Second World War Archives

Mitrofan Alekseevich Brosalin

Order of the Red Star awarded to Mitrofan Alekseevich Brosalin.

Mitrofan Alekseevich Brosalin was born in the village of Rozhd, Borisiglebsk Region, Voronezh Oblast in 1921, he served in the Red Army from 20th October 1941 onwards.

Brosalin’s first frontline action came about on the Stalingrad Front from 23rd August 1942 until 28th September 1942, when he was most likely wounded, as we then see a break in service until 20th February to 20th April 1943. Between 20th May 1943 and 20th July 1943 he was attached to the Briansk Front, and from 20th July 1944 with the 2nd Ukrainian Front, with whom he won this Order of the Red Star, the citation for which is as follows:

“Comrade Brosalin M A served with the active army from 1942. In combat situations supplies and medical-sanitary properties were always on time during the offensive battles of the division in the period 1943-44. On the Kirovogradsk, Umanskii direction, through the environment and times of the Korsun-Shevchenkovsk operations of the enemy, he carried out energetic work. He not only provided for the health of the division, but during the midsummer nights he evacuated the wounded.

During the night … Read the rest

The Police in Time of War

Research

THE BOER WAR.

On 29th December, 1899, Constable Herbert Peacock was recalled to the 2nd Battalion of the South Wales Borderers and went with them to South Africa. On 15th February, 1900, Constable Coombs was recalled to the Royal Field Artillery, Woolwich, but rejoined the Force in October of that year. Constable John Thomas Cooper, who was recalled to the Grenadier Guards, did not return to the Force until 22nd July, 1902.

THE GREAT WAR 1914 -1918.

On the eve of the outbreak of the 1914 – 1918 war, information had been received at Newport that the German steamship “Belgia “, (Hamburg- Amerika line) had been refused permission to enter Newport docks and had returned down channel and anchored ten miles from Newport.

At 2.56 a.m. on 4th August, a message was received that this country was at war with Germany. Immediately on receipt of the message, the Chief Constable, with twelve of his staff, armed with service rifles borrowed from Territorial headquarters, proceeded down channel in a tug, commandeered by Capt. Cutcliffe, the dock master. They boarded the vessel, and brought her back to Newport, making captain, officers and crew prisoners.

As the military were unable to render assistance, … Read the rest

Augustus Charles Newman

Research

Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Charles Newman, VC, OBE, TD, DL (19 August 1904 – 26 April 1972) was a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

Newman was educated at Bancroft’s School, Essex. On leaving school he joined a firm of Civil Engineering and Public Works Contractors and was commissioned into the part-time Territorial Army in 1925, rising to the rank of major by 1939.

He was 37 years old and a lieutenant colonel in The Essex Regiment, British Army, attached to No. 2 Commando during the Second World War, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC).

On 28 March 1942 in the attack on St. Nazaire, France, Lieutenant Colonel Newman was in charge of the military forces and he was one of the first ashore, leading his men and directing operations quite regardless of his own safety. Under his inspiring leadership the troops fought magnificently and held vastly superior numbers of the enemy at bay until the demolition parties had done their work. The colonel then … Read the rest

Francis Arthur Jefferson

Research

Lance Corporal Francis Arthur Jefferson VC (18 August 1921 – 4 September 1982) was a British Army soldier and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. It was awarded for his actions at the Battle of Monte Cassino in mid-1944 during the gruelling Italian campaign of the Second World War.

Jefferson was 22 years old, and a fusilier in the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, British Army during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 16 May 1944, during an attack on the Gustav Line, Monte Cassino, Italy, the leading company of Fusilier Jefferson’s battalion had to dig in without protection. The enemy counter-attacked opening fire at short range, and Fusilier Jefferson on his own initiative seized a PIAT and, running forward under a hail of bullets, fired on the leading tank. It burst into flames and its crew were killed. The fusilier then reloaded and went towards the second tank which withdrew before he could get within range. By this time, British tanks had arrived … Read the rest

Edward Smith

Research

Edward Benn (‘Ned’) Smith VC, DCM (10 November 1898 – 12 January 1940) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

World War I

Distinguished Conduct Medal

On 10 August 1918, then a Corporal with the 1/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, Smith was leading a daylight patrol near Hébuterne in the Somme Area of France to examine points in the German lines where information was required. As the patrol was about to retire, he saw a party of about 40 Germans about to take up outpost duty. Despite being heavily outnumbered by the German soldiers, Smith led his small party of men and engaged the enemy, breaking up the German party and causing severe casualties. As well as receiving the Distinguished Conduct Medal for this action, he was promoted to the rank of Lance Sergeant.

