This morning John and I went alone to London Cemetery and Extension where we held a short ceremony of remembrance and laid a wreath. This year we also remembered those outside of the military who have given their lives in the service of others.
It’s hard to plan anything at the moment. One never knows what will be possible until the last minute. However the third Sunday of September is traditionally the day that we commemorate the action of the 47th (London) Division at High Wood so, in glorious sunshine, we headed up to Read more…
At the beginning of September 1944 this area was freed from the German occupation. In military terms the losses were light, but in family terms they were devastating. In London Cemetery this morning, 76 years on, the gardeners were out in force, cutting the grass, weeding and trimming the hedges, Read more…
Captain Cecil Robert Tidswell served with the 1/Royal Dragoons in the Boer War and in India. He was awarded the Kings Medal with five clasps during the Boer War. He served with the Cavalry for two years on the Western Front before transferring to the Royal Flying Corp believing that Read more…
This morning, for the first time in many years, John and I marked the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme on our own. We chose the spot at Carnoy from which the 7th Battalion, the Buffs, part of the 55th Brigade, went over the top. the Official History Read more…
Recollections of “Bill” Bailey’s widow Pat In the winter of 1946/7 a small package in a buff MoD envelope, was delivered to me where I lived in South East London. I was excited, for I knew it contained the one personal effect that I had asked to be returned from Read more…
Derrick Sykes, the Flight Engineer in one of the Halifax Bombers that crashed near woods at Fontaine l’Etalon on 25th June 1944 should not been flying that day. He was due to be married and his leave had started that morning. However the raid being early he chose to fly Read more…
76 years ago today 102 Squadron set out on a daylight bombing raid to target a V1 Flying-bomb launch site at Montorgueil Farm. The V1 Flying bomb, also known as the doodlebug, was developed in 1939. The first was launched on London on the 13th June 1944. At its height Read more…
James McCudden V.C., D.S.O and Bar, M.C. and Bar, M.M., Croix de Guerre, is one of our Great War heroes. James McCudden joined the Royal Engineers in 1910 as a boy bugler but by the outbreak of war was working as an Air Mechanic in the Royal Flying Corps. By Read more…
This week we commemorated the centenary of the death of Sam Pickersgill on behalf of his family. They had stayed with us in 2014 and had planned to return in person on the 21st March this year. When France went into lockdown this became impossible so they sent the wreath Read more…