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AB. Clifford Fallows . Royal Navy HMS Lanka from Mossley, Lancashire I have my father, Clifford Fallows', Navy records from May 1941 to January 1946 listing the ship and shore establishments. He was at HMS Lanka 6th of August 1941 to 2nd of September 1941.
The only story he told me that he was on the SS Fultala as a DEMS gunner they were the last ship out of Rangoon Burma in March 1941 as the Japanese were moving in. The ship had a cargo of coal and a full ship of escaping Muslim Burmese and Indian labourers. The ship was torpedoed on 7th of April 1941 by the Japanese and the coal temporary blocked the hole allowing all crew and passengers to be saved. They were adrift in the Indian Ocean for 10 days before being rescued and taken to Bombay. The story was told to make me laugh as he said the Muslims in the open boat were continually praying to Mecca and kept moving to face the sun hence they were glad when the sun set and the boat was still.
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R Fancourt . British Army Royal Armoured Corps R Fancourt served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project are no longer in touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Pvt. Elbert Lloyd Fannin . United States Army D Co. 31st Inf Regt. from Texas Elbert Lloyd Fannin was held in POW Camp Fukuoka 17 Japan
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Ord Sea. John Herbert James Fanning . Royal Navy HMS Ganges from Twickenham, Middlesex My father, John Fanning, died when I was three in 1959. He served with HMS Ganges as an ordinary seaman (since promoted). He was injured in his right hand on 19th of January 1943. I have found a certificate for wounds and hurts amongst my mother's possessions.
It states: He slipped on steps on returning from the heads and in trying to prevent himself from falling, put his right hand out and struck it on a sharp rail and the spike went right through his hand. Captain W. Fallowfield.
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Flt.Sgt. Thomas Edward Fannon . Royal Air Force 37 Squadron from Manchester My late father, Thomas Fannon, served at Foggia during WW2 as a bomb aimer with 37 Squadron flying Vickers Wellingtons.
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Peter Fantacone . United States Navy Landing Craft Infantry Peter Fantacone was only 17 when he joined the Navy out of Manayunk. His mother refused to sign the enlistment papers, but his father did.
His war-time home was LCI-492 (landing craft infantry) the Navy's smallest ocean going vessel, which could put troops directly on the beach. He remembers a Mass the afternoon before the invasion: "When the priest gave us absolution, I knew this was not another practice run." Seas were rough during the channel crossing, and with the smell of diesel in a tossing flat-bottomed boat it was as nauseating ride.
Before the troops went in, the accompanying battleships let loose with their 14-inch guns. When his ship went in, "there was much smoke and wreckage burning on the beach."
His landing craft was carrying about 200 soldiers. Although he could not see the beach from his battle station, the ship's signalman told him he saw the troops racing into almost certain death, with more following them.
LCI-91, which landed nearby, ws hit by a shell from shore and the crew had to abandon ship. The LCI-91 burned on Omaha Beach all that day. But 492 survived the landings.
The German defenses at Omaha Beach exacted a terrible toll on the assault force, with machine-gun and cannon fire raining down on the arriving troops. Bombing attacks by B-17's had been expected to soften the defenses, but the bombs overshot the beach because of the bad weather. Fire from battleships also did not neutralize the bunkers. Most of the amphibious tanks meant to support the invasion force sank to the bottom when lauched in the storm-tossed water.
What saved the day, Fantacone said, is the destroyer captains who brought their ships in so close they almost grounded, then turned and rode along the beach, their guns blasing the concrete bunkers.
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LG Fanthorpe MiD. British Army 14/20th Hussars LG Fanthorpe served with the 14/20th Hussars British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project are no longer in touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Bmdr. John William Farbrother MM.. Royal Artillery 57th Field Regiment from Southend
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BV Farewell . British Army BV Farewell served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project are no longer in touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Bessie "Betty" Farey . Women's Auxiliary Air Force 625 Sqdn. On browsing this site with my mother, Bessie 'Betty' Farey, who was in the WAAFs at Kelstern, 625 Squadron we came across William Bates story. My mother married my dad, who was a rear gunner in Q Lancaster, 625 Squadron at RAF Kelstern, Jim 'Paddy' Law on St Patricks Day, 17th March 1945 in Bradford West Yorkshire and William Bates was their best man. Is the William Bates on this site the same William Bates and if so can you get in touch with us? We would be delighted to hear from you. Also anyone else stationed at Kelstern 1942 to 1945, we would love to share some memories.
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DW Farey . British Army DW Farey served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project are no longer in touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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P/O J. Farish . 97 Squadron
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S/Sgt. John Farish . British Army from Cumberland My father served as a Staff Sergeant with the 8th Army as a Desert Rat in North Africa, India, Ceylon and Burma during WWII. I know he was in Tobruk, at El Alamein, in Calcutta and in Candy (Ceylon).
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P/O John Farlam . Royal Australian Air Force 460 Sqdn.
