Those who Served
Abbott . RAF Military Police A flying bomb which dropped out of the sky on June 19th 1944, at approx' 9.30pm. I was 14 at the time and used to sit on our coping with an old pair of opera glasses and a steel helmet, watching all the doodlebugs flying over. I watched this particular one passing right over where I was sitting and suddenly the motor stopped I raced indoors shouting to my Mum and Dad (on leave RAF police) to duck as I slammed the front door. The bomb hit the area behind a row of shops and a surface shelter, I was rather cut up by glass from the front door and smashed my right arm. Unfortunately my friend Roy Reid next door lost his Mum and baby brother, I believe there were 17 or more killed, my parents received some injuries from glass, etc. This all took place between 86 Gaskarth Road sw12 and Hazlebourne Road and the surrounding area of London. The first on the scene were The Salvation Army and the Boy Scouts. |
Geoffrey Abbott . Army 6th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers My Father, Geoffrey Abbott joined the 6th Battalion Lancashrie Fusiliers, the same battalion his father Gilfred Abbott has served with during the Great War.
We would welcome any information on any known activities during the war.Any information on either my grandfather or my father would would be appreciated. Hoping for a response. |
John Kimble H. Abbott . RAF pilot 407 Sqd. My father served with 407 Squadron, his name is John Kimble H. Abbott and he was a bomber pilot. He has also written a book about the "Demon" squadron. The book is A Gathering of Demons.
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Sergeant Abell . RAF 59 Squadron |
John Abercrombie . French Army from Le Havre) My father John Abercrombie, matricule 1686, was a prisoner of the war in stalag xx 1d. Unfortunately I do not have much information but would like to know more where is the Stalag xx1d? Please if you have information send an e-mail. |
Elizabeth Sadler "Bessie" Adam . Land Army from Dalmarnock, Glasgow) Unfortunately my mother died in 2005 so too early to receive the badge that has been awarded to those who served in the Women's Land Army. I am currently tring to piece together information to include in her family history. I wonder if there are records that I could obtain that tells me of her time in the Land Army just as I was able to access the Naval Records for her brother. All I know is that when she married my father, a German Prisoner of War, they worked together on a farm in Kirkudbright. Their marriage certificate dated 31 Jan 1948 gives my father's address as The Cottage, East Glenarm Farm, Crocketford which I assume is where they worked but of course the war was over by this time so I am not sure and would be delighted if you could advise me of where I might find information. I will be delighted to share any information that I am able to find
Update:
Land Army records for those who served in England, Scotland and Wales are available to view on microfiche at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey. The microfilm you need to ask for is:
Series: MAF 421: Ministry of Food: Women's Land Army: Index to Service Records of the Second World War 1939-1948.
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Andrew Alexander Adams . Royal Navy HMS Drake A.A Adams was my grandfather, in the Royal Navy from 1936 to 1947. I am interested in finding information about a ship that he served on quite a number of times in his service, HMS Drake.
On the service record it has in brackets, after the ship name HMS Drake, a few different things for different times of service: for service in May 1941 it has M.L. 1048; for service from April to June 1944 it has LST(2) 425; for April to end of June 1945 it has T.F.36.
If anyone is able to help me with the smallest amount of information about this ship or about A.A. Adams it would be most appreciated, thank-you. |
Cecil Adams . Home Guard Feltwell Btn. |
Cicely Adams . Land Army I am trying to make contact with any other ladies that my mother-in-law served with in the Land Army. Her maiden name was Cicely Adams, married name Cicely Monk. Served around Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire.
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Frank George Webster Adams . RCAF 420 Squadron I am trying to learn about the incarceration of RCAF Sergeant Frank George Webster Adams, who was the only survivor of the crash of Hampden P5330 in Denmark on April 25, 1942 after his bomber was attacked by a German night fighter near the Dutch island of Ameland. He flew with RCAF Squadron 420, and it is believed that the POW camps he was interned in were Stalag 9C, Stalag Luft 6 and Stalag 357.
I would be most appreciative to learn of the whereabouts of Sgt Adams today. |
James Forbes "Pongo" Adams . Army The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders The name James Stobie is so familiar!! My late father was James Forbes Adams of Nairn, was in the Cameron Highlanders (51st Highland Division). He was a drummer with Cameron Highlanders (Territorials) Pipe Band, and as he was 18, he got called up to take place of the 17 year old tip drummer.  James Forbes Adams at breakup of a Territorial camp near Fort George, just prior to hostilities.
 The dreaded telegram his aunty received when he was posted missing.
Dad did attempt escape twice, once in Holland on the long march to Germany, and I believe the other time was when he was at Stalag XXA (Fort 13). He ended up at Stalag XXB. It was hard to get him to talk about his experiences. As a child, I can vividly remember him waking up screaming as a result of the nightmares (right up until the early 60's). He once let his guard down and told me how one night he awoke thinking he was dyingas he was completely soaked in blood. Sadly it was the chap in the bunk above him who had taken his own life.
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James Adams . Royal Navy HMS Manchester Jim Adams joined the Royal Navy aged 16 in 1938, he served on HMS Tetcott and HMS Whitshed, HMS Manchester and HMS Spartan. He survived the sinking of both the Manchester which was torpedoed in 1942 and the Spartan in 1944.
The cruiser HMS Spartan off the coast of Italy providing support for the Anzio landings as part of Operation Shingle. While at anchor on the 29th of January 1944, Spartan was bombed at sunset by 18 enemy aircraft. A bomb blew a large hole in the upper deck, collapsing the mast and flooding the boiler room. The ship was set alight and keeled over to port. The crew abandoned ship and within just 10 minutes, the Spartan was on the seabed.
