|
|
|
Those known to have fought in Operation Market Garden during the Second World War 1939-1945. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
|
|
|
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.
- 27th April 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 264001 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 FAQ's
- 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. |
|
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.
|
|
Want to know more about Operation Market Garden? There are:280 items tagged Operation Market Garden 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. |
|
Cpl. Peter Charles Williams 10th Btn. Parachute Regiment  My Grandfather Peter Williams was born 25th January 1915, we believe at New Tyle, Scotland. He originally joined the Welsh Guards but transferred to the Parachute Regiment.
He unfortunately died at only 32 years old from tuberculosis on the 15th January 1948.
My Mum Diann and her sister Joy know very little about him. He died when my Mum was only 7 years old. My Nan (now 93 years old with severe dementia) was not married to him and due to this fact has refused to tell us anything about him. This is very distressing for my Mum (now 73) who has spent her whole life wondering about him and her heritage and also for myself and my own daughter knowing nothing of the life of my Grandfather.
We do know he was married to a Margaret Lewis briefly prior to my Mum being born.
If anyone could help me with the smallest of information it would be very kind. I just want to help my Mum find some information regarding her Dad.
2733995 Corporal Peter Charles Williams served with the 10th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment during WW2. He died after war death records ceased from Tuberculosis which means he would not appear on the Commonwealth war Graves Records.
|
WO2 Ernest "Pat" Tague Seaforth Highlanders (d.22nd Sep 1944)   My namesake Ernest Tague was killed at Nijmegn on the 22nd of Sept 1944, he was was eldest brother of my mother Jenny Tague. My uncle was a regular and also a sportsman winning cups in Hong Kong in 1937 for boxing and also was a good single skulls sportsman.
I remember him vividly on his last leave in 1944 when he came to see his mother and I remember how troubled he was at this time as he could not comfort his mother or say what he was doing. He was married to Margaret who lived in London and they had two children Marcus and Bee. I can imagine his feelings as when I packed my sea bags I had no idea when I would be back, difference then was we were in the toughest part of WW2.He died during operation Market Garden when going to the aid of I believe an American unit that was cut off, it would seem that he and a large number of his company, 7th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, were killed at Nijmegen and all eventually buried at the war cemetery in Mierlo which I visited a number of times when business took me to Europe, I think I was the only member of the family to ever visit the grave.
The telegram that arrived telling my grandmother of his death also killed her inside as she never was the same person again.
|
Gnr. Edward Stollar 124th Bty. 151st Field Regiment Royal Artillery I have a very complete record of the war service of my Uncle Ted, my mother's brother.
Edward Stollar joined on the 27th of February 1941 at the age of 29 and joined the 72nd Coastal Training, 223rd Battery He had served in the Orkneys before joining the Ayrshire Yeomanry in 151st Field Regiment, B troop of A Battery on the 8th February 1944.
151st Field Regiment had spent 1941 travelling up and down the country developing and becoming proficient in its Gunnery skills. In May 1942 it became part of the Order of Battle of 11th Armoured Division with the Black Bull being the divisional sign.
Following training in Yorkshire and the Isle of Wight on the 8th June he left for Tilbury where the regiment was divided in two to be loaded on the Empire Canyon and the Empire Farmer bound with full escort to the English Channel and Normandy. The coast came into view at dawn on the 13th June and 124th Battery landed on the most easterly beach near Ouistreham. Ted and his mate concentrated on Lantheuil village eight kilometres inland for ten days whilst the bridgehead was established.
From the 26th of June to 6th of July he was involved in bridgehead Operation Epsom with the aim of passing Caen and crossing the River One to the south. Further operations included Goodwood (18th - 22 July) and Bluecoat (30th July - 7th August). From the 14th - 19th August the next phase of battle commenced with the closure of the Falaise pocket with Flers liberated on the 16th. The 22nd saw Ted and his mates in action at Face against Tiger tanks. The Allied Liberation of Paris was completed on 30th August ending Operation Overlord. The period 29th Aug to 4th September took Ted across the Seine and in the six days the division had advance 340 miles fighting on five of the six days. This took them to Antwerp. The next stage was moving into Holland and on the 12th September, 151st Regiment fired in support of the Welsh Guards eventually assisting them and breaking through to Arnhem which turned into a bridge too far. Over the next few weeks 151st fired at targets over the Maas.
He returned to the UK and was discharged to the Reserve on 16th Jan 1946, being awarded the France & Germany Star, 1939-45 Defence Medal and Victory Medal.
|
2nd Lt. Phillip Hanbury "Pete" Barry 2nd Btn. Parachute Regiment Phillip Barry, known as Pete, was born in Burnham on Sea in 1923, son of Dr James Barry who was the local GP for the Brent Knoll and East Brent area for many years. Philip followed in his father's footsteps and became our local GP when his father retired.
