Armies

Sergeant James A WOOLNOUGH MM, whose MILITARY MEDAL was won seconded to the KING Is OWN YORKSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY at ANZIO.

Major General John C WOOLLETT CBE MC MA CEng FICE CORPS of ROYAL ENGINEERS: served in 1 Section 23 FIELD COMPANY R.E., in 1 TROOP 6 COMMANDO, and took part in the early, successful COMBINED OPERATIONS RAID on VAAGSO & Maaloy in NORWAY 27 Dec 1941 (after Blenheims bombed the nearby German airfield at Herdla) wrecking oil tanks & factories, plus important, explosives ingredients.

Brigadier A E Mervyn WALTER CBE of the CORPS of ROYAL ENGINEERS, here mainly as a TRANSPORTATION SPECIALIST, firstly for his (& two others, Captain Andrew CROFT and Lt Malcolm MUNTHE, nephew of Axel) Pre-NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN clandestine INTELLIGENCE gathering on the PORTS and RAILWAYS SYSTEMS in Jan 1940 NORWAY and SWEDEN, crossing over to FINLAND and only able to return without papers, after a SWEDISH OFFICER'S Funeral Cortege provided cover for slipping back into Sweden & then back to Britain.

Regimental Sergeant Major WO IT Tommy WALL of 2nd Battalion WEST YORKSHIRE Regiment, for its distinguished service in KEREN Eritrea against the Italians and then later in BURMA at the key Defence of the IMPHAL Box against repeated Japanese infiltration and attacks until relieved.

Private John TOUGH (pronounced "two-ch") for THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS: a relatively young man, who saw much action in final 9 months of the war; honouring earlier generations who had served & some died with the GORDONS

T268373 Sgt T Albert STRONG MM for the ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS and TRANSPORT, and here the ubiquitous utility of the JEEP, here named "Jessie" & painted on, after his wife to be's name, in particular for its use in the RECOVERY of the WOUNDED, plus Bert STRONG being a witness to the number of LIVES SAVED BY BOTH SIDES

Company Sgt Major David E SMITH of THE BLACK WATCH (Royal Highland Regiment) nearly succeeded in joining at 15 like his father in WW1 for the CAMERONIANS later wounded) but was made to wait two more years; an INSTRUCTOR at 17, he joined CDOs with Jimmy Pearson in 1943 into 4 Tp No 6 COMMANDO.

Sergeant Frederick J PETRIE MM and MiDr signs for the splendid fighting service of 43rd WESSEX DIVISION, mainly TERRITORIAL ARMY,with its Wyvern symbol flying on Wessex battle standards going back to well before the Battle of Hastings, which under Manor General G Ivor THOMAS (a WW1 Artillery officer) and Brig EASAMEr played asignificant role within 2nd ARMY in the LIBERATION of North West EUROPE.

Sergeant Mildred PENN (later Mrs M COOPER) for her WW2 service with the ROYAL SIGNALS, ATS, & all, the many teams, mainly of WOMEN, In the WAR OFFICE "Y" GROUP on SIGNALS INTERCEPTION work.

Doctor Stanley Septimus PAVILLARD MBE MC was originally brought up in Las Palmas and in Singapore was Medical Officer to the “Vultures”, the STRAITS SETTLEMENTS VOLUNT£ER FORCE.

Corporal George PARKINSON from Merseyside for the fighting service of the ROYAL IRISH INNISKILLINGS, he was with the 6th, which saw their first Bn attack at TWO TREE HILL in TUNISIA 13 Jan 1943, within the IRISH BDE, BOU ARADA and then the INVASION of SICILY, here especially for his unit's part in the BATTLE to take the prominent position CENTURIPE ("Cherry Ripe").

Lt Colonel Thomas MITCHELL MBE BSc FRIBA MInstStE RE for the ROYAL ENGINEERS contribution to the air war worldwide and the key importance in WW2 building of the rapid provision of forward airstrips in NORMANDY and elsewhere for the universal requirement of air power.

James McDowell commemorates the war operations of the BORDER REGIMENT, in particular to the defence of UK in SE England at "Hellfire  Corner", then fighting in SICILY and as part of the 1st LANDING BRIGADE at the Battle of ARNHEM, where Jim was one of the three Border men near Hartenstein, with their mortar virtually vertical and in frequent use, in one of the war's most famous photographs; his mortar pit is preserved to this day, as also his great praise to the spirit and gallant help of the local Dutch citizens of all ages.