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F/O. Frank Edward Pickering . Royal Canadian Air Force 404 Squadron from Montreal, Quebec, Canada (d.6th May 1944)
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P/O G. H.J. Pickering . 97 Squadron
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Cpl. Geoffrey Pickering . British Army Durham Light Infantry from Whitley Bay, Northumberland Geoff Pickering enlisted in the Durham Light Infantry as a Gunner in 1939 when he was 22 years of age. He served in North Africa and was captured at Tobruk and sent as a POW to PG53 Sforzacosta, Italy.
With the Allies landing in Salerno in 1943 most of his his camp were quickly dispatched to German POW camps. Geoff was posted to Stalag 1VD/Z Torgau/ Annaburg where he remained until it was liberated in 1945. Of his experiences in POW camps he spoke little, other than to say that the Italian camp was by far the harshest and definitely the worst experience of his life. He said no Red Cross parcels ever reached them and that the living conditions were terrible. He suffered life long back problems as a result of his treatment in Italy. However he did live a long and successful life, dying in 2003 at the age of 86 yrs.
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Pte. Gilbert Pickering . British Army Royal Warwickshire Regiment from Birmingham My grandad, Gilbert Pickering, born 1914 in the Midlands was in Stalag 8b.
During the early 80s he told me many stories of escapes, his mate being bayoneted beside him while hiding in a ditch at the side of the road while on the run, going out on work parties etc.
He was a wonderful man who died from lung cancer in 1986. We, his family, miss him every day and would love to hear if anyone has info about him
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J Pickering . British Army Royal Armoured Corps J Pickering served with the Royal Armoured Corps 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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Able Seaman. John William Pickering . Royal Navy HMS Prunella (d.21st Jun 1940)
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JP Pickering . British Army JP Pickering 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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F/Lt. Richard Corrington Pickering . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 605 Sqdn. from Mill Hill, London (d.22nd Feb 1944) F/O Ernest James Edwards and his pilot F/L Richard Pickering lost their lives on 22nd February 1944 in a Mosquito of 605 Squadron, out of Bradwell Bay, possibly over France. F/O Ernie was my second cousin and I am trying to find more details of his life in 605 squadron and/or his loss, for his brother. Any information would be very much appreciated.
Update: They are both buried into the Cherbourg Cemetery in France.
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Winifred Pickering . Women's Land Army My Mum, Winifred Pickering, served at Newton Abbott. I have a photo of her taken in July 1943 with 3 other Land Army girls, it would be wonderful if we could track any of them down.
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AE Pickersgill . British Army 7th Queens Own Hussars AE Pickersgill served with the 7th Queens Own Hussars 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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AH Pickersgill . British Army 17/21st Lancers AH Pickersgill served with the 17/21st Lancers 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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KN Pickersgill . British Army KN Pickersgill 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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PO. Robert Pickersgill . Royal Navy HMS Firedrake (d.17th Dec 1942) Robert Pickersgill died aged 27, he was born in Jarrow in 1913, son of Robert and (nee Pinder). He was the Husband of Hilda Pickersgill (nee Howitt) of Leeds. He is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial and is commemorated on the WW2 Roll of Honour Plaque in the entrance of Jarrow Town Hall.
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Cpl. Charles Stanley Pickett DCM.. British Army 2nd Btn. Cameron Highlanders (Queens Own) from Enfield On Saturday 20th of June 1942, after the Battalion position had been cut off from the remainder of the Tobruk Garrison, the Battalion Commander ordered all companies to move up to the forward positions of the Battalion. My father, Corporal Stan Pickett of the A/T platoon was ordered to sight his gun in the area of 'B' company's H.Q. position. On the morning of 21st of June 1942, the Battalion sector was heavily attacked from both front and rear. At about 10 am seven enemy tanks were observed forming up on El Adem road facing 'B' company's positions. My father was ordered to attack to engage these tanks with his 2 pounder A/T gun, he held his fire until the tanks were well within effective range, then with great coolness and deliberation he ordered the gun team to open fire and maintained complete control of his team, as a result of which each tank was successfully engaged and destroyed. He was captured on the day after this action, and was sent to Arezzo in Northern Italy. After the capitulation of Italy he was being moved to Germany and while marching from the camp escaped with a friend. Over five weeks he walked 500 miles back to the allied lines. When only 12 days from the allied lines he lost his friend in a mountain mist. He was awarded a DCM for his action in Tobruk. After repatriation he was sent to Palestine to work in the police force, remaining there until 1947.
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Ord.Sea. Edward Isaac Pickett . Royal Navy HMS Phoebe (d.23 October 1942) Ordinary Seaman Pickett was 19 when he died and is buried in the Pointe Noire European Cemetery in the Congo.
