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The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
Announcements
- The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 24 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web.
- 9th May 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 264033 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible.
- Looking for help with Family History Research?
Please read our Family History FAQs
- The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
If you enjoy this site
please consider making a donation.
Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our
Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. |
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We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates.
If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page.
Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted
photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them.
The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.
World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion
Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
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Want to know more about London Fire Brigade, Auxiliary Fire Service & National Fire Service? There are:18 items tagged London Fire Brigade, Auxiliary Fire Service & National Fire Service available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Fireman Randolph Basil Cyril Guy My father Randolph Cyril Guy was a fireman stationed somewhere in London and was billeted on a ship on the River Thames the name of which I believe could have been RRS Discovery.
His NFS number is on my birth certificate.
I have no other details of him about his service days in the NFS
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Tel. Rosa Emily Hooper Rosa Hooper was my mother, and she served in the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) as a telephonist at Wright's Road School, Bow, London during the blitz.
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Frmn. Cecil Tester "Bob" Coates MiD. My father, Cecil Coates, born 20th April 1907, was an auxiliary fire fighter during WW2.
He was on duty when an unexploded mine, dropped by parachute, landed on London's Hungerford Bridge near to a blazing signal box. He and his crew fought the blaze throughout the night to prevent the flames reaching the bomb, which had fused itself to the rails due to heat. In the morning, a bomb disposal major managed to defuse the bomb without damaging the bridge or the railway line.
Dad and his crew were decorated and mentioned in dispatches.
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Firem. Albert William Shemmans London Fire Brigade My dad, Albert Shemmans was sent from Birmingham to London as an auxiliary firefighter. That's where he spent the duration of the war. He was 19 when he was sent to London.
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Albert Victor Philip Whitter 90 Streatham Phil Whitter served with the Auxiliary Fire Service at No.90 Station in Streatham.
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Fireman. Ronald Albert Chesham Hendon Fire Station My grandfather Ronald Chesham served with the National Fire Service during WW2. I believe he was stationed in Hendon, Greater London. The only document I have is his service certificate.
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Dvr. Victor Evans Whitechapel Auxiliary Fire Service My family (now deceased) confirmed that my grandfather Victor Evans was a driver in the AFS during WW2. He lived in Stepney with his wife Jane and five children. Sadly he had died of TB before I was born and some in the family think it was brought on by what he had done.
My father told me of an incident that my grandfather witnessed when a fellow fireman was killed by a falling bomb that hit him on the back. This had affected my grandfather and has stuck with me for several years. A few years ago there was an article in the Medal News Magazine covering this incident. I wrote to them in the hope of obtaining more information and possibly a photograph of grandfather but received no reply.
My uncle and father had tried to many years to locate a photograph of their dad in uniform but without success. I too have tried the NFS archives some years ago. I did purchase a book by Cyril Demarne and there is a very small photograph of his unit in it and both my father and uncle think he is in it, but as it is too small they could not be sure. My uncle did write to the publisher but without success.
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Victor George Shrewsbury Dock Head fire station London My father, Victor Shrewbury, served in the Auxiliary Fire Service, London Fire Brigade and was stationed at Dock Head Fire Station during WW2.
He was a turntable B man up on the long extension ladders. He fought fires in the London Docklands throughout the war. Especially hard during the Blitz.
He was very proud of his efforts and carried a bad back all his life as he was injured rescuing patients through a skylight window when Guys Hospital was hit.
His brothers, serving in the Army, all said he and another brother who was also in the Auxiliary Fire Service in Deptford, had a more difficult time during the war than they did. I am very very proud of him.
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Ernest George Peaston Ernest Peaston served with the Auxilliary Fire Service in Harrow.
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Fireman. Cecil Arthur John "Harry " Leworthy London Fire Service Cecil Leworthy, known as Harry served with the Auxiliary Fire Service in London.
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