Army Commando ROH 1962 - 2019

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'29 Commando Regiment RA'

The first Army Commandos were raised by a Gunner, Lt Col John Durnford-Slater RA in June 1940, following the defeat ending with the evacuation at Dunkirk, The Commandos struck at the German forces at a time when Britain was otherwise powerless. Raids were made on the coasts of Norway, France and the Mediterranean. By the time of the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944, the Commando forces were of a considerable size and had played a vital part on operations in all theatres of war.

CUTTING, Robert Steven

Gnr Robert Cutting 29 Commando
29 Cdo. Regt.RA

Gunner Robert Cutting, aged 18, from Blackley Manchester, was shot dead at 4am whilst on foot patrol at the junction of Lepper Street and Stratheden Street, in the New Lodge area of Belfast. This was a blue on blue incident.

A chronology of the Northern Ireland Conflict September- October 1972 entitled The Troubles issue 17 describes the tragic incident and states a Marine was also seriously injured after 2 patrols mistook each other for gunmen.

DANE, James Thomas

29 Cdo. Regt.RA
Bombardier James Dane died when he fell over a cliff while on operations against dissident tribesmen whilst deployed to Aden. He was serving with 2nd Bn., Parachute Regiment at the time. Buried Silent Valley Cemetery later reinterred to Dundalk.
 
Sources
AFM ROH
British Casualties, Aden 1955-1967.
 

FARRAGHER, Kieran Joseph

95 Cdo. Regt.RA
29 Cdo. Regt.RA
SAS

Warrant Officer Kieran Farragher, attached to the Special Air Service, died in a climbing accident in Botswana. He had joined the SAS in 1973 having previously served in 95 Commando and 29 Commando Regt RA.

Sources
AFM ROH
Special Forces ROH website (+ image)
Commando Gunner website
 

HIGGINBOTHAM, James

29 Cdo. Regt.RA
Sergeant James Higginbotham died whilst posted to the USA. [1+2]

 

Extract from the Aberdeen Press and Journal - Monday 12 August 1963

A British Sergeant,  James Higgenbottom [see notes] , of the 79th Commando Battery, Royal Artillery, died in a fire at his quarters at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, at the weekend. He was one of more than 100 British soldiers taking part in exercise "Round Bow", an exchange of British and US artillery units." [2]
 

INCE, Geoffrey Edward

95 Cdo. Regt.RA
Gunner Geoffrey Ince died whilst on night manoeuvres between Greenhead and Haltwhistle in 1965 prior to deployment to Singapore. Stationed at the Citadel he was married a week before his death. [1+2]. An entry on the Commando Gunner website shows he died in a Road Traffic Accident. [3]
 
Sources
[1] AFM ROH
[2] Family enquiry on the Commando Gunner Regroup Forum

JONES, Christopher

59 Ind. Cdo. Sqn. RE

Sapper Christopher Jones, 59 Commando Sqn., RE, attached to 45 Commando RM, died during during operations against enemy forces dug in on the Falkland Islands mountain ridge known as Two Sisters. 

MARTIN, Michael John

SAS
95 Cdo. Regt.RA
Trooper Michael Martin, attached to the Special Air Service, died during operations in Oman.  He had previously served with 8 Battery, 95 Commando Regiment, R.A.  
[Sources: AFM ROH / CVA Gallery]
 

MELIA, Michael

Corporal Michael Melia
59 Ind. Cdo. Sqn. RE
Corporal Michael Melia was killed by small arms fire during operations in the Falklands at Goose Green. 
 
Sources
AFM ROH
Commando Branch of the REA.
 

ODAMS, Richard

29 Cdo. Regt.RA

Lance Bombardier Richard Odams,  born in West Hartlepool Durham, died in a boating accident whilst serving with 8 Bty. 

Sources
AFM ROH
Commando Gunner website
CVA Forum message in his name
 

POWELL, Adrian Mark

29 Cdo. Regt.RA
SAS

Trooper Adrian Powell died in a road traffic collision whilst serving with the SAS. He had previously served with  7 and 148 Btys. of 29 Commando Regt. RA, and 7 RHA.  He died when the vehicle in which he was travelling overturned while on way to training exercises near Nairobi in Kenya.

Also killed in this collision was 24648153 SSgt. Martin Halls, SAS, formerly Royal Engineers.

SEATH, David Bernard

29 Cdo. Regt.RA

Captain David Seath died of a cardiac arrest whilst taking part in the 2016 London Marathon. He was a fire support team commander for 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, based in Plymouth.

David Seath completed two master's degrees at the University of Aberdeen before attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2009. He was commissioned Lieutenant on the 14th August 2010 with seniority from 11 February 2009. Captain Seath served in Afghanistan in 2012.

SMITH, Kevin John

29 Cdo. Regt.RA

Gunner Kevin Smith, 79 Bty.,  died in a fall from the wall of Mosta magazine in Malta.

"Whilst the rest of the detachment waited for transport up to the main magazine Smudger decided to climb up, he nearly made it when he unfortunately slipped and fell about 100 feet." *

Sources
AFM ROH
Commando Gunner website
* 29 Cdo Veteran via CVA Facebook page.
 

SMITH, Michael

29 Cdo. Regt.RA
Warrant Officer Michael Smith died from injuries sustained when a grenade was fired at the UK base in Sangin, Helmand Province. He had served in the military for almost 22 years and during that service had deployed on operations to Northern Ireland, Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, some of them on more than one occasion, as well as on exercises to Brunei, Canada, Kenya, France and Norway.
 

SWAIN, Ivor William

Sgt Swain 29 Commando
29 Cdo. Regt.RA

Sergeant Ivor Swain died during operations in Northern Ireland.

Ivor Swain was a well respected Sgt in 8 Alma Commando Battery, 29 Commando RA. He was killed when his Land Rover patrol was called out to investigate a reported incident. They drove into a blacked out articulated lorry which had been deliberately parked across the road with a white stripe painted up the side so that it looked like the road itself.*

Sources
AFM ROH
* James Walton, 95&29 Cdo.
 

TINNION, Bradley

SAS
Bombardier Bradley Tinnion, formerly 29 Commando RA, died whilst serving with the SAS having left the Commando in 1998.  He suffered fatal wounds when he was hit by machine gun fire as he helped rescue and evacuate six Army hostages out of the jungle in Sierra Leone. He received a posthumous MiD. [Award: London Gazettes Supp. 56168, page 4246.]
 

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