The village of Bladon, Oxfordshire, on the river Glyme, is about 6.5 miles north-west of Oxford and is notable as the burial place of Sir Winston Churchill. St Martin’s Church St Martin’s Church in Bladon is the Church of England parish church of Bladon-with-Woodstock. It is also the mother church of St Mary Magdalene at Woodstock. The first church… Continue reading Bladon
Category: WW2
Donald Clarke, GC
Donald Owen Clarke is the only Merchant Navy seaman to have been awarded the George Cross; the highest gallantry medal that can be awarded to a civilian. Donald Owen Clarke was born on 5 March 1923 in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. He lived with his parents in Osborne Road, Chester-le-Street. Despite Clarke’s home being miles from… Continue reading Donald Clarke, GC
ZSL War Memorial
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) was founded in 1826 by Sir Stamford Raffles. In 1828, London Zoo opened. At the start of the First World War in 1914, the ZSL employed about 150 male staff, 92 of whom enlisted, although 14 were rejected on medical grounds. 12 members of the ZSL’s staff were killed… Continue reading ZSL War Memorial
Wladyslaw Sikorski
On 4 July 1943, at 11.07pm, Consolidated B-24C Liberator Mk II aircraft, registration AL523 (511 Squadron), took off from Gibraltar airport on a journey to the UK. The weather was fine, light wind, no cloud, visibility 10 miles. The aircraft climbed to about 150 feet in a perfectly normal manner. The aircraft then gradually lost… Continue reading Wladyslaw Sikorski
U.S. Executions in UK
A total of 18 American servicemen were convicted, sentenced and executed by American courts martial in the UK during World War Two. A great deal of information about the American court martial system, including Board of Review findings, example cases and legal texts can be found as part of the United States Military Legal Resources… Continue reading U.S. Executions in UK
Bayeux Cemeteries
Bayeux is located seven kilometres from the coast of the English Channel and 30 km north-west of Caen. The city, with elevations varying from 32 to 67 meters above sea level – with an average of 46 meters above sea level – is bisected by the River Aure. The area around Bayeux is called the… Continue reading Bayeux Cemeteries
St. Mary’s Apsley
St. Mary’s Apsley End Church (Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire) is another example of a local church with war grave headstones in the churchyard. THE FIRST WOLRD WAR G/48463 Private Ernest Finch was a member of the 23rd Labour Company, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment. The 1911 Census provides the following information about Ernest Finch: Born… Continue reading St. Mary’s Apsley
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located on both banks of the rivers Nederrijn (Lower Rhine) and Sint-Jansbeek, which was the source of the city’s development. Arnhem was first mentioned as such in 893 as Arneym or… Continue reading Arnhem
Titus Brandsma
Titus Brandsma was born, as Anno Sjoerd Brandsma, on 23 February 1881, in Oegeklooster, near Hartwerd, Freisland Provicnce. His parents, Titus Brandsma and Tjitsje Postma, were committed Catholics. With the exception of one daughter, all the children entered religious orders. In 1892, Anno (age 11) entered the Franciscan Minor Seminary for boys in Megen. After… Continue reading Titus Brandsma
Nijmegen
Nijmegen originated as the Roman settlement of Noviomagusand is the oldest town in The Netherlands. Often an imperial residencein the Carolingian period, it became a free city and later joined the Hanseatic League. In 1579 it subscribed to the Union of Utrecht against Spain. It was taken by the French (1672) in the third of… Continue reading Nijmegen