Able Seaman Reginald Leonard Bryan . Royal Navy HMS Duncan from Battersea, London I have strong reasons to believe my father, Reginald Bryan, was captured and taken to Lagouat POW camp and would like any information available about him.
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Sgt. Robert Harry Bryan . Royal Air Force 101 Squadron (d.19th Mar 1944)  My uncle, Sergeant Robert Harry Bryan was a member of the RAF 101 Squadron stationed at Ludford Magna, Linconshire. He lost his life on 19 March 1944 as a result of air operations on his 5th mission. He was only 22 years old. Crew member of a AVRO Lancaster Bomber (rear gunner). His aircraft crashed at Fylham, near Horfam, Norfolk when returning from an operational sortie bombing Germany. He is buried at the Cambridge City Cemetery (Grave 14754). My uncle Harry (as we call him in the family) was born in London. His mother Otilia and sister Gloria Eileen Mary moved to Arequipa Peru when he was only 6 years old. Raised in Arequipa Peru (Otilia was British/Peruvian), Harry studied at an English School for boys in Chile and after graduation worked at a bank in Arequipa Peru. When the War started he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, came back to England and was assigned to the 101 Squadron. R.I. Alexander, the Wing Commander of the 101 Squadron writing the condolence letter he sent to the family described him as "a popular member of the squadron that displayed keenness and efficiency in his work which was always carried out with a splendid courage and tenacity". May he rest in Peace!
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OS Thomas Bryan . Royal Navy HMS Janus (d.23rd January 1944)
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S/L M. Bryan-Smith DFC, MiD.. 97 Squadron
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S/L M. Bryan-Smith DFC, MiD.. 97 Squadron
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Gp/Capt J G Bryans . RCAF. Station Commander of RAF Leeming Nov 1943 to Jun 1944
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F/O S F Bryans . RCAF 428 Sqd
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W/O W. S. Bryans . Royal Canadian Air Force 97 Squadron
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Sgt. WIlliam Robert Bryans . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 408 Squadron (d.9th July 1943)
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Bmdr. Basil E. G. Bryant . BritiSh Army 23rd Regiment Royal Artillery from Ipswich Basil was my step grandfather who was made a POW following the Surrender of the French Division under General Charles De Gaul of which the 51st and Units of 23rd Regiment RA. He was to be a prisoner for 5 years. He was one of many British soldier who were on the forced 1000 mile marches to move prisoners away from the advancing Russian's (To which in a perverse way we were truly grateful after the Russian's used thousands of British Commonwealth and American prisoners as bargaining chips after WW2 and sent them to Siberian Gulags as workers).
On discharge and returning to the UK he and his wife fostered a German boy named Werner who had lost his parents.
He never complained except to say De Gaul was a Arrogant B*****d for sacrificing the 51st and 23rd Regt RA to escape to England and become the person he did.
He died in 1976 following stomach cancer which was linked to his incarceration.
He was above all the grandad who smoked Mercator cigars (I had a rather large collection of the wrappers) and who used to take us out for trips to Pub Gardens to have a packet of Salt and Shake and a bottles of proper ginger beer in stone bottles.
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Elizabeth Bryant . WAAF from Forest Hill, London At school FHCS for girls,I was Betty Bryant of Forest Hill,London. At 15 I was evacuated to Mersham,Kent and then on to Gorseinon,Nr Swansea. Joined Waaf 1942, 3mths driving course at Morecambe. Mostly stationed at Middleton St George,Bomber Command. Many memories, driving aircrew out to planes for night raids.Welcoming Canadian Squadron who brought with them FOOD!! They had their own cook in sick quarters and had my first taste of anything resembling food since I joined up.Sleeping in Nissen huts and being so cold at night and then in the am walking outside to the ablutions and cold water to wash. One night 2 aircraft collided overhead, all the Morris ambulances were out, I was ordered to drive the one survivor in an Albion ambulance, which to me was enormous, the patient was severley burned and completely covered in bandages. I was terrified of jolting him as it was double-declutch all the way and I have always wondered if he survived. I was 19 at the time. At 191/2 I became engaged to my sweetheart from home, he was a Spitfire pilot, and he was the love of my life. Later I was posted to Ford nr Littlehampton. June 9th we were married and I became Betty Drapper. On Aug 9th I was called in to the adjutants office and was told that Roy had been killed. A weeks compassionate leave and that was that. Counselling had not been invented!
