The Wartime Memories Project - The Second World War

Those who Served - Surnames beginning with M.

Surnames Index


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

Cpl. John McGerty .     British Army Royal Artillery   from Barrow-in-Furness

My Dad, John McGerty of the Royal Artillery was captured at Dunkirk in 1940 and held in Stalag 8b.




James White "Jascket" McGhee .     British Army   from Paisley, Scotland




Pte Douglas Mcghie .     British Army   from Dalbeattie




Sgt. Arthur Thomas "Max" McGill .     British Army Queens Own Cameron Highlanders   from Wishaw, Scotland

Arthur McGill was my father-in-law. He was an amazing man. He rarely talked of the war and when he did he never spoke badly of the Germans. He would say "it was war".

He served with 52nd Middle East Commandos and was captured in Crete on 1st of June 1941. When he thought an attack was imminent and that he might be killed he said he was going clean shaven, so he found some water and had a good shave. He did tell us of the time that they were hand cuffed at night in reprisal for an incident when German captives where hand cuffed together on a beach and left to be picked up later. Unfortunately, the tide came in and they all drowned. Arthur was the one who figured out how to get out of the hand cuffs. So after the guards left they would get out of the hand cuffs and first thing in the morning they would put them back on again. He was hand cuffed with a Canadian named Roy Jacques. When he spoke of Stalag 383 he spoke of the camaraderie of everyone there.




Steward G. G. McGill .     Naval Auxiliary Personnel HMS Forfar

Steward G McGill was amongst those who surved teh sinking of HMS Forfar in 1940.




F/O J. A.D. McGill .     Royal Australian Air Force 97 Squadron




Pte. James McGill .     British Army 2nd Btn. Highland Light Infantry (d.2nd February 1945)




Fsr. John Stanley McGill .     British Army Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)   from Glasgow

John McGill enlisted with the Highland Light Infantry in August 1939, was transferred to the Cameronians in 1942 and served until 1948.




Wireman Thomas Deakin McGill .     Royal Navy   from Glasgow




G. McGillivray .    




Joseph Henry McGilvray .     Royal Australian Air Force No. 518 Squadron

Joseph McGilvray and crew, 518 Squadron

Joseph McGilvray flew with No. 518 Squadron as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. His crew were, WOp/AG Sandy McGregor RAAF, Navigator F/Lt Dave McKenzie RAF, F/Sgt Pete Rackliff RAF, Pilot F/Lt Alan Milne RCAF, WOp/Ag Derry Dolwin RAF, 2nd Pilot Wilf Davies RAF and Flight Engineer F/Sgt Ernie Marlow RAF.




Assistant Cook James Wilson McGinlay .     Naval Auxiliary Personnel HMS Forfar (d.2nd Dec 1940)




Spr. James McGinlay .     British Army Royal Engineers   from Ferrygate Farm Cottages, North Berwick

James McGinley was captured in Greece during the battle of Greece and later transferred to Stalag XV111A. He was put to work in the village of Lodersdorf in Austria as a farm labourer for the Holtzmann and Karner families.

James contracted Rheumatic Fever and was near to death when he was handed over to the British Red Cross in the early part of 1945. He recovered and lived until 1981.




Maurice McGinley .     United States Air Force 384th Bomb Group

My father, Maurice McGinley, was stationed with the 384th Bomb Group B17 at Grafton Underwood Airfield in WWII.




F/Lt. Maurice Frederick "Mac" McGinn .     Royal Air Force 227 Squadron

Maurice McGinn served with 227 Squadron.




Sgt. John W. McGinnis .     US Army

John McGinnis was captured 30 miles east of Metz, France in December 44 and was a close companion to my uncle, Staff Sgt George Rohbock from Orem Ut and Sgt Jack Hargate of Youngstown, Oh. I have read some of the documents of these 3 soldiers and their fight to live. Their story is incredible. I would like to share all of it with everyone, I will work on that.




F/O. Frank McGlone .     Royal Air Force 90 Squadron   from Carlisle

(d.20th/21st July 1944)

Frank McGlone was born and lived in Carlisle, England prior to the outbreak of WW2. He joined the RAF in 1941 and trained in Canada before returning to England, joining 90 Squadron in May 1944.

On the evening of 20th/21st of July 1944, Frank and the crew of Lancaster LM189 WP-U took part in operation Homberg, with the plane coming down near Baerl. Frank and 3 other crew members are buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.




K Mcglone .     British Army

K Mcglone 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 has lost 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.




F/O Bernard Pierce McGonagle DFC.     Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 138 Sqdn. (d.8th May 1944)

F/O McGonagle was killed on 8th May 1944 during Operation Citronelle 1 in France.

Halifax v LL280 NF-O. The crew were:

  • W/Cdr W McF Russell DFC & Bar
  • F/S G Cable DFM
  • F/O D Brown DFC
  • F/O B P McGonagle DFC
  • F/O J A Armour DFC DFM
  • F/O A F Bryce
  • F/O N Simister DFM

    T/o Tempsfordon Operation Citronelle 1 heading for France. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at St Denis d'Orques (Sarthe), 40m WNW of Le Mans and astride what in 1944 was the main road to Laval. All rest in Le Mans west cemetery.




  • Isabel McGonnigal .     Timber Corps




    Flt.Sgt. James Lennon McGookin .     Royal Air Force

    My father, James Lennon McGookin served at RAF Hawkinge during the Battle of Britain as a Flight Sergeant.




