- 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards during the Second World War -
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About
2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards
2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards went to France with the British Expeditionary Force, returning in June 1940. They served in North Africa and North Western Europe.
20th Sep 1939 On the Move
20th Sep 1939 On the March
2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards marching through Cherbourg. IWM (O 87)
20th Sep 1939 On the March
14th Oct 1939 Appendix E
10th Nov 1939 Practice Makes Perfect
11th Nov 1939 Armistice Day
12th of January 1940 War Diary - Couin
11th May 1940 Plan D
12th May 1940 On the March
13th May 1940 On the March
14th May 1940 Holding the Line
15th May 1940 Constructing Defences
16th May 1940 Constructing Defences
17th May 1940 Moving Back
18th May 1940 A New Line
19th May 1940 A New Line
20th May 1940 Digging In
21st May 1940 Under Fire
22nd May 1940 Withdrawal
23rd May 1940 On the March
24th May 1940 Platoon Under Fire
25th May 1940 Quiet Day
26th May 1940 Quiet Day
27th May 1940 Withdrawal
28th May 1940 On the March
29th May 1940 Confusion
30th May 1940 Holding the Bridges
31st May 1940 Under Fire
1st Jun 1940 Withdrawal
2nd Jun 1940 Withdrawal
4th Jun 1940 With the Wounded
8th Jun 1940 On the Move
22nd Jun 1940 On the Move
23rd Jun 1940 Digging In
24th Jun 1940 Costal Defence
25th Jun 1940 Officers and Men rejoin
25th June 1940 Defence Instructions
25th June 1940 Conference
26th Jun 1940 CO Visits Company
27th Jun 1940 Defences Strengthened
28th Jun 1940 Reorganisation
29th Jun 1940 Costal Defences
30th Jun 1940 Work Continues
30th June 1940 Communication
30th June 1940 Signals
1st July 1940 Hot Weather
1st July 1940 Erection of Defences
2nd July 1940 Operational Order
2nd July 1940 Exercise
2nd July 1940 Defensive Fire
3rd July 1940 Defences
3rd July 1940 Operation Orders
3rd Jul 1940 Erection of Defences
4th July 1940 Air Raid
4th July 1940 Conference
5th July 1940 Quiet
6th July 1940 Defences
6th July 1940 Instructions
7th July 1940 Defences
7th July 1940 Fit for duty
7th July 1940 Instructions
8th July 1940 Posting
8th July 1940 Defence Instructions
9th July 1940 Posting
10th July 1940 Posting
11th July 1940 Defences
12th July 1940 Quiet
13th July 1940 Promotion
14th July 1940 Church Parade
15th July 1940 Rain
16th July 1940 Rain
17th July 1940 Quiet
18th July 1940 Quiet
19th July 1940 Duties
20th July 1940 Routine
21st July 1940 Concert
22nd July 1940 Leave
23rd July 1940 Reorganisation
24th July 1940 Routine
25th July 1940 Quiet
26th July 1940 Routine
27th Jul 1940 On the Move
27th July 1940 Quiet
28th July 1940 Entertainment
29th July 1940 Quiet
30th July 1940 Visit
31st July 1940 Visit
1st Aug 1940 Wounded Moved
5th Oct 1940 Escape
17th Oct 1940 In Hiding
31st Oct 1940 Report to the Consul
22nd Nov 1940 On the Move
1st Jan 1941 Snow
2nd Jan 1941 Frost
3rd Jan 1941 Assault Boats
4th Jan 1941 Courses
5th Jan 1941 Lecture
6th Jan 1941 Exercise
7th Jan 1941 Quiet
8th Jan 1941 Training
9th Jan 1941 Visit
10th Jan 1941 Training
11th Jan 1941 Training
12th Jan 1941 Meeting
13th Jan 1941 Training
14th Jan 1941 Exercise
15th Jan 1941 Training
16th Jan 1941 Conference
17th Jan 1941 Exercise
18th Jan 1941 Conference Cancelled
19th Jan 1941 Snow
20th Jan 1941 Snow
21st Jan 1941 Snow
22nd Jan 1941 Lecture
23rd Jan 1941 Lectures
24th Jan 1941 Ice
25th Jan 1941 Postponement
26th Jan 1941 Church Parade
27th Jan 1941 Lectures
28th Jan 1941 Exercise
29th Jan 1941 Training
30th Jan 1941 Training
31st Jan 1941 Report
1st Feb 1941 Competition
2nd Feb 1941 Drums
3rd Feb 1941 Conference
4th Feb 1941 Advance Party
5th Feb 1941 On the Move
6th Feb 1941 On the Move
7th Feb 1941 On the Move
8th Feb 1941 Training
9th Feb 1941 Training
10th Feb 1941 Training
11th Feb 1941 Training
12th Feb 1941 Training
13th Feb 1941 Exercise
14th Feb 1941 On the Move
15th Feb 1941 Influenza
16th Feb 1941 Divine Service
17th Feb 1941 Training
18th Feb 1941 Training
19th Feb 1941 Recce
20th Feb 1941 Air Raids
21st Feb 1941 Exercise
22nd Feb 1941 Back on British Soil
22nd Feb 1941 Air Raid
23rd Feb 1941 Church Parade
24th Feb 1941 Snow
25th Feb 1941 Conference
26th Feb 1941 Exercise
27th Feb 1941 Exercise
28th Feb 1941 Conference
1st Mar 1941 Training
2nd Mar 1941 Aircraft Downed
3rd Mar 1941 Reorganisation
4th Mar 1941 Reorganisation
5th Mar 1941 Dance
6th Mar 1941 Dance
7th Mar 1941 Training
8th Mar 1941 Rain
9th Mar 1941 Party
10th Mar 1941 Exercise
11th Mar 1941 Routine
12th Mar 1941 Conference
13th Mar 1941 Exercise
14th Mar 1941 Exercise
15th Mar 1941 Training
16th Mar 1941 Church Parade
17th Mar 1941 Training
18th Mar 1941 Exercise
19th Mar 1941 Exercise
20th Mar 1941 Exercise
21st Mar 1941 Routine
22nd Mar 1941 Conference
23rd Mar 1941 Courses
24th Mar 1941 Training
25th Mar 1941 Training
26th Mar 1941 Exercise
27th Mar 1941 Snow
28th Mar 1941 Dinner Party
29th Mar 1941 Football
30th Mar 1941 Church Parade
31st Mar 1941 Training
14th Mar 1943 Reliefs
7th of January 1945 Orders
10th of January 1945 Orders
11th of January 1945 Message
20th of January 1945 Appendix F
22nd of January 1945 Recces
22nd of January 1945 Orders
23rd of January 1945 Patrol
23rd of January 1945 OrdersIf you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
Those known to have served with
2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards
during the Second World War 1939-1945.
