Margaret Parsons
Margaret ‘Madge’ Parsons (1924 – 2019) was born in Holbeck, Leeds, on 15th of February 1924 to Adam and Eliza Moscrop. She had a brother and a sister, and also twelve half sisters and brothers. Madge was educated at Ingram’s Road Primary School in Holbeck. She grew up during the...
Margaret Pride
Margaret Alison Pride (1947-2018) was born in Cardiff to David and Phyllis Roche. She was one of seven children. Margaret left school and worked as a wages clerk and in the same year she met Ed Pride, whom she married in 1968. Their first house was in Llantrisant, where Ian...
Margaret Saunders
Margaret Saunders (1924 – 2019) was born on 25th November 1924 in Croydon, to Sidney and Ellen Uphill. She had an older older sister, Hilda. During the Second World War, she was evacuated to Norfolk. After the war, Margaret returned to London and married Albert Saunders. They had three children,...
Marilyn Mountstephens
Marilyn Dorothy Mountstephens (1950 – 2019) was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 26th January 1950, the third of four daughters born to parents Cathy and Dennis. Marilyn had a strong sense of adventure and travelled to England where she met Terry. They married in 1974 and had three children....
Marion Spencer
Marion Spencer (1920 – 2019) was born and raised in the London Borough of Harrow. Her parents were Thomas Wilson Fox and Mabel Dalton. She had two sisters, Barbara and Shirley. She went to Brondesbury & Kilburn High School, where she became head girl. Marion then went to UCL where...
Mark Broster
Mark Broster (1986 – 2023) was born in Brighton Hospital on 19th August 1986 to Maralyn and Ray. Just before going to secondary school, Mark was diagnosed with autism. He attended St Anne’s School in Lewes followed by St John’s College, Brighton, where he was a weekly boarder. As an...
Mark Howlett
Mark Andrew John Howlett (1964-2019) was the son of Rita and John Howlett and the younger brother of Debbie. He grew up in Oxford and attended Redefield School. He left school at the age of 16 and became a driver, qualifying to operate HGVs. Mark married Lindsey in 1993. Their...
Martin Chandos Taylor
Martin Chandos Taylor (1952 – 2020) was born in Chelsea on 23rd May 1952 to Alfred and Lady Ursula Taylor, the youngest brother to Peter and John. Martin’s childhood was spent in Kew, attending a school in Gunnersbury. Martin took a degree in Arabic and Oriental Studies at university before...
Martin Gilbert
Martin Thomas Gilbert (1921 – 2019) was born in Folkestone on 8th February 1921, to Charles and Dorothy. He had a younger brother. Martin won a scholarship to The Harvey Grammar School. In 1937, he started an electrical engineering apprenticeship in London with Marryat & Place and gained a Higher...
Martin John Smith
Martin John Smith was born in Wolverhampton on 1st July 1959 to Jean and Bernard. He had three siblings, Paul, Sue and Robin. He passed his eleven plus exam and went to Penistone Grammar School, followed by Huddersfield Technical College. Having started work at Shelley Textiles, Martin made the decision...
Mary Cole
Mary Catherine Cole (1923-2019) was born in London, the only daughter of William and Mary McCarthy. Her father was an ardent socialist, and strongly influenced the beliefs that she held all her life. At the beginning of the war she joined the Wrens, and was stationed at Chatham. After the...
Mary Gordon
Mary Gordon (1923–2019) was the fourth of seven children born to John and Ethel. She grew up in Manchester. Her father died when she was seven, leaving the family in poverty. Mary left school at 14 to work at a munitions factory. She met Wilfred and they had a son,...
Mary Leach
Mary Leach (1931-2018) was born and raised in Stonyford, the third of nine children. Like many girls in those days, she left school at 14 and entered the world of domestic service. When she was 20, Mary married the 21 year old George and, not long after, Mary gave birth...
Mary Roberts
Mary Alice Roberts (1930 – 2019) was born on 2nd June 1930, to Annie and Jack Wilkinson, in Fartown, Yorkshire. Her sister, Margaret, was born when Mary was sixteen. She went to Greenhead Grammar School, then worked at ICI, dye testing in the laboratory. Mary married Norman in 1950, at...
Mary Urquhart
Mary ‘May’ Hannah Urquhart (1931 – 2018) was born in Lockerbie but spent her childhood and early adulthood in Dundee. She was the youngest of nine children. She left school at 14 to work as a window dresser at a department store in Dundee. She met her future husband David...
Matthew ‘Matt’ Trotter
Matthew ‘Matt’ Trotter (1939 – 2021) was born on 14th January 1939 in Washington, County Durham, to Bob and Rosie Trotter. He had five siblings, Joe, Jackie, Bobbie, Billy and Maggie. Matt joined the RAF aged 15, after his father and brothers. He reached the rank of Sergeant in Bomber...
Melvyn Le Poidevin
Melvyn Le Poidevin (1939 – 2025) was born in Guernsey to Thomas and Gladys, and evacuated to Glasgow with his mother just before the German invasion, returning after the war. A few years later the family (which now included siblings June and Kenny), emigrated to Wainuiomata in New Zealand, where...
Mervyn Stuart-Smith
Mervyn Stuart-Smith (1927 – 2021) was born on 28th January 1927 to Beatrice and Gilbert Smith in Frenchay, near Bristol and had a younger sister Margaret. Mervyn’s early life was impacted by the Second World War and the death of his mother at the age of fourteen. Following his National...
Michael (Mike) Lewis
Michael (Mike) John Lewis (1950 – 2019) was born to Beryl and Jim Lewis on 1st January 1950. He had a younger sister, Annie. The family moved frequently with his father’s RAF postings, but often returned to his Grandparents’ farm in Kinsley, Yorkshire. Michael started boarding at Pocklington School in...
Michael John Sawbridge
Michael John Sawbridge (1937-2015) was born on 21 October in Brazil where his father had settled after the First World War. After boarding school in England and a brief spell as an accountant, Mike was called up to do his national service. He served in the RAF and later became...
Michael Penny
Michael Penny was born on 28 July 1917 in Taunton. During World War II, he served in the RAF before rejoining the family timber business when the war ended. Michael enjoyed playing sports, particularly tennis, squash, and hockey, and walking trips across the country. He married his wife Jean in...
Michael Tudor
Michael Tudor (1965 – 2019) was born in Liverpool to Cathy. He had two sisters, Tina and Alison. He passed his 11+ and went to Campion grammar school but left without any qualifications. He left home at 16 and did various jobs in Liverpool. He met his life partner, Diane,...
Michael Wagner
Michael Wagner (1917 – 2017)was born in London on 2 November, the second of three children. He joined the army during World War II and, after being captured in North Africa, managed to escape from an Italian Prisoner of War Camp, spending five months hiding in a chapel. After the...
Michael Walmsley
Michael Walmsley was born on 9th September 1960 to Pauline and Roy. He had a younger brother, David, and was close to his maternal grandparents. He grew up in Holywell Green, West Yorkshire. Michael was a lifelong Liverpool FC supporter, travelling all over England to watch them play and sometimes...
