2 Commando

No.2 Commando Mortar Section January 1943

The History

The first No.2 Commando was formed on the 22nd June 1940 for a parachuting role at Cambrai Barracks, Perham Down, near Tidworth, Hants. The Unit at the time consisted of four troops - 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D'.  Eventually 11 troops were raised. A nominal roll of 'C' and 'D' troops can be found in our documents album within the No 2 Commando gallery.

In November 1940 the unit would be redesignated as 11 Special Air Service Battalion. They were the airborne part of the Commando "Special Service" units, and had no connection to the SAS later raised by Bill Stirling and his brother David. They would be renamed 1st Parachute Battalion in September 1941.

On the 26th February 1941 authority was granted to raise a new No. 2 Commando by the reorganisation of the 1st Special Service Battalion.  The new No 2 Commando under the command of Lt.Col. Augustus Charles Newman was now at Paignton, and consisted of men who had perviously served in some of the Independent Companies that formed the short lived 1st Special Service Battalion.

Many of the entries below commencing with the Commanders are from a narrative of No. 2 Commando history written by Bob Bishop and dedicated to John and Daisy Wright of Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire in memory of their son, Pte. Dennis Wright, who at the age of 18 was the youngest member of No. 2 Commando to fall in battle, September 13th, 1943.  New content has been added over the years since.

View our Gallery images of No 2 Commando

Click/touch No 2 Commando below for additional content, or follow the links below it to specific content entries.

Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

2 Commando Roll of Honour

Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando
Below is an A-Z view of the Roll of Honour with information about each of the Fallen. Displaying 1 - 149 of 149

ABRAM, Cyril Henry

Cyril Abram 2 Commando
Rifleman
6922005
No 2 Commando
Rifle Brigade
Executed
Rifleman Cyril Abram was one of the seven men of No. 2 Commando who were captured after Operation Musketoon and later executed at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp under Hitler's Commando Execution Order. Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. G. Abram, of Manor Park, Essex.

AIRD, Michael Derrick

Michael Aird 2 Commando
Private
3772603
No 2 Commando
Kings Regiment (Liverpool)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Michael Aird, 4 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action at sea. He had embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 268 and has no known grave.

ALLAN, Hugh Bryan

Lance Corporal
14000107
No 2 Commando
Royal Scots
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal Hugh Allan died during the action at Jaconti, near Vietri. He was originally buried "at the bottom of Jaconti village (East side). Map Ref. 601307."  Son of J.C. and Christine J.F. Allan, of Ayr.
 

BAMPTON, Stephen Dorcas

Sergeant
6349577
No 2 Commando
Queens Own Royal West Kent
Killed in action or died of wounds
Sergeant Stephen Bampton was killed in action in Italy. At the time of his death his Commando had been placed "in the line" near Ravenna. Son of Stephen Seymore Bampton and Charlotte Victoria Bampton; nephew of Mrs. C. Bampton, of Isleworth, Middlesex.

BANTING, Gareth Bernard (Reverend)

Captain Chaplain 4th Class
159706
No 2 Commando
Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Killed in action or died of wounds
Reverend Gareth Banting joined No.2 Commando on 24 November 1943. Captain (Reverend) Banting, Padre of No 2 Commando, died of wounds during operations at Sarande, Albania. Son of Revd. Edgar Banting and Charlotte Emily Banting, of Plumtree Rectory, Nottingham. M.A. (Cantab.).

BARE, Jack Stormont

Captain
88169
No 2 Commando
Artists Rifles
Territorial Decoration (TD)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Captain Jack Stormont Bare died during operations from the No. 2 Commando base on the island of Vis against the enemy occupied island of Hvar. Son of Capt. Arnold Edwin Bare, M.V.O.

BARRY, John

Private
3663903
No 2 Commando
South Lancashire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private John Barry died on 19 September 1943 at 67 General Hospital C.M.F. of wounds received 13 September 1943 at Dragone Hill, Salerno. Son of Denis and Kathleen Barry, of Slaithwaite, Yorkshire.
 
Sources
CWGC.

BENNER, Norman Joseph

Rifleman
6920786
No 2 Commando
Rifle Brigade
Died on war service
Rifleman Norman Benner died as a result of an accident. Son of Fred Alvis Benner, and of Maude Elizabeth Benner, of Wallington.
 
Sources
CWGC.
Casualty Lists / National Archives file WO417/73.

BENNETT, Derick S.

Private
6351281
No 2 Commando
Queens Own Royal West Kent
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Derick Bennett, 6 troop, died during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno. Son of Alfred John and Thyrza Bennett, of Maidstone, Kent.

BIRNEY, David Leslie

Captain
75991
No 2 Commando
Rifle Brigade
Killed in action or died of wounds
Captain David Birney, Officer Commanding 2 troop, died of wounds after Operation Chariot, the raid at St Nazaire which took place on 28 March 1942*. He was commanding an assault group that had embarked on Motor Launch ML 447. 

BLACK, Graeme Delamere

Captain
106240
No 2 Commando
South Lancashire
Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
Military Cross (MC)
Executed
Captain Graeme Black DSO, MC, was executed whilst a Prisoner of War. He was one of the seven Commandos of No. 2 Commando who were captured after Operation Musketoon, and later executed under Hitler's Commando Execution Order, at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Berlin, 1942. 

BLATTNER, Charles William

Lance Sergeant
3063224
No 2 Commando
Royal Scots
Killed in action or died of wounds

Lance Sergeant Charles Blattner, 5 troop, was killed in action at Dragone Hill, Salerno, as the enemy attacked down the valley of La Molina towards Vietri. Son of Julian and Mary Blattner.

BLOWER, Alfred

Alfred Blower 2 Commando
Private
3772259
No 2 Commando
Kings Regiment (Liverpool)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Alfred Blower, 4 troop, died of wounds received at Dragone Hill, Salerno, on the 13th September 1943. He died at 67 General Hospital CMF. Son of Alfred and Elizabeth Blower, of Liverpool; husband of Winifred Blower, of Liverpool.

BOON, Peter

Peter Boon
Peter Boon 2 Commando
Gunner
5183803
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery
Gloucestershire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Gunner Peter Boon, 1 troop, died during operations at Splije, Albania. He has no known grave. Son of Albert and Florence Boon, of Avening Road, Gloucester.

BOWMAN, Lionel George

Lionel Bowman 2 Commando
Original Grave of Private Bowman
Private
5956867
No 2 Commando
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Lionel Bowman, 5 Troop, died of wounds during operations at Salerno, Italy. Son of Harry and Alice Mary Bowman, of Wanstead, London. In 1939 Lionel was a press advertising representative residing at 45 Redbridge Lane, Wanstead.
 
Sources

BRADLEY, Eric

Sergeant
3770135
No 2 Commando
Kings Regiment (Liverpool)
Died on war service
Sergeant Eric Bradley died as a result of a traffic accident when he was fatally injured when hit by a lorry whilst walking along Chester Road, Altrincham. This was during the period when No 2 Commando was a Para Commando unit.

BRIGHTY, John

Lance Corporal
3973527
No 2 Commando
Welch Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal John Brighty, 2 troop, was reported wounded and missing, later presumed killed in action, during Operation Healing 2 at Spilje Albania. He has no known grave. Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Edward Brighty; husband of Mary Brighty (nee Haymarch), of Ayr.

BRISCOE, Harold R.

Lance Corporal
T/264673
No 2 Commando
Royal Army Service Corps
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal Harold Briscoe, 1 troop, was killed in action during operations at Fossa Marina, East of Argenta, Italy. Son of Harold and Sarah Ann Briscoe, of Blackbrook, St. Helens, Lancs.
 
Sources
CWGC.

BROOME, Richard Frank

Captain
85468
No 2 Commando
No 4 Independent Company
South Lancashire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Captain Richard Broome, Officer Commanding 5 troop, was killed in action at Dragone Hill as the enemy attacked down the valley of La Molina towards Vietri, Italy. Initially buried on the forward slope of Dragone Hill. Son of Geoffrey and Ethel Broome; husband of Desiree L. M.

BRUNSWICK, Arthur Trotter

Lieutenant
172379
No 2 Commando
Durham Light Infantry
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lieutenant Arthur Brunswick, HQ Troop Intelligence Section, died of wounds from a mortar explosion during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno. Son of Mr. and Mrs. A. T. Brunswick, of Dunston, Co. Durham.

