Edith Elizabeth "Pat" Wells . Womens Land Army
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Sgt. Edward George "Taffy" Wells . British Army 25 LAA Regiment, 82 Bty. Royal Artillery from Tywyn My grandad, Edward Wells, served with the 82 Bty, 25 LAA Regiment Royal Artillery in North Africa, Sicily and Europe.
My mum remembers him serving with the Military Police in Berlin after the war (around 1947).
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EH Wells . British Army EH Wells 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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Bmbdr. Elijah Wells . British Army Royal Artillery from Dudley Elijah Wells was wounded and captured at Arras. He was repatriated in 1943.
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Sto. Ernest Vivian Wells . Merchant Navy SS Lackenby from Whitburn, Sunderland (d.25th Jan 1943) Ernest Wells is an uncle I never got to meet, a brother my father dearly missed. Remembered at Whitburn Cenotaph
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F/Lt. F. A. Wells DFC. Royal Air Force 44 (Rhodesia) Sqdn. I am trying to find additional information about my late uncle, F/Lt. F.A. Wells DFC, 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, Dunholm Lodge. He was shot down on 25th/26th July 1944 over Stuttgart. He escaped and survived the war and was a member of the Caterpillar Club.
How did the DFC citation read? What RAF duties did he perform on his return home? He was a Squadron Adjutant, but at which RAF station? The full crew of his Lancaster were:
F/O T.Ibbotson RAAF
Sgt. J.R.W.Worrall
F/Sgt. E.H.Greatz RAAF
F/Sgt.I.R.Murray RAAF
Sgt. K.G.Andrews
F/Sgt T.W.Whitehead
F/Sgt. F.A.Wells
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F/Lt Frances Arthur Wells DFC. Royal Air Force 44 Sqdn (Rhodesia) I would be grateful for any information regarding my late uncle F/Lt. Frances Arthur Wells DFC A/G around the 1944 period, after being shot down and his eventual return from Freteval.
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Cpl. Francis Leon Wells . United States Army B Coy. 232nd Infantry Regiment from Clark County, Arkansas My father, Francis Wells, never discussed his experience with us, only gave sketchy details to my stepmother in his golden years. When we asked mother about why he screamed in his sleep, or why he was nervous, she would say "he was in the war". We didn't know he was OCD and had frostbite, stomach problems, and suffered from PTS. We only found out a little after my mom died and he married his second wife, who helped him and encouraged him to join a former group of POW survivors. This is what we know happened:
He was captured during the Battle of the Bulge near Sessenheim on 6th January 1945 when his foxhole was overrun with a German tank. Only two men survived, he and the other jumped out and ran across a field with bullets flying overhead. (He was serving in Company B 232nd infantry 42nd Rainbow division.) They hid in a basement of a structure and I remember as a little girl overhearing him tell someone about this incident in our kitchen one night. He described hearing the Germans coming down the stairs in their hobnail boots and the other soldier begged him to shoot at them. He wanted to be patient and the other one grabbed the gun and it fell apart in his hands as he didn't know how to operate it (I think he carried a bazooka). They were captured and taken by train to Stalag 11B at Fallingbostel near Hanover.
He described his experience there as having so little food at times that the men would grab at the grass when going outside. The guards were OK except when the SS officers arrived. They were afraid to look them in the eye or move when they made them line up barefoot in the snow. If they did anything out of order, they would pull them out of line and march them to the river. Daddy said that the hardest thing he faced was the men divying up their belongings and not knowing whether he was going to be next. He also described them dumping out truckloads of rotted rutabagas for them and serving brown bread with sawdust. That was why he had digestive problems and would eat breakfast, then vomit every day. He couldn't stand the sight of turnips, and wouldn't eat any bread other than white or cornbread.
He said when they heard the planes flying overhead on bombing raids they knew the end was near and they had hope. They were liberated on 16th April the 7th Army, the same one he served in, and was sent to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio for "de-processing". When he finally returned to Arkansas he never thought of himself as a hero and, unfortunately, never wanted anything to do with the military any longer.
He moved to Missouri and met my mother, and lived there until his death in 2007. He kept his footlocker but lost any interest in his medals and patches. I remember playing with them and don't know what happened to them but my brother was able to get them back later through the army. I remember a rifle and the rainbow. By the time I was old enough to realize what they were it was too late and all traces of the military were gone. I remember my husband showing up in army fatigues (during the 70s) and he was so upset! He never liked him after that. He hated us watching Hogan's Heroes on TV and would never watch a war movie.
I wish we could have helped him sooner. He was a veteran who slipped through the cracks and never got the help he needed to recover until he joined the VFW.
