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Flt.Sgt. Robert Ingersole Gates . Royal Australian Air Force 467 Squadron from Bridgetown, Western Australia (d.29th June 1943) Robert Gates served with the Royal Australian Air Force
He was born on the 9th of August 1920 in Bridgetown, WA
and enlisted on the 21st of July 1941 in Perth, WA.
He gave his Next of Kin as Caroline Gates.
He served with 467 Squadron at RAF Bottesford and was killed on the 29th of June 1943, but his body was was not located at the crash site.There is a group who are now doing research where the Lancaster was discovered, hopefully, they may find his remains.
The Crew were:
- Flt Sgt R.I.Gates, missing.
- Sgt G.R.S Cayless, buried at Jonkerbos War Cemetery Nijmegen
- Sgt H.H Mooney, buried at Jonkerbos War Cemetery Nijmegen
- Sgt E Pike taken POW
- B.H Dolby taken POW
- Sgt T.W.A Copeland RCAF buried at Jonkerbos War Cemetery Nijmegen
- Sgt J.H Hole buried at Jonkerbos War Cemetery Nijmegen
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W. H. Gates . Civil Defence Horsham Auxiliary Fire Service
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Pte. Walter Frederick "Wallu" Gates Silver star. United States Army from New York My Dad was in the Battle of the Bulge where he was captured by the German Army. He was at Stalag IV B as a POW. He received the Silver Star for gallantry in action and bravery fighting against the German Army to save fellow solders. He was buried at the Riverside National Cemetery with full honors. His name is Walter Frederick Gates. Died 01/12/1989
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Frances Ellen Gathercole . Land Army My Grandmother Mrs Frances Ellen Rutterford (nee Gathercole) was one of the land army girls, working on farms in the area of Burnt Fen, a small hamlet Nr Mildenhall Suffolk. Unfortunately she passed away in 2007 aged 86. It wasn't until the family was going through old photos etc. after her death that we found her enrolment certificate, her leaving certificate and a letter from the late Queen mother thanking her for all her hard work. She had never told any one about receiving the letter, so it was a complete shock and honour to find.
I am in correspondence to see if it would be at all possible for my dad to collect her land arm recognition badge in her honour but I am being told no. This is a matter that I feel very strongly about, after all the girls kept the nations going while our men were fighting. If a soldier got killed at war their families are allowed to accept their medals in their honour so why shouldn't we be able to do the same. I would love to know if anyone else out there feels the same. We also have her uniform, an arm band and her medals from the time. Receiving the new recognition badge in the honour of ladies who did their best to keep everything going in our men's absence and succeeded is all we are asking for.
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Pte. Maurice Vincent Gathercole . Australian Army
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Leonard "Len" Gatrill DFC. Royal Air Force Pathfinder 109 from Tetney Flight Lieutenant Len Gatril of 109 Pathfinder Squadron. RAF Little Staughton. DFC. Flew 63 Sorties and helped Bomb Dresdend. Landed Plane which was on fire after bailing his crew out safely.
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Stw. Felix Gatt . Royal Navy HMS Egret I had an uncle, Felix Gatt, a Maltese steward who once told me that at the beginning of the war he was on the Egret on the North Sea patrols. He must have been transferred as he survived the war. He died in 1960s in Peckham SE London.
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Pte. Edwin Leonard Gatward . British Army Royal Berkshire Regiment from Hackney My father, Ted Gatward, served in WW2 and fascinated us all with his stories. He started off in a mounted division but soon discovered that he did not get on with horses, so that was short lived.
He served in Israel and mounted a machine gun on the wailing wall and the little green hill.
Ted originally ran away to join the army at 15, but his age was discovered and he was sent home. He went straight back as soon as he was legally able to do so.
He also got peed on in Egypt by a camel and had to have a whole load of injections. He had a dog and a pet monkey there too. The monkey used to get into the store of liquor and was found all over the camp drunk and disorderly.
He was always talking of the good times too, about the bond he made with
his comrades.
He got special leave to marry my mum on Christmas Day, but he was back in camp on Boxing Day. My mum was evacuated in 1944 and my brother was born in Willersley Castle, Matlock in Berkshire.
Although war was obviously a terrible time, I cannot help but feel I would have liked to have been born in that time to see the closeness of communities and to have been a part of the sense of pride everyone felt in fighting for their country.
My brother has our father's long service medal.
My granddad was in the Navy in WW1, but unfortunately died before I was born.
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Clarence "Bud" Gaul . United States Army from Frankford, PA Bud Gaul joined the US Army right out of Frankford High School and spent 4 years fighting in Europe.
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Signalman Alexander "Sandy" Gault . British Army from Aberdeen I knew my Uncle Sandy was taken at Dunkirk but it was something he never talked about. Today, I was sorting through some family photos and found a picture of two of sisters and a brother and on the back it says 'Sig. Alexander Gault, 16510. Stalag XXB (81)'. I'm not sure if it was a photo sent to him or he already had it with him. I would love to know more about his experiences. He was a very lovely but introverted man, my father said he just wasn't the same man when he came back. My uncle died in 2002, he had no children and I would dearly love to honour his memory.