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Gnr. Frederick Henry Bryant . British Army 5/3rd Maritime Regiment Royal Artillery (d.19th Apr 1942)
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George Albert "Bunting" Bryant . British Army Middlesex Regiment My Dad George Bryant didn't speak much about his service in the Middlesex Regiment, only about the various jobs he had, from machine gunner to dispatch rider. He was captured when Singapore fell and was taken to changing POW camp.
He did sometimes breakdown and cry usually around rememberance day but often if something jogged a memory. I miss my Dad a lot, he missed so much in my life. However at least he is free of the horrible memories he carried
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F/O. H C Bryant DFC.. Royal Air Force 514 Squadron (d.2nd May 1944)
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Pte. Howard Clifford Bryant . British Army Ox & Bucks Light Infantry from Dudley Like many of the prisoners my Dad, Howard Bryant never spoke about his time as a POW but I know he was captured at the time of Dunkirk and was then marched to Poland where he spent many years. I have his Stalag badge with the details: Stalag V111B Number 10170.
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Tpr. L. B. Bryant . British Army North Somerset Yeomanry (d.10th Jul 1941) I have in my possesion a brass plate made from a shell case inscribed with Trooper Bryant's details as follows: North Somerset Yeomanry, # 410245
TPR.L.B.Bryant, Killed In Action. 10.7.41. C.E.
As far as I know this plate was found on a piece of wood somwhere in France many years ago.
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Sgt L. D. Bryant . (d.6th May 1943) Sgt Bryant served as a Rear Gunner he died on Ops.on 6th of May 1943, flying from RAF Elvington.
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R Bryant . British Army R Bryant 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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LAC. Walter G. Bryant . Royal Air Force 159 Squadron from Kettering (d.8th Aug 1943)
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F/Lt. William Francis Bryant DFC. Royal Air Force 7 Squadron from Cardiff
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Sgt. William James Bryant DCM MID.. British Army 6th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment
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Stkr1. Alexander Bryce . Royal Navy HMS Grasshopper (d.2nd Dec1945) Alexander Bryce died aged 41, he was the son of Alexander and Alice Bryce (nee Foster) of Jarrow, husband of Ellen H. Bryce (nee McCallum) of Primrose, Jarrow.
Alexander is buried in Jarrow Cemetery.
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F/O Alexander Frederick Bryce . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 138 Sqdn. from Edimburgh (d.8th May 1944) I am trying to find out more about the life of my uncle, Flying Officer 149705 Alexander Frederick Bryce, who was killed on 8 May 1944 during Operation Citronelle 1 in France.
Update
I don't know how much info you have but this may be of interest. From Chorley's Bomber Command Losses:
Halifax v LL280 NF-O
W/Cdr W McF Russell DFC & Bar
F/S G Cable DFM
F/O D Brown DFC
F/O B P McGonagle DFC
F/O J A Armour DFC DFM
F/O A F Bryce
F/O N Simister DFM
T/o Tempsfordon Operation Citronelle 1 heading for France. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at St Denis d'Orques (Sarthe), 40 m WNW of Le Mans and astride what in 1944 was the main road to Laval. All rest in Le Mans West Cemetery.
I have some information on your uncle's crew that I am more than happy to share with you. A summary follows below. My uncle J W McLeod (RAAF 418296; 576 Squadron) was killed on 7 May 1944 along with most of the rest of the Lancaster crew of pilot J M Shearer (RNZAF 415721) when they were shot down about 50 kms north of Le Mans.
The post-war paperwork on the graves of the two crews spends some time sorting out the burial arrangements for the two crews that crashed not far apart in two consecutive nights. The question is not yet fully answered and an unknown airman is buried with your uncle's crew who may be from the crew of J M Shearer.
