The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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The Royal Engineers The history of the Royal Engineers can be traced back over 900 years. Thier motto 'ubique' was awarded by King William IV in 1832, to signify that The Royal Engineers had taken part in every battle fought by the British Army. Their skills are also in great demand during peacetime. The Royal Engineers saw combat through out the Second World War, thier skills being put to extensive use in the fields of bomb disposal, mine detection, bridge building etc. Companies during the Second World War. We are currently conducting a survey of users to improve the website, please could you spare a few moments to complete our survey? Oct 2009 - Please note we currently have a large 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. Research your own Family History. Looking to replace lost medals? British authorities will not reissue lost medals, we often get enquiries where to purchase copies and other memorabilia, the best starting place is Ebay.co.uk The Wartime Memories Project is supporting the campaign to save the ITV Shows Heartbeat and The Royal from being axed, if they are lost it will impact many many jobs in North Yorkshire. Please show your support by signing the two pettitions: The Royal         Heartbeat List of those who served with The Royal Engineers during The Second World War Cpl. Leslie J. S. Botcher Read his Story. Spr. George Chapmen Read his Story. Spr. Roger Collinson Read his Story. Pte. Joseph Charles Curtis Read his Story. Mjr. James Henry "Ecckle" Ecclestone 14th Div Read his Story. Sapper Clifford Bernard Fisher Read his Story. 2nd Lt. Edward W. Freeman Read his Story. Sergeant Alexander George Gilbert 663 Artisan Works Company Read his Story. Pte. Albert Inglis Read his Story. Spr. Sydney Lea 663 Artisan Works Company (d.17th Jun 1940) Read his Story. George William May Read his Story. Glyn James Parker Read his Story. Spr. Richard Pearson Croix de Guerre (d. ) Read his Story. L/Cpl Joseph Pitcher (d.17 June 1940) Read his Story. Spr. Leonard Victor Selleck Read his Story. Sgt. Harry Turner Read his Story. S/Sgt Ronald Macdonald "Jimmy" Wiseman Read his Story. Fred Wrigley Read his Story. Fred Wrigley Read his Story. Sapper Henry John Adams 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper William George Adams 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Harold Alcock 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Colin Henry James Aldom 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Arthur Vernon Aldred 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Harold Frederick Aplin 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Albert Sydney Baker 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Kenneth Lawrence Barnard 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper William Frederick Barron, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Frederick William Barton, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper John Hardy Bean, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Lt Bence Read his story Sapper Charles Edward Bird, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Lawrence William Bird, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Robert Blakely, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Major John Boxer Sapper Lorraine Ernest Walter Brind, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Herbert Brown, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Lawrence Burchett. Read his Story Spr Burns Read his story Sapper Horace Frederick Cannel, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Charles Chalmers, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper James Richard Colquitt, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Spr Conley Read his story Sapper Frederick Copsey, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Arthur Cour, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Percy Cowin, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Joseph Curtis. Read his story Spr Danson Read his story Sapper Stanley Dracass. Read his story Douglas Drake Sapper Joseph Duffy, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Cyril Duquemin, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper William Henry Evans, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Francis Robert Farline 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Albert William Filmer, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Stanley Lashwood Fitch, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Spr. Granville Raymond Lewis. 159 Railway Construction Corp. Royal Engineers Read his Story Sapper George Flemming 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper T W Gardiner (d.21 June 1940) Sapper Leonard Gibbs 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) James Goodfellow Sapper Francis Gerard Goudy, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) L/Sgt George Henry Gray, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) L/Cpl Albert Greenhill, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Montague Raymond Griffin, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper William Alfred Haigh, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Thomas George Hamper, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Stanley Harrison. cook. Read his story Sapper Albert Hart, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) L/Cpl Silvester Benjamin Hart, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Spr Haslett Read his story Sapper George Edward Hay, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) 2nd Lt William Edward Hayward, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper John Charles Hennah, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Charles Heron, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Norman Harry Hiscock 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Walter Hirst. 