Victoria Cross

Eleven days later, during the period 21/23 August 1918, east of Serre, France, Smith while in command of a platoon, took a machine-gun post at The Lozenge (Hill 140), rushing the garrison with his rifle and bayonet. The enemy … Read the rest

Edward Noel Mellish

Research

Edward Noel Mellish VC MC DL (24 December 1880 – 8 July 1962) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early Life

Edward Noel Mellish was born on 24 December 1880 at Oakleigh Park, Barnet, North London. He was the son of Edward and Mary Mellish. He went on to be educated at Saffron Walden Grammar School and from there became a member of the Artists Rifles. In 1900 he began serving with Baden-Powell’s Police during the Second Boer War in South Africa.

He returned to study Theology at King’s College London and took holy orders in 1912.

World War I

On the outbreak of the First World War Mellish was assistant curate at St Paul’s, Deptford. He offered his services to the chaplaincy and served from May 1915 until February 1919. Just a few months after the start of his service, his brother Second Lieutenant Richard Coppin Mellish was killed in action whilst serving with the 1st Middlesex Regiment at the Battle of Loos on 25 September 1915. Reverend Mellish was attached … Read the rest

William Robert Fountaine Addison

Research

William Robert Fountaine Addison VC (18 September 1883 – 7 January 1962) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

The Reverend William Addison was educated at Robert Mays School, Odiham, Hants, and as a young man worked as a lumberjack in Canada. After studying at Salisbury Theological College, he was ordained in 1913 and became curate of St Edmund’s Church, Salisbury.

First World War

Upon the outbreak of First World War, he volunteered for the Army Chaplain’s Department. He became a Temporary Chaplain of the Forces, 4th Class in the Army Chaplain’s Department, British Army, when the following deed took place on 9 April 1916 at Sanna-i-Yat, Mesopotamia, for which he was awarded the VC “for most conspicuous bravery”:

He carried a wounded man to the cover of a trench, and assisted several others to the same cover, after binding up their wounds under heavy rifle and machine gun fire.

In addition to these unaided efforts, by his splendid example and utter disregard of personal danger, he encouraged the stretcher-bearers … Read the rest

W. Owen

Research

**Service Medal of the Order of Saint John**

Awarded to Private (No.40200) W. Owen, Lancashire Division, Saint John Ambulance Brigade, who was awarded the medal after 15 years service in 1944 indicating that he was almost certainly involved in Civil Defence work during the Second World War.

Henry Eric Harden

Research

Henry Eric Harden VC (23 February 1912 – 23 January 1945) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

Harden was a 32-year-old, lance-corporal in the Royal Army Medical Corps attached No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

On 23 January 1945 during Operation Blackcock, at Brachterbeek, the Netherlands, three marines of the leading section of the Royal Marine Commando Troop to which Lance-Corporal Harden was attached fell, wounded. The Commando section had come under heavy machine-gun fire in the open field that morning, and the men were seriously wounded. One of the casualties was Lieutenant Corey. Under intense mortar and machine-gun fire Harden was wounded in his side as he carried one man back to the aid post, which had been set up in one of the houses along the Stationsweg in Brachterbeek. Against the orders of another Medical officer he then returned with a stretcher party for the other two … Read the rest

HMS Furious

Research

HMS Furious was a modified Courageous-class battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy (RN) during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord, Lord Fisher, the ship was very lightly armoured and designed with a main battery of only two 18-inch (457 mm) guns. Furious was modified as an aircraft carrier while under construction. Her forward turret was removed and a flight deck was added in its place, such that aircraft had to manoeuvre around the superstructure to land. Later in the war, the ship had her rear turret removed and a second flight deck installed aft of the superstructure, but this was less than satisfactory due to air turbulence. Furious was briefly laid up after the war before she was reconstructed with a full-length flight deck in the early 1920s.

After her conversion, Furious was used extensively for trials of naval aircraft and later as a training carrier once the new armoured carriers like Ark Royal entered service in the late 1930s. During the early months of the Second World War, the carrier spent her time hunting for German raiders in the North Atlantic and escorting convoys. This changed dramatically … Read the rest