Ronald Allen Barrett 1932 -2006 a member of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and a veteran of Korea and Malaya. After national service he served in the T.A Sherwood foresters then as a Sergeant major in the army cadet force throughout the seventies and into the eighties in the Worcester and Sherwood foresters helping to bring on a new generation of soldiers. The picture was taken at Ebisu leave camp Tokyo. To see his medals go to the medals post WW11 section and to see his army cadet uniform go to military uniforms modern uniforms 1950 to the present section.

WILLIE H. ANDERSON,JR was an MP in the Fifth Army during and shortly after World War II. Much of his service time was spent in Italy at Camp Darby. He was born on 18 January 1927. He returned home safely from the war, and died on 14th March 1995.

These photographs were placed here by his daughter Robin Mattingly.

Mr Teodor Gawryluk on the left. 14th February 1913 to 1st January 1982. Mr Teodor Gawryluk was with the Polish army during WW11 and was a P. O. W with Germans and Russians. He served with the free Poles in the 8th army and was in the battle of Monte Casino. He was awarded with Two Polish medals and was awarded Three British Campaign Medals. These were placed here by his grandson Ricky, the other two pictures of a soviet soldier and a polish soldier are also members of Ricky's family but he does not no who yet, he is currently doing some research and has promised to let me know the results

Sidney William James.He served in the 212th medium battery royal artillery and a veteran of the battle of El Alamein. Placed here by his niece Diane.

Lawrence Frederick James 1892 to 1960 He served in B coy 16th rifle brigade he was posted to France in 1915 and was gassed in early 1918 he survived but had to live with disabilities and died relatively young at 68. placed here by his granddaughter Diane

Leonard Bernard Rylands. He enlisted in Woolwich on 24.4.41 as 1058093 Pte. Rylands and was a member of 30 Workshop Control Unit RAOC. Its not known when he went to France but its known he had 48 hours leave on the continent in August 1944. He was stationed in Cologne at the end of the war and stayed there until 1948, He was discharged on the 28.8.48. While stationed in Cologne where he met his future German wife . In the group photo, he is the Sergeant seated to the right of the officer. He also has a lighter coloured uniform than the others. placed here by his nephew Tony.

Bill Forrester From Bermondsey who was deemed unfit for military service and so joined the ARP. He told the story once when during an air raid he found a lady on the street looking for cover (the Luftwaffe was already there), so he grabbed her and they went running off to a shelter. Just before reaching the shelter something hit the ground behind them and came sliding along the cobbles. He said it looked like a bomb that had not gone off (but didn't stop to check) and also mentioned that he had never been so scared during the whole war as at that moment. One photo shows him on top of the Peek Frean biscuit factory on the corner of Drummond Rd. and Clements Rd., Tower Bridge can clearly be seen and St. Paul’s can be made out in the top left corner.He is sitting on the ground front left (when looking at the photo). The second ARP picture shows him sitting on the left of the lady. The lady was the registrar for Bermondsey as far as Is known and her name was Grace. Placed here by his grandson Tony.

Frederick Aulton Royal Navy ww11. A veteran of the arctic russian convoys also served in Atlantic and the mediterranean. Placed here by his grandson steven.

Leading aircraft man Wilfred Wilson WW11 Malta veteran served in the R.A.F from 1941 to 1946 as a armourer he was a member of the City of Edinburgh 603 Squadron . If you want to hear some of wilfs memories of the Malta siege go back to the Home page look in Veteran recordings.The group photo was taken at kalafrana sea plane base in March 1942. Wilf who sadly is no longer with us gave me a list of names of some of the people in the photo. Tommy Cross Sargent Watts Jock Cookman Peter Hendry Norman Arther Playford Dick Hutting.

Eustace Barrett One of my relitives. The photo of Eustace, is from the Wakefield paper informing people of his death in WW1 unfortunately its of poor quality but the only one I have. He died on the 12.1.18 a Private in the K.O.Y.L.I. 10th Battalion, service number 17452.
In January of 1918 , the 9th and 10th K.O.Y.L.I.{ 64th Infantry, 21st Divison} Form part of the VII Corps, Which were at Couzcoucourt, Arras, and Bariss. Bariss is Eight miles south of La Fere. After the 6th February 1918 the 10th Battalion ceased to exist. Eustaces body lies at Epehy wood farm cemetery ,plot 3 ,row H, grave 3. Epehy is a small village between Cambrai and Peronne.

Owen Goddard another of my relatives a member of the Royal artillery. He died through an accident in 1929 in India. Again the picture is poor quality but the only one I have but I am very pleased to have a copy of the letter from his commanding officer to his parents explaining how he died.[see below].

Dennis Russell was a radio operator aboard HMS Tartar a Tribal Class Destroyer, part of the 10th Flotilla guarding the Atlantic convoys. He was also at Dunkirk taking troops off the beaches.The most dramatic of his exploits included action in the Channel on D Day when Tartar rescued the US Pathfinder crew of a Dakota that had to ditch and 3 days later the Tartar was in action and sustained heavy damage and the loss of 6 souls. To see more about Dennis Russell . ClICK HERE

Placed here by his son Wayne.

