demanding another soldier, Richard Blundell do this.

Under duress Richard completed the indescribably sad task and it would be a haunting episode that would live with Richard until the day he died at the age of 97.

His daughter spoke to Charles shortly before he death and begged for forgiveness on behalf of her father who had never got over the trauma of killing his pal.

"I told her there was nothing to be forgiven for. He had no choice," says Charles.

Jimmy is buried in Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery in Belgium and Charles fought a long battle of his own — to get the brave young soldier who died as a victim of the Great War to be recognised and pardoned.

Charles' hard work and determination paid off and Jimmy was, finally, pardoned in 2009 and received a full military service in Bolton.

He was the only Bolton soldier to be executed in World War One but would most definitely not have been the only soldier to suffer from PTSD says Charles.