In May 2004 I visited St Denis d'Orques and the Le Mans Cemetery and have photos.
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J Bryce . British Army J Bryce 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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Flt.Sgt. Kenneth Roland Bryce-Taylor . Royal Air Force 106 Sqdn from Croydon After forty-five years of searching I located my estranged father, Kenneth Roland Bryce-Taylor, I was re-united with his family, and my half brother and sister who told me that he had served with 106 Squadron based at RAF Metheringham. I have records of missions as rear gunner to Tonsburg and the Lutzkendorf Oil Refineries. I also have a list of crew who flew with him.
He left 106 Sqadron after the war, but stayed on the extra two years in the RAF to help others get back to the UK. He survived the war and died in 2008.
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James Bryden . My uncle, James Bryden from Glasgow, was held at Marienburg, Stalag 20B. Does anyone have any recollection of him?
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WO1 Richard Glencairn Bryden . Australian Army from Australia POW Camp Fukuoka 17 in Japan
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Pte. George Young Brydon . British Army 5th Btn. Black Watch from Dunbar, East Lothian My dad George Brydon, my hero, who will be 91 this December, is due to be awarded France's highest honour, the Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur next month for his part in the liberation of France during 1944-45 when he was just 18 years old.
He was a soldier in the 5th Battalion, Black Watch and fought through Normandy against the feared Waffen SS, until he was severely wounded by mortar shrapnel trying to reach the River Seine at Mauny, before the Germans could blow the bridges and stop the Allied advance through Northwestern Europe.
He is now one of only three soldiers left in the 5th Battalion The Black Watch, who fought during WWII.
We are who we are today because of their courage and sacrifice.
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Pte. George Young Brydon . British Army 5th Battalion Black Watch from Dunbar, East Lothian It has been more than 70 years since George Brydon left the safety of Newhaven behind and headed across the Channel to join the Allied Forces fighting in France. But despite the years which have elapsed since the Second World War, it was only a matter of months ago that the 90-year olds family discovered the true extent of his bravery.
Now the war veteran, who lives in Dunbar with his wife Elma, 88, is to be recognised at the highest level in the form of the Legion of Honour Medal, the highest of all French orders. It is thanks to Angus Brydon, one of George's four children, that the truth of his heroics finally emerged after he took it upon himself to delve into the history books. While he and his siblings did hear the odd story as children, the 58-year-old said they had never been able to piece it all together properly until now. He said: "It's been quite amazing putting the stories he used to tell us when we were kids together. It's been good research as I've always been interested in that but it's also been good for his history [as] he doesn't remember that much. He has flashes of memory. So it's been fantastic to collate them together."
George joined the army aged just 18 and was drafted into the 5th Battalion of the Black Watch. Just a few days later he was on his way to Normandy, with his first assignment being to search out German snipers in the town of Caen. Following a defeat of the Germans at Falaise, the battalion then pushed forward to liberate Barneville sur Seine. The Germans had already departed from the town so the Allies moved on to free the small French hamlet of Mauny following reports the Chateau was occupied by the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjudend.
However, things didn't go smoothly, with heavy shelling from the Germans seeing six members of the Black Watch losing their lives. George survived but suffered serious injuries and was evacuated back to the UK at the beginning of September. He was hospitalised for nearly a year and underwent several gruelling operations as a result. In the years that followed George resettled in Edinburgh, working for many years at the Granton depot of ink manufacturers A B Fleming.
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Frank E Bryer . US Army My father, Frank E. Bryer, served with the US Army and is trying to find information about the Aronda. He thinks he was on it in 1943-from Italy, through Suez canal, North Africa and on further East. He said the ship was bombed by the Germans. We can find no information about this ship, very little to go by. Can anyone help?
Update:
The Aronda (II) was a merchant/troop ship,
owned by the British India Steam Navigation Company but conscripted for war
service, she was built in 1941 and sailed until 1963.
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