Browse Items (755 total)

Vehicles with British flags are entering the town while civilians line the streets, waving and throwing flowers. In front of a large building, behind the fountain, the Italian, British and American flags are flying. An aircraft is flying over and two…

No. 5 air observer navigation school Christmas and New Year card with an Anson flying over hills inside an oval. Inside Royal Air Force crest and the printed words 'With the Best of Good Wishes for Christmas and the New Year from'. Signed 'love…

Head and shoulders portrait, Elizabeth Jones is dressed in Army Territorial Service uniform. On the reverse '1946 Hamburg Private Jones EJ. w/333315', '-64 B.A.O.R.'

Three quarter length portrait of a soldier, Sydney Nichols, a sailor, Albert Venables and Ron Jones. All three in respective uniforms. On the reverse '1939-40 Ron with Stepbroth Sydney Nicholas (Army) and cousin Albert Venables (Navy)'

Five of the eight sons of V Dancy are arranged in two rows. The front left hand brother is a Royal Air Force flight sergeant with an air-gunner’s brevet, the front middle brother has lieutenant’s epaulets.

Additional information about this item…

Gunner Francis Leslie Wentworth was 36, single, and for twenty years had been employed by Messrs. Molyneux, ship painters, Grimsby Docks. He was one of the eight children of V Dancy, Flight Sergeant H Wentworth, Gunner F Leslie Wentworth, Corporal…

Front and back of Army brass badge.

King's Crown badge.

Frank Wilcox was born in Wales and worked in aircraft manufacturing. He was later called up and served in the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. He was taken prisoner at Anzio and became a prisoner of war. When he was released and returned to the UK,…

Nine photographs taken from the ship looking down on people on the dockside.

All photographs taken from the side of the ship showing people and marching soldiers on the dockside.

A letter from Field Marshall Claude Auchinleck to British forces serving in India. It thanks the forces for their service and wishes them Godspeed.

Betty grew up in Cardiff and worked in the Royal Ordinance factory. Her first husband, Ron, joined the Royal Air Force as a flight engineer. She talks about receiving the telegram stating that Ron was missing and, later, finding out that he had been…

Records Charles Ward's call up to the Army and early training. Having applied and been accepted to transfer to the Royal Air Force, all transfers were cancelled due to imminent operations. He describes, in detail, fighting in Tunisia, and explains…

Personal and service record details for Charles William Ward. Noted that he served at home and abroad in North Africa and was awarded the Africa Star with 1st Army clasp and the 1939/45 Star and provides a character reference. Release date 29 April…

Charles Ward in uniform and short sleeves leaning on a concrete balustrade. In the background sea with sailing boats. In the far distance, coastline. On the reverse 'To Darling Mikey, with lots of love, Charles, 28/8/45, Verazze, Italy'.

Charles Ward in battledress walking alongside Margaret Pratt in First Aid Nursing Yeomanry uniform in Bari. In the background a building with a doorway with two people looking on. On the reverse 'Italy, 1944, Bari'.

Charles Ward in battledress walking alongside Margaret Pratt in First Aid Nursing Yeomanry uniform with beret. In the background on the left are buildings, one with metal shutter. On the reverse 'On leave in Rome, 1944'.

Additional information…

Head and shoulders portrait of Lance Corporal Charles Ward in battledress. In the background blurred trees and a building. On the reverse '1st year in the Army'.

Victor Gregg joined the army on his 18th birthday. He was stationed in the Middle East when the news came that war had been declared. His first major battle of the war was at Beda Fomm. He later volunteered and was posted to 10 Parachute Battalion…

Sandy Saunders recalls Liverpool being bombed in 1941 and, while on a rescue squad, he sustained splinter injuries from a blast and required hospital treatment. After taking a science degree he served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers…

In 1940, aged 20, Charles received papers to join the Royal Artillery and went into the Royal London Rifles. Although he had volunteered and been accepted for the RAF he was sent to Scotland to join a special unit of tanks and artillery. Having been…

A letter from the Air Ministry to Herbert O’Hara enclosing a certificate summarising Herbert O’Hara’s military service. The certificate notes that he served in the army from May 1939 to April 1941 before transferring to the Royal Air Force, and that…

Les Rutherford joined the army and was in the 51st Highland Division which formed the rear-guard defence, allowing for the evacuation of Dunkirk. He escaped out to sea on a barn door and was picked up and taken to England by a French trawler. He…

Photograph 1 and 2 are of two airmen on a boat on the Rhine. Reginald George Cavalier is on the right in photograph 1. Captioned 'On the Rhine, Germany 5th Aug 1945'.
Photograph 3 is of one airman and three soldiers on a pontoon bridge across the…