He was a devout Christian and family man who I never got to know entirely, but he was definitely a hero. It would be nice to find anyone who had photos or stories regarding his unit. I am trying to piece together his life for my kids and grandkids.
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G Wells . British Army G Wells 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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F/S G. C. Wells . Royal Air Force 514 Sqd. (d.30th Jul 1944) F/S Wells was lost without trace over the English Channel on the 30th of July 1944 when his Lancaster failed to return to Waterbeach after a raid on Caen.
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George Edward "Popeye" Wells . British Army Royal Tank Regiment from Appledore, Kent My Father, George Wells was in the Desert Rats, in the Tank Regiment. He got his nickname as he lost his right eye out there. He had seven operations to try and save it, but sadly it was not successful and he ended up having it removed and having a glass one. Much to our amusment he could take his eye out when we were young children. After he had recovered from this ordeal he was not sent to the front line again but taught other Troopers to drive Tanks. I too am afraid my Dad did not talk about the War either, my brothers may know more. The one thing he did tell us was, Richard Green, the Actor lived in his street when he was young in London, I am not sure if he was in Dad's Regiment as well.
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F/Sgt Henry Eric Wells . Royal Air Force (VR) ABC operator 101 Sqdn from Vienna, Austria. I was born in Vienna in 1923 to a Polish father (Jewish) and an Austrian mother (Roman/Catholic) and came to England on a "Kindertransport" in 1939. My original name was Heinz Erich Feldstein. Although I was born in Vienna, I was never an Austrian citizen, but Polish. The Polish government in 1939 took away Polish citizenship from all Jews, wherever they where and I became "Stateless", which saved me from being interned in Britain after the outbreak of WWII. It should have been a six month stay in England, during which we trained to become farmers in Australia, but outbreak of the war stopped that. I volunteered for the RAF in 1942 and because I was German speaking trained to become an ABC Operator. I did my tour of 30 ops from Oct 44 to Feb 45 on SR-L with F/O Andrews crew. After I left the squadron I was posted to London and received intelligence training and posted to ADCC (Air Division Control Commission) in May 1945. My job being Flak disarmament and prisoner interrogation. I am now in my 87th year and live in Oakville, Canada.
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Horace Victor Wells . Royal Air Force RAF Hendon My grandfather served in the RAF during WWII, although he joined before the war. I believe he was for a time based at Hendon and was involved in raids on Norway, before being posted to South Africa near Bloemfontein.
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J Wells . British Army Royal Armoured Corps J Wells 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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F/Sgt. J. D. Wells . 97 Squadron
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John Henry Wells . Royal Air Force 541 Squadron from Chipping Sodbury When my Grandad John Wells first joined 541 Squadron he was told "This is your Spitfire, don't break it."
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Joseph Alec Wells . Army No: 6 Commando I would like any information with regard to my fathers military career I think he enlisted in 1938 possibly in the Royal Engineers transferred to the commandos. Eventually he was commissioned and joined the Beds and Herts Regiment as an Officer serving in Italy & Greece & possibly Yugoslavia. After the war he seved till 1949 in Q section? BAOR.
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Sergeant Laurence Ernest Percival wells . RAF 460 Squadron (d.9th October 1943)
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F/Lt. R. F. Wells . Royal Air Force 9 Squadron (d.2nd Jan 1942) Flight Lieutenant R F Wells was pilot of Lancaster DV332 WS-D of 9 Squadron which was lost on Operations to Berlin on 2nd December 1943, killing all the crew. The plane crashed to the NE of Brunsendorf. All are buried in the 1939-1945 War Cemetery in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin.
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CQMS. Raymond Percival Wells MiD.. British Army 4th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment from Swanley Village, Hextable My Grandad was C.Q.M.S. Raymond Wells of the 4th Battalion RWK. He went to France with the BEF in 1940 and also served in Egypt, India and Burma. He fought at the Seige of Imphal and the Battle of Kohima in 1944 and was awarded the Certificate of Gallantry for his actions.
All of his brothers served in WW2, one in the R.A.F - Phil Wells, one in R.A.S.C (General Transport) Don Wells, serving in Italy and North Africa,and his twin brother, Pte.D.C.(Denny) Wells, left the Royal West Kents and joined the 18th Battalion, Reconnaissance Corps. Unfortunately Denny was stationed in Malaya when Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942, he was captured and held prisoner at Camp No.2 Songkurai, Thailand. He died in 1943. There is a Memorial Plaque in his name at Kanchanaburi (Changi) Military Cemetary, Thailand and another closer to home at Swanley Village Church, Kent, which is where the ashes of my Grandad and Nan, Iris Wells (nee Smith), are too.
