RAF Bampton Castle - a brief history

VJ Day Journal August 15th 1945

Freda Daniels was not quite 3 years old when she was dressed up to sell poppies in 1929. She was born April 13th 1927. The photograph of her sitting has '3 years old' written on the back.
When she married she became Mrs Freda Bradley.

On May 19th 2004 a conversation between Stan Smith and Jo Lewington was recorded and this is a transcript of that conversation. Stan talks of his time fighting and then as a POW and finally on the long march west.

Private William Johnson Ox & Bucks Light Infantry 5th Battalion 10677 A Company. His granddaughter Pamela Smith has put together these items.

William was the first young man in Bampton to volunteer and the town awarded him a clock for this. He was also the first soldier to be awarded the Military Medal. This account by Pamela recounts his battles, the conditions, Christmas and much more.

Only five different medals were struck during the war and William was award four.

A newspaper account of the home-coming of William January 1916. William had already been award the Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery in the field for recovering lieutenant Wood. He was met at Bampton & Brize Norton station by Mr Alfie Bryant in a car kindly lent by Mr Collett. A rapturous welcome awaited him in Bampton and he was presented with a handsome marble clock inscribed "Presented by friends in Bampton to Pte William Johnson O.B.L.I. on being awarded the DCM for gallantry in action 1915.

"The crest on the lighter is that of the USAF 5th Air Force that has been based in the Pacific since 1942. Brize Norton air base was handed to the USAF in 1951 and returned to the RAF in 1965.

These ladies were at a British Legion Christmas gathering in the early 1960s.

21st birthday celebration of the women's section British Legion with a football match v men.

Witney Gazette, autumn 2015. Call to fund a national memorial for our Ox & Bucks D-Day heroes. Fitting tribute: The design for the memorial to the 2nd Battalion D Company of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry’s heroic Pegasus Bridge operation

Brigadier Rupert Crowdy OBE served in the army in India and Burma and afterwards he organised the 'shipping' of coal into Berlin during the Berlin Siege. In 1962 he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Queen.