His Surgery was at the Hays in Brent Street, Brent Knoll where he lived with his wife Gillian and their four children.
He died peacefully but unexpectedly at his home in 2011 and was buried in St Michael's Church Brent Knoll.
Aged just 18 in 1941, Phillip became a Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment.
The Paras were an elite Infantry Regiment formed to be dropped behind enemy lines and trained to survive with mostly just the equipment they landed with and without backup.
The 2nd Battalion saw service in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and in Holland during the failed operation Market Garden at Arnhem.
Lt Barry and his No 9 platoon of C company were tasked with taking a railway bridge over the river. It was during this failed attempt to take a vital railway bridge near Arnhem against overwhelming odds against a German Panzer group and an SS division, that Lt Barry was wounded when the Germans blew the bridge up, and most of the platoon were taken prisoner.
|
Reginald James Brown 149th Light Anti Aircraft Battery Royal Artillery Reginald Brown served in the Second World War. At some time he was in Egypt, Italy, Germany, France and Holland. He was a member of the Eighth Army and met Montgomery whilst serving in the desert.
He was in 30 Corps and took part in the event that was to become the film, A Bridge Too Far.
|
Gnr. Alfred Frederick George Wood Royal Artillery My father, Alf Wood joined up at age 18 in 1942 and was assigned to the Royal Artillery. In 1943/4 he joined the British Airborne division in preparation for Operation Market Garden. He was taken POW during the assault on the bridge.
|
Pte. Walter Jack Champion 5th Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment  Walter Champion was working in his uncle's bakery (Wyatt’s) in Pangbourne, Berkshire, when called up. He had previously joined 4th (Pangbourne) Home Guard. He then joined the Royal Berkshire Regiment on 12th of December 1941 at Brock Barracks No. 17 Infantry Training School.
On D-Day, he landed on Juno Beach as part of No. 8 Beach Group and then served on the beach until 8th of August 1944, when he transferred to the 5th Dorsetshire Regiment. On 27th of August 1944, he was promoted to acting Lance Corporal but decided he preferred to "be one of the lads", as he put it. He served as batman to his company commander (possibly Major Meade, not sure). When his officer was posted to Division HQ, he was invited to go too as it would be safer, but he turned down this opportunity saying that if his mates had to face front-line danger then so should he.
When his battalion crossed the Rhine, he was on leave, but he was in the area around Hannover when Germans surrendered on VE Day. His battalion was the closest to the location of surrender.
He participated in the following actions:
- D-Day landings
- Falaise Gap.
- CrossIng the Seine at Vernon on 27 August 1944
- Market Garden with XXX Corps at Nijmegen.
- Various actions around southern Netherlands and Aachen
- Periphery of the Battle of the Bulge, covering US left flank.
- Tripsrath (Dorset Wood)
After the war, he served in Berlin and was transferred to HQ XXX Corps on 20th June 1946, just before 5th Dorsets were mothballed. During that time, he helped to guard Rudolf Hess in Spandau Prison. On 18th October 1946, he demobbed and went into the Reserve.
He died in October 2014, just before his 92nd birthday. He was a great chap and a wonderful father-in-law to me.
|
Gnr. Leslie Newham 1st Air Landing Regiment Royal Artillery My uncle, Leslie Newham, was one of the first soldiers to land in Arnhem in Sept 1944. Unfortuntely, he was captured by the Germans on 26th of September 1944 and taken to a German P.O.W camp.
He was initially taken to Stalag 12A & was then transferred to Stalag 4B. He was being transferred again on 28 Jan & was marching westwards when he was released on 30 Jan 1945 when the Soviet Red Army liberated the camps.
|
Pte. Bernard Baron 1st Btn. Border Regiment Bernard Baron was at Arnhem and was one of the survivors who swam out across the Rhine.
|
Pte. Arthur Charles Freeman 1st Btn. Black Watch (d.22nd Nov 1944) Arthur Arthur was my uncle and lived in Liverpool all his life. I remember the telegram coming to tell us of his death when I was 10 years old.
He was a very shy young man and didn’t talk a lot, though he seems to have made some good Scottish friends in the army.
He had two older brothers, one in the British Army and one in the RAF. Both of them came home from the war. Sadly, Arthur did not.
I am 85 and the last living relative to remember him. He was my mother’s brother, and I lived with the family from birth, so he was very close to me as a child. I will be going to Arnhem on the 22nd November with my daughters to visit his grave. He will live on in my family.
|
Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
|
|
|