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Albert Walter "Walter" Farley . Royal Marines HMS Dorestshire from Worcestshire, UK (d.5th April 1942) My great uncle, Walter Farley, was a Marine during the Second World War and was aboad the HMS Dorestshire when she sunk the Bismarck and when she was sunk by Japanese dive bomber planes. My nan never knew what happened to her big brother until I started researching his service. I found that the HMS Dorestshire sunk off Sri Lanka on the date that my great uncle died. I was able to use Google Earth to pin point the site of the wreck she could finally see where he had died.
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P/O. Arthur Rodolphe Roland Farley . Royal Canadian Air Force 407 Squadron from Ottawa (d.15th May 1942) Arthur Farley was my uncle. I did not know him since I was born long after the war. His photo was all I ever saw of him and I have his certificate from when he graduated from flying officer school. I know he had medals but I do not know which ones he was awarded.
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ET Farley . British Army ET Farley served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project are no longer in touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Sgt. G. Arthur Farley . Royal Air Force 103 Squadron Arthur Farley and his wife Joan were very special people and I am only sorry that I have not been able to trace the family whom I know lived near me and repeat our gratitude.
Arthur was a very unassuming hero of Bomber Command. His crew were based at RAF Newton. He also saved my father's life and enriched it. When they ditched a Wellington in the North Sea in Feb 1941, Arthur pulled my father out of the plane. He had a broken arm/collar bone, could not swim and was afraid of water! Arthur got him into the dinghy.
Arthur was later Commissioned.
They were reunited in old age and Arthur and Joan were faithful visitors to my parents, isolated by mental and physical injuries of war.
The family had connections with Havant, Hayling Island, Bedhampton and Fareham as well as Zimbabwe. Please get in touch if you read this.
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Wing.Co. Walter Ronald Farley DFC. Royal Air Force 138 Sqdn. from London (d.21st April 1942) 138 Squadron flew on Special Operations duties in WWII, and lost an aircraft on 21st April 1942 over Austria. The crew were:
Wing Co W.R. Farley DFC, RAF (2nd pilot)
F/O J.A. Pulton, RAFVR (airgunner)
F/O R. Zygmuntowicz, PAF (pilot)
Sgt C. Madracki, PAF (navigator)
F/Sgt B Karbowski, PAF (rear gunner)
Capt. A.H. Voellnagel, RAF
Sgt L. Wilmanski, PAF (airbomber)
Sgt M. Wojciechowski, PAF (wop/airgunner)
All the crew were buried in Durnbach War Cemetery, Collective Grave 9.H.20-24.
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Spr. Francis Robert Farline . British Army 663rd Artisan Works Company Royal Engineers (d.17th Jun 1940) In doing my family history, it has led me to Francis Robert Farline who served in the 663rd Artisan Works Company sadly he was one of the many soldiers that died. This site is a credit to the service men of the world war.
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Ord.Sea. Thomas Kenneth "Joe" Farman . Royal Navy
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Firemn. William Horatio Farman . Civil Defence Service Auxiliary Fire Service from Dunfermline, Fife William Farman's auxiliary fire brigade was responsible for covering the Rosyth Naval Dockyards near Dunfermline, Fife.
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AE Farmer . British Army AE Farmer served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project are no longer in touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Pte. Alfred Farmer . British Army 14 Army Field Workshop Royal Army Ordnance Corp from 56 Weighton Rd Harrow Welad, Harrow, Middlesex (d.29-30th May 1940) Alf Farmer was my Grandfather, he was only 23 years old when he was killed at Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo, the evacuation from Dunkirk of the British Expeditionary Forces.
He had 'joined up' in 1939 just after war broke out. He was married to my Nanna who died in 1990 still loving him and they had a son, my father who is now 75 years old and doing well. My Nanna lost touch with all of Alf's family as after the war she emigrated to New Zealand, where I was born along with my two sisters and one brother.
My Dad and I live in the UK now and are longing to find Alf's relatives or any friends he had, esp, in the Army. So here are the details:
Alfred Farmer 'Alf' married Dorothy Joan Bowden 'Joan', their son is Alfred Keith Farmer ' Keith'.
Alf and Joan lived in Harrow Welad in Harrow Middlesex on Weighton Rd, number 56 before he was killed.Although his father was a manager of an Engineering works in Watford, Alf chose to do a veg barrow round in Harrow.
We were told he could sing really well, had a great sense of humour and did mechanics.
Nanna and Dad nearly starved in London during the war, my Dad was sent to the country for a while, first with Nanna then alone (he was 4 when his Dad died). She worked as a maid and cafe assistant in London. They were both in London during the Bliz.
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Ord.Tel. Charles Henry Farmer . Royal Navy HMS Scotia from Hayes, Middlesex Sorry, but I have but no stories to tell. Charlie Farmer passed away in 2020 and whilst searching through some old papers I came across his Service Record. It shows that he served briefly aboard HMS Scotia from 19th of June 1943 until 11th of November 1943 before moving on to HMS Mercury.