On the 23rd October 1942, H.M.S. Phoebe was on her way to take part in operations off North Africa, when she was torpedoed off the coast of French Equatorial Africa. 46 men lost their lives in this engagement and 29 of them were buried in Pointe Noire European Cemetery in a large collective grave. This grave was later marked by a screen wall memorial, which carries details of all 46 casualties.
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L.Sig. George William Pickett . Royal Navy HMS Cyclops from 5 Victoria Crescent, Douglas, Isle of Man Not a lot is known about George Pickett's sevice days. He was on HMS Renown and He said whilst on HMS Renown, they brought Winston Churchill from Nova Scotia to the United Kingdom. On George's 21st Birthday in 1944, his address was 101 Mess, HMS Cyclops. In February 1946, in St. Rodeaux, he joined the Atheling as crew and sailed to Australia.
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Major Irwin Leonard Pickett . British Army Somerset Light Infantry from Hounslow, Middlesex, England (d.27 March 1944)
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Bdr. Jack Pickett . British Army 4th Medium Regiment, 14/16 Battery Royal Artillery First and foremost of course it's number, rank and name time, so, I am 5495550 Sgt Jack Pickett of 14/16 Battery of the 4th Medium Regiment Royal Artillery. I served in this Battery and Regiment through the whole of the 2nd World War from start to finish.
In 1940 having survived Dunkirk, of which every one of us who was there have our memories of that horrific epic, and how we got back etc, I find myself turning to another theatre of war which is really the story I am about to relate.
We had finished in North Africa having beaten the Axis forces and had been shipped across to Italy and travelled up the Adriatic coast to Anacona.
On arrival we were informed that we had to proceed to the Anzio Bridgehead, as they needed big guns. Our battery was equipped with 8 5.5-inch Guns. These had a range of 16,200 yards (14,813m) and a shell weight of 100lbs (45.36Kg).
Anzio, of course, is on the opposite coast, so a very long journey took place, a bit like "have gun will travel!" Having arrived at Anzio and established ourselves, which meant a lot of hard work, eventually a gentleman came up the track which was adjacent to my gun, in his jeep. He had a red band around his cap. He had come for a look see. No, he wasn't the Salvation Army man with cups of tea but a very high ranking Staff Officer who promply went back to the Command Post and said that he wanted all guns dug in like the 25 pounders, a very much smaller gun than our 5.5s, which had balancing springs that stood over 6ft high. How we overcame the problem is a story far too long to relate here. So, on to the crucial part of this episode which is the barrage we put down on the final push to Rome. Sounds exciting I know, but we started the barrage at midnight, firing continually until dawn the next morning. The battery fired well over 3000 rounds during that period, bearing in mind that each shell weighed 100lbs and had to be manhandled onto a loading tray, the tray onto the cradle of the gun and then rammed home by two gunners with a ramrod into the barrel of the gun with a satisfying 'clunk' and then fired.
I must emphasize that as we fired so many rounds, the gun barrels got so hot the paint peeled off, the oil in the recuperating system literally bubbled and this was the only time in the entire war when we had one gun out of action for 15 minutes at a time to cool down. With guns blazing all around and, although music to gunners' ears, the noise was traffic and the Tannoy from which we received orders from the Command Post was perched on sandbags at the side of the gun pit. I found myself dashing to and fro putting my ear to the Tannoy to make sure I heard all the orders correctly.
>p>At dawn when we got the "ceasefire" order it was deathly quiet, in fact it seemed eerie.
We were wet with perspiration and near exhaustion and then almost instantly a gunner's voice broke the silence by saying "Got a fag Jack?". I was a non-smoker myself but I always had a little store for those who did.
To conclude this part of my story I would like to bring your attention to a painting that graces many a Royal Artillery Mess, of gunners in the First World War, with drag ropes`attached and pulling their guns out of thick mud, with the caption underneath "Straining at the Leash". The gunners God bless them.
Those last few words is what I dedicate to all my gun crew that served, not only the guns, but King and country so extremely well at Anzio.
The Sangro River
This part of my story comes after Anzio and Rome. We were pushing up north to support the Poles.
We had a good lyric writer in the battery, Sgt Roberts by name, and he wrote the following to the tune of Lily Marlene.
"After we fought our glorious way to Rome
Then we thought that we were going home
They sent us up to help the Poles
They'd got into a sticky hole
14/16 Bty, 14/16 Bty".
No, we did not go home, but straight back into the line, on the Adriatic side of Italy and made our way toward the River Sangro to give support. Our General in command of operations was General Montgomery, affectionatly known to us all as "Monty". Well, our guns were deployed just below the brow of a hill and my gun was nearest the road, very near in fact, and this was the only road up to the front.
The country roads in Italy are so narrow in some places that two vehicals could not pass, so to overcome that problem they cut passing points into the hillside or field. Such a hillside passing point was directly adjacent to my gun. Monty, in his chauffeur driven car, came up to this vantage point for several days before the Battle of the Sangro took place, crawled with his very large binoculars to the highest point to look at the German positions on the other side of the river.
