Listed here are all Oliver's dated events and photographs, together with other key dates relevant to Oliver's WWII experiences.
Pre-war | ||
| 10 February 1920 | Oliver Perks born in Bristol. | |
| 1938 | Oliver goes to Exeter College, Oxford to read Law. | |
1939 | ||
| 3 September | War declared when Oliver had completed a year at Exeter College, Oxford. | Blog 1 |
1940 | ||
| 15 August | Called up to the 16th Field Training Regiment at Topsham Barracks, Exeter. | Blog 1 |
| November | Posted to 123rd Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU) in Catterick. | Blog 1 |
1941 | ||
| February/March | Rejected by 123rd OCTU at Catterick and posted to Weston-super-Mare as Lance Bombardier. | Blog 1 | Blog 5 |
| March | A troop, 285 Battalion, 72nd Field Regiment R.A. at Weston-super-Mare (Oliver 4th from right). | Photo |
| 2 April | H.M. King George VI inspects 72nd Field Regiment R.A. at the Beach Lawns, Weston-super-Mare. | Blog 1 | Photo |
| April-July | Journey via Cape Town to Tewfik (Suez) on SS Empress of Asia. | Blog 1 |
| July | Arrival in Suez. | Blog 2 |
| November | Port Said, Palestine: Haifa, Kibbutz, Jordan valley calibration shoot, swimming in the Dead Sea. | Blog 2 | Blog 3 |
| December | Egypt near Alexandria: Goods train to Sidi Barrani, Getting lost during night-time troop watch. | Blog 3 |
1942 | ||
| February | The desert near Alexandria: Gazala Line patrols, leaving gun behind, ammunition safety devices. | Blog 3 |
| Random Reminiscences: Ejectors Projectile!, Bir Hacheim tea incident, Fabian Exercises. | Gunner | |
| 5 February | SS Empress of Asia sunk by the Japanese. | Blog 1 |
| 21 March | Martuba airfield: JU87 Stukas, wounded in the legs. | Blog 4 | Gunner |
| Wounded notification addressed to Oliver's father. | ||
| May | Oliver (left) playing golf while at number five convalescent camp at El-Arish. | Photo |
| 22 October | Posted to the Tank Delivery Regiment, 8th Army. | Blog 6 |
| 23 October | Re-Posted to the Middle East Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU). | Blog 6 |
| 23 Oct - 11 Nov | Battle of El Alamein, Egypt. | |
| November | Cadet O. H. Perks at OCTU (Officer Cadet Training Unit). | Photo |
| December | Passed OCTU exams, swimming with Australians, march with full kit and assault course. | Blog 7 |
1943 | ||
| January | Three months gunnery at the Royal School of Artillery at Almaza. | Blog 8 |
| March | Gunners at OCTU at the R.A. base depot at Almaza, Cairo (Oliver is 6th from left, 2nd row). | Photo |
| April | Gun Laying Competition, R.A. OCTU, Acre, Palestine. | Photo 1 | Photo 2 |
| May | Commissioned. Kit allowance spent on high living in Alexandria. | Blog 8 |
| July | On draft to Sicily. | Blog 8 |
| 10 July | Landed in Sicily. Sicilian campaign starts. | Blog 8 |
| 30 August | Picnic on the beach, Sicily. | Blog 9 |
| November | Return convoy to the UK, arriving in Avonmouth. | Blog 9 |
| December | The "Black Bull" Sawston, Whittlesford, Lane near Sawston. | Photo Album 1 |
1944 | ||
| January | Preparing for D-Day: Retraining and re-equipping with self-propelled guns. | Blog 10 |
| Whittlesford, Presentation of 'Footballer of Loos' replica by London Irish Rifles to 465 Field Battery. | Photo Album 2 | |
| February | Waterproofing course in Rhyll and testing the tanks. | Blog 10 | Photo Album 1 |
| March | Fabian Exercises, I've got my Sherman stuck, Run-in-shoot exercise at Studland. | Blog 10 | Gunner |
