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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.
- 18th Dec 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
265120 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 31st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery? There are:803 items tagged 31st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 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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2nd Lt. Robert Norman Gutteridge MC. 31st Field Regiment, 105/119 Field Battery Royal Artillery Second Lieutenant Robert Gutteridge was serving with 105/119 Field Battery, part of 31st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery as a part of 6th Indian Division in Libya. On 3rd of December 1941, at Sidi Ariez, he took charge of his Troop after his Troop Commander and Second-in-Command had become casualties. In the actions that followed, up to and including on the 15th of December 1941, he showed great personal courage and leadership, resulting in the award of the Military Cross.
On 15th December, he was wounded and captured, and was initially transferred to a Military Hospital in Italy.
Following the Italian surrender, he was taken by the Germans to Oflag 79 at Brunswick in Germany where he spent the rest of the war until the American 9th Army liberated the Camp in 1945.
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Gnr. William Arthur Hesketh 31st Field Regiment, 105th Bty. Royal Artillery William Hesketh was my father. As far as I know, he was a dispatch rider and was active from 1942. He first went to El Alamein and then to various other places all across North Africa, Italy, and Greece.
Sadly, he passed away in 1973 when I was 17 months old, and I would love to have had a conversation about his part in these campaigns.
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Sjt. John Albert Hough 31 Field Regiment (d.27th May 1941) John Hough, brother of my Nanna Emily, served in WWII as a Gunner with the Royal Artillery. He died in service on 27th of May 1941 & is buried at Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery in Egypt.
Any one with any photos please contact me.
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Sgt. William Dean Geddes 4 Lt Bde. 31 Fd Regt My grandfather, William Dean Geddes enlisted at Glasgow into the Royal Artillery on 30th of January 1935. he did his basic training at Woolwich (three months) posted to 4th Light Brigade at Deepcut, moving to Brighton 1937. In 1939 he was posted to Egypt as a L/Bdr sailing from Southampton in HMT Lancashire landing Port Said 4th July 1939 to 31 Field Regiment Royal Arillery at Helmeia, Cairo. The Regt moved with 4 Indian div to Mersa Matruh remaining during the desert campaigns of the next 2 years & firing their 25 pdrs almost daily. After Sidi Berani fell, they sailed from Alexandria to the Sudan to move into Eritrea for that 4 month campaign before returning to Cairo. The biggest action in Eritrea was the capture of the heights above Keren after a two monthsiege. In April 1942 the Regiment having suffered many casualties & losing their guns in a GE Tank attack at Sidi Omar, went to form a composite Regiment on Cyprus. In Dec 1942 he was posted to Egypt to join the SAS at Kabrit Trg for under cover ops, which they carried out on the north coast of Africa, in the Aegean Sea & Cretan area of Greece. He was promoted to Bombardier & after the Syrian & Palestine campaigns of 1943 & 1944, he returned to the UK in August 1944 & rejoined SAS Regt at Chelmsford after detached SB duties & later went to Norway in 1945. After disbandment of the SAS just post war he returned to 24 HAA Regt RA as a sgt at Sheerness staying until 1949 when he was posted to school of AA Gunnery for a year as an instructor & then went to Gravesend to join 46 Regt RA until his discharge on 29th of January 1957. After 22 years with the colours.
My grandfather died on 11th April 1989 at Royal Hospital Chelsea & is buried at Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey (old plot).
Sadly my father never got to meet his father. We just have a few photos & his wonderful service history.
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Gnr. Raymond Charles Hudson 31st Field Regiment, 105/119 Field Bty. Royal Artillery My father Raymond Hudson was with 105/119 Battery, 31st Field Regiment in Egypt from 1938 to 1942 with the 4th Indian Division, then in the Western Desert around Tobruk, and Mersa Matruh. He went to Sudan in 1941 and Benghazi in 1942. In 1943 he moved on to Cyprus with the 97th Field Regiment. In the second half of 1943 he went back to the Middle East before returning to the UK at the end of the year. He also served in North West Europe in 1945.
I would be really pleased to receive any information from anyone who has any knowledge or information relating to my father no matter how small or obscure.
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Eddie Eccles 31 Field Regiment, 105/119 Bty. Royal Artillery I have some photos from the camp which include my father in law Eddie Eccles (105/119 battery of the 31 Field Regiment R.A.) who was caught at Tobruk on 15th Dec 1941 whilst taking part in the great Battle of Halem Hamza in the Libyan Desert.
Understandably Eddie was reluctant to talk about his experiences so I would love to hear from others who may have knowledge of the battle and times of this Field Regiment during this period in the Libyan Desert and also at Stalag 8B.
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T/Capt Peter Smart Green MC. 31st Field Regiment Royal Artillery My Great Uncle T/Capt Peter Smart Green MC. served with 31st Field Regiment Royal Artillery. I know he was awarded a medal at some point too, through the national archives I found reference to his medal and found this interesting as I didn't realise the gong was the Military Cross.
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