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AE Balm . British Army Northamptonshire Regiment AE Balm served with the Northamptonshire Regiment 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. Henry Balmer . British Army 2nd Btn. Kings Own Scottish Borderers from Seaham, County Durham (d.5th Jul 1944) Harry Balmer enlisted on 6th of August 1942 and was allocated directly to the KOSB for basic and infantry training. He arrived in India in July 1943, and after specific jungle warfare training his unit was deployed to the Arakan region of northwest Burma. He saw action at Abel and the Admin Box, receiving field promotions to Lance Corporal then Acting Corporal.
His 7th (Indian) Division was then flown in to reinforce the garrison at Imphal, Manipur, India. Forcing the Japanese to retreat, his unit fought northwards towards Kohima, famously being led into the attack on Kanglatongbi Ridge by two of the battalion pipers.
Following the success of this attack, the KOSB trekked east across country, jungle, paddy fields, and steep mountain ridges, all in heavy monsoon. They arrived below the retreating Japanese stronghold of Uhkrul. Following two days of repelled attacks in which Harry was wounded, the Borderers entered the village virtually unchallenged on the third day, the Japanese having withdrawn overnight. Harry was promoted to 'War Substantive' Corporal during this action.
On 5th July 1944, Harry died from his wounds and was buried in the village. His remains were transferred to Imphal Military Cemetery in December 1944, where, under army regulations, he resumed his rank of Private, the War Substantive element coming into play.
RIP Uncle Harry.
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Sto. James Balmer . Royal Navy HMS Amberley Castle (d.18th Nov 1944) Stoker 2nd Class James Balmer died at the age of 20 whilst serving with the Royal Navy. He was the son of William and Isabella Balmer (nee Harrison) of Jarrow
James is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
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William Balmer . Royal Navy Royal Marine Commandos My great uncle, Bill Balmer a Royal Marine Commando, was a POW in Stalag 8B.
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Pte. Harry Balmforth . British Army 7th Btn. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders from Grimsby (d.15th Aug 1944)
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W/C D. F. Balsdon . 97 Squadron
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JE Balsdon . British Army JE Balsdon served with the 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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Flight Lieutenant A J Balsom . RAF VR 59 Squadron
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F/O James Peter Henry Balston . Royal Air Force 500 Squadron from Toppesfield, Vinters,nr Maidstone (d.27 Mar 1940) Born in 1913, James Balston was the son of Francis William Balston, a paper manufacturer in Maidstone and Ellen C. Balston (nee Trousdell).
He returned from the West Coast of Africa aged 17 in 1930 and he married Penelope (nee Dalrymple) in Hampshire during 1939.
He is remembered on the Runnymeade Memorial and also Boxley War Memorial (nr Maidstone) I am researching Boxley War Memorial (nr Maidstone) others probably know a lot more about him, but I hope this helps you in some way.
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Lt. Cmdr.(E) Charles Harold Bamber . Royal Naval Reserve HMS Forfar (d.2nd Dec 1940)
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Pte. Edwin John "Bimbo" Bambridge . British Army 2nd Btn. Essex Regiment from Leytonstone (d.21st Jan 1945) Edwin Bambridge is commemorated on the War Memorial of Cann Hall and Harrow Green Baptist Church, Leytonstone, London, where he was an active member from boyhood.
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Flt.Sgt. James Henry Bambridge . Royal Air Force 619 Squadron from Waskada, MB,Canada (d.6th Sept 1943) James Henry Bambridge of the Royal Canadian Air Force was the rear gunner on Lancaster 'K' with 619 Squadron. The Crew and two ground crew were reported missing on a night flying test on the night of 9/10 June 1943, just one day before the Squadron flew it's first operation. He has no known grave.
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C. S. Bamburger . Royal Air Force 41 Squadron
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William Bambury . British Army 2nd Btn. Coldstream Guards from Staffordshire My father, William Bambury, was a Coldstream Guardsman in 2nd battalion, 4th company (I think).
While in North Africa 1942 - 45, he was selected to be the Soldier Servant of Major General David Toler.( his previous Servant having been wounded. A selection, I think, which may have changed the direction of the rest of his life. Whilst the Major General was on leave or up front, my father looked after his dog (company mascot)- a Maltese terrier called Sludge. A mascot, so the story goes, very well known.
After leaving the Army, my father kept in touch with David Toler via letters and Christmas cards etc. On my birth, apparently my parents received some bed socks from David Toler's mother in Scotland which were far too big - even for my father to wear. Shortbread and other gifts were received on a regular basis. And, on one occasion I remember, I was about 15, Major General Toler was inspecting troops at Leek Army barracks, and my father and I went to meet him. At that time, possibly the most important person I had ever met - a man who made a big impression on me! As a family, we were also invited to his home in Grantham, Lincs to meet him and his wife, Judith. A visit which has stayed in my memory since that time. Dad and the Major kept up regular communications, until 1990 when Dad died. I received a lovely letter from him, outlining their army times together, and some very special comments about my dad - how steadfast and dependable he was during very tense and testing times. A letter I have to this day.