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers. Read his story Sapper Cornelius C Holden. 1014 docks operating coy. Read his Story Sapper Albert Holliday, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper John Hood, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper John Eden Horton 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Thomas Howard, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper R Hogg (d. 21 June 1940) Sapper Henry Hunt, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Arthur Ingham, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Frederick Ernest Inkpen, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Henry Arthur Ireton, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Dvr Robert Johnson, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Albert James Jugg (d. 10 September 1945) Sapper George Richard Kingsman, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Spr C H Larkin Read his story Spr C W Larkin Read his story Sapper Sydney Lea, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Horace Lewis, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Spr Lockhart Read his story W S Lowbridge. Read his story Sapper Archibald Burgess McIntyre, Archibald Burgess 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Thomas Maguire, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Spr. Arthur Marriott. Read his Story Sapper Harold Samuel Mayer, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Spr Maxted Read his story Sapper Douglas Herbert Michell, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper James Strachan Murray, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Charles "Chick" Napier. 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers A/Capt Neilson Read his story Sapper Thomas Orme, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Frank Orton, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Ralph Frederick Pond, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Albert Marshall Ramsay, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Spr Ramsey Read his story Sapper Frederick Charles Rastall, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Thomas Frederick Reed (d. 12 Dec 1941) Read his story Cpl Charles Reeve, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Major E.G. "Dick" Richards. 233 Field Company RE 69 Infantry Brigade, 50 (N) Div. Read his story Sapper Geoffrey Richardson, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Reginald Clifford Rowe, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sgt William Pretswell. (d. 7th Nov. 1944) Read his story Alfred U Proctor. Sapper J Scuffield (d. 20 Mar 1943) Sapper William John Shannon, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Victor Shaw, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper A Shearman (d. 12 Feb 1944) Spr Shorey Read his story Sapper Ronald Arthur Silver, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper George Albert Silvey, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Hector Thomas Smith, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper J Smith (d. 17 6 1940) Robert Fergus "Fergie" Smith. Read his story Sapper G W Souter Sapper Albert Henry Staniland, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper James Sugrue, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Julian Thomas, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Harold Thorpe, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Harold Towell, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) 2nd Lt Frank Eardley Turner, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper George Frederick Turner, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sgt Walter Unsworth, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Capt. Richard Hearn Walker Cpl Watson Read his story Cpl Leslie Lewis Webb. 14th Field Squadron. Att. Guards Armoured Division (d. 24th Aug 1944)Read his story Spr Wheeler Read his story Sapper Eric Cecil Wilkin, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Sapper Joseph Richard Wood, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers (d.17.6.40) Spr Yates Read his story Spr. Sydney Lea 663 Artisan Works Company Royal Engineers (d.17th Jun 1940) My grandfather, Sydney Lea, also went down on the Lancastria on 17th June 1940. He died on his birthday. He was washed up in Ste Marie Sur Mer and is buried in the local cemetary there along with a few others who also lost their lives. The War Graves Commission helped me find him and arranged for his headstone to be changed to reflect this. I visit as often as I can but would like anyone who knew of him to please get in touch. 2nd Lt. Edward W. Freeman Royal Engineers I am in search of my late grandfather Edward W Freeman who was an Ex.British army officer in the Royal Engineers. 