AP NOTES – Page 4 – They Were There – Blood, Toil, Tears & Sweat

23 September 2020

CHAPMAN, Edward T (#254)

Company Sergeant Major E T CHAPMAN VC BEM to represent MONMOUTHSHIRE and the SOUTH WALES BORDERERS Regiment and the Welsh Divisions in both WWs; his Victoria Cross was won for outstanding courage and example to his young soldiers in the hard fought opening battles into Germany, the award won for bravery near the Dortmund Ems Canal leading to attacks being sustained against stiff opposition.

23 September 2020

CAUCHI, Michael (#262)

Michael CAUCHI awarded the Polish Cross of Valour for his participation in 31 Sqn SOUTH AFRICAN AIR FORCE Liberatqrs on the dangerous supply drop support missions for the WARSAW UPRISING by 205 Group; he also flew on the Romanian PLOESTI OIL attacks and River DANUBE MINJNG operational sorties; he also represents the outstanding importance, valour and service of both CIVILIANS and MILITARY on MALTA George Cross ^SLAND. where he was born and witnessed the savage attacks of 1941 and 1942; Mike served also as Chairman of the Malta Georae Cross Island Association.

23 September 2020

CASEMORE, Jack (#226)

Chief Petty Officer Jack CASEMORE RNVR: named by his P.O. father (2lyrs (98-19) service inc. BATTLE of JUTLAND as a TORPEDOMAN GUNNER on DESTROYER TERMAGANT) after the RN moderniser Admiral Jacky FISHER; his sister, Betty, was a WAAF PARACHUTE PACKER in East Anglia, brother-in-law. Arthur EAMES, ROYAL WEST KENT REGT taken POW for 5yrs at St VALERY,

23 September 2020

CARTER, Reginald A (#227)

Troop Sergeant Reginald A Carter MM for 3rd CARABINIERS, PRINCE of WALES's DRAGOON GUARDS; this REGIMENT uniquely spent entire WW2 in INDIA & FAR EAST, their battle honours - IMPHAL, NUNSHIGUMO BISHENPUR, KANGLATONGBI, KENNEDY PEAK SCHWEB0 SAGAING, MANDALAY AVA & IRRAWADDY

23 September 2020

CALDER, Benjamin J (#176)

Sergeant Benjamin J CALDER US ARMY further covers the key role of sea delivered LOGISTIC SUPPORT (but at the land delivery end) for the LIBERATION of NW EUROPE, here for those US RANGERS and others capturing & then for his own and other units' use of NORMANDY’s OMAHA BEACH and the MULBERRY HARBOUR system, as well as the later ANTWERP PORT system, with its AMERICAN, British & Canadian run DOCKS

23 September 2020

BRITTON, Arthur W (#305)

Arthur W “Peter” BRITTON for SEARCHLIGHT operations, the ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY and the MIDDLESEX Regiment, TERRITORIALS, the 8th PUNJAB REGIMENT, the CHIN HILLS and GURKHA Battalions and, through his wife and her wartime service, that of the Red Cross VOLUNTARY AID DETACHMENT nursing services.

23 September 2020

BRIDGE, Len A (#186)

Petty Officer Len A BRIDGE represents all those whose service was in the ROYAL NAVY's COASTAL FORCES and specifically the role of their MOTOR GUN and TORPEDO BOATS, in both their DEFENSIVE and OFFENSIVE ROLES, protecting British Home Waters

23 September 2020

BRANDON, Lewis (#270)

Sqn Ldr Lewis BRANDON DSO DFC* was a navigator who, with his pilot Wg Cdr James G Benson DSO, DFC*, became one of the most successful of the RAF night fighter crews.

23 September 2020

ALDRIDGE, James (#200)

Sgt Major James ALDRIDGE MM (in post-war Territorial Army ARGYLL & SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS) represents the wartime SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS, as a PRIVATE then in a demanding COMPANY RUNNER role

23 September 2020

ALLINSON, Lawrence (#244)

Larry had 51 years with VICKERS ARMSTRONG SHIPBUILDERS at the BARROW on Furness SHIPYARD and represents the massive importance of WARSHIP BUILDING in our national SEA POWER; the father and son worked on many famous WARSHIPS, seeing them grow from skeleton to fitting out, including AIRCRAFT CARRIERS (ILLUSTRIOUS, 1938), CAPITAL SHIPS & LINERS to many SUBMARINES

23 September 2020

BAGLEY, David C (#280)

Commander David C BAGLEY DFC USN Reserve US Naval operations in the Pacific, in particular for the key raids on RABAUL which had become the biggest Japanese base in New Guinea.