During some family research, I read that Major David Toler's son, Hugh, followed in his father's footsteps. I was also saddened to read of David Toler's death in November 2009. In his obituary, I was interested to read that he was born at Holmes Chapel, Cheshire - (ironically) not too far away from where my father was born and lived for all of his life.
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L/Cpl. Reginald Charles Bament . British Army 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment from Walthamstow
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Joan Llewella Bamford . Auxiliary Territorial Service from Wales My Mum, Joan Bamford, served in the ATS, she received her ATS service badge and was thrilled with it, she wore it with such pride. She met my Dad, Bill Carter, when he was a Bevin Boy and they had 53 years of marriage.
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Pte. Thomas Bamford . British Army Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
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Corporal William Bamforth . Army Royal Signals Corps from Glossop
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Cpl. William George Bamforth . British Army 14th Line Section, No.2 Coy Royal Corps of Signals from Hadfield, Derbyshire  In May 1939 my father, William Bamforth, joined the local Territorial Army, 14th Line Section, 2nd North Midland Group, Royal Corps of Signals.
On Sunday morning 3rd of September 1939, I came down to breakfast only to find that my dad was not there. Mum told me that he had been called at 5am to the TA camp in Glossop. He came home during the week, but only to pick up some personal items. Later that week, together with my Mum and several hundred other people, we watched the Royal Signals march to the market square and there load up onto army trucks.
At that time we were not, could not be told were they were going. In point of fact they went first to Bakewell and then a few weeks later on to Chesterfield where they joined with other units. We did not hear from my Dad for some time and eventually we received his limited address:
Cpl. Bamforth, WG, 14th Line Section, No 2 Company, 2nd Air Formation Signals, Advanced, Air Strike Force, British Expeditionary Force. Somewhere in France.
The next time I saw my Dad was quite a surprise. During the week I was living with my Maternal Grandparents, one street away from home as my Mum was working in a local cotton mill, engaged in some sort of war work. On the Sunday I went home and there was my Dad, sitting at the table, on leave from France. My birthday had just passed but he had a present for me, Dinky Toy Aeroplanes, one box of British and one box of French, six aircraft to a box. He had returned to France before Christmas, but “Father Christmas” had brought me a box of Dinky Army trucks – one search light lorry with anti-aircraft gun, one covered lorry towing a field kitchen and water bowser, one Dragon bren gun carrier towing an ammunition cart and a field gun.
I also got a French howitzer which actually fired shells, propelled by a spring. Christmas day saw Mum and me with my paternal Grandparents and we all listened to Gracie Fields 'Somewhere in France' and we were all hoping that my Dad was in that audience.
In the New Year letters were sparse, and when we heard the news that the Germans had attacked we received even less, in fact none at all for several weeks. I was only 6 years old but everyone knew about Dunkirk and there was no news of my Dad. My Granddad Farrell, mum's dad, used to cheer me up by saying that “no news is good news”.
It was obviously a terrible time for my mother, but I cannot remember her being a crying wreck and my memory of those days is clear.
In June, Mum received a notification that my dad was in a military hospital in Basingstoke, he had been in hospital in Plymouth and it was hoped that he would soon be moved to a military hospital nearer our home. He was, to Wharncliffe (Temporary) Military Hospital in Sheffield. Eventually we learned that my Dad had been on the Lancastria, sunk by German bombs at St Nazaire on the 17th of June 1940. There had been over 6000 aboard, British, French and Belgian Military, as well as British Fairey Avaition workers and their families who had been employed by Fairey Aviation in Belgium. It was the greatest British Maritime disaster, in excess of 4250 lives were lost that day.  My father's AB64 Dad was discharged from the Army in December 1940 as medically unfit. He had not recovered from the injuries received when the Lancastria was sunk. He received a lapel badge, which had been instituted by King George VI, the badge showed the cypher of the king and the words around the perimeter read “For Loyal Service”. I believe this badge was to show that the wearer was not a shirker who was ducking serving his country.
Once he could, Dad returned to work, he joined the ARP and the British Legion. My mum also returned to work in the mill, she was also a Fire Watcher. She didn't watch fires, but was on the look out for incendiary bombs – fire bombs.
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WO. Bonifacy "Bonek" Banasik KW & Bar.. Polish Air Force 301 Squadron from Czestochowa, Poland (d.2002) Bonifacy Banasik was my father-in-law. He was born in Czestochowa, Poland in 1912. He lost his father in 1918 or 1919. There is no clear record of his father's death except that his dad went off to war and was killed, grave site unknown. He graduated from his hometown schools and then attended Mechanical School in Warsaw. From 1932 to 34 he served in the 3rd Air Regiment, Polish Air Force and then remained in the Polish Air Force Reserves until 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland.