| 3-9 June | Waiting to embark D-3, LCT 2005 being taken in tow D+3, Deck of LST. | Photo Album 3 |
| 6 June | Second Army Path: Assault on Normandy (D-Day), LCT Mk V waterlogged halfway across channel. | D-Day | Blog 11 | Gunner |
| 6-9 June | LCT 2005 adrift for three days before being towed to Shoreham. | Blog 11 | Photo 1 | Photo 2 |
| 10 June | Letter to Oliver's father: Lt. Oliver Perks reported missing. | |
| 16 June | Letter to Oliver's father: reporting that OHP has rejoined his unit. | |
| 18 June | Oliver's landing on D+12 unopposed. | D-Day Blog | Gunner |
| 24 June | Telegram home: report that OHP has been wounded. | Blog 12 |
| 27 June | Second Army Path: The Odon. | |
| June-July | Aerial view of gun positions at Abbaye Saint-Martin de Mondaye, Juaye-Mondaye, Calvados. | Blog 11 | Photo |
| F Troop at Juaye-Mondaye and near Villers-Bocage, Normandy. | Photo Album 4 | |
| F Troop crew with 'Furious' near Villers-Bocage, Normandy. | Photo | |
| 9 July | Second Army Path: Caen. | |
| 16 July | Admitted to 203 Field Ambulance. | Blog 12 |
| 19 July | Discharged (GSW - rifle - back of chest - left side - superficial). | Blog 12 |
| July | Showers in Bayeux. American and RAF bombing over Caen. Tanks, bridges and mines. | Blog 13 |
| 28 July | Letter home confirming OHP wounded "a penetrating wound left scapula region". | |
| 29 July | Second Army Path: Caumont. | |
| 7 August | Second Army Path: Mont Pincon. | |
| August | Gacé, F Troop at Quesnay-Guesnon, Pat Ross, Mike Norris, 'Grub-Up!', Gunner Winnard. | Photo Album 5 |
| 20 August | Second Army Path: Falaise. | |
| 21 August | Oliver enjoys a smoke at Gacé in Normandy. | Photo |
| 25 August | Second Army Path: The Seine. | |
| Late Aug/Early Sept | Motorcycling over the Seine. The liberation run - WWI graves. En route to Brussels. | Blog 13 |
| 2 September | Second Army Path: The Somme. | |
| 3 September | Second Army Path: Brussels. | |
| Prisoners at Mons-en-Pévèle. | Blog 13 | Photo Album 6 | |
| 3-11 September | Second Army Path: The Canals Albert and Escaut. | |
| 4 September | Second Army Path: Antwerp. | |
| 5 September | Gun position at Brussells, Near to Albert canal, Sergeant Scott (centre) on 'FEE'. | Photo Album 6 |
| Photo in Brussels by Willy Dumont. Message on the back reads "To our liberators THANKS!". | Photo | |
| 17 September | Letter from Willy Dumont enclosing photo taken in Brussels of Oliver on 5 September 1944. | Photo |
| 17-25 September | Operation Market Garden (Battle of Arnhem). | Blog 14 | Gunner |
| 17-29 September | Second Army Path: The Rivers Maas and Waal. | |
| 27 September | Letter from Gilbert Wells, apologizing for alarm caused by declaring OHP missing. | |
| October | French 75mm AA gun, F Troop gun position, Ressen-Bemmel, John Winder, Dutch girl. | Photo Album 7 |
| 22-27 October | Second Army Path: 'S Hertogenbosch Tilburg. | |
| November | Nijmegen, Mike Shepheard at work, Useful Padre. | Blog 14 | Photo Album 6 |
| Nijmegen, RHQ, Flooded Rhine, Ressen-Bemmel, looking towards Arnhem. | Blog 14 | Photo Album 8 | |
| 14 Nov-13 Dec | Second Army Path: The Rivers Maas and Roer. | |
| 21 December | Second Army Path: The Ardennes. | |
| Xmas Day | CO's tank 'Mary' with crew, Terheijden, North Brabant, Holland. | Photo Album 9 |
| December | 'Personal' message from the Army Commander, First Canadian Army. | |
| Holland: 50th Division (90th Field Regiment) disbanded. | Blog 14 | Gunner | |
1945 | ||