Before I go much further I must explain. 4th Medium Regiment RA had been part of Churchill's 1st Army during Dunkirk and the North African Campaign and we were proud of that and still wore the 1st Army Flash on our shoulder.
After the Africa Campaign we were transfered to the 8th Army under Monty but still kept our 1st Army flash.
Much had happened in North Africa but I must get back to the story on the Sangro River because that's where the highlight of this story took place, and for me most certainly, because I met and spoke with Monty.
Having arrived back from his vantage point to the passing point, I was amazed when he called me over to his car. Naturally, I stood to attention and quietly said "Sir". With that he looked at the 1st Army insignia on my shoulders and said "What are they Bombardier?" and when I said "1st Army Insignia, Sir", he gently rebuked me saying "You are not in the 1st Army now Bombardier, you are in the 8th Army!" Monty was very proud of the 8th Army and after Alamein who could blame him?
The next thing he said was "Do you smoke Bombardier?" I said "No Sir, but I have a gun crew who do" and with that he said "Hold your arms open then" and he promptly filled them with Wills Gold Flake cigarettes and I toddled back to my gun and my arms were emptied in no time at all. Of course I said thank you but could not salute because I had no arms as it were!
I feel very privilaged that this little incident took place and I certainly shall never forget it. Monty had a staff car, which he captured in the desert. It had a glove compartment which stretched from one side of the car to the other. This he filled with cigarettes and handed out to the troops wherever he went. It happened to me ladies and gentlemen, so I know it's true.
Among my war souveniers I have a packet of Wills Gold Flake to this very day.
That's how I came to chat with General Montgomery. He did not drink, he did not smoke. I won't go further than that, but he did think of us men, which is humanity of course. When the Americans lost eighty thousand men in the Ardennes and Monty chipped in to stem the tide with the 21st Army Group, Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, wrote to Monty saying "My Dear Monty, If there is any thing I can ever do for you I'll do it". Monty, God Bless him, is no longer with us but what a fine epitaph to take with him.
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W Pickett . British Army W Pickett 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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AH Pickford . British Army AH Pickford 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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Pte. Edgar James Pickford . British Army 9th Btn. Royal Sussex Regiment from Edmonton, Middlesex (d.5th Aug 1944)
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Sgt. Gordon Maitland Pickford . British Army 49th (West Riding) Recce Regt. C Sqn. Reconnaissance Corps from Egham, Surrey (d.16th August 1944) Sergeant Gordon Pickford served with C Squadron, 49th (West Riding) Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps. Gordon was the son of Frederick Albert and Agnes Mary Pickford and husband of Ivy Alice Winifred Pickford. He was killed in action on the 16th August 1944, I believe at the Battle of Falaise Pocket. He is buried at Bayeux War Cemetery. As a Grenadier Guard he blew the Silver Bugle at the Menin Gate, Ypres in 1929.
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PO. Jack Pickford . Royal Navy from Cardiff Regrettably unable to trace any record of Jack Pickford other than being in Royal Navy.
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AB John Arthur "Pancho" Pickford . Royal Navy HMS Nelson from 51, Uttoxeter Rd, Tean, Stoke-on-Trent Some recollections from HMS Nelson: I remember the time we were leaving Normandy and we hit two mines. The Nelson was so badly damaged that we had to limp over to America for repairs. Whilst in America I saw Bing Crosby sing at the Philadelphia Dockyards and was part of the cortege for some Lord from the British Embassy.
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R Pickford . British Army 44th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment R Pickford served with the 44th Btn. Royal Tank 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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DG Pickles . British Army Royal Armoured Corps DG Pickles served with the Royal Armoured Corps 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. John Pickles . British Army Duke of Wellingtons Regiment from Keighley My uncle Jack Pickles was a prisoner of war (which he was always reluctant to discuss) so I know very little other than he was a wonderful uncle with my aunt and they gave a lot of their time and love to me and my sister in the 1960's. Unfortunately,I have no photographs but I do have his WW2 medals and his Army Pay Book which I take great care of with my own service medals.
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LJ Pickles . British Army Royal Armoured Corps LJ Pickles served with the Royal Armoured Corps 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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N Pickles . British Army N Pickles 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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William Pickles . Royal Air Force My mum recently passed away leaving us with her pictures. During WWII both of her brothers served in the Armed Forces Jack Proudlove in the Royal Navy and Roy Proudlove in RAF. I don't know much more than the branch they served in.
Mum also left us pictures of her two friends, Herbert G. Gledhill and William Pickles, who were in the armed service during WWII. My family knows nothing more about these two men. We also have pictures of our grandfather who was in the Bradford Fire Service during WWII.
I hope someone may know Mr Gledhill and Mr Pickles.
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 Herbert Gledhill (R) William Pickles.jpg)