BRYAN, Edward Joseph

Bryan 2 Commando
Lance Corporal
3775300
No 2 Commando
King's Regiment (Liverpool)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal Edward Bryan, 4 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action at sea. He has no known grave.
Son of Adam and Mary Bryan; husband of D. M. Bryan.

BUCKBY, Raymond

Lance Sergeant
1805833
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Sergeant Raymond Buckby, 1 troop, was killed in action during operations at Lake Comacchio and Argenta, Italy. Son of James Lawrence Buckby and Kate Buckby, of Fleckney, Leicestershire.
 
Sources
CWGC.

BUNN, Norman

Trooper
7893626
No 2 Commando
Royal Armoured Corps
Killed in action or died of wounds
Trooper Norman Bunn, 2 troop, died of wounds in 11 Casualty Clearing Station, Brindisi, Italy. Son of Samuel and Elizabeth Bunn, of Wall Heath, Brierley Hill, Staffordshire.

BURNS, Charles

Gunner
.1612571
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery
Killed in action or died of wounds
Gunner Charles Burns, 6 troop, was killed in action during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno. He has no known grave. He was reported to have been buried by the 6th Yorks and Lancs.

BURNS, Ronald Edward David

Rifleman
6895664
No 2 Commando
King's Royal Rifle Corps (11th Bn)
(1st Bn. Queen's Westminsters)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Rifleman Ronald Burns, 6 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St. Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. He embarked for the raid on ML 268.
Son of Edward and Alice Janet Burns, of Brockley, London.
 

CAMERON, John Ewen

Corporal Cameron 2 Commando
Corporal
410258
No 2 Commando
Lovat Scouts
Killed in action or died of wounds
Corporal John Cameron, formerly a gamekeeper at the Rannoch Lodge Estate, Perthshire, was killed in action during operations in Italy. Son of Donald and Catherine Cameron, of Rannoch Station, Perthshire.
 
Sources
CWGC.

CAMPBELL, Norman Murray Priggen

Lance Sergeant
5958258
No 2 Commando
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds

Lance Sergeant Norman Campbell, 3 Troop, died of wounds during the 6 week period when No.2 Commando was placed "in the line" in Italy under 5 Corps. Son of Norman Priggen Campbell, and of Minnie Louise P. Campbell, of Wootton, Bedfordshire.

CARRICK, George

Lance Corporal
14241652
No 2 Commando
Lancashire Fusiliers
Lancashire Constabulary (Colne)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal George Carrick, 3 troop, died during operations on 13 September 1943 at Dragone Hill, Salerno, Italy, where he was initially buried (Map ref 602409) [1][2].
Son of George and Ethel Carrick, of Astley, Lancashire.

CARTER, Hugh John

Corporal
4078193
No 2 Commando
Monmouthshire Regiment (4th Bn)
Died on war service
Died in the UK
Corporal Hugh Carter was in the original No 2 (Parachute) Commando. He died in a training accident at Ringway during a parachute jump. Son of James and Florence Emily Carter, of Newport.
 
Sources
CWGC.

CHEETHAM, Gerald

Fusilier
6482292
No 2 Commando
Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
Metropolitan Police
Died on active service
Fusilier Gerald Cheetham, Heavy Weapons Troop, died of illness (pneumonia) whilst on active service in Italy. Son of Thomas James Cheetham and Charlotte Cheetham [1][1a][1b].

CHUDLEY, William Henry Albert

William Chudley 2 Commando
Lance Bombardier
882221
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery
Executed
Lance Bombardier William Chudley was one of the seven men of No. 2 Commando who were captured after Operation Musketoon, and later executed under Hitler's Commando Execution Order, at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Berlin, 1942. Son of Richard Henry and Ellen Eliza Chudley, of Exeter.

CONNOR, Stanley, J.

Private
T/328227
No 2 Commando
Royal Army Service Corps
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Stanley Connor died during operations at Salerno, Italy. Son of James and Honora Connor; husband of Grace F. Connor, of Colindale, Middlesex.
 
Sources
CWGC.

COUGHLAN, John

John Coughlan 2 Commando
Lance Corporal
3781807
No 2 Commando
King's Regiment (Liverpool)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal John Coughlan, 4 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action at sea. He has no known grave.

COX, Edward

Edward Cox 2 Commando
Gunner
1779578
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery
Killed in action or died of wounds
Gunner Edward Cox was killed in action during operations at Scaletta, Sicily. He was initially buried on a terrace on the Shore side of the road at the North end of the beach North of Scarlett a. Son of Herbert and Louise Cox, of Blackpool, Lancashire; husband of M.

COX, Cecil Ernest Robert

Corporal
14241734
No 2 Commando
Royal Armoured Corps
West Sussex Constabulary and Metropolitan Police
Killed in action or died of wounds
Corporal Cecil Cox, 1 troop died on 22 March 1944 of wounds received on the 18/19 March 1944 during a raid on the village of Grohote on the Dalmatian island of Solta. Son of Ernest and Alice Jane Cox of Horsham Sussex.

CRAIG, Robinson Ostle

Robinson Ostle Craig 2 Commando
Private
14241791
No 2 Commando
Kings Own Scottish Borderers
Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Police
Killed in action or died of wounds

Private Robinson Craig was killed in action at Dragone Hill, near Vietri, Salerno. He was buried there the following day, his grave being marked with a cross. However it was never again found and Private Craig is one of the many who now have no known grave.

CRIPPS, Arthur Raymond

Rifleman
11420547
No 2 Commando
Royal Ulster Rifles
Killed in action or died of wounds
Rifleman Arthur Cripps, 1 troop, died during operations at Lake Comacchio, Italy. Son of Charles and Jennie Cripps; husband of Barbara Cripps, of Apsley End, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.
 
Source
CWGC.
 

CUNNINGHAM, Henry Peter

Henry Cunningham 2 Commando
Private
3781746
No 2 Commando
King's Regiment (Liverpool)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Henry Cunningham, 4 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action at sea. He embarked for the raid on ML 267 and has no known grave. Son of John and Margaret Cunningham, of Old Swan, Liverpool.

CURTIS, Eric Gordon

Eric Curtis 2 Commando
Eric Gordon Curtis 2 Commando
Private
6349613
No 2 Commando
Queens Own Royal West Kent
Executed
Private Eric Gordon Curtis was one of the seven men of No. 2 Commando who were captured after Operation Musketoon. He was executed on 23 October 1942, the day before his 21st birthday, at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp under Hitler's Commando Execution Order.

DAVIES, Ronald John

Corporal
7014421
No 2 Commando
Royal Ulster Rifles, The London Irish Rifles
Died on active service
Corporal Ronald Davies, 2 Troop, was accidentally killed from a rifle shot whilst instructing a Squad. Son of John Davies, and of Margaret Ellen Davies, of Ilfracombe, Devon; husband of Lilian Amy Davies, of St. Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex.

DAVIES, Wyndham Francis

Wyndham Davies 2 Commando
Fusilier
6482247
No 2 Commando
Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
Metropolitan Police
Killed in action or died of wounds
Fusilier Wyndham Davies, 6 troop, was killed in action at Dragone Hill, Salerno, Italy. Initially buried as far as is known by the 6th Yorks and Lancs Regiment on the forward slope of the hill. Son of Francis and Mary Ann Davies, of Port Talbot, Glamorgan.

DAY, Arthur Frank

Private
6350696
No 2 Commando
Queens Own Royal West Kent
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Arthur Day died during operations at Piegolelle (aka Piegolette), near Salerno, Italy. He was initially buried jointly with two Royal Marine Commandos in a vineyard 30 yards South of Piegolelle. Son of Algin and Alice Day, of Kennington, London.
 

DIAMOND, Thomas

Private
3779240
No 2 Commando
Kings Regiment (Liverpool)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Thomas Diamond, 4 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. 

DONALDSON, John

Lance Corporal John Donaldson 2 Commando
Lance Corporal
2884838
No 2 Commando
London Scottish The Gordon Highlanders
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal John Donaldson, 3 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed died of wounds. He has no known grave. Son of William Donaldson and of Jessie Donaldson (nee Hunter); husband of Anne Donaldson (nee Smith), of Dundee.

