Popski’s Private Army

Popski’s Private Army

No. 1 Demolition Squadron.

The Popski’s Private Army Memorial came about after a chance meeting with Captain John Campbell at the Violette Szabo GC museum. From then on the garden design was created in the shape of an Astrolabe, which was the PPA cap badge. Variegated Laurel was used to complete the hedging. This represents the sandy desert of North Africa and lush greenery of Italy and Austria where they operated. The two Italian cypress trees signify what was an easily recognised location on the Italian coast that they used to infiltrate German lines.

Captain John Campbell Memorial Plaque. (This small plaque will be replaced with one double the size in due course.) Images in slideshow….

  • Memorial Text
  • Captain John Campbell MC & bar was the instigator of the PPA Memorial after chatting with Mike Colton at the Violette Szabo GC Museum, Wormelow many years ago.
  • John and his troops captured many German soldiers as they were having breakfast in remote outposts in Italy during WW2. They then left with their prisoners without disturbing the food on the tables. This instilled a great fear in the enemy ranks.
  • One night in November 1944 – it was Campbell’s 23rd birthday – he had only driven a few yards from the farmhouse where they were based when the wheel of his jeep was blown off by a mine.
  • After an hour spent fitting on a spare, he travelled only another 100 yards before the vehicle struck another mine. Campbell went back to the farmhouse on foot. The following day, when he returned to repair the damage, he saw his footprint just one inch away from a third anti-personnel mine.
  • John’s nickname after this and other incidents became “Bulldozer”.
  • 1921-2015

The refurbished PPA plaques.

