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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 2nd Battalion, Royal East Surrey Regiment? There are:1327 items tagged 2nd Battalion, Royal East Surrey 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 Leonard Percival Cockram 2nd Btn. East Surrey Regiment Leonard Cockram's actual surname is Cockram but his Service Register shows incorrect spelling as Cochran.
His Military Service commenced 3rd of November 1937. He served with the BEF and was evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940. He transferred to the Parachute Regiment on the 19th of April 1941, then transferred to 2nd East Surrey Regiment sent to Singapore. He is listed on Casualty List as Missing on 15th of February 1942 then on an Amended Causalty List as a Prisoner of War. He returned to the UK in September 1945.
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Cpl. Lewis Bernard Barber 2nd Btn. East Surrey Regiment Lewis Barber was my great great first cousin who survived 3 years in Japanese POW camps.
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Chaplain Ernest Wilfrid Ketley MID 2nd Btn. East Surrey Regiment Ernest Wilfred Ketley was one of the last and one of the oldest to be evacuated from Dunkirk (he was 53 in 1940). He was referred to in a book (not by name) as a Padre who was carrying 4 rifles who went up and down the queue at Dunkirk comforting and reassuring the soldiers who were all waiting to be rescued. The time and place tallied and he was the only Chaplain in that area so it must have been him. He was mentioned in dispatches for his courage and actions at that time. He was subsequently promoted to Staff Chaplain at Southern Command, stationed in Andover, for the remainder of the war. Joy Coles (granddaughter)
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Pte. Ernest Mark "Trevor" Traylen 2nd Btn. East Surrey Regiment My father, Ernest Traylen survived the war but was shot through the face on the northern perimeter of the line holding back the German advance near Nieuport. He was subsequently captured and remained a prisoner of war until liberated, to his annoyance, by US troops after having undergone the long march. He weighed only 6 stones when he finally reached England, about half his normal weight.
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L/Cpl. John Samuel "Jack" Thomas 2/6th Btn. East Surrey Regiment John Thomas was captured at St Valery. He survived prison camp and married on his return. He left for Australia in 1955. John had a good and productive life as an accountant raising three children. He never talked about the war.
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Pte. William Harold Walter Arlitz 2nd Btn. East Surrey Regiment (d.21st Sep 1944) Willie Arlitz died as a POW while on the Hofuku Maru Ship. It was bombed and sunk by the US Army who didn't realise it was full of English POW's.
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