12 Cdo. Roll of Honour
Commemorated in perpetuity by the Commando Veterans Association
click on any name for more information
| Lieut. R.D. O'SULLIVAN Lieut. R.E.C. PRICE |
No 12 Commando
12 Commando
History of the Unit
No 12 Army Commando - The ‘Irish’ Commando.
12 Commando Nominal Roll
In 1946 the Army Council decided that the Army Commandos were to be disbanded and no provision was allowed or made for any depository or office which would have at least contained a complete Roster of Names of the men who served in the various units.
12 Commando Operations
These are some of the operations that No 12 Commando took part in, either on their own, or as part of a Combined Operations assault. In many cases only a handful of Commandos from No 12 took part rather than the Commando as a whole. They are in date order and form part of our overall history of No 12 Commando.
Click on the links for more detail about each.
Operation Chess - France, July 1941
Operation Kitbag - Norway, November 1941(aborted)
Operation Anklet - Norway, November 1941
12 Commando Troop Locations Operation Foxrock June 1942
Type: Files
Year of Publishing: 2015
Keywords: 12 Commando Operation Foxrock Troop Locations June 1942
Sheet indicating Troop locations 1st-30th June 1942 12 Commando
National Archives Document Ref WO218/41
12 Commando, Redesignation of 4 (Para) Troop,1943
A letter to Captain Oswald B (Mickey) Rooney of 4 (Para) Troop, No12 Commando from Lord Lovat, HQ Special Service Brigade, on the reallocation of No12 Cdo.Lovat has added a footnote to Mickey Rooney
OC No 9 'is short of a good subaltern who can be added to the 27 other ranks. Please contact him.
Document courtesy of Capt Rooney's son, Chris Rooney
12 Commando, Letter From Lord Mountbatten
Type: Official Letters
Year of Publishing: 2015
Keywords: Mountbatten Harrison 12 Commando E Troop
Letter sent from Lord Mountbatten to Lt Col Harrison after a visit to No 12 Commando .....troop mentioned is E Troop commanded by Lt Pinckney.
BARTHOLOMEW, Peter Ian (Lt Col)
Peter Ian Bartholomew served in No 12 Commando until their disbandment when he moved to No 3 Commando. He participated in the D Day landings as Captain of 2 troop. On the Commando's return to NW Europe from the UK in 1945, he took command of No 3 Commando with the rank of Acting Lieutenant Colonel.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for gallant and distinguished service in North West Europe, the award being published in June 1945.
(Source: London Gazettes Supp. 37138, page 3231.)
BLOUNT, Arthur Harvey
Cpl. Blount was killed during the raid at St Nazaire. He was one of the commando contingent on HMS Campbeltown and part of a Demolition Team.
BOWLES, Eric Charles
LCpl Bowles, 'D' troop, based at Hamble, was killed while in a trawler patrol by enemy aircraft action. [Source: No 12 Cdo War Diary ,National Archive file W0 218 / 28.]
CHETWYND, Samuel Ernest
Cpl. Chetwynd was killed during the raid a St Nazaire. He was one of the commando contingent on ML 457 as part of Capt. Pritchard's Demolition Control Party.
COTTON MINCHIN, Douglas James Maurice
Capt. Cotton Minchin was missing reported presumed killed after his patrol prior to the planned attack at Lake Comacchio, Italy, came under fire.
He had earlier served with 12 Commando on the Lofoten raid, and had also been Chief Instructor at the Commando Basic Training Centre.
COX, Victor John
Sgt Cox was captured whilst on a raiding party at Haugesund in Norway on 29th April 1943 (click on the operation name above for more information). He was imprisoned and later executed after being taken to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and shot.
CROFT, Arthur Probert
The exact circumstances of the death of Pte Croft are not known.
nb. The CWGC database and the Westminster Abbey Commando ROH file show the surname as Crofts, whereas the private family headstone on his grave shows Croft.
DEXTER, Stanley
The circumstances of the death of Gnr. Dexter are not known to this archive.
FYNN, Francis West (Lt Col)
Commanding Officer No 2 Commando from June 1944 after Lt Col Churchill was taken prisoner of war
HILL, David Henry
Pte Hill died on training.
(Source: The Westminster Abbey Commando ROH file.)
HUNTINGTON, John, Memories of No 12 and No 1 Commando
Type: Personal Papers
Year of Publishing: 2015
Keywords: Memories of Sgt John Huntington 'E' Troop No 12 Commando and 3 Troop No 1 Commando
Sgt John Huntington was in E Troop No 12 Commando and 3 Troop No 1 Commando.
This document is Johns memories as detailed in letter form over the course of 5 years to John Mewett. Unfortunately before the project was complete JH died but what was related makes for a very interesting first hand account of life in a commando unit.
JAMES, Harry
LCpl James was killed during operations in Normandy.
JENKINS, David William Phillip
The cause of death of Pte Jenkins is not known to this archive.
JONES, Harri Havard
Cpl Jones was killed during the raid at St Nazaire. He was one of the commando contingent on ML 268 and part of a Demolition Team.
LEAPHARD, Clark Edmond John
Clark Leaphard received his commission as 2/Lieut. with the Glosters on the 21st December 1940. He was attached to No.6 Commando on the 30 May 1943 having previously seen service with No 12 Commando.
(Source: London Gazettes Supp. 35030, page 255 and the Website for No 6 Commando.)
MAGINNIS, John
Rfn Maginnis volunteered for the Commandos whilst serving in the Royal Ulster Rifles. He initially joined No 12 Commando and on their disbandment moved to No 6 Commando.
O'SULLIVAN, Robert Deyos
Lt O'Sullivan drowned while on active service.
(Source: No 12 Cdo War Diary entry for 10th Apr.1943. National Archives WO 218 / 57)
Operation Carey
Location
Norway
Monday, April 12, 1943
Northforce section of No 12 Commando in operations in the Norwegian Fjords.
Operation Checkmate
Location
Kopervik
Norway
59° 17' 1.3452" N, 5° 18' 24.7572" E
Wednesday, April 28, 1943
A combined operations raid on Axis shipping in the harbour at Kopervik, Norway. Only one Commando took part but the men were grouped together under the title of No 14 Commando.
Operation Foxrock
Location
St Valery en Caux
France
49° 51' 38.0952" N, 0° 42' 30.8052" E
Sunday, May 31, 1942
Night of 31st May/1st June. This was a planned operation by 100 men from No 12 Commando at St Valery en Caux which was aborted after the raiding party were spotted by German naval forces.
PINCKNEY, Philip Hugh
Capt. Pinckney was executed whilst a prsioner of war. At the time he was serving with 2 SAS and had been captured on Operation Speedwell after parachuting with 6 others into Bologna, Italy. The aim of the operation was to disrupt enemy railway movements.
PRICE, Randall Emerson Connop
The cause of death of Lieut. Price is not known to this archive.
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