This memorial was unveiled by Sir Robert Crawford CBE on Sunday 30 March 2008. In the presence of veterans, relatives and friends whose generous donations made it possible.
Popski’s Private Army Roll of Honour.
  • Memorial Text
  • Popski’s Private Army
  • No.1 Demolition Squadron
  • Roll of Honour
  • Corporal John Ewen Cameron of Rannock Station. Lovat Scouts, 2 Commando & ‘Blitz’ Patrol PPA – 2 March 1910 to 21 June 1944, age 34.
  • Trooper Thomas John Croghan of Chester. 3rd Hussars, ‘R’ Patrol PPA – 18 April 1921 to 10 November 1944, age 23.
  • Sergeant Charles Herbert Curtis of Oxford. Corps of Royal Engineers, ‘Blitz’ Patrol PPA – 8 October 1919 to 9 September 1944, age 24.
  • Driver William Syvester Gaskell of Wigan. Royal Army Service Corps, ‘HQ’ PPA – 17 April 1916 to 10 September 1943, age 26.
  • Private John Hunter of Glasgow, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Special Air Service, ‘B’ Patrol PPA – 11 November 1920 to 21 January 1944, age 23.
  • Sapper Richard MacDowall of Edinburgh, Corps of Royal Engineers, ‘B’ Patrol PPA – 9th December 1920 to 23 April 1945, age 24.
  • Lieutenant Duncan Baxter MacGillivray of Paddington. Ist Derbyshire Yeomanry, HQ PPA – 31 July 1923 to 21 April 1945, age 32.
  • Lieutenant Ian Wallace McCallam of Buenos Aires. 27th Lancers, ‘B’ Patrol PPA -26 January 1927 to 27 April 1945, age 21.
  • Sergeant David Porter DCM of Saint Helen’s. Corps of Royal Engineers, Special Air Service, ‘R’ Patrol PPA – 26 December 1922 to 15 November 1944, age 21.
  • Trooper Arthur Rogers of Cheshunt. 56th Regiment Reconnaissance Corps, ‘B’ Patrol PPA – 2 January 1921 to 29 April 1945, age 24.
  • Corporal James Snape of Chertsey. 50th Royal Tank Regiment, ‘Blitz’ Patrol PPA – 19 June 1910 to 23 May 1945, age 34.
  • Private Albert White of Hockley. Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, ‘S’ Patrol PPA – 2 February 1914 to 10 May 1945, age 31.
  • 1942 – LIBYA – TUNISIA – ITALY – AUSTRIA – 1945
PPA Honours and Awards
  • Memorial Text
  • Honours and Awards
  • DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER
  • Peniakoff, Major V – General List
  • DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
  • Porter, Sgt. D – Corps of Royal Engineers – ‘R’
  • Cadell, Lt. M (with A&SH) Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders ‘B’
  • Campbell, Capt. J (and Bar) Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders ‘S’
  • Caneri, Capt. J – General List & HQ PPA
  • Peniakoff, Major V – General List
  • Yunnie, Capt. R – Black Watch ‘B’
  • MILITARY MEDAL
  • Beautyman, Sgt. J – Royal Corps of Signals ‘Blitz’
  • Burrows, Pte. C – Royal Army Service Corps ‘Blitz’
  • Cahill, L/Cpl. A – Royal Army Service Corps ‘S’
  • Galloway, Sgt. D – (and Bar) – Royal Army Service Corps ‘B’
  • Higgins, Dvr. J – (with RASC) – Royal Army Service Corps ‘Blitz’
  • O’Leary, Sgt. W – Parachute Regiment ‘S’
  • Riches, Sgt. F – 1st Dragoon Guards ‘B’
  • Sanders, Sgt. E (with LRDG) 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force ‘R’
  • Waterson, SSM. G – 1st Dragoon Guards ‘Blitz’
  • MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES
  • Cahill, L/Cpl. A – Royal Army Service Corps ‘S’
  • Cawthorn, Sapper A – Corps of Royal Engineers – Popskis Private Navy
  • Dobinson, Cpl. J – Corps of Royal Engineers – Popskis Private Navy
  • Foweraker, Spr. L – Corps of Royal Engineers – Popskis Private Navy
  • Freeman, Spr. J – Corps of Royal Engineers – Popskis Private Navy
  • Hodgson, Cpl. D – Royal Artillery ‘S’
  • Kineally, Sgt. J – Corps of Royal Engineers – Popskis Private Navy
  • North, Cpl. R – Royal Irish Fusiliers ‘R’
  • Owen, Cpl. B – Royal Army Service Corps ‘B’
  • Parr, Spr. K – Corps of Royal Engineers – Popskis Private Navy
  • Petrie, Spr. A – Corps of Royal Engineers – ‘Original’
  • Sonley, L/Cpl. G – 16th/5th Queens Royal Lancers ‘B’
  • Taylor, Sgt. S – The Queens Bays, 2nd Dragoon Guards ‘R’
  • Thomas, Lt. B – Corps of Royal Engineers – Popskis Private Navy
  • LIST ENDS
PPA – 27th Lancers and Porterforce
  • Memorial Text
  • 27th Lancers & Porterforce
  • In memory of Lt. Col. Andrew Horsbrugh-Porter DSO & Bar,
  • and the men of 27th Lancers and the 54 officers and men who fell during the war
  • Porterforce October – December 1944
  • HQ Porterforce
  • 27th Lancers
  • Royal Canadian Dragoons
  • Kings Dragoon Guards
  • 145 RAC
  • GGHQ
  • 1 Royal Horse Artillery
  • 1 & 2 Canadian Field Regiment, RCA
  • 2 & 5 Canadian Medium Regiment, RCA
  • 12 & 13 Canadian Field Company
  • 24 Field Regiment RA
  • 49 Anti-tank Battery RA
  • 151 Anti-tank Battery, 93 Anti-tank Regiment RA
  • 310 Anti-tank Battery, 60 Anti-tank Regiment RA
  • 32 Platoon, RCASC
  • 747 Bridge Company RASC
  • 1800 Bailey Bridge Platoon
  • 1820 Folding Boat Equipment Platoon RCASC
  • 168 London Infantry Brigade Signals Section
  • 1/3 Essex Regiment
  • 2721 Squadron RAF Regiment
  • Royal Westminster Regiment
  • 4 & 7 Canadian Light Field Ambulance
  • 1, 2 & 5 Canadian Medium Regiment Platoon RCASC
  • 5 Army Jeep Platoon
  • 81 Canadian Artillery Company RCASC
  • 1501 Artillery Platoon
  • 3 Canadian Provost Company
  • Popski’s Private Army
  • LIST ENDS
28th Garibaldi Brigade
  • Memorial Text
  • 28th Garibaldi Brigade
  • To the Eternal Memory of ARRIGO BOLDRINI (BULOW)
  • Gold Medal for Military Valour
  • and the partisans of 28th Garibaldi Brigade under his command in Porterforce, British Eighth Army during the 1944 campaign for the liberation of the city of Ravenna
  • and with Eternal Gratitude to the 604 heroes who fell in the achievement of victory.
Please read these plaques when visiting the PPA memorial as the text is not below!
Please read these plaques when visiting the PPA memorial as the text is not below! The Website listed in the bottom right hand corner does not exist anymore.

Page Updated 15th July 2026