Unknown Soldiers

A handwritten letter in Russian, found in a coat pocket at a vintage clothing shop in Manchester. The letter appears to be a love letter written to "darling Masha" from a soldier named only "your Kolya." The letter mentions "waiting for spring" and "the war will end soon," suggesting it was written in late 1944 or early 1945.

A photograph of a Merchant Navy crew standing on the deck of a cargo vessel. The photograph was found inside a sea chest purchased at auction in Liverpool. One crew member has drawn an arrow pointing to himself but no name is written. The ship appears to be a Liberty ship based on the visible deck layout.

A wooden propeller boss fragment with partially legible markings, believed to be from a Spitfire, found during building work in Southampton. Scratched into the wood are the initials "J.M.T." and the date "March 1943." Research into RAF losses in the Southampton area during that period is ongoing.

A wartime identity card photograph of a young woman in ATS uniform, found pressed between the pages of a 1943 edition of Good Housekeeping magazine at a house clearance in Cardiff. The photograph shows a woman approximately 20 years old with dark hair, wearing the cap badge of the ATS. No name or identifying information accompanies the photo.

A medal group comprising the 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, and War Medal, found at an antiques fair in Birmingham. The medals are unmounted and unnamed (as was standard for British campaign medals), but the combination suggests service in North Africa. Found with a fragment of a luggage label reading "...ingham".

A group photograph found in a collection of papers belonging to a former member of the Royal Engineers. The back reads "Sappers, Normandy, July 1944." Three of the five men are identified in pencil, but two remain unknown. The unidentified soldiers appear to be in their early twenties.

Portrait of a Soviet airwoman found among the personal effects of a British RAF pilot who served at Murmansk. She wears a flight suit with the Order of the Red Star. The back of the photograph reads "To my friend, with gratitude" in Russian, signed with an illegible first name and the date "February 1943".

Photograph found inside a Soviet-issued field notebook recovered from a farmhouse near Caen, Normandy. The notebook contains entries in Russian dated 1944. The soldier wears a gymnastiorka with sergeant's shoulder boards and appears to be in his early twenties. A partial inscription on the reverse reads "...kov, Smolensk obl."

Group photograph of five Soviet naval officers, found in a sealed envelope at the National Archives in Kew. One officer has been circled in pencil with a question mark. They wear Black Sea Fleet insignia. The photograph appears to have been taken aboard a warship, possibly during the lend-lease handover of Royal Navy vessels in 1944.

Small identity photograph found loose inside a Russian-language copy of Tolstoy's "War and Peace" donated to a charity shop in Edinburgh. The young man wears a tanker's helmet and padded jacket. The book has a stamp from a military library of the 3rd Guards Tank Army.

Formal studio portrait of a Soviet officer in dress uniform with multiple decorations including the Order of Lenin. Found in a wallet discovered during renovations of a building in Whitechapel, London, that once housed a Soviet trade delegation. The officer appears to be a colonel or higher rank.

Photograph of a young Soviet soldier standing beside a British Valentine tank. Found inside a letter addressed to "Dear Mother" in Russian, never posted, discovered in the archives of the Imperial War Museum. The soldier wears infantry insignia and appears to have a wound dressing on his left hand.

Photograph of two Soviet merchant sailors in civilian clothes, standing outside what appears to be a pub in Liverpool. One holds a British newspaper dated 1942. Found in the records of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. Any information about convoys that docked in Liverpool during this period would be valuable.

Photograph of a Soviet military nurse (medic) in white coat with Red Cross armband. Found tucked inside a 1945 British Forces newspaper cutting about VE Day celebrations. The nurse appears to be at a joint Anglo-Soviet celebration. On the back is written "Sister Vera" in English and a surname in Russian that is partially illegible.

Studio portrait of a young woman in WAAF uniform, likely taken in 1942-1943. She wears a Leading Aircraftwoman rank badge. Written on the back: "To Mother, with love". Studio stamp reads "Harris Photography, Bournemouth".

Photograph of a Soviet naval officer in dress uniform with multiple medals, including what appears to be the Order of the Red Star. Found inside a Russian-language book about naval warfare purchased at a charity shop in Glasgow.

Wartime identity photograph of a Merchant Navy sailor with a distinctive scar on his left cheek. Mounted on a card with "Merchant Navy Pool, Liverpool" but the name field has been torn away.

Group photograph of approximately 20 men and women in civilian clothes standing before a factory. Banner reads "Victory in Europe" — likely VE Day, May 1945. Several people wear medals. The factory appears to be in the Midlands.

Small passport-sized photograph of a man in RAF pilot uniform with wings badge, very young (19-20). Found folded inside a 1940s Russian translation of "War and Peace" in an Oxford bookshop. May be a Soviet or Eastern European pilot trained in the UK.

Photograph of a group of five soldiers in British Army uniforms, taken outside a pub in what appears to be a northern English town. One soldier wears a Royal Engineers cap badge. The back reads "Jim and the lads, 1943" but no surnames are given.

A set of three medals — the 1939-1945 Star, the Africa Star, and the Defence Medal — found in a cloth pouch with no name or service number. The medals are unnamed (as was standard for British campaign medals of this era). The cloth pouch is embroidered with what appears to be a thistle, suggesting the owner may have been Scottish. The Africa Star indicates service in North Africa between 1940-1943. If you recognise these medals or the embroidered pouch, please contact us.

A handwritten letter in Russian, addressed to "Dear Brother Kolya" from someone signing as "Your Sasha." The letter describes conditions at a military hospital in Britain and mentions recovering from wounds received "near Murmansk." The writer appears to be a Soviet sailor who was treated at a British naval hospital, possibly in Rosyth or Scapa Flow, during the Arctic convoy period. The letter is dated March 1943. We are looking for descendants of either "Kolya" or "Sasha" to return this letter.