1939 - 1947. Many many hours, months I have been researching sites and sites for him, but having such little information and no d.o.b or service no. I am starting to think my time is up? Born in London, stationed in West Sussex. He was commissioned 15th February 1941 as 2nd Lieutenant and posted to Singapore, this is the only memory my mother has of him. She also has letters from him whilst serving in the war. She last heard of him in 1947 (She was 5yrs old). There was No other contact. When she was able to write herself she wrote to the war office and the RE. hoping to locate and reunite with her father. There was No reply. 60years have now passed on and I as a daughter having listened to her story, you can feel her sadness which makes me more determined to keep going. She lost her husband (my father) to cancer Christmas Day 2006 after 40yrs of marriage. In her lifetime she has NOW lost the 2 men that meant the world too her. Please,Please, anyone who may of known Edward W Freeman could you make contact as this would mean the world too us and a final closure for my mother. Cpl. Leslie J. S. Botcher Royal Engineers Les Botcher was in Stalag 8b with my Father, Arthur Booker, if anyone remembers him or his fellow POW's please get in touch. Glyn James Parker Royal Engineers My father, Glyn James Parker, was at Teschen, Stalag 8B, POW No 6811. He was a driver with the Royal Engineers, captured at Dunkirk, and was held until March 1945. I would be very grateful for any information from anyone, as he did not talk a lot about his imprisonment at Stalag 8B. Alan Parker Sergeant Alexander George Gilbert 663 Artisan Works Company Royal Engineers My grandfather was a Lancastria survivor, his name was Sergeant Alexander George Gilbert, 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers. Does anyone have any information about him? L/Cpl Joseph Pitcher Royal Engineers (d.17 June 1940) I am doing some family research and I am trying to trace what happened to my mother's cousin, Joseph Pitcher from Preston, Lancashire born in January 1918. My mother remembers very little of his service history but thought that he died at Dunkirk aged 21. I have searched the CWGC website and found a record for a L/Cpl Joseph Pitcher, 1894169 in the Royal Engineers who died on 17 June 1940 and is buried at the Pornic War Cemetery. Unfortunately his age is given as unknown and there is no next of kin listed so I am not entirely certain if this is him or not. It says on the CWGC site that many of the soldiers buried there were on the 'Lancastria' I am a bit of a novice at researching army history. Is there any way of finding out any more information to confirm his identity and where and what he had been doing prior to his death. Many thanks for any help anyone can provide. Sapper Clifford Bernard Fisher Royal Engineers I am looking for info about my father Clifford Fisher. My dad often talked about the war, but not long before He died he mentioned that he had been a prisoner of war towards the end of the war, when questioned he said it was too painfull to talk about it, I would like to find out what I can about my dad in the war. I know after the war he went to Christmas Island when they let the bomb off and I know he joined the Black Watch Regiment Fred Wrigley Royal Engineers I'm trying to find anybody who may remember my dad, Fred Wrigley from Salford. He was in the Royal Engineers and was a Charge Hand Fitter by trade. He was based in Naples and I think he worked on tanks. I would love to hear from anyone who knew him and maybe has some photos as I dont have any. Fred Wrigley Royal Engineers I'm trying to find anybody who may remember my dad, Fred Wrigley from Salford. He was in the Royal Engineers and was a Charge Hand Fitter by trade. He was based in Naples and I think he worked on tanks. I would love to hear from anyone who knew him and maybe has some photos as I dont have any. George William May Royal Engineers George William May was my late grandfather who in 1943/44 was an engineer at Catterick. He was from Sittingbourne in Kent and went to Catterick, for how long I do not know. Apparently he drove tanks and met the Duke of Kent. I was wondering if you had any record of him and if by chance any photos? Pte. Albert Inglis Royal Engineers I would dearly love to hear from anyone who knew my father, Albert Inglis, he died 13 years ago and is still missed greatly. He served with the Royal Engineers in the following campaigns: India 13/2/42-3/5/43. Egypt 4/5/43.20/8/44 C.M.F. 21/8/44-15/2/46. Sgt. Harry Turner Royal Engineers My Granddad, Harry Turner was in the Royal Engineers during World War Two, he was with Pai Force in Persia and stayed there until 1945, does anybody know anything about this unit? Mjr. James Henry "Ecckle" Ecclestone 14th Div Royal Engineers S/Sgt Ronald Macdonald "Jimmy" Wiseman Royal Engineers My father, Ronald Wiseman was captured at St Valery on 12th June 1940. He was a POW for 5 years. He joined the Regular Army as a Private at the age of 18 in 1930 and served for 24 years in both R.E. and R.E.M.E. until he retired in 1954. Post war he served in Palestine and then in N.Africa (Tripoli)between about 1947 - 1951. It would be great to hear from anyone who met him during his military service or during his time as POW in Stalag 383 or VlllB. He told me that on the day he was taken prisoner he handed his Rolex watch to another man to look after. He was in the sea for several hours and when he regained consciousness he was on a stretcher and a POW. Two years later he met up with the man who had looked after his watch for all that time and handed it back