Wartime stories – WW2

On Saturday 1st August 1942, Mr and Mrs W Wood of Portway Farm received details from “The Fleet” as to the mention for bravery of their fifth son, Able Seaman Douglas Wood aged 25. Douglas was a formed chorister of Queen’s College School.

On Saturday 15th August, news was received that Trooper A J Phillips of the Royal Tank Regiment, who was wounded in Libya in 1941 and who was recently a prisoner of war in Italian hands, was quite well. Trooper Phillips and his wife and young daughter lived in Twyford. In January 1944, Mrs Phillips received a card from her husband to say that he was now a prisoner in Germany but that he was well.

In January 1943, it was reported that Lieut. R P Fitz-Gerald, the grandson of Lt. Col. Fitz-Gerald who lived at Twyford Manor, had been awarded the DSC for bravery

In May 1943, Mrs Janes of Home Crescent, Twyford, received official news that her husband, Pte Arthur Janes, Beds and Herts Regt, was a prisoner of war in Japanese hands having been reported missing since the fall of Singapore.

In July 1943, Mrs Janes received a postcard from her husband to say that he is well and being well treated.

Sgt S R Beckett of the Home Guard received a BEM for outstanding service in the King’s birthday honours list. Sgt Beckett was a member of Twyford Platoon, Claydon Company of the 3rd Bucks Battalion which he joined in its formation in 1940.

The citation reads “His loyal and untiring devotion to duty and his example of ungrudging service during the whole of the four years existence of the Home Guard has been an inspiration to all serving members with whom it has been his duty to come into contact”