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Somerset Light Infantry - 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 2nd Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 4th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 5th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 6th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 8th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 9th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 10th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 11th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 30th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 50th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
7th Sep 1940 Orders
1st Dec 1943 Reorganisation
1st Mar 1944 Egypt (Suez)
3rd Mar 1944 Ataka Egypt
4th Mar 1944 Ataka Egypt
7th Mar 1944 Ataka Egypt
8th Mar 1944 Ataka Egypt
9th Mar 1944 Ataka Egypt
10th Mar 1944 Port Said Egypt
11th Mar 1944 Port Said Egypt
16th Mar 1944 Italy
17th Mar 1944 Italy
18th of March 1944 Italy
19th of March 1944 Italy
20th of March 1944 Italy
21st of March 1944 Italy
22nd of March 1944 Italy
23rd of March 1944 Italy
24th of March 1944 Italy
25th of March 1944 Italy
26th of March 1944 Vairano Italy
27th of March 1944 Vairano Italy
29th of March 1944 Vairano Italy
11th May 1944 In Action
12th May 1944 Difficult Obstacle
6th Jun 1944 Shelling and Snipers
19th June 1944 On the Move
23rd June 1944 On the Move
24th Jun 1944 Attack Launched
4th Jul 1944 Attack Made
9th July 1944 In Action
10th Jul 1944 Shelling
10th Jul 1944 In Action
11th Jul 1944 Reliefs
29th Jul 1944 Orders
30th Jul 1944 Attack Made
31st Jul 1944 Slow Progress
1st Aug 1944 Prisoners Taken
2nd Aug 1944 Advance
3rd Aug 1944 Reliefs
3rd Aug 1944 In Action
4th Aug 1944 Infantry Pushing On
5th Aug 1944 On the Move
7th Aug 1944 Orders
10th Aug 1944 In Action
28th Aug 1944 In Action
1st Sep 1944 Move
2nd Sep 1944 Reorganisation
3rd Sep 1944 Preparations
4th Sep 1944 Awards
24th Sep 1944 Heavy Fighting
26th Sep 1944 Reliefs
27th Sep 1944 Orders
28th Sep 1944 Reliefs
30th Sep 1944 Reliefs
2nd Oct 1944 Shelling
12th Oct 1944 Attack Made
19th Oct 1944 Reliefs
25th Oct 1944 Reliefs
26th Oct 1944 Orders
3rd Nov 1944 Reliefs
4th Nov 1944 Orders
5th Nov 1944 Patrols
18th Nov 1944 In Action
18th Nov 1944 In Action
29th Dec 1944 Recce
30th Dec 1944 Recce
31st Dec 1944 Planning
19th Jan 1945 Preparations
20th Jan 1945 Reliefs
21st Jan 1945 Advance
22nd Jan 1945 Stand Down
11th Feb 1945 In Action
12th Feb 1945 In Action
13th Feb 1945 Advance Continues
15th Feb 1945 Counter Attack
16th Feb 1945 In Action
17th Feb 1945 In Action
20th Feb 1945 Heavy Shelling
3rd March 1915 Defences
31st Mar 1945 Advance
9th Apr 1945 Attack Made
23rd Apr 1945 On the Move
24th Apr 1945 Move
25th Apr 1945 Conference
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 Somerset Light Infantry during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Bacon Edwin John.
- Barnes Harold Fitzherbert Aston. Lt. (d.3rd Oct 1944)
- Biggs George William. CSM.
- Bovey G.
- Cleaves Leonard Kitchener. Pte.
- Cooper John Albert Victor Welsh. Pte.
- Coyle John James. Pte.
- Fear George Austin. Pte.
- Feltham Alfred Ernest. Sgt.
- Giblin Joseph. Cpl. (d.27th Sep 1944)
- Goggin John. Cpl. (d.20th Feb 1945)
- Griggs Frederick John. Cpl.
- Hann Edwin George. Sgt.
- Hewitson Edward. Pte. (d.9th Sep 1944)
- Holyoake Alan.
- Hooley James Alfred. Pte.
- Lambert MM Brian John. Pte.
- Little Archibald Thomas.
- Nix Eric Albert Milner . Pte.
- Parsons Gordon. Cpl
- Pritchard John Edwin. Cpl. (d.9th August 1944)
- Rabel Joseph Raymond. Capt.
- Ridgley Ronald. Cpl.
- Selwood Paul Roy Herbert John. Pte. (d.10th July 1944)
- Skelton Charles Courtney. Pte. (d.18th Nov 1944)
- Wilkinson Frederick Allen. Cpl.
