Veterans Portraits

The changing faces of those who served

A collection of contemporary and old photographs of veterans. Each entry includes a Second World War portrait, and a photograph of the veteran when they were interviewed as part of Escape Arts’ “D-Day Remembered” project in 2014.

People of Stratford Stratford at War Yesterday & Today
An elderly man with white hair smiles whilst sitting on a sofa, wearing a collared shirt, tie, and jumper. The photo is in black and white.
Bill Betts
A young man in a vintage military uniform and side cap poses for a formal portrait against a soft, neutral background.
Bill Betts was a tank gunner on D-Day, being tasked with drawing fire from the allied forces; one of the first troops to land.
Elderly man in a green beret and suit, wearing a striped tie and displaying several military medals and badges on his jacket.
Don Clarke
Sepia-toned photo of a young person in an old-fashioned police or military uniform, wearing a hat with a badge, looking slightly to the side and smiling faintly.
After being told the Navy was full, Don Clarke alongside Joe Pitts joined the Marines, before fighting along the beach during D-Day as rockets and shells flew overhead.
An elderly woman with curly white hair and glasses smiles whilst wearing a dark cardigan over a collared shirt.
Marjorie Munroe
Vintage studio portrait of a woman in an Australian military uniform.
Marjorie Munroe was in secretive training as a wireless operator at RAF Wilmslow during D-Day.
An elderly man with glasses smiling at the camera, wearing a brown and tan striped jumper.
Howard Rose
A black-and-white photograph of five men in military-style uniforms, with one man in the bottom left circled in red.
After commando training, Howard Rose worked alongside the Canadian military during the Juno Beach assault on D-Day.
A clear blue sky transitioning from a darker shade on the left to a lighter shade on the right.
Joe Pitts
Black and white portrait of a smiling soldier in uniform and a peaked cap.
After commando-type training, at 19 Joe Pitts participated in D-Day, operating landing craft.
An elderly man with white hair and a light blue button-down shirt smiling whilst seated in a chair.
Philip Sweet
A large group of Women's Royal Naval Service personnel in uniform posing for a portrait on the deck of a ship.
A member of Combined Ops, Phillip Sweet operated with the 108th Flotilla Landing Craft during the initial landings on Gold Beach, being beached by a trap and having to wait on the beach until the fighting was over.
An elderly man with white hair and glasses wearing a striped shirt rests his chin on his hand.
Jack Hall
A clear blue sky transitioning from a darker shade on the left to a lighter shade on the right.
Jack Hall was a member of the 59th Staffordshire Division for the D-Day landings, landing in the days after the initial attack.
Portrait of an elderly man with grey hair wearing a beige button-up shirt and a checked tie.
Ted Stratford
A black-and-white portrait of a young man in a military uniform with an MT badge on his sleeve.
Ted Stratford, former marine and an ambulance driver in Dover, encountered the dummy vehicles for Operation Fortitude.
An elderly veteran in a suit and tie, wearing military medals and a poppy badge, sitting in a wheelchair.
Victor Whistler
A black-and-white portrait of a young man in a military uniform.
Victor Whistler drove tractors carrying anti-aircraft guns into the D-Day operations for the RAF after the original assault.

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CC BY 4.0

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