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The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
Announcements
- 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
- The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 25 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.
- 19th Nov 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
264989 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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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 2/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment? There are:1355 items tagged 2/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment 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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Pte. Percival Stan Claude Batten 2/4th Btn. Hampshire Regiment (d.26th April 1943) Percival Batten was married a year to his wife Heather and never got to see his daughter before he died. I am his grandson trying find out about the man Percival.
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Sgt. Alexander Henry Strickland Brade 2/4th Btn. Hampshire Regiment Alexander Brade joined the 2/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment(TA), at Aldershot in 1937 or 1938. Upon mobilisation of the Battalion, at the outbreak of war, he was promoted to sergeant.
In early 1943 the Battalion moved to North Africa and saw constant action as part of the 1st Army until the end of the campaign there. Throughout this period he was platoon sergeant of the mortar platoon. Apart from bombing by the enemy, his first experience of coming under fire was on a misty morning when, as his platoon were queuing for breakfast at the field kitchen, a German tank emerged from the mist some 75 yards away and fired one shot with its gun. The shell passed through an Arab woman, who had come to the camp to sell eggs, without exploding and the tank then withdrew into the mist without firing another shot.
Later in the campaign his Battalion fought at the Battle of Hunt's Gap where it sustained 245 casualties. Some time after the battle he was injured when his universal carrier went over a mine, killing the driver and one other occupant. He was thrown off the back and suffered concussion when he hit the ground, plus a burst eardrum. He rejoined his platoon within half an hour.
In September 1943 Alec Brade, with two Companies of his Battalion, was in the first wave of the landings at Salerno, Italy, intended to act as Beach Party. However the fighting was so intense they were immediately put into the line as rifle companies and saw fierce fighting, particularly when holding a crossroads south of Battipaglia, where they suffered many casualties.
He ended his active service in Milan and was demobilized in 1946.
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Pte Albert "Chunky" Hall MM 2/4 Btn Royal Hampshire Regt Albert Hall was my grandad. Luckily he survived the war so I got to know him and do have very fond memories of him.
Like most soldiers he did not talk about the horrors he saw. He was decorated with the MM for his bravery in rescuing others whilst he himself was wounded. If only I had had the opportunity to ask him more questions about his wartime memories then I could have told you more. I do recall him having the nickname 'Chunky' because he was caught stealing pineapples when he was so hungry and away fighting the war. He drove an ambulance and rescued a lot of other soldiers - I have seen some of those photos etc that he sent home to my grandmother.
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