The friends he mentions in his letters are: William 'Tiddles' Tyldesley, Don Puplett (Sussex Regt), Ron Peirce, Jack Fordham, Fred Jenns, Hugh Dockerill, Bert Gearing, Harry Lynn, Ernie Nollech (Navy), Neville Exeter, Charlie Newman and Ron Coaty. These were men living in Kent, his closest friends were Roger (who married Mabel) and Tom, I do not know their surnames as I grew up calling them Uncle (but Mabel made the best Flapjacks in the world!).
I know everyone says this but he was the best Grandad in the world, so was my Nan. I am very proud of everything they did in the war, and after!
I would love to hear from anyone who knew of them have many pictures I would love to share and also need information about William (Bill) 'Tiddles' Tyldesley from Bolton (Who my Grandad was looking for and talking about until he died). Please get in touch, would love to get any info possible.
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Robert Wells . Royal Air Force pilot 194 Sqd. from Carlisle, Cumbria My father Robert Wells RAF was pilot on c47 Dakotas in India 1944/45 on 194 sqd.
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Signalman Royden Wells . Royal Navy HMS Frobisher from Ferndale, Rhondda My father, Royden Wells, served on HMS Frobisher from March 1944, embarking from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in spring 1944, through the Suez Canal to UK, and served on Frobisher until it was decommissioned as a training vessel. He was on board through the D-Day Landings, and was a signalman. He then served on HMS Pytchley until the war ended.
He died in 2010 at the age of 87, but always spoke fondly of the warships he had served on. My mother still has a replica plaque/emblem of the vessels, and b&w photos of the ships.
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Pte. Sidney David Wells . British Army 14th Light Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps from 5 Glen Neath Villers, Dover Road, Sandwich, Kent Dave Wells was my father. He served throughout the war as an orderly with 14th Light Field Ambulance RAMC.
He was sent to France with the B.E.F. At Dunkirk they drew lots which let him try to get back to England. He was lifted off the mole by an almost new Destroyer with only one set of rear guns and two sets of torpedo tubes believed to be HMS Harvester.
The unit was then sent to North Africa, Syria(attached to Australians), back to north Africa. For a time he was an orderly in an American Field Service ambulance. These were volunteer American drivers and dodge ambulances supplied by the American Red Cross.
After North Africa he was in Italy before returning to the UK for the Normandy landings. From then on to Belgium, Holland and Germany.
He did not often talk of his experiences. Once he said that after large tank battle the M.O. was with them and if the casualty was beyond help they would be given an excess of morphine.
He was also at Bergen-Belsen a few days after it was liberated and said if you were not there in person you would not be able to take it all in.
All the years I knew him he never used the word ambulance it was always a Blood Wagon.
After the war he worked at Betteshanger Colliery in Kent as a male nurse
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Gnr. Stanley Hurbert Wells . British Army 113th Field Rgt., c/228 Battery Royal Artillery from Portslade Gunner Wells served with c/228 battery, 113th Field Regiment Royal Artillery in the 8th Army. This is all the information I have regarding my late grandfather, Stanley Wells, which I found on the back of one of his meal cards. I would dearly like to know more.
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AB. Stanley Alfred Wells . Royal Navy from Penryn, Cornwall Stanley Wells served with the Royal Navy Patrol Service.
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Sgt. Victor Wells . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve w/op 12 Squadron (d.30th May 1943)
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F/Sgt. Victor George Wells . Royal Air Force 104 Squadron from London Victor Wells trained at Yatesbury in 1943. He was sent to the Middle East for operations as wireless operator on Wellingtons, then sent to Naples Italy for conversion to Liberators.
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William Alfred Wells . British Army My late Father, William Alfred Wells, was a POW in Stalag VIIIB E3 Blechammer.
Captured at Dunkirk, he spent the rest of the war in Stalag VIIIB before making the forced death march of 13 weeks at the end of the war. Marching all the way to Moosburg in Austria, they were liberated by the American Army and he returned home in May 1945.
I have photos of him in the camp, and also a report he gave to our local paper some years afterwards when interviewed as a member of the Dunkirk Veterans Association. Could any one be able to fill in some gaps in his time there for me.
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F/Sgt Maurice Jamison Wells. DFM . RNZAF 12sqd.
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Sgt Victor Wells. . RAF 12Sqd. (d.30th May 1943) W/op Victor Wells was killed on 30th May 1943 in Lancaster ED996 GZ-J of 12sqd
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