relatives

Gunner John Phillips served with the Royal Artillery during the Indian Mutiny in 1857. He then went to China and fought in the Chinese War and was present at the capture of Peking in 1860.

The 6/14 left Woolwich on the 12th August 1857 and travelled via the Mediterranean and Egypt, arriving in Madras on the 6th November 1857. They left Madras for the Saugor District on the 23rd January 1858, marching via Kampti to arrive at Jubbulpore where they joined the Saugor Field Force. Their first action took place at Kubrae on the 17th April 1858 with the battle of Banda taking place the next day. On the 27th April 1858 they were billeted in Kirwi and they were not in action again until the action at Nyegaon on the 13th August, followed by action at Chitrakote on the 27th August and Penghali on the 4th September 1858. Gunner John Phillips was awarded the India Mutiny Medal 1857-58 whilst serving with the 6th Company of the 14th Battalion Royal Artillery. The company remained in garrison at Saugor until they went on to China.

Early in 1860 the battery sailed to Calcutta and on the 29th March boarded the troop ship Merchantman for Hong Kong. They arrived on the 23rd April and remained until 16th May when they sailed on to Talienwan Bay where they landed at the smaller Odin Bay. On the 21st July they sailed north to land at Pei-tang on the 1st August 1860. They moved against the Taku Forts on 20th August which were captured as was Tientsin on the 23rd August. On the 12th September they moved to Pekin which surrendered on the 13th October 1860. Gunner John Phillips was awarded the Second China War medal with a clasp for Pekin. The Battery then went into garrison at Shanghai until they returned to India.

Gunner John Phillips died on 4th December 1867, from a disease caught in the discharge of his duty and was buried in Toronto.

The Devons at

Wagon Hill

India General Service Medal with Clasps for Tirah 1897-98 and Punjab Frontier 1897-98

Kings South Africa Medal with Clasps for South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902

Private Harry Hussey-Smith served in the Tirah Campaign on the North West Frontier (Peshwar and the Khyber Pass) and the Punjab Frontier, India, 1897-1898. He then fought in the Boer War, Belfast (Transvaal) and the Defence of Ladysmith (Natal), South Africa, 1899-1902. He took part in the famous charge of the Devons' at Wagon Hill, during the defence of Ladysmith.

The 2/6th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment was formed in Birmingham during October 1914 and became part of 2nd Warwickshire Brigade, 2nd South Midland Division. They moved to France on 22nd March - 1st April 1915, and served with distinction on the Western Front throughout the Great War. Arnold Brown enlisted on 9th December 1915 at Wallasey and was wounded (suffering spinal injuries) during the Battle of Cambrai (20th November-4th December 1917). He was Honourably Discharged on 30th May 1918 and received the Silver War Badge as he was disabled on active service.

A letter written to my Grandfather, from his C.O., Lt. Col. Davidson, after they had both been wounded. An easier to read version has been appended on the left.

The picture to the right of my grandfather shows the 1st/9th Hampshires parading in Vladivostok prior to entraining for Omsk to support the White Russian forces, December of 1918. My grandfather is near the front of the parade as he played the clarinet in the band. The picture to the right of that was brought home by my grandfather. He has written on the back, 'Ekaterinburg, East Russia, house where Czar Nicholis [sic] was assassinated. Photo taken after Red's retreat westward (1919).

Originally, the battalion was formed as the 1/9th (Cyclist) Battalion in August 1914 at Southampton. In November 1915, they joined with three other Cyclist Battalions, 2/6th Royal Sussex, 1/25th London, and 1/1st Kent Cyclist Battalion and converted to infantry. This 'Brigade' was originally intended for East Africa. On the 4th February 1916 they sailed from Devonport to India. In October 1918, they moved to Vladivostock, Russia, and then moved into Siberia, where they stayed until November 1919 before returning to England. William Thornton enlisted in 1915, went to the North-West Frontier in India and was stationed at Omsk and Vladivostock in support of the White Russians before returning home in 1919.

The 1/7th Battalion was formed in Bournemouth in August, 1914 and was part of the Hampshire Brigade, Wessex Division. They sailed for India on the 9th October 1914, landing at Karachi on the 11th November 1914. They remained in India until January 1918, when the Battalion moved to Aden. Edwin Skivington is pictured above right at Sabatha Hill Barracks, India 1916.

5350 Private Samuel Horrocks, 2nd/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion, Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

The 2/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion was formed at Aylesbury in September 1914. In February 1915 they were attached to 184th Brigade, 61st Division. The Division entrained for the Western Front on the 21st May 1916. They were disbanded in France on 22nd February, 1918. Sam Horrocks was wounded during the Battle of the Somme and later died of those wounds (aged 26) on 1st December 1916. He is buried at Dernancourt Military Cemetery, near Albert, France.