Patrick Floyd Royal Dublin Fusiliers WW I. He has a fascinating service record as he fought in both World Wars he was bayoneted through the hand at Messines Ridge and shot through the thigh, a huge metal plate in his head from the Dardanelles campaign and joined up again in WW11 in either 40 or 41 driveing Bedford trucks. After DDay its known he drove through France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. He went blind from driving with no lights at night his blindness was temporary but was never 100% again. In 1966 he collapsed in Dublin's main street and his medals were stolen he then died. [ I am not surprised anymore as to how low some people can get this man deserved better.Joseph.] Placed here by his grandson Daniel.

Paratrooper Alfred McMeekin 156 Batt 1st Airborne 1918-1978 and he is survived by three sons William, Arthur and Steven. Written by his grandson Rob. My grandfather Alfred McMeekin joined the british army first in 1936 as a young 18 year old,joining his family regiment the Royal Warwickshires in 1936. He served for 5 years in India and the North West frontiers before the outbreak of war in 1939 enabled his close friends and himself to join a new Batt that was to be attached to the 1st Airborne Div,the 156 Batt immortalised by Geoffry Powell. He fought in N Africa,Siciliy,Italy then finally culuminating in his penultimate battle where he lost his closest friend Paratrooper John Hamilton-Mallon,at Arnhem,the infamous Operation Market Garden. Before he went on the mission,he married my grandmother Winnie and posed for the photograph I have posted. Just after his Departure to Arnhem,he arranged for a telegram to be sent dated 19th Sept 1944 with the simple words 'Paddy is away'(which my father still holds in his possession to this day!) that I'm sure sent a shiver of fear and worry through my poor newlywed grandmothers mind,like many others at that terrible time. Happily though he returned home unscathed but one friend less. May these brave men be remembered forever for their unwavering steadfastness sense of duty to all those living a life of liberty and peace today. Placed here by his grandson Rob.

Rifleman,NCO,Cecil Mannagh RIF/RUR,78th 'Battleaxe' Div. He passed away on the 16th Nov 09,aged 87,just seeing out his last Remembrance day. May my grandparents - Cecil and Yvonne Mannagh - never be forgotten. They are survived by Ken and Brenda Mannagh,eight grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Written by his grandson Rob. My grandfather Cecil Mannagh volunteered for the british army in 1939 when he was just a young lad of 17,he had to lie in order to join,he couldn't face the prospect of staying behind while his friends went off to fight. He joined the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers first before being transferred to the Royal Irish Fusiliers due to reinforcements then the Royal Ulster Rifles before once again returning to his Royal Inniskillings. He fought in N Africa and Italy respectively. Here He describes one battle,'We lost our CO,Lt Col Gough early on,we were under such heavy fire that you only get to our ablutions at night. Even after the battle,things were still hairy. I was a NCO and the officer told me to take a bren gun crew to investigate a farmhouse up ahead. I opened the door and there was a blue flash,then heavy gunfire. The place was full of german soldiers. I threw in a grenade and we took five prisoners.' He served from 1939 until 1945 when he was horribly wounded,in his words 'One day in Lombardy plains,we'd run out of grenades and were making homemade bombs out of bits of scaffolding,explosives and detonators. One of them exploded about six feet above our heads when we threw it,and injured three of us. I called out to the lads in the next trench to help,but they were dead,and I was so badly injured that the war was over for me. To be honest though,I don't regret it one bit. It gave me 6 years of unforgettable comradeship.' And so as the saying goes, 'Lest we forget. Placed here by his grandson Rob.

Private Peter Mercer of the Northamton regiment killed in action 6th of April 1945 on the Italian front. He is the one kneeling down in the first picture. Unusually he was awarded an American silver star, see the paper clipping for the details as to how he won the medal. Placed here by his grandson Stephen McAleer.

Harold Underwood The Royal Flying Corps ground crew 66 squodren. Born 13th June 1897 Died 1977 Picture taken in Italy Harold is the driver the passenger is a Major Witterdon? Formed at Filton in the fighter role on 30 June 1916, the squadron took its Sopwith Pups to France in March 1917. Operating over the Western Front the squadron re-equipped with Camels in October 1917 and in November moved to Italy, where it remained until March 1919, when it returned to Leighterton, disbanding there on 25 October 1919. Placed here by his daughter Edie.

Reginald Billingham 1909-1992 joined the Oxford and Buckinghamshire light infantry in 1930 served in Burma 1930-32 then India, moved to the reserve in 1937 re mobilised on the 2-9-39 joined the B.E.F in France, evacuated from Dunkirk in operation Dynamo, joined the parachute regiment on the16-9-41 invaded north Africa as part of operation Torch, also served in Italy, fought in Operation Market Garden at Arnhem one of the few to make it to the bridge and one of the few to escape back to allied lines, joined the reserve on 13-12-45, discharged 21-7-54.total service 24 years 166 days. Medals Indian general service with clasp, 1939-45 star, Africa star, France and Germany star first drop clasp, Italy star, defence medal, war medal 39-45 also post war Dunkirk medal. Placed here by his niece Tracy Eley.

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