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Frank Gaunce . Canadian Army 8th Btn. Canadian Hussars from Canada
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D Gaunt . British Army D Gaunt 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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WO. Philip Henry "Tubby" Gaunt . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 49 Squadron from Leicester My late father, Tubby Gaunt flew with 49 Sqn. completing his first tour on Hampdens, out of Scampton, 1941 & 42, as wireless op air gunner, having trained in South Africa to be a pilot. Gaining his wings he moved on to Wellingtons at Foggia, with 37 & 70 Sqns.
After 23 operations, he iced up and force landed in Gorski Kotar. He and all his crew were safe and fairly sound, where they were helped by Titos partisans, and repatriated back to Tortorella, then back to Liverpool by troop ship. It was late April 1942, and thinking he had done his bit, they demobbed him in November 1945.
Starting in 1939 having a forced landing at Manston, and a little while later a mid air collision with a Lancaster, later to survive his crash in the mountains of Gorski Kotar, Croatia as it is now, he lived a charmed life indeed.
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L Gauntlett . British Army South Wales Borderers L Gauntlett served with the South Wales Borderers 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. Maurice Lowden Gauntlett . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves 99 Squadron (d.7th November 1940)
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AA3 George William Gausden . Royal Navy HMS Victory from Brighton
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Capt. Jean Henry "John" Gauthier DSO, LOH.. Canadian Army Battalion HQ Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry from Montreal, Canada Major Jean Gauthier was in the Canadian Army before the war. He volunteered in the CanLoan officer program and was integrated as a British Army Captain with the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry as an intelligence officer.
He went ashore on D+? and was tasked numerous times to make contact with the French resistance behind German lines to guide the advancement of the brigade (for which he was awarded the French Legion of Honour after the War).
He reached the Rhine with the British forces at the end of the war. After demobilization he remained as a career officer in the Canadian Army where he was commanding officer of the third (or fourth?) battalion of the Canadian Guards and saw more action in Korea.
He was 2IC of the UNMOGIP in Kashmir/Pakistan as a Colonel. He finished his military career as Military Attache to the Canadian Embassy to France in Paris. His last posting was head of VIP security for the Montreal's World Fair, Expo 67. He passed away in France in early 1999 at the age of 81.
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Sgt. Joseph Paul Adelard Gauthier . Royal Canadian Air Force flight eng. 419 Sqd. (d.5th Jul 1944)
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F/O. Raymond Joseph Gauvreau DFC.. Royal Air Force 626 Squadron from Ottawa, Ontario D.F.C. London Gazette 13th of February 1945.
The Recommendation, dated 5th of November 1944, states: 'Flying Officer Gauvreau, a Canadian, as pilot and captain of aircraft has carried out 30 operational sorties against the enemy. These sorties have included such important targets as Kiel, Stuttgart (three attacks), Stettin and Russelheim. Throughout this, his first tour of operations, Flying Officer Gauvreau has shown himself to be a competent and skillful pilot and his keen offensive spirit coupled with his fearlessness has set a magnificent example to his crew. His captaincy and determination have been of a high order enabling him at all times to drive home his attacks to the fullest advantage. I recommend that Flying Officer Gauvreau’s fine record and devotion to duty be rewarded by the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.'
Raymond Gauvreau was born on 30th September 1921 in Ottawa, Ontario, and was educated at LaSalle Academy, The Glebe, Ottawa.
He served with the Cameron Highlanders from 1940 to 1942 and was employed at Ottawa Car and Aircraft Limited, before enlisting with the Royal Canadian Air Force at No. 5 Manning Depot in Lachine, Quebec, on 30th of April 1942.
Receiving his wings as a Sergeant Pilot on 25th of June 1943, he proceeded to England in July of that year, and after serving with No. 30 Operational Training Unit at R.A.F. Seighford, Staffordshire, he was commissioned Pilot Officer in April 1944. Posted to No. 626 Squadron at R.A.F. Wickenby, Lincolnshire on 16th of June 1944.