to him. He had the watch until the day he died in 1986 at the age of 74. Spr. George Chapmen Royal Engineers My great grandad was George Chapman. He had been captured the first time and held in Stalag VIIIb in Germany, he then went on a walk 32k long, and then got transferred to Italy. He was forced by the Germans to fix all of their tanks, so he did and when he fixed them he found a way to damage them and maybe blow them up when the turned their engines on. I love you Great grandad, I wish I could have met you! Spr. Richard Pearson Croix de Guerre Royal Engineers (d. ) I would be grateful if anyone could help me find out more about the Croix de Guerre medal. I have the Supplement to the London Gazette 16th January 1947 which lists this award to my father, Spr Richard Pearson. I do not know his unit, etc only the details as stated in the London Gazette. I would love to know the circumstances in which it was won. Spr. Leonard Victor Selleck Royal Engineers We are looking for details of Leonard Victor Selleck, he was a prisoner of war during ww2 we don't at what camp possibly one in Italy we have recently found a new testament bible belonging to him that was given to him by the "Ecumenical Commission for the Chaplaincy service to the prisoners of war" inside it had his service number 610976 and his prisoner of war number 140865. We also know he was a sapper but this is all can anyone give us details of how to find information on what camp he was at or any other details of his service history, we do know that he escaped from one camp and then the boat he was on was sunk and he was recaptured, any info would be gratefully received. Update: Leonard was held in Stalag XIB at Fallingbostel, Lower Saxony, Germany, but it is quite likely he was held in other camps too. Please see our family history page for details on how to obtain further records. Pte. Joseph Charles Curtis Royal Engineers I am trying to find out about my late fathers military history. Joe Curtis was in the BEF in France from 23/4/40, he was captured during the evacuation of Dunkirk and was a POW from 10/6/40 to 19/4/45. Sapper Cornelius C Holden of the Royal Engineers , unit 1014 docks operating coy. was my grandfather he was killed in Italy on 06/08/1944. As far as I know he was coming home. When a sniper started firing on the soldiers waiting on the dock for the ships to go home. If there is anyone with info, or any leads to info please contact me. My father was Sapper Lawrence Burchett and he came from Greenwich, London. All I know is that he had something to do with disarming land mines probably in the regions of Germany. I would be delighted if anyone can help with more information. My father Tom Reed died in Tobruk 1941-1942. He was with the Royal Engineers. I regret I have no photos or other matter to add to the website for Thomas Frederick Reed, but would like to find his date and place of birth. Perhaps there are records. Perhaps I might visit the gravesite in Tobruk in the future. Doreen de Bruyne Cpl Leslie Lewis Webb 14th Field Squadron Royal Engineers. (Attatched to the Guards Armoured Division). My uncle Leslie Webb was killed while disarming a German mine on the 24th August 1944 south of caen in an orchard. I have a photo (very poor copy) of a bridge with a large sign on it say 'in memory of Cpl Leslie Webb, erected by members of his squadron'. My family have tried to locate where the bridge was built without success, I would obviously lke to try and locate it but I would also like to know wheather the naming of a bridge was common practice and if so how were names chosen. Is it likely that they used the same bridge but changed the name plate or did the name plate remain for as long as the bridge remained. Any comments or help would be appreaciated. I was one of a handful of survivors of a ferry which sank in the Bay of Bengal in April 1945. We were rescued by a large ship and taken to Calcutta, where we were separated into our units and split up. When I returned to the R.E.M.E. HQ after having my kit and pay replaced, they told me that a Sergeant from the Engineers, who was also a survivor, had been looking for "a Geordie" who had helped him, but I never saw him. I would very much like to find this Sergeant after all this time. Ernest Wilson R.E.M.E. Read about the sinking of the Ferry Please can you give me any information about my late father who was a POW after being captured at Dunkirk. His name was Joseph Curtis, he was born in 1917 and prior to enlistment he was an Electrican. He enlisted at Marlborough on 2-2-39, He was with the BEF in France 23/4/40 - 9/6/40 with The Royal Engineers, he previously served in Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry. He was captured on the 10th June 1940 and held as a POW in Germany until liberated on the 12 July 1945. Melton Curtis Can you please help establish what actually happended in relation to my father the late Sergeant William Pretswell, Date of Death 07/11/44. He was aged 26 and was with the Royal Engineers. David Pretswell Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages. We are currently conducting a survey of users to improve the website, please could you spare a few moments to complete our survey? The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation run by volunteers. This website is paid for out of our own pockets and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running. Hosted by: Website © Copyright IMM - MMIX - All Rights Reserved