Five officers and 41 ratings lost their lives.
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Sub Lt. John William Raymond Adams . Royal Navy Reserve HMS Forfar from Southampton) (d.2nd Dec 1940) Adams was the musical director of a revue named "Get Sailing" which was held onboard HMS Forfar on Wednesday 19th of June 1940. The programme stated: "In the event of an air raid the Theatre wil be cleared in 30 seconds - NOT into the dressingroom as the artistes (French) are bashful. - Do not leave the ship unless you can reach your home in a few minutes. (What a hope) |
William Walter Adams . Army Cameronians from Leyton, London ) I was adopted as a young child and did,nt discover the knowledge of my real Father until mature years. I would be really grateful if perhaps there are any survivors of the war who served with my dad. All I know is that he was in Burma , was wounded and sent back to England and died later from complications. He did have a military funeral I think in the late forties or the beginning of 1950. We lived then I think in Ivy Gardens Leyton E10 |
Sgt. Donald Addy . RAF(VR) flight eng. 101 Sqd. from Hemsworth.) (d.31st Mar 1944) |
Cpl Fred W Adkins . US Army 13th Infantry Regiment from Salisbury, Maryland, USA) looking for information on a pow camp in which my father fred w adkins was held. my understanding is that it he was held in Stalag VI D. I have no idea where it is located. However I do know from his military records that he was held by german government during 1945.
Thank you very much
MELSON W. ADKINS |
Flight Seargent Reginald Albert Adkins . RAF from Keighley, Yorkshire) Trying to trace any information of my father, now deceased.
Reginald ADKINS. Flight Seargent 521112 somewhere in yorkshire in 1941
His wife was called Edna and they had a newborn son.In September 1941 they were Living in Keighley.
Anyone remember him ?
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Lt -Col. John F. Ahern . US Army 172nd Field Artillery Rgt. |
Sgt. Richard Eric Ainsworth . RAF(VR) flight eng. 433 Sqd. from England) (d.2nd Dec 1944) |
Assistant Steward James Aitken . Naval Auxiliary Personnel HMS Forfar from Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.) (d.2nd Dec 1940) Aitken was the Pipe Major in the band of HMS Forfar. |
Squadron Leader L Aitken . RAF 59 Squadron |
Ernest Albiston . Army from Stockport, Cheshire, England) Ernest Albiston was on the HMS Lancastria when it was sunk, he survived. I have a booklet written by a soilder that survived the tradgedy. |
Patricia Mary Albrow . Land Army from 13 Mattison Rd, Harringay, London.) I was 17 yrs when called into the Land Army and had to go into the dairy division,
imagine this londoner seeing her first cow up front and personal and being told to milk it!
That was more scary than the air raids I had been through. We worked hard but it was good out in the country
and we ate better than most and our dress uniforms looked good. I often had to work the dung detail
along with some Italians pows, I was at the bottom of the hea, slinging it up to the pow at the top.
He liked opera, so he used to sing while we worked. The day the war ended, my boss came to the shed
and told me "Go pack your things and go home" He knewIi had just married a month befor. I am 81 yrs now,
living in the states. To all who are still here god bless. |
Pilot Officer H R Aldcroft . RAF 59 Squadron |
Lt Alexander . Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve HMS Forfar Lt Alexander was one of the survivors when the ship went down on the 2nd of December 1940 |
Sergeant Kenneth Herbert Allaker . RAF VR (d.21st November 1944) During the second World War the Allied and German soldiers, who were killed in Goirle, Noord Brabant, the Netherlands and in the neighbourhood, were buried at the Roman Catholic cemetery from the parish St. Jan in Goirle.
After the war the remains of the German soldiers were reburied in Ysselsteijn (near Venray) and most of the allied soldiers were reburied in Bergen op Zoom (War Cemetery and Canadian War Cemetery) and in Leopoldsburg (Belgium, War Cemetery).
At this moment there are 27 Allied graves in Goirle. Every year we commemorate the victims of World War II, both soldiers and civilians. We know their names, but who were the persons behind the names? What were their lives before they died? Where did they come from? How did they die? Under what circumstances?
It is my intention to give the victims a face, to write and keep the story behind the gravestones because we always will remember the soldier who died for our liberty. We can forget names, but not faces. I will try to write down all their stories for the next generation so they will know who was commemorated.
Maybe someone can help me in this matter. Send me a letter or an e-mail with additional information, a photograph or a copy of any personal document, which I can use for The Memory Book or a website.
Sergeant Kenneth Herbert Allaker was a Navigator with the RAF VR, No. 1471670. He was killed in action on the 25th May 1944, age 22.
Thank you in advance for your help |
Signalman William Joseph Allden . Royal Navy HMS Forfar (d.2nd Dec 1940) |
Arthur Allen . Navy HMS Dasher (d.27th March 1943) My husbands' uncle was one of the crew on board the HMS Dasher, his name was Arthur Allen, and he was a telegrapher. He was lost when the HMS Dasher exploded mysteriously on 27th March 1943. A very sad note to his death is that his wife, my husband's Aunt Catherine, was so devastated by his death, going into such a deep depression during her then pregnancy, that she did not want to live. She just gave up and she and her baby died during childbirth.
Two more victims of that terrible war.
I am very curious, did they ever find out what really happened, about this mysterious explosion?. When my mother-in-law was alive, she said they were told it was sunk by a German U-Boat.
Can anyone give me any information?
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