He later reflected on the creation of his flight crew, along with another pilot he had met getting ready for his first mission which would prove to be a fatal one:
"I served with the 626 Squadron in England, from an airport called Wickenby. I started right into the Lancasters. They sent me to a station in central England where they had a variety of every crew member imaginable, from gunners to navigators, but not pilots. I was sent to that station with a date at a certain point to pick out six men to join me as my crew members. I was completely in the dark about what it involved, but when I got to it, I got to this big building and opened the door and it looked like I was entering a huge double gymnasium, loaded with people who were all aircrew members of different stations in an aircraft, from a tail gunner to a navigator. I immediately closed the door and stood back, and said, I’ve got to go in there and pick out six men, and I don’t know a soul? There was nobody to talk to. I was all by myself. I finally said a prayer, and I said, “Lord, help me to do this.” I walked in and before I could even close the door, there was a great big guy stood in front of me and says, "my name is George MacIntosh from [Fort] MacLeod, Alberta, I’m a navigator and I’d like to join your crew, will you take me on?" I says, "you bet, George, shake hands." And as we were shaking hands, five more men came walking right over, and I signed all of them on; and that became my crew. Oh, one other Canadian was John Halliday from Welland, Ontario and the rest were British chaps from a variety of places in England. After I had completed six trips, my first six trips, a young pilot came to my billet; and he was allocated the extra bed that I had in that particular billet. And since he was just starting off his trips – that night he was going to have his first trip while I was having my eighth: it was my eighth trip; it was his first trip – I got acquainted with him and helped him to unpack his luggage, and so forth. He took a photograph and put it on the table between our beds; and it was a picture of his wife and his one-year-old daughter back home in Winnipeg. And, however, we went to the flights later on and got ready for my usual bombing trip; and when I got back, about 2:30 in the morning, he hadn’t yet arrived. So I stretched out on the bed and waited for him, so we could talk over what happened. A short time later, a knock came on the door and it was my station commander who said, “Ray, I’m sorry to tell you this, but your friend has not returned, will you please repack his luggage so we can send it back to his wife in Canada.” It left me with real sad memories thinking about my wife whom I married just two weeks before I left for overseas."
Gauvreau and his crew flew numerous sorties over ten locations in France, bombing various targets between 20thof June and 19th of July 1944, including Reims, Liegscourt, Vaires, Saint Pol, Viezon-Ville, Domleger, Orleans, Foret-de-Croc, Caen (twice) and Tours. The month of July would conclude with missions to Courtrai, Belgium on 20 July and over a span of five days, from 23 to 28 July, three sorties to Germany: Kiel and Stuttgart (twice). In the period between 8 August and 19 October 1944, further sorties were flown to France (Aire, Falaise Sector, Le Havre, Calais and Cap Oriz Nes), Holland (Volkel, Gent, Eindhoven and Weskapelle), Belgium (Frederick Hendric), and Germany (Russelsheim, Stettin, Saarbrucken, Duisburg (twice) and Stuttgart).
At the end of his tour he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. By his own recollection, Gauvreau dropped a bomb over Caen, which was marked with the personal message 'To Adolf, from the Ottawa Car and Aircraft Limited of Ottawa'. He died in Ottawa in August 2015, at the age of 93.
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CSM. Michael Gavaghan . British Army 2nd Btn. Royal Northumberland Fusiliers from Batley My grandfather joined the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, Territorial Army in 1924 at the age of 17. At the outbreak of WW2, he was a Company Sergeant Major. On 1st September 1939, he and my grandmother were walking home from church with three of my uncles, and my infant father in my grandfather's arms, having just been baptised. A large black police car with bells ringing pulled alongside the group. The police spoke to my grandfather, who then passed over the baby to my grandmother, kissed her, and left in the car. He was never seen again by the family for over two years. Once gone, he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.
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PJI Gavigan . British Army 23rd Hussars PJI Gavigan served with the 23rd 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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AJ Gavin . British Army Kings Liverpool Regiment AJ Gavin served with the Kings Liverpool Regiment 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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Flt Sgt. Howard Gavin . Royal Australian Air Force nav. 106 Squadron from Kelso, New South Wales, Australia. (d.22nd June 1944) Howard Gavin was my uncle, I believe that he was buried by the Dutch and I would like to know more about his squadron.
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J Gawler . British Army J Gawler 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 Harry Gawn . RAF 12sqd
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Reg Gawn . Auxiliary Fire Service from Harrow, London My Dad, Reg Gawn, served in the AFS at Pinner Road Harrow Fire Station. As kids we had some of his old kit to dress up in. At times he was on the same crew as Ernest Lough “Oh for the Wings of a Dove” . I recall him telling us very little of what he went through, but I know that he was a driver, and at times on the top of a 100ft turntable ladder in the City of London. He and Ernest Lough were on the same crew the night the City Temple was destroyed, and that was where Ernest had recorded as a boy soprano. Any links with my dad would be welcome
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Leading Fireman Reginal Horace Gawn . Auxiliary Fire Service Harrow Central from Eastcote Dad. Reg Gawn, was a volunteer fireman, aged 30 at the start of the war. He served at Harrow Central Fire Station (Pinner Road, N Harrow). I am trying to find out more about his war record - I do know he learned to drive in the Fire Brigade and that he was involved in the Blitz in London and in Portsmouth. He was at City Temple the night it was blitzed in May 1941, and on the same crew that night as Ernest Lough, who as a boy had recorded "Oh For The Wing of Dove" at the City Temple.
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Pte. Arthur John Gay . British Army
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