In February 1942, around the time that the fortress of Singapore fell to Japanese forces, London’s police force was investigating four brutal murders that occurred within a four day period. All four victims were ladies. On 9 February 1942, Mrs. Evelyn Margaret Hamilton, age 35, was found dead in a London air raid shelter. On… Continue reading Gordon Cummins
Category: WW2
Ernest Kemp
Ernest James Harman Kemp was executed on 6 June 1944 for the murder of Iris Miriam Deeley. Due to the Army not discharging Kemp before his execution, he is commemorated on the Brookwood Memorial. The Brookwood Memorial commemorates service personnel who died in World War Two, who have no known grave and have not been… Continue reading Ernest Kemp
Norman Baillie-Stewart
Norman Baillie-Stewart was another Englishman who made radio broadcasts for the Germans during World War Two. However, his activities had started well before 1939 and not too longer after Adolf Hitler became German Chancellor in January 1933. During a period of imprisonment at the Tower of London, he became known in the media as the… Continue reading Norman Baillie-Stewart
Herbert Cecil Pugh, GC
Herbet Cecil Pugh, the second of Harry Walter and Janet Pugh’s seven children, was born on 2 November 1898 in Johannesburg. During the period 1917-1919, Pugh served as a Medical Orderly in France. Due to his experiences in France, Pugh became a minister attending Oxford University during 1920 to 1924. With the outbreak of the… Continue reading Herbert Cecil Pugh, GC
Operation Freshman
Operation Freshman was an operation mounted during the night of 19/20 November 1942, using gliders and Royal Engineer commandos. The purpose of the raid was to destroy a heavy water plant at Rjukan in Norway.The plan for the raid was to use gliders to land commandos with the knowledge and equipment to destroy the heavy… Continue reading Operation Freshman
Arlington Cemetery
Arlington Mansion and 200 acres of ground immediately surrounding it was designated officially as a military cemetery on 15 June 1864 by the then US Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. The Arlington National Cemetery and Soldiers Home National Cemetery are administered by the US Department of the Army, whilst Arlington House is administered by… Continue reading Arlington Cemetery
Leverstock Green
The impact of the First World War (The Great War) on UK home life can’t be understated. A population that had been somewhat sheltered from the losses of previous conflicts was greatly affected by the loss of life in The Great War. One of the visible effects of The Great War was the appearance of… Continue reading Leverstock Green
Seagrim Brothers
Derek Anthony and Hugh Paul Seagrim are the only siblings to have been awarded the Victoria Cross and George Cross. The diagram below shows the relationships between the people mentioned in this article. The five brothers Charles Montague Dudley, Cyril Vivian, Derek Anthony, John Halstead and Hugh Paul Seagrim were the sons of Charles Paulet… Continue reading Seagrim Brothers
Yeo-Thomas, GC
Forest Frederick Edward Yeo-Thomas was born on 17 June 1901 at 45 Balcombe Street, Marylebone, London. His Father was John Yeo-Thomas (a coal merchant) and his Mother was Daisy Ethel Thomas (formerly Burrows). Wing Commander Yeo-Thomas, who spoke perfect French, parachuted into France on 23 February 1943 on his first mission which he completed successfully.… Continue reading Yeo-Thomas, GC
Double VC Recipients
Only three soldiers have been award the Victoria Cross medal twice: Arthur Martin-Leake, Noel Chavasse and Charles Hazlitt Upham. ARTHUR MARTIN-LEAKE Arthur Martin-Leake was born in Standen, Hertfordshire, on 4 April 1874. Surgeon Captain (later Lieutenant Colonel) Martin-Leake was a member of the South African Constabulary then Royal Army Medical Corps, attached to the 5th… Continue reading Double VC Recipients