    Lance Corporal Joe McGoran .     British Army 2nd Btn Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders   from Glasgow

    Joe McGoran is my father. He was conscripted into the Army early in 1940 and sent up to Inverness (Fort George) for Basic Training. During his first leave in March 1940 he returned to Glasgow to marry my mother (Isabella McLeod McLeish) and they had a few days in Inverness before he returned to base.

    He is now living in Erskine Home, Renfrewshire and will be 94 years of age in December this year.

    In the summer of 1940 the Battalion was in the Cherbourg Peninsula in North West France as a rear guard against further German advances after the fall of France and the evacuations at Calais and Dunkirk. After withdrawal they were returned to Scotland. He says the Camerons were "defending Scotland" at this time and as the then 2nd Battalion was actually in Egypt fighting Rommel then he must have been a member of the 4th Battalion which was stationed, the records suggest, in Orkney and Shetland.

    Sometime in 1941 he was sent to Aruba (Dutch West Indies) to guard the oil refineries there and remained for about 18 months until relieved by the Americans who had entered the war after Pearl Harbour. The Camerons were then shipped home via New Orleans and were the first British soldiers to sail up the Mississippi since the War of 1812. They transited via New York city where my father sang in front of a large audience of US troops and city dignitories. He had sung with a Dance Band in Glasgow before the war and was a popular performer with his comrades in arms. The 4th Battalion was then officially disbanded and reformed as the new 2nd Battalion in place of the heroic original 2nd Battalion soldiers who were exemplary in their valour and conduct at the fall of Tobruk.

    In 1943 the new 2nds were then shipped as reserve troops to North Africa and thence to Sicily and the Italian mainland following in the footsteps of the advancing front line troops. In January of 1944 they entered the line at Monte Cassino and as part of the Indian Division held the Front at Cassino along with Ghurka and Polish troops.

    Joe was a Bren gunner and has many startling tales of how the campaign was run, not all of them complimentary to tacticians or local NCOs! On the 25th of March 1944 while actually off duty in the watch rota my father and his loader were hit by an exploding German rifle grenade fired into their 'foxhole'. His right arm was blown off above the elbow and his right leg almost detached at the hip requiring a complete 'disarticulation' of the leg/hip. He was hauled down the mountain to a field hospital where the medical officer on duty saved his life by some magnificent surgery and suture work.

    He was eventually shipped home to a Military Hospital in Birmingham and thence after some 5 months to Erskine Hospital in Renfrewshire where he spent almost a year in recovery. After returning home to his wife and two children in Glasgow he had to be fitted with prosthetic limbs and learn to walk, write, use cutlery, put coal on the fire and wash the dishes with only one arm and one leg.

    In August of 1946 I was born. In 1948 Joe got a clerical job in the Ministry of Labour in Glasgow and worked there until a minor stroke caused his retirement at age 63 in 1979. He had learned to drive his own car and continued to do so until well into his 80's. He had fathered 4 more children and was a founder member and sometime Chairman of the Glasgow Branch of BLESMA (British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association) and a pillar of his Church and Community in the South West of the City where we had moved in November of 1948.

    Although frail, and a widower of 15 years, Joe still enjoys conversation, company and singing when presented with the opportunity in the happy and supportive surroundings of the (now) Erskine Home.

    We love you Dad and you'll always be our quiet hero!




    Pte. Andrew Valentine McGougan .     British Army Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders   from Dunoon

    My grandfather, Andrew McGougan, was fighting with his brother Jack at Dunkirk. My grandfather was a young man as he lied about his age to go to war. They got split up in the melee. My grandfather was caught and got marched to Poland where he remained a POW for the remainder of the war. My great uncle managed to get back to the boats and cross the channel back to England. Apparently he got a clip around the ear for not looking after his brother.




    P/O Francis Joseph McGovern DFC..     Royal Air Force Air Gunner 426 Squadron   from St.Helens, Lancashire




    Pte. James Peter McGovern .     British Army Cameron Highlanders   from Glasgow

    My Dad James McGovern served with the Cameron Highlanders. I am trying to find any information about my Dad.




    Cpl. Patrick McGovern .     British Army Royal Irish Fusiliers   from Bray, Co. Wicklow

    My uncle, Pat McGovern, joined the Royal Irish Fusiliers, the same regiment his father, Thomas McGovern, was in during WW1. He saw action in the Atlantic, Malta, Italy, and Monte Cassino. He was captured at Leron. I understand from my cousin, that he was captured as a POW on the Greek island of Leros before being transported to Berlin via Athens. He then served the remainder of the war in Stalag IIIA, Luckenwalde. I personally recall seeing his German Arbeidspasse, so I assume like many others he was sent out to labour locally.

    We have photos of his medals which include an award for gallantry. I am still researching the detail of his medals.




    Sig. Ernest McGowan .     British Army Royal Signals   from Glossop, Derbyshire

    (d.17th June 1940)

    My uncle, Ernest McGowan from Glossop in Derbyshire, he was a signalman with the Royal Corps of Signals. Service Number 2587688.

    He was aged 26 when he died, presumed drowned aboard the SS Lancastria on 17th June 1940. I suppose it would be too much to hope that anyone reading this would have any memories of him.




    Fireman J. McGowan .     Naval Auxiliary Personnel HMS Forfar

    Fireman McGowan survived the sinking of HMS Forfar.




    Pte. James Charles McGowan .     British Army Cameron Highlanders (Queen's Own)   from Wolverhampton




    Lt. Eng. L. C. McGowan .     Royal Navy HMS Forfar

    Lt McGowan was one of the officers who had transferred with the ship under the T124 agreement. He survived the sinking on the 2nd of December 1940.





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