No 4 Commando

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'Dieppe' Nominal Roll (Partial)

The following list contain the names, ranks and numbers of the officers and men of No4 Commando who participated. It also includes some from No 10 (IA) Commando Free French  and 'X' troop, and others including some US Rangers, who were attached to the Commandos for the raid. It does not contain those from No 3 Commando and 40RM Commando as no such full list of names has been found. 

This is a transcript of the introduction  by the author of the original list that was compiled for No 4 Commando. A few amendments and additions have been made since then with sources shown.

BALL, Joseph

Funeral of Fus. Joseph Ball No 4 Commando

Fus. Ball was shot and killed in circumstances that remain to this day somewhat lacking of any official acount.  It is believed that the fatal shot was fired by a patrol of the Dutch Navy.

Photos of his funeral are in our gallery.  [Go to gallery.]

A report into the shooting written in 2012 by Jack Bakker can be found here [View report.]

BARRASS, Nicholas William

Lt. Barrass was killed during operations at Flushing.
 
Whilst engaged in a house clearance, he was killed by a sniper who fired from an adjacent building. The author of the book below describes him as being "a tall quiet spoken policeman, who had played football for Gateshead. "
(Source: Swiftly They Struck by Murdoch C. McDougall who served as a Lieut. in No 4 Commando.) 
 

BROOKING, Alfred

Private Fred Brooking 4 Commando
Private Alfred 'Fred' Brooking was one of a group of early volunteers for No 4 Commando, serving in 'G' and later 'B' troop [1].  He took part in almost all their raids and operations throughout the war.  Our Gallery contains images of him back from the Lofoten Raid [view] and he is also named on the nominal roll for those from No 4 Commando who took part in Operation Jubilee at Dieppe [view].

CHITTY, John Albert

LSgt Chitty, 'C' troop and a veteran of the Dieppe raid, died by drowning during a training exercise codenamed Exercise Brandyball. This was a mock seaborne raid on cliffs near Zennor, St Ives, Cornwall known as The Brandys.
 

DARLINGTON, Kenneth Carr

Kenneth Darlington MM 12 Commando

Private Kenneth Darlington enlisted into the 8th Bn, Border Regt, at Carlisle in 1940. He volunteered for, and was attached to, No.12 Commando serving in 'D' troop as part of North Force, Shetland Islands & Norway in 1942-43.  He was attached to 2 SBS for a 3 month period, then attached to No.4 Commando in 1944/45.  He was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry during Operation Cartoon, a successful raid on Stord Island. The target was the demolition of an Iron Pyrite mine. Demobbed Germany 1946.

DONKIN, Henry

A Veteran of Dunkirk, Pte Donkin, 'F' troop,  was shot and killed whilst engaging the enemy during operations at Flushing.
(Source: The Fighting Fourth by Maj James Dunning.)
 

DOUGLAS, Walter

Private Walter Douglas served in No 4 Commando. He died in an accident at work in 1946 after being released from military service.
 
Sources
Hull Daily Mail - Tuesday 24 December 1946 - Family notices.
British Newspaper Archive (website britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk); The British Library Board.
 

ELMS, Frank

2/Lieut. Elms was killed during operations at Normandy.

The No 4 Commando War Diary records "5th to 6th July 1944 Place: Hauger - A patrol under Lieut. Elms proceeded to recce the BOIS DU BOISSON - GONNEVILLE ROAD for the purpose of observing enemy movements and locating any possible new dispositions for the intended fighting patrol that was to put in an attack in that area at night. Lieut. Elms had the misfortune to be hit and severely wounded when approaching the FDLs and later died."
 

GILCHRIST, Donald Johnston

Donald Gilchrist was serving as a Captain in the Cameronians when he volunteered for the Commandos. After acceptance he went to Achnacarry in February/March 1942 and successfully completed his Officer Training after which he was retained there as an Instructor. Achnacarry had just opened as the new Commando Depot, later renamed the Commando Basic Training Centre, and staff were needed to assist with the initial intakes. 
 

HARRIS, George Francis

George Harris enlisted and was posted to the 6th Bn., The Border Regiment before being attached to 520 Petrol Unit, RASC. 
 
On the 26th April 1940 he volunteered for and was attached to No 10 Independent Company and embarked with them for overseas duty, sailing to Freetown, Sierra Leone and returning to the UK via Dakar and Gibraltar a month later.
 

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