At that time, he was reported to have destroyed a Nazi plane and went into hiding. The Nazis captured and tortured his mother but finally released her after she signed a document saying she did not know his whereabouts and would report him immediately if he returned to her. Otherwise, she herself and the rest of by the family would be killed. Bonek, as he was called, fled into Russia, was captured by the Russians and sent to a Siberian Concentration POW camp in the Ussa River area, from which he managed to escape. He eventually found his way to England in 1942 and served in the Polish 301 (Pomerania) Squadron of the RAF. There he met my English mother-in-law who served in NAFFI and they married in 1944. She related stories to me of how he would go on bombing missions and she feared never seeing him again. She said he served in and we recently saw his photo posted on another site while in Brindisi. After the war, he brought his family to the US in 1954 where he worked as a design engineer. He passed away in 2002.
Dad rarely spoke of his war days and we never knew of his Cross of Valor award with Bar or his title of Defenders of Warsaw until a few months before he died. He never saw his mother again. (She died in 1955). He returned to Poland only once in 1974, still fearing reprisal. After his return he stopped all contact with his family. They found us on Fb in 2016 and we were reunited last year in Poland.
I am writing this to share his story and honour his memory.
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WO1. George Clifford Bancroft . British Army Royal Engineers from Stretford, Manchester
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Lt. Peter Richard Bancroft . British Army 1986 Company. Pioneer Corps from Nant-y-Glyn, Cross Lane, Marple, Stockport, Cheshire My Father, Peter Bancroft's War Time Service taken from the notes he made during his time in the Pioneer Corps in the Sudan during 1942 -1946. His date of admission to the Armed Forces was in February 1941, his medical having taken place at Pendlebury Orphanage, Lancashire Hill, Stockport, Cheshire on 8th of November 1939, where he was graded III due to his poor eyesight. Training at Wrotham, Kent in September 1942 after enlistment in A.M.P.C. II Centre at Oldham in August 1940. Then he was posted to the Pioneer Corps O.C.T.U. from Beckingham in October 1942.
My father having attained a B.A. (Com.) at Manchester University and previously educated at Stockport Grammar School, was catapulted into running an Army Company comprising of 380 West Africans and 7 Europeans in the Sudan age the age of 23. There is a daunting list of the men serving in Kapoeta on 8th May 1944, together with a list of those being sent to Kapoeta on 9th May 1944 to join Lieutenant Bancroft. My Father often worried what became of all of them, he use to talk about them to us, years later. He remembered vividly the men closest to him and how loyal they were. He fretted about what became of them and their families. The wedding of Peter and Marjorie took place in St. Peter's Church, Mumbles on 17th January 1942, with Geoff Clough as best man. Dad met Marjorie during fire watch in London where Marjorie worked in a bank and served in the ATS in London. Peter and Geoff sailed from Liverpool on the Cunarda Franconia and served in Africa throughout the rest of the war, clearing landing strips for supplies. He returned after the war, very thin, set up home in Marple with his wife Marjorie.
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Leopold Bandurka . Polish Army 5th Rifles Regiment from Sanok, Poland My father, Leopold Bandurka, was born in 1922 in Sanok, south-eastern Poland.
He was 17 when the Nazis invaded in September 1939, and he escaped over the
border to Slovakia and travelled to France to join up the Polish Army which
was assembling there. After fighting with the 5th Rifles Regiment of the 2nd
Infantry Rifles Division of the Polish Army in France, in June 1940 he was
captured and imprisoned in Stalag XIIA near Limburg, then Stalag XIIF near
Forbach in France, where he was given prisoner number 32325 and 1052B (his
name was wrongly spelt Bandarka). Some time later he was transferred to
Stalag VIIB near Gneixendorf and Krems in Austria. After the war he came to
Scotland (Fraserburgh) then Mansfield, England where he eventually located to
Shirebrook in Nottinghamshire,married and had one child. He passed away in
1984.
He had several stories to tell about these experiences - some repeatable,
others rather less so.
I am anxious to contact anyone who may have known him during his period in
the Polish Army and as a POW.
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John Cecil Banfield . My father John Cecil Banfield was captured in Libya and was sent to C.C.N.52 P.M.3100 in Italy. He was then sent to Stalag VIII A in Germany on 13/03/1944. He was later sent to Hospital Stalag XI B on 23/02/1945. He did not talk much about his time as a POW, but what I did get out of him was not very good. He passed away in 1991, but I am still trying to find out what happened to him as a POW.
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F/Lt Raymond Charles Banfield DFC. RAF 83 Squadron from Perth, Australia (d.25th July 1944)
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Pte. David Tita Banga . West African Frontier Force African Pioneer Corps (West Africa) (d.2nd May 1942) Private Banga was buried in the Limbe Botanical Gardens Burial Grounds in the Cameroons.
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Sld. Jan Albertus H. Bange . Dutch Army from Holland POW Camp Fukuoka 17 in Japan
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F/Lt. B. M. Bangerter . Royal Air Force 350 Sqdn. F/Lt Bangerter served with 350 and 610 Squadrons during WWII.
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Alec Banham . Home Guard Feltwell Btn.
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Sap. Eric Banham . British Army 579th Field Coy. Royal Engineers
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