DRURY, Charles Henry

Private
6019959
No 2 Commando
Essex Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Charles Drury, 2 troop, died of wounds during operations at Dragone Hill, Vietri, near Salerno. Husband of Theresa Drury, of Walthamstow, Essex. In 1939 before his military service he was employed as Butcher (Cutter) residing at 140 Hale End Road, Walthamstow.
 

DUFFY, Anthony Patrick

Sergeant
3773298
No 2 Commando
Kings Regiment (Liverpool)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Sergeant Anthony Duffy died during operations at Scaletta, Italy. Husband of Beatrice A. Duffy, of Dingle, Liverpool, 8. We have a document that states "Buried on terrace on Shore side of the road, at the North end of the beach, North of Scaletta."
 

ELDRIDGE, Leonard Frederick

Leonard Eldridge 2 Commando
Sergeant
6461633
No 2 Commando
Royal Fusiliers (City of London)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Sergeant Leonard Eldridge, 2 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action. He had embarked for the raid on Motor Launch ML 447 and has no known grave.

EVANS, Ralph

Driver
T/175282
No 2 Commando
Royal Army Service Corps
Died on war service
Died in the UK
Driver Ralph Evans died as a result of an accident during a parachute training exercise at Ringway whilst serving with the original No 2 (Para) Commando. He was the first casualty of the newly raised Commando units.
 
Sources

FISHER, Norman Lucas

Corporal
6896443
No 2 Commando
King's Royal Rifle Corps (11th Bn)
(1st Bn. Queen's Westminsters)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Corporal Norman Fisher, 6 troop, died on 25 April 1942 of wounds received on 28 March 1942 during Operation Chariot, the raid at St Nazaire. He was one of the commando contingent on motor launch ML 192 and had initially been reported as missing in action until his death was confirmed.

FORMOY, Donald Neville

Lance Corporal
6467881
No 2 Commando
Royal Fusiliers (City of London)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal Donald Formoy, 6 troop, died during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno, and was originally buried by house at the top of the steps on the West side of Hill.  He was buried with a religious ceremony in a communal grave with Capt. Mason and Pte Bennett, D.

FOWLER, Henry Francis

Lance Corporal
6019554
No 2 Commando
Essex Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal Henry Fowler, 2 Troop, died on 24 January 1943 of wounds received during Operation Chariot in March 1942. Son of Thomas Francis and Elizabeth Fowler, of Canning Town; husband of Alice Ada Fowler, of Canning Town [1][2][3][4].

GARRATT, Arthur Ernest

Lance Corporal
5338655
No 2 Commando
Royal Berkshire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal Arthur Garratt, 2 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. Embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 447. Son of Matilda Garratt, of Islington, London.
 
Sources

GEE, Harold

Corporal Harold Gee No.2 Commando
Harold Gee 2 Commando
Corporal
3864592
No 2 Commando
The Loyal Regt. (North Lancashire)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Corporal Harold Gee from Billinge near Wigan died of wounds during operations at Sarande, Albania.
Extract from the No 2 Cdo War Diary
11th October 1944

GIBSON, William

Lance Sergeant
2879864
No 2 Commando
Gordon Highlanders
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Sergeant William Gibson, 6 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action. He had embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 268 and has no known grave. 

GOSS, Leonard George William

Fusilier
6459167
No 2 Commando
Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Fusilier Leonard Goss, 6 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action. He had embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 192 and has no known grave. Son of Leonard Butcher Goss and L. Goss, of Brixton, London.
 

GOULD, Norman Patrick

Rifleman
877100
No 2 Commando
Royal Ulster Rifles, The London Irish Rifles
Killed in action or died of wounds
Rifleman Norman Gould was killed in action during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno, and was initially buried there (Map ref. 612409). Son of Percy Harrington Gould and Bertha Gould, of Kensington, London. Former civil occupation: Draughtsman.

GRAY, Frank Herbert

Private
14235476
No 2 Commando
Hampshire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Frank Gray was reported missing presumed died on 11 March 1945 during operations in Italy. He has no known grave. Son of Thomas Gray; husband of Marjorie Jessie Lillian Gray.
 
Sources
CWGC.

GROSE, William Ernest

Guardsman
2617390
No 2 Commando
Grenadier Guards
Killed in action or died of wounds
Guardsman William Grose, 2 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action. He had embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 447 and has no known grave. Son of Ernest Albert Grose, and of Agnes Grose, of Welling, Kent.

GWYNNE, John Edward Herbert

Private
2929834
No 2 Commando
No 4 Independent Company
Liverpool Scottish, Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
Mentioned in Despatches
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private John Gwynne, 5 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action [1][1a]. Embarked for the raid on HMS Campbeltown and received a posthumous Mention in Despatches [2][3].

HARKNESS, Peter

Lance Sergeant
2879689
No 2 Commando
Gordon Highlanders
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Sergeant Peter Harkness was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action. Son of Peter and Catherine Ann Harkness.

HARRISON, Maurice

Lance Sergeant
6896247
No 2 Commando
King's Royal Rifle Corps (11th Bn)
(1st Bn. Queen's Westminsters)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Sergeant Maurice Harrison, 6 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. He had embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 192.
Son of Samuel G. and Maud A. Harrison, of Streatham, London.
 

HARRONS, Charles Edward

Corporal
5337958
No 2 Commando
Royal Berkshire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds

Corporal Charles Harrons, 1 troop, died after No 2 Commando had just taken part in the raid on Spilje, Albania.

An entry in the No 2 Cdo War Diary dated 24th August 1944 states " Burial Service for Cpl Harrons (1 Tp) who died in hospital at Bari was held in the afternoon."

HAY, William

Lance Corporal
325315
No 2 Commando
Royal Armoured Corps
Lanarkshire Yeomanry
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal William Hay was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. Son of Thomas and Margaret Hay, of Carluke, Lanarkshire.

HAYES, Frank

Frank Hayes 2 Commando
Guardsman
2615360
No 2 Commando
Grenadier Guards
Killed in action or died of wounds

Guardsman Frank Hayes, 4 troop, was killed in action during operations at Vaagso, Norway. Son of George Richard Hayes, and of Lillian Hayes, of Manchester.

HEATHER, William Bernard

Lance Corporal
6400817
No 2 Commando
Royal Sussex Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal William Heather, 2 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action. He embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 447 and has no known grave. Son of William and Harriette Heather.
 

HEMPSTEAD, Stanley

Sergeant
6014969
No 2 Commando
Essex Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Sergeant Stanley Hempstead, 2 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. He had embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 262. Son of Frank Hempstead and Marion (nee Barnard).

HODGSON, Eric Stewart

Captain
75234
No 2 Commando
Hertfordshire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Captain Eric Hodgson, Officer Commanding 1 troop, was reported missing believed killed 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. He was in charge of the commandos on motor launch ML 446 and has no known grave.

HOUGHTON, Joseph Blundell Johnson

Birth name: 
JOHNSON HOUGHTON, Joseph Blundell
Captain
130206
No 2 Commando
No 4 Independent Company
Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
Military Cross (MC)
Executed
Captain Joseph Houghton MC was executed whilst a Prisoner of War. He was one of the seven men of No. 2 Commando who were captured after Operation Musketoon, and executed under Hitler's Commando Execution Order, at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Berlin, 1942.

HOWARTH, Arnold

Lance Sergeant
3448514
No 2 Commando
Grenadier Guards
British Empire Medal (BEM)
Mentioned in Despatches
Croix de Guerre (France)
Lance Sergeant Arnold Howarth was one of the five Commandos who escaped after landing at St Nazaire on the raid. Arnold joined the Grenadier Guards in 1939 aged 18. His 5 brothers were also in the Armed Forces. He later volunteered for and was attached to No.2 Commando.

HUDSON, George Herbert

Lance Corporal
6896827
No 2 Commando
King's Royal Rifle Corps (11th Bn)
(1st Bn. Queen's Westminsters)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal George Hudson, 6 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action.  He had embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 268.
 
Sources
CWGC.

HUGHES, Edward Joseph

Gunner
14204254
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery
Killed in action or died of wounds
Gunner Edward Hughes from London was reported missing, later presumed killed in action, during the 6 week period in February/March when No 2 Commando were placed "in the line" in Italy under 5 Corps. Son of Edward Joseph and Rose Naomi Hughes.
 

HUGHES, Henry Finn

Lance Corporal
7590916
No 2 Commando
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal Henry Hughes died during operations at Spilje, Albania. He has no known grave. Son of Peter Hughes, and of Margaret Kathleen Hughes, of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
 
Sources
CWGC.