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Dvr. Cornelius Farmer . British Army 514 (Tank Transporter) Coy. Royal Army Service Corps from London Cornelius Farmer served as a driver with 514th (Tank Transporter) Company, Royal Army Service Corps. This is all I know about my dad's war service. He was awarded the Africa Star and the Italy Star.
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Flt.Sgt. Daniel Gilfillan Farmer . Royal Air Force 51 Sqd. from 6 Grampian Cres, Glasgow (d.4th April 1941) I would like to know more about my father Daniel Farmer, I think he was shot
down whilst bombing the Graf Spey somewhere off France. I believe from what my mum said that he used to fly in Whitley bombers, from Yorkshire, could be
Linton on Ouse, Dishforth or Rufforth. I think his age was 21 when he died, mummy said his photograph was in the Imperial War Museum, and he is buried in France.
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Pvt. Dixie Brandley Farmer . United States Army Chemical Warfare Service from North Carolina Dixie Brandley Farmer was held in POW Camp Fukuoka 172.
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EE Farmer . British Army Royal Armoured Corps EE Farmer served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project are no longer in touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Pte. Frank "Sparks" Farmer . British Army 580 Company Royal Army Service Corps from Bedford After initial trainingg at Blenheim Camp, Bury St. Edmunds I was put in the Royal Signals at Catterick and completed a course to be an Operator Keyboard and Line [morse & teleprinter] but on completion after about 6 months I was sent to Colchester to 578 Company RASC at Reed Hall Camp.
Apparently not wanted there I was sent to The Hutted Camp, Halfway Avenue between Luton and Dunstable but I was not wanted there either. My next move, believe or not, was to The Drill Hall in Ashburnham Road, Bedford. This was 580 Company RASC and CSM Weekes promptly unregaled me of my Royal Signals badge and shoulder ribbons stating I was a driver now. I asked for a sleeping out pass and promptly denied with the usual expletives. After showing me where I was to sleep he departed and a scruffy corporal came in and asked if I was the new "sparks" and if so let's get out of here quick. We loaded my kit onto a lorry and proceeded to my intended billet in the High St. over Grimbly Hughes Grocery Shop. At the bottom of the stairs was a note book and the corporal told me sign in when going out and sign out when going in, which I did not query. On informing the corp. that my home was in Bedford he said well go home at nights and report for duty at The Swan Hotel where workshops had bays for different tradesmen.
I had 2 bays, one for repairs and one for battery charging. We marched over The Town Bridge to our cookhouse for meals [double rations]. These old buildings have now been replaced by The Park Inn, Hotel a very high building. After 3 months I found we had detachments at Old Welwyn and Cambridge. The workshop officer, Captain Walliker, sent me to Cambridge together with the newly promoted corporal. As he had a girlfriend in Bedford he used to drive in what vehicle was available to Bedford every evening and was kind enough to have me on board. Our billet in Cambridge was The House of Mercy, Home for Wayward Girls. Our workshop was a large depot at the end of Fitzroy St. After a few months the detachments were called in together with the Bedford Headquarters to a camp near St. Neots. Duloe Hill Camp, Eaton Ford to be precise. I still used to get home with a weekly bus ticket by leaving the camp via a farm yard in the corner of our main car park.
The new workshop officer, Captain Harvey, got wheeze of this and when he could get a car he would go into Bedford where his lady friend was and on occasions his corporal driver would give me a lift as well. When a car was not available he would travel on the bus with me. Some time towards the end of 1947 577 company was amalgamated with 580 and another chap was from Bedford, Private Max Irwin.
Another Driver was Dai Jones and he lived within a stones throw of my home and I never knew him before, he lived at 46 Cavendish St. and I lived at 43 Canning St. He returned to Bridgend when demobbed.
All good things come to an end and I was demobbed in May 1948. Although I was very lucky there were times when I was away for long periods like when we had to collect rifles from Weedon, Northants to deliver to a ship in Southampton [The Queen Mary!] which went to Greece [Greek Uprising],and Operation King Coal when that awful winter of 1946-47 prevented coal getting out of the mines and we had to go to the rescue, billeted in freezing conditions at Wollaton Hall near Nottingham.
Soldiers I can remember are:-
- Capt.Walliker,
- Capt.Harvey,
- CSM Weekes,
- Sergeant Noller,
- Corporal Dick Bishop [married a St.Neots girl, worked for local electrical firm but died before I could contact him],
- L/Cpl "Darkie" Roe,
- L/Cpl Brown,
- Drver "Lofty" Farr [lived at Shooters Hill, London],
- Sergeant Percy Froud [a wonderful man on the breakdown lorry and piano-accordionist which he surprised me with when we called into a Kent Hop Camp on one of our "tours".
- ATS Girl Doris Tofield later married Sergt.Ray Lane but they divorced and she went to the States
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