Unknown Soldiers

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.

Group photograph from a wartime wedding in Bermondsey, London, c. 1943. The bride appears to be in civilian dress with several service personnel. We have identified the groom as RAF but need help identifying the other four servicemen in the photograph.

Formal portrait of a WAAF officer, possibly a Section Officer based on rank insignia. Taken at a studio in Edinburgh, stamp on back reads "Jerome Studio, Princes Street". Believed to be from 1944. She appears to be wearing the RAF wings of a trained pilot — possibly one of the ATA ferry pilots.

Photograph of a Royal Navy officer standing on the deck of what appears to be a destroyer, possibly in Mediterranean waters. The officer is wearing tropical whites with lieutenant's rank insignia. Written on the back: "HMS Fury, Malta 1942". Can you identify this officer?

Studio portrait of a young Soviet officer wearing Order of the Red Star. Inscription on reverse reads "To my dear sister Natasha, from your brother, 1943." Photograph found in a house clearance in Bournemouth, Hampshire.

Photograph of a soldier in Red Army uniform standing beside a tank, possibly a T-34. Location appears to be Eastern Europe. Found amongst personal effects donated to a charity shop in Leeds. No markings or inscriptions.

Small identity photograph of a woman in Soviet military uniform, possibly a medical officer. Medal ribbons visible but not identifiable from the photograph quality. Found tucked inside a Russian-language Bible donated to an Oxford bookshop.

Wedding photograph of a British serviceman in RAF uniform and a woman in civilian dress. The groom wears pilot wings. Written on reverse in Russian: "Our wedding day, Birmingham, 1946." The bride may be a Soviet-origin war bride.

Group photograph of five British and Soviet officers, taken at what appears to be a diplomatic reception. One Soviet officer wears naval uniform. Handwritten note on back: "Anglo-Soviet Reception, London, Feb 1944." None of the individuals are identified.

Group photograph of five Soviet servicemen in winter uniforms standing before a brick building. One officer and four enlisted men. Location appears to be Britain based on the architecture. Two men wear Ushanka fur hats, three wear pilotkas. The officer wears a gymnastiorka with lieutenant's shoulder boards. Handwritten text on the back reads: "England, winter 1944".

A young man in Red Army uniform, approximately 20-25 years old. Wearing a pilotka garrison cap with a red star. No insignia of rank visible. The photograph appears to have been taken in a studio setting, possibly before deployment. The back of the photograph has a partially legible inscription in Russian, with what may be a date: "194_".

A Soviet naval rating in dark uniform with a sailor's cap (beskovyrka). The cap band appears to read a ship name but is not fully legible in the photograph. The subject is approximately 25-30 years old. Found among personal effects returned from HMS Belfast archives, suggesting he may have served alongside British naval personnel.

Portrait of a woman in Soviet military uniform. She wears the uniform of a medical officer with the rank of Junior Lieutenant. Medal ribbons visible but not identifiable from the photograph quality. Age approximately 28-35. The photograph was discovered in a collection of WWII-era items donated to a charity shop in Leeds in 2019.

A Soviet military identity book (красноармейская книжка) found inside a water-damaged envelope at the Hartlepool War Museum. The document is partially legible. First name appears to begin with "Мих..." (possibly Михаил). The military unit field shows "...гвардейский..." The document dates from 1943. Cross-referencing with CWGC burial records at Hartlepool may help establish identity.

Group photograph of five Soviet servicemen in British-issued winter clothing, taken at what appears to be a training facility. Back of the photo has a partial inscription: "...ноябрь 1943... Шотландия" (November 1943, Scotland). Three of the five men remain unidentified.

Photograph of a Soviet airman standing beside a Hurricane fighter aircraft, likely at an RAF base in northern England. The photo was found in a collection donated by a local history society in Newcastle. The airman may have been part of the Soviet military mission to the UK.

Photograph found at Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey. The image shows a young soldier in Red Army uniform, estimated early 1940s. No inscription on the reverse. Found near Section P where several Soviet graves are located.

Formal identification photograph of a Soviet prisoner of war, repatriated through the UK in 1945. The photograph was part of a batch of documents found in the National Archives at Kew. While the repatriation records exist, the individual's name was illegible on the damaged form.

Portrait of a Soviet naval officer, possibly from the Northern Fleet convoy operations. The photograph was donated to the Imperial War Museum by a British veteran's family in 2019 and later shared with the Immortal Regiment UK project. The officer's identity remains unknown.

Group photograph of four Soviet soldiers in winter uniforms, standing in front of a damaged building. The back of the photograph has a partial inscription in Russian: "...grad, February 1943". One of the soldiers wears a Guards badge. All appear to be young men, estimated late teens to early twenties. The photograph was found among personal effects donated to a charity shop in Birmingham in 2019.

A newspaper clipping from a 1945 issue of a Welsh local paper showing Soviet military personnel attending a VE Day celebration in Cardiff. The clipping names several British attendees but refers to the Soviet delegation only as "our Russian allies." Three individuals are clearly visible in the photograph but none are identified by name.

Portrait of a Soviet naval officer, likely a lieutenant based on sleeve stripes. Wearing a peaked cap with Soviet Navy emblem. Formal studio portrait, possibly taken in Murmansk or Arkhangelsk. Found at an estate sale in Southampton in 2022. No inscription or name.