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2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own)
5th Jun 1942 In Action
9th February 1944 In Action
11th February 1944 Tanks Lost
8th March 1944 On the March
26th Jul 1944 Advance 
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Those known to have served with 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own) during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Austwick Harold. Pte. (d.15th Jan 1944)
- Coleman Keven. Pte. (d.13th September 1944)
- Cracknell Dennis. Cpl.
- Crowther Cyril. Lt.
- Edwards Edwin George. Pte. (d.24th Mar 1945)
- Gent Leonard. Pte (d.17th Mar 1941)
- Grigg Reginald Trevor. Pte. (d.15th June 1944)
- Hodgson Frank. Cpl. (d.18th Mar 1941)
- Hodgson James Syred. Pte.
- Lewin Sidney Arthur. Pte. (d.17th Jan 1944)
- Mather Alban. Sgt.
- Prince John . Pte. (d.15th Feb 1944)
- Richardson Norman. Pte (d.23rd April 1944)
- Richardson Norman. Pte. (d.23rd Apr 1944)
- Robinson James Henry. Cpl
- Rowles Ronald George. Pte. (d.5th Jun 1942)
- Talford Herbert. Pte. (d.13th Feb 1944)
- Taylor George Frederick. Pte.
- Taylor Horace Richard. Cpl. (d.18th Aug 1944)
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
Records of 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own) from other sources.
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Want to know more about 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own)? There are:1322 items tagged 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own) 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. Ronald George Rowles 2nd Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment (d.5th Jun 1942) My Mum had told me Ronald Rowles had been killed in the war.
Having done a small amount of searching I have found out that he was killed on the 5th of June 1942 in North Africa and is buried at Knights Bridge Cemetery, Acroma.
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Sgt. Alban Mather 6th Btn. Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Alban Mather was born on the 1st April 1904 (although service records record this as 1906) in Preston, Lancashire. He was a labourer and stood a little over 5'4", weighing in at 126 lbs. He married Ada on the 3rd April 1937 and had four children: Marlene, Rose, Barbara, and Jean Alice. He lived at 72 Sussex Street in Preston.
He enlisted into Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on the 23rd April 1928 in Preston. On the 11th November 1928, he was posted to the 1st Battalion. He was then posted to the 2nd Battalion in China on the 11th September 1929. Four years later, on the 12th December 1933, he moved with the Battalion to India, arriving on the 13th November. After serving on the Western Front in India for two years, he returned to the Depot where he was transferred to the Army Reserve on the 18th December 1935.
On the 5th of September 1939, Alban re-enlisted and was posted to the Argyll Depot in Sterling on the 7th. On the 9th he was posted to 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment at Aldershot. He was posted to 'A' Company, 6th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, on the 26th November 1939. He then was attached to the 102nd Army Field Company, RE on the 8th March 1940.
The Battalion were stationed at Bordon and left by train at 10:55hrs on the 10th of January 1940 for Southampton. They arrived at 13:30hrs and immediately embarked on the SS Duke of York, sailing at 15:30hrs.The ship lay off Portsmouth until dark. The ship arrived in Cherbourg in convoy at 08:15hrs.
Alban served in France and Belgium with the 6th Battalion, who acted to control refugees. They took part in the withdrawal until instructed to help strengthen the defences along the Bassee Canal held by the 2nd Division. The Battalion were divided between the Brigades of the Division, with 'A' Company being attached to 5th Brigade and covering the immediate area of La Bassee with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Dorsetshire Regiment, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, and Worcestershire Regiment.
Alban didn't return to the UK until about 21st June 1940.
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Cpl. Dennis Cracknell 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment My father, Dennis Cracknell served as a Corporal with the 2nd Battalion Prince of Wales Own and saw action towards the later end of the 2nd World War.
He talked little of his experience of active duty. He did have some scarring on his leg from a chemical attack I believe and said that it took a long time before the hair started to grow back.
I know that he worked very closely with he local people whilst in the jungle and vaguely recollect him describing how they would feel for something unique around the collar/shoulder area to determine, in the dark, whether you were friend or foe. He never ate rice as the experience of eating it whilst in service put him off for life (let's say it was the added protein).
He fondly talked about the beauty of Pnang and Singapore and how when they began to demob at the end of the war, they would sit on the back of trucks drinking beer and just gaily toss the bottle over the side when they had finished.
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Pte Norman Richardson 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (d.23rd April 1944) My Great Uncle Norman Richardson became missing in action in 1944 in Burma. He is commemorated at Rangoon War Memorial, I hope to go to Myanmar and visit him one day!
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Pte. Herbert Talford 2nd Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment (d.13th Feb 1944) Herbert Talford died on 13th of February 1944 in Burma aged 25. He is buried in Taukkyan war cemetery. He was married to Constance and lived in Sheffield South Yorkshire. His father, also Herbert, served in WW1 in France and was also killed 5 weeks before the war ended.
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Lt. Cyril Crowther Royal Corps Signals Cyril Crowther was educated at Birkenshaw National School and then Heckmondwike Grammar School, both in the then West Riding of Yorkshire.
Cyril began his overseas service in Cairo at the Middle East Signal School, where he completed a Signal Instructor's Course with a 'Distinguished' result.
He went to Egypt, Cyprus, Libya, Iraq and Burma with the West Yorkshire Regiment, 2nd Bat. and seems to have gone through most of the ranks as a signaller. He didn't speak much about his suffering to me, as a young child, except to mention the dreadful conditions in the Burmese jungle and the great friendship of the men. He also spoke of a much younger man, Corporal Freddie Mitton, also from the West Riding, who he tried to protect because he reminded Dad of his younger brother, Joe, also in the forces. When Freddie was killed at Imphal in June 1944, Dad agreed to go for officer training in India. He went to OTS in Mhow, India in 1944 and was awarded his Commission in early 1945 (London Gazette, 24 April 1945).
On return to England later In 1945 he went to York where he was appointed Adjutant and QMS FOR Northern Command Signals
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Pte. Edwin George Edwards 2nd Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (d.24th Mar 1945) Edwin George Edwards died aged 27 whilst serving with the West Yorkshire Regiment, he was the son of Rose Edwards of Jarrow.
Edwin is buried in Taukkyan War Cemetery and is commemorated on the WW2 Roll of Honour Plaque in the entrance of Jarrow Town Hall.
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Cpl. Horace Richard Taylor 2nd Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment (d.18th Aug 1944) My Grandfather, Horace Taylor died in India, I never knew him and have no photo of him but he will never be forgotten. I will keep searching so I can pass his story on to his great grandsons and beyond.
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Pte. George Frederick Taylor 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment my father seems to have had an interesting time in the Army.Three years later was involved in WW2. He apparently rose to sergeant but he must have blotted his copybook somewhere along the way because he was busted down to Private! Maybe as a result of this he was encouraged to join the Glider Pilot Regiment 2 Wing because I have his soldier's release book stating he was a troooper in the aforesaid Regiment. I would love to know more about how he ended up in a Glider Pilot Regiment and if anyone can enlighten me I would be very grateful. I just wish I had asked him more questions when he was alive because like many soldiers he did not say much about his time in WW2.
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Pte. John " " Prince 2nd Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (d.15th Feb 1944)
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