HULME, George

Rifleman
3247242
No 2 Commando
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Rifleman George Hulme died of wounds. This was during the period No.2 Commando were involved in operations at Sarande. Son of Mrs. B. Hulme, of Worsborough Bridge, Yorkshire.
 
Sources
CWGC.

HUNTER, John Edmund

Lance Corporal
6968214
No 2 Commando
Rifle Brigade
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal John Hunter, 5 troop, was killed in action during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno, and was originally buried by the 6th Yorks and Lancs. However his grave was never again found.

IMRIE, Ian

Gunner
1811089
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery 130 H.A.A. Regt.
Killed in action or died of wounds
Gunner Ian Imrie was killed in action during the period in February/March when No 2 Commando were placed "in the line" in Italy under 5 Corps. Adopted son of David and Charlotte Sanderson, of Irvine, Ayrshire.
 
Sources
CWGC.

JACKSON, Joseph (LSgt)

Lance Sergeant
3781177
No 2 Commando
Kings Regiment (Liverpool)
Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Sergeant Joseph Jackson DCM died during the 6 week period in February/March when No 2 Commando were placed "in the line" in Italy under 5 Corps. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for "gallant and distinguished services in the field."
 

JACKSON, Joseph (Pte)

Private Joe Jackson 2 Commando
Private (Acting Lance Corporal)
3655268
No 2 Commando
South Lancashire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds

Private (Acting Lance Corporal) Joseph Jackson was killed in action during operations at Salerno, Italy. Son of Joseph and Frances Jackson, of Warrington, Lancashire.

KELLY, Ernest Patrick

Gunner
1490890
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery
Killed in action or died of wounds
Gunner Ernest Kelly was killed in action during in Italy. This was during the 6 week period in February/March when No 2 Commando were placed "in the line" in Italy under 5 Corps. Son of Ernest James Kelly and Alice Maud Kelly, of Greenwich, London.
 

KELLY, Francis

Private
4467369
No 2 Commando
Border Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Francis Kelly, from Dovecot, Liverpool, was reported missing on 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St. Nazaire, later presumed died of wounds. Son of Joseph and Mary Kelly, of Liverpool.

KILLEEN, Martin

Martin Killeen kia with 2 Commando
Martin Killeen 2 Commando
Private
404846
No 2 Commando
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
Private Martin Killeen was killed in action during operations at Vietre Sul Mare, Italy. Son of Martin and Kathleen Killeen; husband of Kathleen Killeen, of New Malden, Surrey. Private Killeen was initially buried in the Orange Grove at back of a school in Vietri (Map ref 618298).

KING, David

Lance Bombardier
1445271
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery, 89 H.A.A. Regt
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Bombardier David King, 5 troop, died during the 6 week period in February/March when No 2 Commando were placed "in the line" in Italy under 5 Corps. The War Diary records that he was killed during shelling that took place between 1110hrs and 1550hrs.
 

LAWRIE, Thomas Dick

Headstone of Major Thomas Lawrie
Major
47603
No 2 Commando
Royal Scots
Killed in action or died of wounds
Major Thomas Lawrie, second in command of No 2 Commando, died during operations at Vietri, Salerno, Italy. Husband of Rosemary Anne Hale Lawrie.
 
Sources
CWGC.
 

LEWIS, John Frederick

Guardsman
2617158
No 2 Commando
Grenadier Guards
Killed in action or died of wounds
Guardsman John Lewis, 2 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action. He embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 447 and has no known grave.

LUCY, Albert James

Fusilier
6461459
No 2 Commando
Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Fusilier Albert Lucy, 6 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action. He had embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 192.
Son of Albert Edward and Lily Minnie Lucy, of Kentish Town, London.
 

LYONS, Frederick James

Private
6469624
No 2 Commando
The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
East Surrey Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Frederick Lyons died during operations at Sarande, Albania. Son of Agnes Lyons; husband of Irene Lyons, of Southsea, Hampshire.
No 2 Commando War Diary

MAKEHAM, Reginald Henry

Reginald Makeham 2 Commando
Private
841059
No 2 Commando
Gordon Highlanders
Executed

Private Reginald Makeham, 6 troop, was one of the seven men of No. 2 Commando who were captured after Operation Musketoon, and later executed under Hitler's Commando Execution Order, at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Berlin, 1942.

MASON, Frank Stanley

Lieutenant (Temporary Captain)
149207
No 2 Commando
Reconnaissance Corps, R.A.C.
Killed in action or died of wounds

Temporary Captain Frank Mason, 6 Troop, died during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno, Italy. Son of David Richard and Selina Machel Mason; husband of Dorothy Lilian Mason, of Cricklewood, Middlesex. He was originally buried by house at the top of the steps on the West side of Hill. Map ref.

MATHER, Harry

Lance Corporal
3656822
No 2 Commando
South Lancashire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal Harry Mather, 4 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action at sea. He had embarked for the raid on ML 268. Son of Charles Baron Mather and Mary Elizabeth Mather, of Bolton, Lancashire.
 

MAYLOTT, Jesse

Jesse Maylott 2 Commando
Private
3654748
No 2 Commando
South Lancashire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Jesse Maylott, 4 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action at sea. He has no known grave. Son of Jesse Maylott, and of Alice Maylott, of Orford, Warrington, Lancashire.

MCCORMACK, Thomas

Thomas McCormack
Tom McCormack 2 Commando
Private
2930404
No 2 Commando
No 4 Independent Company
Liverpool Scottish Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Thomas McCormack, 5 troop No 2 Commando, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St. Nazaire, later confirmed as having died on 11 April 1942 of wounds received during the raid.

MCDOUGALL, Peter

Bombardier
1527887
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery
Killed in action or died of wounds
Bombardier Peter McDougall died of wounds in 11 Casualty Clearing Station in Brindisi, Italy. Son of Daniel and Elizabeth McDougall, of Limekilns, Fife.

MILLER, David McMillan

Gunner
1494970
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery, 79 (The Hertfordshire Yeomanry) H.A.A. Regt
Killed in action or died of wounds
Gunner David Miller died of wounds at 11 Casualy Clearing Station, Brindisi, Italy. Son of William and Jean Miller, of Balfron, Stirlingshire. He is not listed as a Commando on the CWGC database.

MITCHELL, Norman John

Gunner
5440660
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery
Killed in action or died of wounds

Gunner Norman Mitchell was reported missing 10 March 1945 during operations in Italy, later presumed killed in action. At the time of his death his Commando had been placed in the line in Italy for 6 weeks under 5 Corps. Gunner Mitchell has no known grave.

MOORES, Jack Ernest

Grave of Jack Ernest Moores 2 Commando
Sergeant
5767479
No 2 Commando
Royal Norfolk
Killed in action or died of wounds

Sergeant Jack Moores died during operations at Spilje Bay, Albania. Son of Walter and Alice Moores; husband of Vera Lucy Moores, of Cambridge.

MOSS, Alan

WO1 Regimental Sergeant Major
2930992
No 2 Commando
No 4 Independent Company
Liverpool Scottish Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
Mentioned in Despatches
Killed in action or died of wounds
Regimental Sergeant Major Alan Moss, HQ 2 Commando, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action at sea after being shot. He embarked for the raid on Motor Launch ML 267 and received a posthumous Mention in Despatches.

NEAL, Alfred William

Private
7349551
No 2 Commando
Royal Army Medical Corps
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Alfred Neal, RAMC attached No.2 Commando, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action. Embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 447 and has no known grave.

NEVILLE, William John

Rifleman
7902975
No 2 Commando
Royal Ulster Rifles
Died on active service
Rifleman William Neville died by accidental drowning in Italy. Son of Thomas J. and Sarah Neville, of Collone, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland.
Extract from the diary of Len Justice No. 2 Commando

O'MEARA, Barry Aden Joseph

Lieutenant
151674
No 2 Commando
Royal Armoured Corps, 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lieutenant Barry O'Meara, 1 troop, was killed by a mine at Grattacoppa, which is approximately 10.5 miles north of Ravenna, Italy. He has no known grave. Son of His Honour Judge A. J. O'Meara, and of Myrtle L. O'Meara, of Weald, Kent.
 
