Staffordshire Remembrance

A tribute to heroes who lost their lives during armed conflict

The Sentinel will this year commemorate those who fought for our country during two world wars with a special online section.

It features exclusive videos from 11 soldiers who took part in the Second World War, as well as footage of the battles in which they fought.
The section also features articles from each veteran as well as a history of The Staffordshire Regiment.

There are also links to allow readers to tell us their memories or send us their pictures of the wars, or of relatives who served. Those memories will appear at the bottom of this page.

Read the stories of our veterans by clicking the links below:

Read more of our Remembrance memories and stories - or submit your own

Tom Berrisford
Jim Murphy
Arthur Simmons
Kenneth Bettany
Arthur Mitchell
John Wilde
Les Harrison
Basil Atkins
Albert Mitchell
Ernie Morris

Your wartime memories

When I was a child growing up in the rural surroundings of North Staffordshire playing with my toy guns made of sticks, little did I know the bravery of the old man by my side. He used to shout "get down the Germans are coming", "get on your belt buckle" and I would laugh and hide and use my toy guns and grenades against this imaginary Army. On my way home we would drive past the memorial in Madeley and I would be in awe of the Soldier stood proud and would ask why he was there my great uncle would always reply so we "never forget".

In the years to come I decided that it was the Army for me and off I went to serve for Queen and Country with the best Army in the world. Then came the day I was to go to Iraq and fight an invisible enemy terrorists and extremists that wanted to change the way we live the way my brave great uncle had fought to allow us to live.

My great uncle cried when I told him I was going to Iraq and he had never liked my career choice. Last year he passed away and now I know why he cried I found his war diaries.

He was on the first wave on the D-Day landings and witnessed the horror of war, he fought all the way through to Germany and was wounded in action but still went back for more a real man who believed in freedom and honour. John Leigh of The Seaforth and Gordon Highlanders returned home in 1946 to marry his sweetheart Elsie and were married for 60+ years untill last year when he passed away.

I always wanted to be like my great uncle a brave and honourable man who loved his family and valued what he had every day and made the most of every day, Last Year I was awarded a Mention In Dispatches on the New years Honours list for Bravery in Iraq and a Air Commodores Commendation for another incident. He never saw this but every time I drive past the Soldier stood in Madeley I think of him and my children ask why is that soldier there I always say "so we don't forget" and hopefully we never will.

Sgt Lee Melvin MiD, Alsagers Bank.

I remember the time that a ship’s company arrived at Stoke Railway Station and was housed by the people of Newcastle.
They were serving aboard the HMS Daedalus II from Lympne in Kent as Fleet Air Arm apprentices, but were evacuated after sustaining air attacks from the Luftwaffe.
I was a wren living in Newcastle and was later drafted to Dover... but that’s another story.

Doreen Mullen (Sherratt), St Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia

My great grandfather James Carr was killed in action during the First World War’s Battle of the Somme on July 3 1916.
He was a corporal in the 1649 Regiment, 8th Battalion of the North Staffordshire regiment, and died aged 26 and leaving his wife and two children behind. His body was never recovered.

David Shone, Linda Road, Tunstall

My grandfather Arthur Charles Spain was a Lance Corporal - Service No.2941/20081 - who served in the 1/4 & 7th Batallions of the East Kent Regiment.

He was 19 and fighting in the battle of Rouseas Farm, Poelkappel in Belgium on November 17 1917, when he was killed by shellfire during a counterattack by the Germans.

Unbeknown to him he was to become a father in April of 1918. His son was my father, a gift beyond any treasure in the universe. Sadly he also has passed -on leaving a void in my heart that can never be filled. God bless and sleep the sleep of heroes.

Your sacrifice of yesterday ensured my tomorrow.Love Tony,Lynne,Katie & Kerry (greatgrandaughters)

Anthony Chapman, Melrose Avenue, Newcastle.

In loving memory of Quartermaster Sergeant Colin Wilde, brother of Nora Landon, lost at sea in the Mediterranean on SS Erin Pura on May 1 1942, while serving with Basutos of the South African Pioneer Corp.
Nora Landon, Newcastle

Lest we forget: A list of the fallen from the Staffordshire Regiment during World War I