| January | Holland: Patrolling the Rhine, Roosendaal and Terheijden, North Brabant. | Blog 15 | Photo Album 9 |
| 13 January | Second Army Path: Sittard. | |
| February | F Troop, 465 Battery, 90th (City of London) Field Regiment R.A. in Holland. | Photo 1 | Photo 2 |
| Self-propelled gun 'Fee' and crew, F Troop, 465 Battery, 90th Field Regiment R.A. in Holland. | Photo 1 | Photo 2 | |
| Self-propelled gun 'Fie' and crew, F Troop, 465 Battery, 90th Field Regiment R.A. in Holland. | Photo | |
| Self-propelled gun 'Foe' and crew, F Troop, 465 Battery, 90th Field Regiment R.A. in Holland. | Photo | |
| Self-propelled gun 'Fum' and crew, F Troop, 465 Battery, 90th Field Regiment R.A. in Holland. | Photo | |
| March | Regimental HQ at Vlijmen, North Brabant, Holland. Trips to Belgium. | Blog 15 |
| Lt. Col. I.G.G.S. Hardie DSO R.A. takes a nap on the grass at RHQ Mess, Vlijmen, North Brabant. | Photo | |
| Water tower at Vlijmen, North Brabant. | Photo Album 10 | |
| RHQ Mess, Vlijmen, North Brabant, Doc, Harry Brunkhoff and Padre, Lt. Col. Hardie DSO R.A. | Photo Album 11 | |
| 24 March | Second Army Path: The Rhine. | |
| 1 April | Fourth Anniversary celebrations, 465 Field Battery R.A. | |
| 5 April | Second Army Path: The Weser. | |
| April | Sextons or Rams: 'Excalibur' after a premature (detonation) in the Bore, Holland, Vlijmen. | Photo | Gunner |
| E Troop guns passing through Vlijmen, 'Excalibur' after a premature (detonation) in the bore. | Photo Album 12 | |
| Waalwijk, Holland: Views from CO's car (90th Field RA). Pat Ross, Arthur Stait, Eric Morrow, Doc. | Photo Album 13 | |
| 28 April | Second Army Path: Bremen. | |
| 29 April | Second Army Path: The Elbe. | |
| 2 May | Second Army Path: The Baltic. | |
| 8 May | VE (Victory in Europe) Day celebrated by OHP in Roosendaal. | Blog 15 |
| May | F Troop at Waalwijk, Holland, Major Wells and OHP party, Regimental line-up. | Photo Album 15 |
| F Troop regimental line-up, 'Aurora', 'Achilles' and 'Beau Geste', Waalwijk, Holland. | Photo | |
| June | A school full of Russian prisoners and clearing out the debris. | Blog 15 |
| German SP 7.5cm gun near Bochum, Lake in Ruhr valley near Essen, Roy Johnsen by river Ruhr. | Photo Album 16 | |
| River Maas at Drimmelen, Misuse of grenade no. 36!, Francis Holland. | Photo Album 14 | |
| 2nd Army Thanksgiving Service, Conclusion of Campaign in North West Europe. Lubeck, Germany. | Cover | Title | Army Path | |
| Autumn | Bruges, Belgium. Medicals, Woolwich depot, indefinite leave, mumps. Drafted to the Middle East. | Blog 16 |
| 8 December | Identity card photo, 277651 Lt. O.H. Perks R.A. | Photo |
Post-war | ||
| April 1946 | Course shooting at Bir 'Asluj, Mike Minford, Sergeant Bowen, 39 battery firing, Bombardier Frewin. | Photo Album 17 |
| 22 June 1946 | Release leave certificate, 19th Field Regiment R.A. (108 days leave granted prior to release). | |
| 9 October 1946 | Oliver's release date. | |
| 16 October 1946 | Lt. Oliver Perks admitted as life member of the R.A. | |
| 1947 | Russian Gun at Frie Baton, Guernsey | Photo 1 | Photo 2 | Gunner |
| 6 June 1994 | Oliver's account of his participation in the 50th Anniversary of D-Day in France. | D-Day 94 | Photo 1 | Photo 2 |
| 2006 | Oliver at an R.A. event. | Photo 1 | Photo 2 |
| 2010 | Oliver celebrating his 90th birthday with his adopted Wellingtonia tree at Westonbirt Arboretum. | Photo |
| 3 November 2012 | Oliver died peacefully in his sleep aged 92. | |
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