Sources

PANNING, Henry Albert

Fusilier
14318966
No 2 Commando
Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Fusilier Henry Panning died of wounds during operations in Italy. Son of William Ernest and Florence Martha Panning, of Greenwich, London.
 
Sources
CWGC.

PARKER, Charles Alfred

LCpl Charles Parker 2 Commando
Lance Corporal
5950711
No 2 Commando
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal Charles Parker died whilst taking part in intelligence gathering operations from Malta. Landing from submarines of the 10th submarine flotilla utilising folbots they would gather information and be picked up later.

PARSONS, George Alexander

Captain
162020
No 2 Commando
Somerset Light Infantry
Military Cross (MC)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lieutenant George Parsons joined No.2 Commando on 16 July 1943 and was posted to 2 Troop. He was awarded the Military Cross during operations at Salerno, Italy. On 9 October 1944 Captain George Parsons MC commanding 3 Troop was killed in action during operations at Sarande, Albania.

PASH, Reginald Jack

Guardsman
2621407
No 2 Commando
Grenadier Guards
Killed in action or died of wounds
Guardsman Reginald Pash, 5 troop, died during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno, and was initially buried by the 6th Yorks and Lancs. Regiment. His grave was never again found.

PATERSON, Kenneth Albert

Lance Corporal
5442424
No 2 Commando
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal Kenneth Paterson was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. He has no known grave. Son of Albert Edward and Henrietta Jane Paterson, of Bristol.

PEYTON, Thomas Grenville Pitt

Lieutenant
112912
No 2 Commando
No 5 Independent Company
Kings Royal Rifle Corps
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lieutenant Thomas Peyton, 6 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. He has no known grave. Son of Ivor Eliot Peyton and Dorothy Helen Peyton, of Englemere Wood, Berkshire.

PHELAN, Francis Edward

Private
6351455
No 2 Commando
Queens Own Royal West Kent
Killed in action or died of wounds

Private Francis Phelan was reported missing presumed died in Tunisia, North Africa. He has no known grave.

Sources
CWGC.
Casualty Lists / National Archives file WO417/75. 
 

PHILLIPS, Albert Henry

Corporal
7885644
No 2 Commando
11 Special Air Service Battalion
Training Centres
Royal Armoured Corps
Died on war service
Died in the UK
Corporal Albert Phillips, 11 Special Air Service Bn., formerly No.2 Commando, died in a climbing accident during training at STC Lochailort. Son of Albert Henry and E. E. Phillips, of Newport, Monmouthshire. Cause of death “Multiple injuries. Accidentally killed by falling over precipice.

PORTER, Alfred William Thomas

Private
14713795
No 2 Commando
East Lancashire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds

Private Alfred Porter died of wounds during the 6 week period in February/March when No 2 Commando were placed "in the line" in Italy under 5 Corps. Son of Alfred H. and Florence M. Porter, of Woodford Green, Essex.

RADCLIFFE, Frederick

Private Radcliffe 2 Commando
Private
3772039
No 2 Commando
Kings Regiment (Liverpool)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Frederick Radcliffe was killed in action during operations at Salerno, this date being that of the action on the hills by the village of Dragonea, above Vietri sul Mare. He has no known grave. Youngest son of James and Elizabeth Radcliffe, 9, Lorton Street, Liverpool, 8.

ROACH, Thomas Ypres

Rifleman
6849064
No 2 Commando
King's Royal Rifle Corps (11th Bn)
(1st Bn. Queen's Westminsters)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Rifleman Thomas Roach, 6 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. He had embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 177. Son of Lewis and Winifred Roach, of Caerau, Bridgend, Glamorgan.
 
Sources

ROBINSON, Sydney

Guardsman
2619196
No 2 Commando
Grenadier Guards
Killed in action or died of wounds
Guardsman Sydney Robinson, 4 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action at sea. He embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 268 and has no known grave.
 

ROUD, Leslie William

Fusilier (Acting Lance Corporal)
5511893
No 2 Commando
Lancashire Fusiliers, 2nd Bn.
Killed in action or died of wounds
Fusilier Leslie Roud was killed in action on the 28 February 1945 during operations in Italy. At the time of his death No.2 Commando had been placed "in the line" near Ravenna.
 
Sources
CWGC.

RUBIN, Leonard

Lance Sergeant
6147484
No 2 Commando
East Surrey Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Sergeant Leonard Rubin, Heavy Weapons Troop, died during operations at Vietri Sul Mare, Salerno, Italy. Originally buried in the orange grove at the back of school, Vietri. Son of Harry and Fay Rubin, of Hackney, London.

SCHOLEM, Robert

Driver
PAL/30212
No 2 Commando
Royal Army Service Corps
Killed in action or died of wounds
Driver Robert Scholem died during operations at Lake Comacchio, Italy. Son of Hugo Scholem, and of Marianne Scholem, of Brussels, Belgium. He also took part in earlier operations on Solta. Follow this link to our No 2 Commando History section.
 

SHEMMONDS, Anthony Wilson

Lance Corporal
6351892
No 2 Commando
Queen's Own Royal West Kent
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal Anthony Shemmonds, 6 troop, died during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno. Map ref. 607307 approx. He has no known grave. Son of Harold Arthur and Eva Shemmonds, of Forest Hall, Northumberland [1][2].
 

SMITH, James

LCpl James Smith
Lance Corporal
3654054
No 2 Commando
South Lancashire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lance Corporal James Smith died during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno, on the left flank North of Jaconti. He was initially buried 20 yards past a T junction (Map ref. 600310) from Dragone to Padacouni, and 20 yards in from the road, ie. South on the left hand side. Map ref. 600309.

SMITH, Miller

Sergeant (Temporary Company Sergeant Major)
2657063
No 2 Commando
Coldstream Guards
Southport Borough Police
Executed

Sergeant Miller Smith, a former Police Officer, was one of seven men from No.2 Commando captured after Operation Musketoon and later executed at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp under Hitler's Commando Execution Order.

SPAUL, William Albert

Corporal
6088619
No 2 Commando
The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Corporal William Spaul, 6 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. Embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 192. Son of Albert Spaul, and of Isabel Spaul, of Aldershot, Hampshire.
 

STEWART, John Alexander

Lance Corporal
2931169
No 2 Commando
Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
Killed in action or died of wounds

Lance Corporal John Stewart, 5 troop, was fatally wounded during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno, Italy, and died on way to the Regimental Aid Post. Reported as buried by 41 RM Commando but his grave was never subsequently found. Son of John and Francis Stewart, of Clubmoor, Liverpool.

STONE, Henry

Gunner
3392730
No 2 Commando
Royal Artillery
Killed in action or died of wounds
Gunner Henry Stone, 5 troop, was killed in action during operations at Lake Comacchio, Italy. Son of Henry and Sarah Florence Stone, of Shoreditch, London.
 
Sources
CWGC.

TARRANT, William John

Rifleman
6921429
No 2 Commando
Rifle Brigade
Killed in action or died of wounds
Rifleman William Tarrant, 3 troop, died on the 18th September 1943 of wounds received during operations at Salerno, Italy, on the 13th September. Son of William Thomas Tarrant and Daisy Tarrant, of Marlborough, Wiltshire.

TAYLOR, Gerald

Sergeant
7598084
No 2 Commando
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Killed in action or died of wounds
Sergeant Gerald Taylor, HQ Reserve, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. He had embarked for the raid on Motor Launch ML 267 which was hit by enemy fire and sank.

TOMSETT, Reginald Maurice

Corporal
6896917
No 2 Commando
King's Royal Rifle Corps (11th Bn)
(1st Bn. Queen's Westminsters)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Corporal Reginald Tomsett, 6 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. Embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 192. Son of Maurice Jeffery Tomsett and Edith Sarah Tomsett, of Shirley, Croydon.
 

TRIGG, Frederick Harry

Frederick Harry Trigg 2 Commando
Private
6399046
No 2 Commando
Royal Sussex Regiment
Military Medal (MM)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Frederick Trigg MM from Haywards Heath, Sussex, was killed in action in Italy. He has no known grave. Awarded the Military Medal for gallant and distinguished service in 1942 during Operation Musketoon, Norway, and his subsequent evasion from capture.

VANDERWERVE, John Edward

John Vanderwerve 2 Commando
Lieutenant
117921
No 2 Commando
No 4 Independent Company
Kings Regiment (Liverpool)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lieutenant John Vanderwerve, 4 troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action. He was officer in charge of a protection squad for a demolition team embarked on motor launch ML 306.

