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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 1st Battalion, Scots Guards? There are:1354 items tagged 1st Battalion, Scots Guards 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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Gdsmn. Laurence Broadbent 1st Btn. Scots Guards Laurence Broadbent served in Norway and North Africa and was injured in April 1943.
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Gdsm. Adam Haddow Reid 1st Battalion Scots Guards (d.15th March 1942) My Great Uncle Adam Haddow Reid died during the Battle of Tobruk. He was a Guardsmen with the Scots Guards but was seconded to the Coldstream Guards. He was mortally wounded and a French doctor took the time to write to his parents about his injuries and death. The Wartime Memories project is a great way to ensure we never forget the heroism of our loved ones who fought to ensure our freedom today!
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Gdmsn. William Edward "Bill" Ward 1st Btn. Scots Guards Bill Ward was my grandfather. He served in the Scots Guards from 6th of September 1933 right through the war. Fighting in Germany and Egypt. He went on to be in the military police.
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Gdsm. James Anderson Livingstone Scots Guards James Anderson Livingstone of the Scots Guards won many boxing championship cups.
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Gdsm. Robert "Big Rab" Smith 1st Battalion Scots Guards My father Robert Smith was called up on the 19th of June 1940, he served in U.K, Egypt, Syria, Middle East, North Africa, and Italy. he was awarded the Africa Star, Italy Star, British War Medal and was demobbed on 21st of September 1946.
My father became very emotional when he sang The D-Day Dodgers out in Italy, around New Year time for friends and family. I am now an old man and I also become emotional when I think of those parties, and watched him sing. Luckily, I had an old cassette which I had converted to C.D, so I can hear him sing at a party when he was 61 at the time.
My dad died in 1979.
Needless to say, I am very proud of him.
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L/Sgt. James Lewis Gerrie Davidson 1st Battalion Scots Guards My Father, James Davidson served with the 1st Battalion Scots Guards and was taken POW at Anzio on 10th of February 1944. He was a sniper and had just shot a German major on the beach, when the water tower he was in, was stormed by German troops, he was shot in back and taken captive. He survived, but was taken to Stalag 357 which at that time was in Thorn in Poland. He was later moved to Fallingbostal.
The Family story goes that he escaped with another POW while being marched out of Fallingbostal in 1945 as the Allied front line drew closer. He only ever told my eldest brother the story and sadly he is no longer alive either, so we don't know the exact story.
His service record shows that he was in Italy 13.01.44 to 09.02.44
Taken POW (Germany) 10.02.44 to 11.05.45. Home 12.05.45
He later went on to become, what was at that time, the youngest ever Regimental Sergeant Major of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards. He had contracted TB while a POW and never fully recovered from it. In 1953 he failed his A1 medical because of this and could not remain in the Guards, so transferred to the RASC, which he served in until 1965. It was the greatest sadness to him that he had been forced to leave the Scots Guards as he was immensely proud of serving with them, as his father had before him.
He died aged 58 in 1983.
We are still trying to piece together his story, as like so many, he talked very little of his experiences. As a child I took for granted the strange star shaped scar on his shoulder blade, it was only after he died that I learnt it was a gunshot wound.
He served in Malaya (Scots Guards) 25.02.50 to 23.10.50
Korea/Japan (RASC) 12.08.53 to 01.10.55
Malaya (RASC) 02.10.55 to 19.06.57
ALFCE (Fontainebleau) (RASC) 07.10.60 to 07.10.63.
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Gdsm. Vivian John Adams 1st Btn. Scots Guards (d.9th Feb 1944) Vivian Adams was my father's brother, our Uncle. Our father idolised his brother and regaled us with tales of their childhood and happy upbringing on the Isle of Wight. War separated them, as it did for families across our Isles.
Viv signed up immediately upon the start of hostilities. A giant of a man, he presented himself to the Scots Guards recruiters and so began his 4 year association.
On the 9th of February 1944, Viv was a spotter involved in the landings at Beach Head, Anzio, as part of the initiative to take Monte Casino. Guardsman Viv Adams lost his life on the beach - as a result of mortar fire - we believe. Due to the heavy number of casualties, it was some days before his death was confirmed.
My father had kept an anthology of his war experiences, including his brother's death. It is a revealing piece of work, especially 'And in the morning', the tribute to his brother. I never met my Uncle, but grew to know him through the memories passed onto us through our father.
Guardsman Adams lies at peace in the Beach Head Cemetry, Anzio. When our father visited the cemetery he could not locate the memorial. My father died recently and he asked if family could visit to pay their respects and take him with them. That is what we shall do. Pay our respects to a fallen hero and reunite brothers.
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