23 September 2020

BETHGE, Dietrich (#290)

Dictrich BETHGE, godson of and christened by the renowned German theologian Dietrich BONHOEFFER, was chosen to represent the opposition and GERMAN RESISTANCE MOVEMENTS against Nazism, which too often would be forgotten during and after the war.

23 September 2020

BOGERT, Mortimer P (#170)

Lt General Mortimer P BOGERT CBE DSO for the contribution in WW2 of the ROYAL CANADIAN ARMY (his name Dutch for Orchard), who was over in Dec 1939 from Western Nova Scotia and was in Europe a full seven and a half years, from being with the 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION in DIEPPE, the fighting in SICILY, the advance up to POTENZA in EASTERN ITALY, as well as landing in SOUTHERN FRANCE and going right through up to BRUSSELS and including the post-war OCCUPATION.

23 September 2020

BOWMAN, J Edwin (#198)

Sgt J Edwin "Ted" BOWMAN from Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancs for the DRILLED DISCIPLINE and long tough exploits "UBIQUE" (as "everywhere" - rather than "all over the place" as the Royal Engineers would say!) of the FIELD GUN BATTERIES of the ROYAL REGIMENT of ARTILLERRY

23 September 2020

AIDAN of SPROT (#205)

Lt Col AIDAN of SPROT MC JP: The ROYAL SCOTS GREYS (2nd DRAGOONS) from PALESTINE, in May 41 was the last Cavalry to mechanize

18 September 2020

VRACIU, Alexander (#303)

Cdr Alexander VRACIU, of Romanian parentage, was born in 1918 and after university entered the US Navy in June 1941, being commissioned before later joining VF-6 SQUADRON as wingman to and learning much from Lt Cdr Edward ‘Butch’ O’Hare, the Navy’s first fighter ace.

18 September 2020

STORK, J Royden (#301)

Captain J Royden STORK for Operation Shangri-La, the DOOLITTLE Tokyo RAIDERS, flew off the carrier USS HORNET with B-25 Mitchells on the morale raising 18th April, 1942 raid which also affected Japanese strategy. He was born in Frost, Minnesota in 1916 and graduated from college in October 1940, entering the Army Air Corps and learning to fly on Stearmans at Hemet CA, where they lost a quarter of the course on their primary flying.

18 September 2020

ELDER, Robert M (#299)

Captain ROBERT M ‘Bob’ ELDER US Navy, a highly decorated Douglas SBD DAUNTLESS (“Slow But Deadly”) combat pilot in most of the Pacific’s naval aircraft carrier engagements including the Battles of the CORAL SEA and MIDWAY, GUADALCANAL, the SOLOMON and MARSHALL ISLANDS campaigns, represents the success of US Naval air power against the Japanese Fleet.

18 September 2020

COX, John W (#298)

Captain John W COX USAAF Airplane Commander for the B-29 SUPERFORTRESS Bombing RAIDS on TOKYO and Japan from TINIAN

18 September 2020

GALBRAITH, William P (#297)

William P GALBRAITH US ARMY, born in January 1924, here represents “I” Company in the 3rd Battalion, the 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, the original main component of the United States Army 101st AIRBORNE DIVISION (filmed as The Band of Brothers) and took part in both Operations OVERLORD and MARKET GARDEN

18 September 2020

RASMUSSEN, Philip M (#293)

Lt Colonel Philip M RASMUSSEN USAAF and USAF, born in Boston in 1918, shot down a Jap attacker with his runaway gun, when he was able to fly off in a P-36 HAWK, when his airfield, WHEELER FIELD, was attacked and represents Hawaii’s air defence during the Japanese 7th December, 1941 attack on PEARL HARBOR and neighbouring airfields, which would change history.

18 September 2020

DeLONG, Phillip C (#292)

Colonel Phillip C DeLONG, US Marine Corps was born in Jackson, Michigan, in 1919. After graduating from university in aeronautical engineering, he would become the leading VMF-212 Squadron fighter pilot and represents the MARINE CORPS contribution to victory in the SOLOMON ISLANDS campaign and that of the inverted gull ‘bent wing’ CORSAIR F-4U-1As in WW2.

18 September 2020

ISON, Paul E (#291)

Private First Class Paul E ISON represents the savage fighting for OKINAWA, whose photograph was taken when he was crossing Death Valley on 10th May 1945 – this in turn became the fighting symbol of the UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS in the PACIFIC WAR and was one of the most iconic taken in WW2.

18 September 2020

SWETT, James Elms (#302)

If Swett had a taste for trouble, he was born at the right time. And he would rise to meet it both promptly and bravely, for his first day of action would lead to the downing of 8 enemy planes and the award of a Medal of Honor for his actions. He would go on to shoot down a further 7.5 planes and receive further decoration for his bravery and actions: two Distinguished Flying Crosses and five Air Medals.