VEITCH, John Young

Private
3188895
No 2 Commando
Royal Scots
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private John Veitch died during operations at Dragone Hill, Salerno, Italy, and was initially buried there. Son of Thomas and Agnes Veitch, of Kelso, Roxburghshire [1][2].

WALTON, George William

Guardsman
2618526
No 2 Commando
Grenadier Guards
Killed in action or died of wounds
Guardsman George Walton, 2 troop, was reported missing on 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later confirmed killed in action. He embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 447. Son of George William and Doris Olive Walton, of New Mills, Derbyshire.

WALTON, Philip

Lieut. Philip Walton No 2 Commando
Lieutenant
104117
No 2 Commando
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lieutenant Philip Walton, 1 Troop, was reported missing 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire. Section Officer of a demolition team embarked on Motor Launch ML 457.
Son of C.P. and Evelyn Walton, of Bedford. B.A. (Cantab.): Christ's College.
 

WATT, William

William Watt 2 Commando
Corporal
6460971
No 2 Commando
Royal Fusiliers (City of London)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Corporal William Watt, 6 troop, died during operations at Scaletta, Sicily. We have a document that outlines these details, " Buried at Scaletta

WELLESLEY, Henry Valerian George

Captain
56864
No 2 Commando
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
Mentioned in Despatches
Killed in action or died of wounds
Captain Henry Wellesley, the 6th Duke of Wellington, died during operations at Salerno. He was in charge of 2 troop with orders to attack and take the village of Piegolelle (also seen spelt as Piegolette). This was heavily defended by the Germans firing from the heights called 'The Pimple'.

WESTWOOD, Albert

Rifleman
6898157
No 2 Commando
No 9 Commando
Kings Royal Rifle Corps
Died on active service
Rifleman Albert Westwood died in Italy as a result of an accident on 28 May 1945 whilst serving with No.2 Commando [1][2].
  • 3 February 1944 wounded serving with No.9 Commando in Italy [3].

WHITEHOUSE, Peter Beckwith

Captain
100423
2 Special Service (Commando) Brigade
Royal Engineers
Killed in action or died of wounds
Captain Peter Whitehouse RE, 2 Special Service Brigade Staff Officer, killed in action during operations in Albania with No.2 Commando. Son of Sir Harold Beckwith Whitehouse, and of Lady Whitehouse (nee Griffith), of West Brompton, London.
 
Sources

WILSON, Kenneth Charles

Kenneth Wilson 2 Commando
Private
6207934
No 2 Commando
Middlesex Regiment
Died on war service
Died in the UK
Private Kenneth Wilson died during a No 2 Commando training exercise. Son of F. Wilson and Clara Wilson, of Wood Green, Middlesex.
Extracts from the No 2 Commando War Diary 
  • 3 June 1942 - Exercise Doon - Dvr Wilson killed at Irvine.

WOODMAN, Robert Salonicka

Fusilier
6467448
No 2 Commando
Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
Killed in action or died of wounds
Fusilier Robert Woodman, 6 troop, was reported missing on 28 March 1942 after Operation Chariot at St Nazaire, later presumed killed in action. He had embarked for the raid on motor launch ML 192 and has no known grave. Son of Mrs. A. Woodman, of Battersea, London.
 

WOODS, Leslie William

Lance Sergeant
5777911
No 2 Commando
Royal Norfolk
Killed in action or died of wounds

Lance Sergeant Leslie Woods was killed in action in Italy. This was during the 6 week period in February/March when No 2 Commando were placed in the line under 5 Corps.

WRIGHT, Dennis Raymond

Grave of Pte Dennis Wright No.2 Commando
Private
5127463
No 2 Commando
Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Dennis Wright, aged 18 and from Birmingham, died during operations at Salerno, Italy. Initially buried near a house in a copse on the East side of road at Dragone. Map ref 602409. Son of John Stanley Wright and Daisy Lydia Wright, of Wylde Green. Sutton Coldfield.

We will Remember them

And all ranks who served in the Commando and have since passed on in the passage of time, who are also remembered by their proud families and comrades.

2 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. 

For historical & research purposes, we have tried to compile the names of all No.2 Commando volunteers which were obtained from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Lists of Casualties, the No.2 Commando War Diary, papers from the National Archives and further research by members of the CVA and various other resources. In preparing this list, we acknowledge that it is very likely there are omissions. 

Note: Where a service number is shown on our nominal rolls and no source is shown in the end column, it should be treated as possible but not confirmed. Contact the Archive if you suspect an error.

Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

No 2 Commando Nominal A - C

Commando Veterans Archive Nominal Roll for No.2 Commando.
© Commando Veterans Archive 2016. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction permitted.
 
Notes
Click on highlighted surnames for more information.
CA followed by a number = entry in a Commando Association newsletter.
DR = List provided by Mrs Desiree Roderick MBE
EB = Eric Buckmaster No.2 Commando.
FRO = Field Return of Officers in War Diary.
JR = Notebook of LSgt Joe Rogers MM 5 Troop
LL followed by a number = entry in Commando Association Lost Legion List.
PG = Photo Gallery.
CasList = National Archives Army Casualty Lists.
WD = War Diary.
WO = War Office file at the National Archives
 
SURNAME
FORENAME
RANK
NUMBER
AWARD
ADDITIONAL
Abbey
Philip, Robert, A.
LCpl
6296572
 
The Buffs;  2Tp (CA63)
Cyril, Henry
Rfn
6922005
 
Rifle Bde; executed
Acreman
John, Ellery
Gnr
944326
 
2 Cdo from 1945 (DR) ; and 6 Cdo WO417/56
Adams
C.R.
Pte
 
 
 lka Brighton (LL1)
Adams
W
Pte
 
 
Parents from Rotherham (DR)
Adamson
 
Lt
 
 
 
Agnew
J.F.
Pte
5335029
 
R.Berks; wounded 1943  CasList WO417/67 
Aiden
P.M. St J.
Cpl
 
 
(LL1)
Ainslie
Leslie,
'wee' or 'titch'
Pte
2826201
 
Seaforths; 5 Tp (JR) (PG);  Sgt. Australian Army (CA23)
Walter
Gnr
898494
 
RA; 5 Troop
​Aird
Gerald
Pte
4613225
 
(DR)
Michael, Derrick
Pte
3772603
 
Kings Regt; kia St Nazaire
Albutt
Frank
Pte
 
 
from Coventry (CA83)
Aldersea
S
Pte
 
 
S.Staffs Regt; (LL1); (DR)
Jack
LSgt
 1892443
 
RE; (St Nazaire)
Hugh, Bryan
LCpl
14000107
 
Royal Scots; kia
Allbutt
H
Pte
5127298
 
R Warwicks Regt; 4 Tp (DR)
Allen
Kenneth, George
2Lt
240429
 
Sherwood Forresters
Allen
Reginald, John
Pte
5947997
 
Beds & Herts; (CA104)
Allnutt
Cyril, W.
Pte
2878481
 
Gordons; 2 Cdo Sigs (PG)
Allott
Edward
LCpl
 
 
Pioneer Corps (DR)
Alfred, Edmund
Cpl
4536995
MM
W. Yorks/Recce Corps
Amos
Richard, Henry
LSgt
5343009
 
R Berks; 29Jul'44 CasList  WO417/80; (CA92)
John, Robert
LSgt
2616491
MM
Grenadier Gds
Harold
Gdsm
2620580
 
GrenGds; Op. Chariot ML446/ 2 troop
Andrew
K.D.
Pte
6350065
 
QORWK; lka Australia (LL1); (DR)
Albert, Mailly
LCpl
6916421
MM
Rifle Brigade
Andrews
B
Pte
 
 
 
H.E.
Pte
4546729
 
W.Yorks; CasList 1943 WO417/69; POW
Armstrong J Pte ? 986201   Parents from Middlesborough
Armstrong
Jeffrey, Howard
Pte
  
 
4tp (Spalding); (LL7)
Arnison
Stanley, Frazer 'Stan'
Pte
3599697
 
Border Regt; (PG); (CA94)
Arnold
Frank, H.W.
Cpl
5932921
 
Suffolks;CasLists;Italy wounded 13Sep43
Arnold
  
Lieut
 
 
R.W.F.; attached 4/12/43. WD (F.R.O. Dec43)
Arthur
LCpl
2929623
 
Liverpool Scots; 5 troop; wounded Op Chariot
Ashcroft
T
Pte
​3959697
 
Welch Regt
Ashton
Eric
 
 
 