- Wilson Edward Patrick Joseph.
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 Somerset Light Infantry from other sources.
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The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
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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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Want to know more about Somerset Light Infantry ? There are:1417 items tagged Somerset Light Infantry 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. Brian John Lambert MM 4th Btn. Somerset Light Infantry Pte.Brian Lambert served with the 4th Btn. Somerset Light Infantry British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: The Wartime Memories Project is no longer in contact with Dan , his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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G Bovey Somerset Light Infantry G Bovey served with the Somerset Light Infantry British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: The Wartime Memories Project is no longer in contact with Dan , his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Pte. Eric Albert Milner Nix 1st Btn. Somerset Light Infantry My grandpa Eric Nix was enlisted on the 5th of March 1940 and was deployed to Burma as a foot soldier. The memories he shared with us was were getting carried by the current in the Ganges and seeing lots of bodies pass him by. He was in Burma for a few years with his infantry before falling ill and spending some time in the military hospital until he was better to be sent home.
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Cpl. Ronald Ridgley 5th Btn. Royal Berkshire Regiment My father Ron Ridgley was with the 5th Royal Berkshire Regiment on Juno beach on D Day. After the fall of Caen, he was sent as reinforcement to 7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry. He took over an anti tank platoon in S Company and stayed with that team until VE Day, in Bevensen, Germany.
As an anti tank platoon was no longer needed, they were disbanded and he joined C Company.
He was demobbed in February 1946 and lived to celebrate his 100th birthday.
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Edward Patrick Joseph Wilson 2nd Btn. Welch Regiment My father Edward Wilson married a Guernsey girl in 1937 and was called up to the Somerset Light Infantry in 1940.
I am not sure what he did between 1940 and 1944 but I know he spent some time near Weston Supermare in Somerset and also did a parachute training course with the Aimy Air Corps.
He spent 1944 and 1945 in Burma and although there are numerous stories that he could tell, I have two small diaries that he kept whilst in Burma.
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Pte. Edward Hewitson 1st Btn. Somerset Light Infantry (d.9th Sep 1944) I don’t know much about my grandfather Edward Hewitson's wartime service, only his number, regiment, and where he is buried (Karachi War Cemetery). The MOD has original photos of him and his grave. I'm checking to see if he is due any service medals.
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Alan Holyoake 4th Btn. Somerset Light Infantry My gramps, Alan Holyoake fought for the Wessex Wyverns, 4th Somerset Light Infantry. He wore a golden two legged dragon symbol on his uniform and had the Jellalabad badge. He said they were feared by the Germans who called them Churchill's Dragon men. He was one of 15 men that survived from his company of 100.
He didn't talk a lot about the war but a few of his memories included being burnt when his sergeant threw petrol on an open fire inside a house where they escaped by jumping through a window. He remembers a man they called Ginger who asked why everyone was on the floor while they were being 'shelled to blazes' and they said you'll learn after a while. Ginger later refused to go with my gramps on a mission to find stranded troops where 'the trees turned into splinters'. On another occasion Ginger ran away with a magazine of ammunition while the shells were falling he was seen being escorted by guards to a prison and said 'you were right about the shells', poor bloke. My gramps said the prisoners there were 'well drilled and done up to the nines' and had to polish rusty tins that were left out in the rain every night. They shaved in the reflections on the walls.
He said the Americans had more food for breakfast than the Brits had for a whole day and they were very laid back and confident. He once found some Americans in a house with all the lights on playing cards and one gave him a whole pack of tobacco.
One time his company moved too quickly into position and were attacked by the Dorset Regiment!
He also remembered finding Germans sleeping in their foxholes and his sergeant had the sorry task of shooting them there as it was 'us or them'. He was sad about this as he knew that the Germans were just the same as he was and so young.
Gramps never forgot how at the end of the war near Bremen all the soldiers fired their guns when they heard it was over. An old gentleman in a top hat emerged from the rubble and invited the soldiers for some coffee, an old lady said 'no more bomb bombs'. All the German soldiers got up and walked back to their villages they were from forming a long queue.
After that he ended up helping to liberate Belsen which absolutely never spoke of as it was too awful.
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Edwin John Bacon 2nd Btn. Somerset Light Infantry EdwinBacon served with he 2nd Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry . I am looking for information as he never talked about the war.
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Pte. George Austin Fear 2nd Btn. Somerset Light Infantry George Fear was injured in Italy on 11th of December 1944.
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Cpl Gordon Parsons 5th Btn Somerset Light Infantry Gordon Parsons served with the 5th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry in WW2
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