Archive
No 12 Commando
There may be additional content elsewhere such as in our Photo Gallery and Forum.
Displaying 1 - 46 of 46'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. This raid was a No 14 Commando operation. The raiders managed to sink several ships using limpet mines, but were eventually captured and initially taken to Haugesund for interrogation before being transported to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.
'Operation Crackers'
Monday, February 22, 1943
An intelligence gathering operation originally planned to include the destruction of observation posts in the Norwegian fjords, but due to bad weather the raiders took over an unmanned observation post for a week of intelligence gathering before making good their escape.
'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.
12 Cdo. Roll of Honour
The Fallen from No.12 Commando
| Lieut. R.D. O'SULLIVAN Lieut. R.E.C. PRICE Sgt. V.J. COX Cpl. A.H. BLOUNT Cpl. S.E. CHETWYND |
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
Corporal Arthur Blount died during the raid at St Nazaire. He was one of the commando contingent on HMS Campbeltown and part of a Demolition Team.
Sources
CWGC.
St Nazaire Society website.
BOWLES, Eric Charles
Lance Corporal Eric Bowles, 'D' troop, based at Hamble, died while in a trawler patrol that was attacked by enemy aircraft.
Sources
CWGC
No 12 Cdo War Diary ,National Archive file W0 218 / 28.
BRIERLEY, Herbert
Sergeant Herbert Brierley served in Nos.12 and 9 Commandos.
Source: Obituaries Commando Association newsletter 35.
BRODISON, Samuel James
Company Sergeant Major Samuel Brodison was awarded the MM in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the field, carrying out beach obstacle reconnaissance in Northern France during May 1944. [1]
In 1959 he was employed as Sergeant Instructor with the Ulster Special Constabulary. [2]
The death of RSM Samuel Brodison MM of Stubbington, Hants., was announced in Commando Association newsletter 82 issued March 1986.
CHETWYND, Samuel Ernest
Corporal Samuel Chetwynd died 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
Captain Douglas 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
Sergeant Victor John 'Jack' Cox, No 12 Commando, was assigned to No.14 Commando for Operation Checkmate. He was captured on the raid at Kopervik in Norway on 29th April 1943. 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 Private Arthur Croft are not known to this archive.
Notes
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.
DARLINGTON, Kenneth Carr
Private Kenneth Darlington was awarded the M.M. [1] for gallantry during Operation Cartoon, a successful raid on Stord Island. The target was the demolition of an Iron Pyrite mine.
DEERY, Stewart
Sergeant Stewart Deery was one of the Commando contingent who sailed on board HMS Campbeltown for the raid at St Nazaire. He was taken prisoner and was subsequently awarded the MM for gallant and distinguished services during the raid.
DEXTER, Stanley
The exact circumstances of the death of Gunner Stanley Dexter are not known to this archive.
FYNN, Francis West (Lt Col)
Lieutenant Colonel Francis West Fynn became the Commanding Officer of No 2 Commando from June 1944 after Lt Col Churchill was taken prisoner of war.
A former Lance Sergeant in the Royal Artillery T.A., he was appointed Second Lieutenant on the 23rd December 1939 [1]. On the 11th July 1942 the then Lieutenant Fynn was posted from the RA to the Gordon Highlanders [2].
HARRISON, Stewart Sandbach (LtCol)
Commanding Officer of No. 12 Commando.
A veteran of World War One and recipient of the Military Cross, announced in July 1918, and later a bar to the Military Cross in August 1919.
Sources
London Gazette Supp. 30780, p7909 and Supp. 31745, p924.
List The Bugle , author Maj. Gen. Corran Purdon CBE, MC, CPM.
Commando Association obituaries newsletter 70 issued March 1980.
HILL, David Henry
Private David Hill died whilst training.
Sources
CWGC.
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
Lance Corporal Harry James died during operations in Normandy.
JENKINS, David William Phillip
The exact circumstances of the death of Private David Jenkins are not known to this archive.
JOHNSON, James
Lance Sergeant James Johnson was one of the Commando contingent who sailed on board HMS Campbeltown for the raid at St Nazaire. He was taken prisoner and was subsequently awarded the MM for gallant and distinguished services during the raid.
[Sources: London Gazettes supp. 37162, page 3493 / St Nazaire Society.]
Note
Rank taken from LG entry, seen as Corporal elsewhere.
JONES, Harri Havard
Corporal Harri Jones died 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
Rifleman John 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.
MALONEY, Daniel
Private Daniel Maloney, from Hulme Manchester, served with No. 12 Commando, and later No. 1 Commando 6 troop in the Far East. He is on a Casualty List of those wounded during the action on Hill 170 on 31st January 1945.
MCGONIGAL, Ambrose Joseph
Lieutenant Ambrose McGonigal was awarded the M.C. [1] for distinguished service during a raid on the enemy held island of Sark on the night of the 27th December 1943. This was a reconnaissance operation to obtain certain information and if possible capture a prisoner. Very soon after landing the raiding party inadvertently entered a minefield and the resultant explosions killed one member of the party and badly injured a second. Whilst evacuating from the minefield a further 4 mines exploded killing the already injured man, and wounding Lt. McGonigal and 2 others.
METCALFE, Thomas Gibson
Sergeant Thomas Metcalfe received a MiD in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in Norway.
Recommendation
Operation Cartoon [more....].
Operation Cartoon [more....].
NASH, Douglas James
Douglas Nash was awarded the MM in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the field on the 26th December 1943.
The death of Sgt. Douglas J. Nash, MM (12 & 6 Cdos) of Cleveland, Ohio, USA., formerly of Birmingham, was announced in Commando Association newsletter 75 issued September 1982.
Source
London Gazettes supp. 36403, page 1042.
O'SULLIVAN, Robert Deyos
Lieutenant Robert O'Sullivan drowned while on active service.
Sources
CWGC.
No 12 Cdo War Diary entry for 10th Apr.1943. National Archives WO 218 / 57.
PINCKNEY, Philip Hugh
Captain Philip Pinckney was executed whilst a prisoner 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
Lieutenant Randall Price died following an operation Wrexham hospital. [1] and [2]
QUILLIN, Douglas Gordon.
Sergeant Douglas Quillin served in Nos. 7, and 12 Commandos, and later in No. 5 Commando in the Far East.
Sources
CVA Forum message.
Commando Association obituaries in newsletter 91 issued August 1990.
STEVENS, John William
Private John Stevens died in training.
Sources
CWGC.
TIBBLES, Harry
Private Harry Tibbles, a bren gunner with No. 6 Commando, was awarded the M.M. for his gallantry near Lauenburg on the night of the 28th April 1945 during the period when his troop were responsible for the left flank of the bridgehead over the River Elbe.
TURNER, Frederick William Morgan
Corporal Frederick Turner died by drowning in Loch Linne whilst serving at the Commando Depot at Achnacarry. Also recorded as dying by drowning on this date were Private McCarthy and Gunner Haydon.
[Source: CWGC / Register of Deaths in the district of Kilmallie via www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk.]
WALDIE, Robert Gibson
Captain Robert Waldie, OIC 2 troop, was awarded the MC was awarded the MC in recognition of gallant and distinguished service on the 4th October 1943 at Termoli.
Ask questions / Add information
Use our Forum for research enquiries, or to add information or photos. [register now].
Your message will then be seen by our Research Group and the many knowledgeable members of our Forum. Read some frequently asked questions here [FAQ's].
All content is researched and administered by the Commando Veterans Archive.