 
Ashton
Ernest
Gnr
 
 
RA; (PG)
Ashton
James
Pte
  
 
 
Ashton
R.G.
Cpl
 
 
 
Ashton
W
Pte
 
 
HWT (PG)
Aspey
William,
'Bill' or  'La'
LCpl
2930678
 
Liverpool Scots; 5 Tp; (PG)
William
Pte
4546321
 
West Yorks Regt; (PG);(DR)
3Tp; wounded WO417/84
Attwood
R.W.H
Fus
6479169
 
R Fusiliers (CA44); (LL1);(DR); WO417/68
Attwood
S.G.
Gdsm LCpl
2617679
 
Gren. Gds; (DR); wounded 22/3/44 WO417/74
Norman, John
Gdsm (Cpl)
2616306
 
Grenadier Gds; (CA63)(CA75)(CA119)
Auld
Luke
Pte
 
 
Liverpool Scots; 4 Ind. Coy (PG)
James, Herbert
Bdr
2083573
 
RA; (DR); (PG); PoW 135268
Dalmatian Islands
WO416/13/234
Austin
P
Fus
 
 
 
Austwick
John, 'Jack'
LCpl
5989253
 
Beds & Herts; (PG); (CA54)
Charles
Cpl
2931647
MiD
QOCH / later 1SAS (PG)
Bailey
Charles
Sgt
 
 
(CA117)
Bailey
Norman
LCpl
 
 
Kings Rgt. Served in 1 Cdo Bde. Awaits verification of 2cdo service. (PG)
Bailey P Pte 5121166;    R.Warwicks; 1944 CasList   WO417/81 & WO417/84
Bailey
W.F.
Pte
 
 
from Wallington (LL1)
Bailey
W.H.
Gnr
 
 
RA
Bailey
W.J.
Gnr
 
RA; 4 Troop
Baker
Richard
Lt
 
 
Seconded to RM Cdos Yugoslavia (EB)
Baldock
R.G.A.
Bdr
2065660
 
RA; (LL1); 1 tp (DR)
Baldwin
Wallace, Amos
Spr
 
 
RE; & 2 Cdo Bde (CA77)
Ballard
Sidney, Robert, James
Gnr
 
 
RA; (CA104)
Ballard
William, Joseph
LSgt
6019504
 
Essex Regt (CA91)
Stephen, Dorcas
Sgt
6349577
 
QORWK; kia
Bancroft
Dilwyn,
'Taff' or 'Dil'
LSgt
2734698
 
Welsh Guards; 6 Tp Dec42 (PG); 4 Tp Dec43 (WD);(CA88,CA93)
Banks
Frederick, Charles. 'Stan'
LCpl
3863503
 
Loyal  Regt; (PG)
Banks
Harry
Gnr
 
 
RA; 1 Tp (PG); (DR)
Gareth, Bernard
Capt Padre
159706
 
RACD; kia
Banting
J
 
 
 
 
H. John
Pte
5779882
 
R Norfolk Regt; 5 Tp (JR); (PG); PoW Salerno
Jack, Stormont
Capt
88169
 
Artist Rifles; kia
Barker
William, Edward
Gnr
 
 
RA; 4 Troop
Gilbert, Michael
Capt
 
 
RAMC; 2 Cdo M.O. at St Nazaire
Arthur, Leslie
Pte
6032057
 
Beds & Herts; Salerno CasLists  WO417/67
Barlow
E.J.
Sgt
 
 
 
Jack
LCpl
6482241
MBE,BEM, CPM
R. Fusiliers
Barmby
Geoffrey
LCpl
 
 
 
Frederick, Charles, Kenneth
LSgt
 
RA (CA56)
Barnard
N
 
 
 
 
Barnes
H
Lt
 
 
 
Barnes
M
 
 
 
 
Wiliiam, Walter
LSgt
6482223
Police
MID
R.Fusiliers; wounded 20/3/45 CasList WO417/90
Barnett
L
 
 
 
 
Robbie
Sgt
2877689
MBE
London Scottish
John
Pte
3663903
 
South Lancs Regt; kia
Bernard, James
Maj
134120
DSO, MC
44 Recce Corp 
Basire
Manuel, Pienti, 'Peter'
LCpl
6351539
 
QORWK; 4 tp (PG); Italy 1945 wounded WO417/90 (CA61, CA113)
Bass
J
Pte
 
 
lka Essex (LL1)
Bateman
L
Pte
 
 
lka Folkestone (LL1)
Bates
Les, G.
Tpr
 
 
2 Cdo (LL1); Recce Corps; 1 Troop
Battersby
W.J. 
Fus
 
 
 
Robert, John,
'Bob'
Capt
100219
MiD
SWB
Leonard
Sgt
6467968
 
R. Fusiliers
Beard
J.F.
Gnr
 
 
RA
Beardmore
L
Pte
 
 
 
John, Clifford
Rfn 
6912677
MiD
Rifle Bde; wounded St Nazaire /evac.UK/to R.E.
Beasley
F
Cpl
5337125
 
R. Berks Regt
Beck
A
Pte
4546709
 
West Yorks. Regt; (LL2) (DR)
Beckett
Paul, Henry
Pte
4747367
 
Yorks & Lancs. Regt; (PG)
Beeden
Walter, Reginald
Sig
2325052
 
R Signals; (PG)
Belcher
Edward
Pte
 
 
 
Bell
A
Pte
 
 
 
Bell
Reginald, William
Fus
 
 
(CA80)
William, White
LCpl
6461342
 
R Fusiliers; (CA83); 6 Tp
PoW after St Nazaire
Bellamy
Frank
Gnr
.1580169
 
RA; (DR)
Bellamy
G
Pte
 
 
6 Tp Dec42 (PG)
Bellamy
R.W.
Gnr
 
 
RA
Roy,
'Ting-A-Ling'
LSgt
5342397
 
R Berkshire 
Bells
J
 
 
 
 
Benn
Robin
Capt
138116
OBE
RA
Norman, Joseph
Rfn
6920786
 
Rifle Bde;
died on war service
Bennett
A.J.
Lt
124713
 
Lincolnshire 
Bennett
A.S.
Lt
249968
 
RA
Derrick, S.
Pte
6351281
 
QORWK; kia
Bennett
Frederick, 'Fred'
Pte
3655156
 
South Lancs; 5 troop
Bennett
Gordon
Sig
 
 
R Signals
John, Henry
Pte
 
 
 
Benson
Dave
Pte
6351411
 
QORWK; (CA78); (LL2 - LCpl D.G. Benson); (DR)
Berry
J
 
 
 
 
Berry
R.D.
Pte
 
 
from Boscastle (LL2)
Bibby
T.
Pte
?663944
 
 
Bird
R
Gnr
 
 
 
David, Leslie
Capt
75991
 
Rifle Bde; kia St Nazaire
Birchall
T
Pte
 
 
 
Bishop
D.B.
Gnr
11061131
 
RA
Ivor, W.
CSM
 
 
R.Berks; 6 troop
Bishop
J
LCpl
 
 
 
Bishop
Robert, Frederick
LCpl / Lt
346135
MC, MiD
R.Norfolk; CasLists;Italy (Pte) wounded 13Sep43
Graeme, Delamere
Capt
106240
DSO,MC
South Lancs; executed
Blackburn
E
Pte
3974529
 
Welch;CasLists;wounded Italy 9Sep43 
Blackett
E
Bugler
 
3311912
HLI
Blackie
E.J.
Bdr
6015726
 
RA; wounded Sicily 16/8/43 CasList WO417/66
Blackmore
M
Pte
5192753
 
Glosters; 1 Troop
Blackwell
F.A.
Pte
14683190
 
 
Alun, Trevor
LCpl
3655742
DCM
S Lancs Regt
Bladen W LCpl 3972536   Welch;CasLists;wounded Italy 13Sep43
Blanchard
William, John
Lt
197443
 
RA; joined Cdo 13/11/43 posted 1 tp.(WD / F.R.O.); later Hon.Maj.
Blandford
Thomas, Alexander
Capt
160504
 