Acting Corporal (later Sergeant) Fred Greaves, 9th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment)

VC Dinner

The 9th (Service) Battalion was formed at Derby, 24 August 1914. In August 1914 they were attached to 33rd Brigade, 11th (Northern) Division. On the 1st July 1915 they sailed from Liverpool, landing at Alexandria and on to Mudros, completing their concentration by 28 July 1915. On the 7th August 1915 they landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli. On the 21st December 1915 they withdrew from Gallipoli, to Egypt. In July 1916 they landed at Marseilles and spent the remainder of the war on the Western Front. On 4th October 1917 at Poelcapelle, east of Ypres, Belgium, when the platoon was held up by machine-gun fire from a concrete stronghold and the platoon commander and sergeant were casualties, Corporal Greaves, followed by another NCO, rushed forward, reached the rear of the building and bombed the occupants, killing or capturing the garrison and the machine-gun. Later, at a most critical period of the battle, during a heavy counter-attack, all the officers of the company became casualties and Corporal Greaves collected his men, threw out extra posts on the threatened flank and opened up rifle and machine-gun fire to enfilade the advance. (Account of Deed taken from The Register of the Victoria Cross, published by This England).

On His Majesty, King George V's invitation, an Afternoon Party was held at Buckingham Palace on 26th June 1920 for the recipients of the Victoria Cross and Fred Greaves attended. Fred also attended the VC reunion dinner on Saturday, 9th November 1929 in The Royal Gallery, House of Lords, Palace of Westminster, London. See picture above, right. He also attended the end of World War II Victory Day Celebration Reception held at the Dorchester, London, on 8th June 1946, the VC Centenary Review of Holders of the Decoration by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Hyde Park, London, 26th June 1956 and the Afternoon Garden Party given by HM Queen Elizabeth II in the grounds of Buckingham Palace on 17th July 1962.

755781 Flight Sergeant Dennis Thornton, 500 Squadron (County of Kent), Royal Air Force

Lockheed Hudson

Dennis Thornton was a Wireless Operator/Aerial Gunner in 500 Squadron (County of Kent) with Coastal Command operating from Bircham Newton, Norfolk. He was flying in a Hudson Mark V AE647 MK.D when it crashed on Brancaster Beach at 23.30 17th February 1942. His fiancée, a WAAF stationed at the same base witnessed the crash. All the crew (114958 Pilot Officer P. G. Stote, 755781 Flight Sergeant D. Thornton (aged 21), 1250651 Flight Sergeant A. B. Giles and 751799 Flight Sergeant B. A. Tonks) died in the crash.

Pamela Thornton enlisted on 14th October 1942 and was demobbed on 15th October 1946. She served at Titchfield, Ibsley, Harrogate, Cosford, Weeton, Yatesbury, London, Abbey Lodge and Compton Bassett.

Enlisted 29/11/1940 and demobbed 6/6/1946. Served at Odiham, Pietermaritzburg, Durban, then with 104 Squadron in North Africa and the Italian Campaign (seen in photo with my Aunt Pam, see above). Claude and Pam's photographs

Syd Bradley joined the Royal Marines in June, 1942. He served in South Africa, India and Ceylon in 1943, then Normandy and Dieppe in 1944 and Belgium, Holland and Germany in 1945. He was demobbed in April, 1946.

HMS Sirius

Enlisted as a boy entrant in 1939 and served until 1977. He served all over the world including Singapore in 1942 during the surrender to the Japanese and again in 1945 when Singapore was liberated. He was on board HMS Sirius on D-Day, 6th June 1944. He was Signals Officer onboard the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes before it became a Commando carrier.

Conscripted in April 1940. Served in England and Scotland until 1943. Then sailed on the Franconia to Algiers. Then went to Malta. Took part in the invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky). Then went to Italy and was stationed near Mt. Vesuvius when it erupted in 1944 and helped to shovel ash from the roofs of nearby houses. In Milan from 1944-45 including peace-keeping duties after Mussolini was executed. Then went to Austria from 1945-46 and was demobbed in July 1946.

National Service from 18/09/52 to 16/11/54. Served at Catterick Garrison for six months and then in Egypt for eighteen months. Picture above taken at Port Said.

24734908 Signalman Martin Thornton, 81 Signal Squadron (V), Royal Corps of Signals

81 Signal Squadron first came into being in Leeds, 1924, as 1st Kite Balloon Signal Section. Although the unit designation changed several times before 1939, the role remained that of providing communications for the Air Component which would support the Expeditionary Force, in the event of war. Two units went to France in September 1939 and served there until the evacuation of British Forces in June, 1940. At the end of 1942, the two units were dispatched to North Africa to take part in Operation 'Torch' (the invasion of North Africa). At the end of the war the units were disbanded. When the Army Emergency Reserve was formed in 1950, 50th Air Formation Signal Regiment was formed and many volunteers for the Regiment came from the two units which were disbanded at the end of the war. The unit was re-designated 81st Signal Regiment in 1960 and made several visits to Germany and Aden. The history of the Regiment is carried on by 81 Signal Squadron (V) after the reorganisation of the Reserve Army in 1967. It's Air Formation Signals role still continues. The role of 81 Signal Squadron (V) now, is the design and installation of communications systems, including voice and data circuits over cable and optical fibre, deployed both in static headquarters and in the field. I served in Germany, Cyprus and UK.