- Alcock Charles.
- Alcock John. L/Cpl.
- Bambury William.
- Cook Thomas. Gdsmn. (d.23rd-25th Dec 1942)
- de_Knoop Wilfred Jersey. Major.
- Eldridge Arthur Bertram. Gdsm. (d.23rd Apr 1945)
- Goss Reginald John.
- Green Robert Goodwin. L/Sgt. (d.17th Feb 1944)
- Hall George Henry. Gdsm.
- Horrocks Albert Edgar. Pte.
- Laird Robert. Gdm.
- Laycock Laurence Garforth. Sgt.
- Lyon John. Sgt.
- Potter Edward John. Pte.
- Rushton Frank.
- Sargeant Donald Charles. Sgt.
- Thomson James. L/Cpl
- Tingle George. Pte.
- Weeks William John Arnold. Gdsm.
- Whaley Charles Peter. Lt. (d.19th April 1945)
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, Coldstream Guards from other sources.
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Want to know more about 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards?
There are:1676 items tagged 2nd Battalion, Coldstream 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.
Sgt. John Lyon 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards
My father John Lyon lived in Chester, he served in the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards during the Second World War.Mrs John Lyon
Pte. Albert Edgar Horrocks 2nd Bt Coldstream Guards
My father, Albert Horrocks served in WW2 guarding Buckingham Palace. He was based in Wellington Barracks. He told me that one cold night he put his rifle inside his sentry box to warm his hands up, but was caught by his sergeant. The penalty might have been 7 days in the guard house.Diane Robinson
Major. Wilfred Jersey de_Knoop 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards
For some reason I thought that my grandfather=, Wilfred Jersey de Knoop did not serve during WW2, so I was surprised to find out that he was a Major in the Coldstream Guard. According to a record found I believe that he was in the 2nd battalion. Unfortunately, I have no further information. My late father, in the 1980's had stored old family possessions, including old photo albums, with Pickfords in London, but there was a warehouse fire and all was destroyed. My father said that the most painful loss were the photo albums!Nicolas de Knoop
Gdsm. George Henry Hall 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards
George Hall served with the 2nd Coldstream Guards. He was captured and became POW No.7111 held at Stalag XVIIIA at Wolfsberg, Austria.Sarah Hall
L/Cpl James Thomson 2nd Btn Coldstream Guards
My Grandfather, James Thomson, was in S Company, 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards. I have a print from Italy 1944-45 to commend them of their fighting spirit and splendid record.Garry Thomson
L/Sgt. Robert Goodwin Green 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards (d.17th Feb 1944)
Robert Green served in North Africa. He moved from Algeria to Italy in February 1944. He took part in the Battle of Ornito and was a footguard, rank of Lance Serjeant (do not know which company or platoon). He was killed in action at The Battle of Ornito on 17th of February 1944 aged 24.
Sgt. Donald Charles Sargeant 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards
Donald Sargeant was a machine gunner. He served throughout the War in North Africa and Italy. He ended up in Gorizia, on the Yugoslav border, where he met and married my mum in 1945.Robert Sargeant
Lt. Charles Peter Whaley 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards (d.19th April 1945)
Peter Whaley of the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards was killed in action in the Battle of Argenta Gap in Italy. He was ny Uncle Robert Laird's Platoon Commander.Robert Laird
Gdm. Robert Laird 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards
During the battle of the Argenta Gap in April 1945, my Uncle Robert Laird's Platoon Commander, Peter Whaley was killed in action. My Uncle was shot in the same action.They were ordered to attack and capture a strong enemy position which was holding up the advance and had already beaten off two previous attacks. They made a reconnaissance under heavy shelling and small arms fire, Major Toler, repositioned the company, and tanks, under his command and led an assault. In a decisive victory over the dug-in Germans 80 prisoners were taken. Major Toler was awarded the MC.
My Uncle was treated and returned to his unit, and his war service ended in 1946 as the battalion was rushed up to Trieste after the war ended where they confronted Tito's forces who were trying a land grab.
Robert Laird
Gdsm. Arthur Bertram Eldridge 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards (d.23rd Apr 1945)
I never new Great Uncle Arthur Eldridge but as I understand it my Mum said he was full of fun. His death was a great loss to my Nan, she had already lost her eldest brother, Tom in WW1 in March 1917. Now her youngest brother was also taken from her and the family. His death date like so many others was the hardest to take as it was so near to the end of WW2, 23rd of April 1945.
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