|
|
|
|
|
The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
Announcements
- The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 24 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web.
- 18th April 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 263925 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible.
- Looking for help with Family History Research?
Please read our Family History FAQ's
- The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
If you enjoy this site
please consider making a donation.
Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our
Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. |
|
We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates.
If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page.
Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted
photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them.
The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.
World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion
Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
|
|
Want to know more about 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards? There are:1676 items tagged 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
|
Pte. Albert Edgar Horrocks 2nd Bt Coldstream Guards My father, Albert Horrocks served in WW2 guarding Buckingham Palace. He was based in Wellington Barracks. He told me that one cold night he put his rifle inside his sentry box to warm his hands up, but was caught by his sergeant. The penalty might have been 7 days in the guard house.
|
Major. Wilfred Jersey de_Knoop 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards For some reason I thought that my grandfather=, Wilfred Jersey de Knoop did not serve during WW2, so I was surprised to find out that he was a Major in the Coldstream Guard. According to a record found I believe that he was in the 2nd battalion. Unfortunately, I have no further information. My late father, in the 1980's had stored old family possessions, including old photo albums, with Pickfords in London, but there was a warehouse fire and all was destroyed. My father said that the most painful loss were the photo albums!
|
Gdsm. George Henry Hall 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards George Hall served with the 2nd Coldstream Guards. He was captured and became
POW No.7111 held at Stalag XVIIIA at Wolfsberg, Austria.
|
L/Cpl James Thomson 2nd Btn Coldstream Guards My Grandfather, James Thomson, was in S Company, 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards. I have a print from Italy 1944-45 to commend them of their fighting spirit and splendid record.
|
L/Sgt. Robert Goodwin Green 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards (d.17th Feb 1944) Robert Green served in North Africa. He moved from Algeria to Italy in February 1944. He took part in the Battle of Ornito and was a footguard, rank of Lance Serjeant (do not know which company or platoon). He was killed in action at The Battle of Ornito on 17th of February 1944 aged 24.
|
Sgt. Donald Charles Sargeant 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards Donald Sargeant was a machine gunner. He served throughout the War in North Africa and Italy. He ended up in Gorizia, on the Yugoslav border, where he met and married my mum in 1945.
|
Lt. Charles Peter Whaley 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards (d.19th April 1945) Peter Whaley of the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards
was killed in action in the Battle of Argenta Gap in Italy.
He was ny Uncle Robert Laird's Platoon Commander.
|
Gdm. Robert Laird 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards During the battle of the Argenta Gap in April 1945, my Uncle Robert Laird's Platoon Commander, Peter Whaley was killed in action. My Uncle was shot in the same action. They were ordered to attack and capture a strong enemy position which was holding up the advance and had already beaten off two previous attacks. They made a reconnaissance under heavy shelling and small arms fire, Major Toler, repositioned the company, and tanks, under his command and led an assault. In a decisive victory over the dug-in Germans 80 prisoners were taken. Major Toler was awarded the MC.
My Uncle was treated and returned to his unit, and his war service ended in 1946 as the battalion was rushed up to Trieste after the war ended where they confronted Tito's forces who were trying a land grab.
|
Gdsm. Arthur Bertram Eldridge 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards (d.23rd Apr 1945) I never new Great Uncle Arthur Eldridge but as I understand it my Mum said he was full of fun. His death was a great loss to my Nan, she had already lost her eldest brother, Tom in WW1 in March 1917. Now her youngest brother was also taken from her and the family. His death date like so many others was the hardest to take as it was so near to the end of WW2, 23rd of April 1945.
|
William Bambury 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards   My father, William Bambury, was a Coldstream Guardsman in 2nd battalion, 4th company (I think).
While in North Africa 1942 - 45, he was selected to be the Soldier Servant of Major General David Toler.( his previous Servant having been wounded. A selection, I think, which may have changed the direction of the rest of his life. Whilst the Major General was on leave or up front, my father looked after his dog (company mascot)- a Maltese terrier called Sludge. A mascot, so the story goes, very well known.
After leaving the Army, my father kept in touch with David Toler via letters and Christmas cards etc. On my birth, apparently my parents received some bed socks from David Toler's mother in Scotland which were far too big - even for my father to wear. Shortbread and other gifts were received on a regular basis. And, on one occasion I remember, I was about 15, Major General Toler was inspecting troops at Leek Army barracks, and my father and I went to meet him. At that time, possibly the most important person I had ever met - a man who made a big impression on me! As a family, we were also invited to his home in Grantham, Lincs to meet him and his wife, Judith. A visit which has stayed in my memory since that time. Dad and the Major kept up regular communications, until 1990 when Dad died. I received a lovely letter from him, outlining their army times together, and some very special comments about my dad - how steadfast and dependable he was during very tense and testing times. A letter I have to this day.
During some family research, I read that Major David Toler's son, Hugh, followed in his father's footsteps. I was also saddened to read of David Toler's death in November 2009. In his obituary, I was interested to read that he was born at Holmes Chapel, Cheshire - (ironically) not too far away from where my father was born and lived for all of his life.
|
Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
|
|
|