Somerset LI; and CBTC (CA84)
Charles, William
Sgt
3063224
 
Royal Scots; kia
John, Willie
Bdr
874391
 
RA Attestations 1937
Bleach
William, E.J.
Rfn
 
 
KRRC
Blewett
Frederick, Charles
Gnr
 
 
RA
Blewitt
M
Gdsm
 
 
 
Harry, Harold
Maj
90331
 
Kings Regt;
and Bde Maj 1 SS Bde
Alfred
Pte
3772259
 
Kings Regt; kia
Blunt
B.M.
Gnr
 
 
RA (CA113)
William 'Bill'
LCpl
2930644
 
QOCH/ Liv. Scots/PoW after St Nazaire
Boagey
Leonard, W.
Pte
 
 
CA98
Boardman
Arthur 'Boy'
Sgt
 
 
 
Robert, John, 'Ron'
Pte
 
 
and No.4 Cdo (CA97)
Theodor
Dvr
PAL/30441
BEM
RASC
Peter
Gnr
5183803
 
RA; kia
Boone
R
 
 
 
 
Boseley
D
Pte
 
 
(DR)
Bosley
F
Gnr
 
 
RA (DR)
Bott
J
Pte
 
 
N.Staffs Regt; 3 Troop; (DR)
Bottomley
S
Gnr
 
RA
Boulter H LCpl 5047114   N.Staffs; and 11SAS Bn., PoW Op Colossus WO417/22
Cyril, Bryan
Gnr
14285384
 
RA
Bowes
J.E.
LCpl
 
 
 
Bowers
G
Pte
 
 
RASC; (DR)
Bowler
G
Pte
3973545
 
Welch (DR)
Lionel, George
Pte
5956867
 
Beds & Herts; kia
Bowring
T.H.
LCpl
7014938
 
RUR;CasLists;wounded Italy 13Sep43
Boyce
A.T.
LSgt
 
 
 
Boyd
Micky
Fus
3130045
 
R Scots Fus
Boyer
D
Pte
 
 
 
Bradburn
F
Gnr
 
 
RA; 5 Troop
Eric
Sgt
3770135
 
Kings Regt; died para acc.
Richard
LSgt
5344190
MM
R Berkshire 
Brafman
C
Pte
PAL/10958
 
The Buffs/RAOC;
2 Troop
Brain
D
Pte
 
 
R. Warwickshire
Bramley
T
Gnr
 
 
RA; 6 troop (PG)
Brearley
H.T.
Pte
3663854
 
S Lancs; 29Jul'44 CasList WO417/80
Brewerton
J.B.
Pte
 
 
Yorks & Lancs.
Brigden
Frederick, James
Pte
 
 
 
John
LCpl
3973527
 
Welch Regt; kia
James
Pte
6104149
 
Queens Royal; POW 
Harold, R.
LCpl
T/264673
 
RASC; kia
Brodie
J.R.
 LCpl
321068
 
RAC; CasLists;wounded Italy 10Sep43
Brookes
A.C.
Pte
4928693
 
S.Staffs; wounded Salerno WO417/67
Brooks
T A
Pte
 
 
 
Richard, Frank, 'Dickie'
Capt
85468
 
South Lancs Regt; kia
Brown
C.L.
Pte
2936249
 
QOCH; POW Salerno
Douglas, Cornell
Pte
5622344
 
Devonshire Regt; 1 Troop 
Brown
E.F.
LSgt
6104884
 
Essex Regt; 3 Tp; CasList WO417/70 wounded Italy
Louis, Walter, 'Ben'
Sgt
2929147
 
QOCH /Liv. Scots/PoW after St Nazaire
Ralph, Douglas
Pte
partial ??351544
 
QORWK; (CA97)
Robert, Hall
LSgt
2879761
MM
London Scottish
Brown
W
Cpl
 
 
  
Browning
James, Stanley
Pte
 
 
Pioneer Corps
Bruce
Alexander
LCpl
T 144937
 
RASC; CasList WO417/90
James, M.
Sgt
5989540
 
Beds & Herts; (CA94)
Bruce
Kenneth
TSM
 
 
Liverpool Scots (PG)
Arthur, Trotter
Lt
172379
 
Durham Li; kia
Edward, Joseph
LCpl
3775300
 
Kings Regt; kia St Nazaire
Bryan
Sidney, Eric
Sgt
 
 
 
J.H.
Pte
5510092
 
Hamps. Regt; 17/10/43 wounded CasList WO417/67
Buckby
J
 
 
 
 
Raymond, F.
LSgt
.1505833
 
RA; kia
Buckland
J
Pte
3975418
 
Welch
Eric, H.
Pte
T264339
 
RASC; 5 Troop
Stanley, Owen
Dvr
T10691421
 
RASC; 5 Troop
Bullen
Christopher, Vincent, Kit
Lt
251068
 
RA
Bullock
 
Sgt
 
 
 
Norman
Tpr
7893626
 
RAC; died of wounds
Burchall
T
 
 
 
 
Edward 'Tiny'
Sgt
2929845
BEM
Liverpool Scots;
5 Troop
Burley
C.W.
Pte
6205700
 
Middx Regt; CasList 16/9/43 WO417/68; (LL4)
Michael, Clive 'Micky'
Capt
74087
MC
KRRC; PoW St Nazaire
Charles
Gnr
.1612571
 
RA; kia Salerno
Burns
J
 
 
 
 
Burns
J.V.
LCpl
 
 
 
Ronald, Edward, David
LCpl
6895664
 
KRRC; kia St Nazaire
Burrage
Lawrence, Raymond
Pte/Lt
5509884 & 352377
 
Hampshire Regt.
Royal Fusiliers
Burridge
E
 
 
 
 
Burridge
N
Pte
 
 
 
Bursztein
 
Dvr
 
 
 
Robert, James, Glover
Lt
89395
MiD
Cheshire Regt;
kia St Nazaire
Burton
G
Pte
6019699
 
Essex Regt; HW Tp (WD report by Capt Keep 18/12/43)
Paddy
Rfn
7014446
 
R. Ulster Rifles; 6 troop; PoW after St Nazaire
Butcher
Jesse, E.
Sgt
 
 
 
Cadden
Maurice C
Cpl
3864587
 
Cheshire Regt
Calkin
Ron
 
 
 
 
Dennis
LCpl
14241621
Police
 
Black Watch; Italy CasLists wounded 
Callow
Ronald, W.
LBdr
 
RA
Cambridge
R G
Pte
 
 
 
Cameron D Dvr 88912   RASC (RTU Feb 1944)
John, Ewen
Cpl
410258
 
Lovats Scouts; kia
Norman Murray Priggen
LSgt
5958258
 
Beds & Herts; kia
Campling
Frederick George 'Joe'
Rfn
6853905
 
KRRC
Candlin
James, Daniel, Danny
Gnr
993419
 
RA; 2 tp.
Evelyn, Arthur, George
Cpl / Lt 
14241841 Police
 
Essex Regt; wounded italy; WO417/70; to OCTU
Cant
W
 
 
 
 
William, Thomas, 'Bill'
Cpl
14241731 Police
 
R.Fusiliers
N
Pte
14241651 Police
 
Black Watch; (LL2)
Caravias B Pte N/S 8436   Mother from Athens
Carey H.J. Spr 1907563   R.E.
Carlisle
Thomas,Alexander
LSgt
3657093
 
R. Irish Fus.
John, Richard, Owen
Pte
5631088
 
York and Lancs Regt; 5 Tp; wounded 17/4/45
Carr
Frederick, T.
Bdr
 
RA (wounded discharged)
George
LCpl
14241652 Police
 
Lancs Fusiliers; kia Salerno
Carrol
K
 
 
 
 
Carrol
P
 
 
 
 
John, Joseph
Fus
6469540
 
R. Fus; 3 troop; PoW after St Nazaire
Hugh, John
Cpl
4078193
 
Monmouthshire Regt; died in training
Cartwright  E.N.       Manchester 
William
Tpr
14241792 ?
Police
 
3 troop (DR)
Caslin
P.G. 'Pat'
Fus
 
 
R. Fusiliers; (CA98);
lka Co. Clare, Eire (LL3)
Caswell
William, James
Gnr
2059600
 
RA
Caveney
John
Fus
3134031
 
Royal Scots Fus
Chadwick
E
Dvr
 
 
RASC
Chadwick
John, Richard
Pte
 
 
 (CA119, CVA PG)
William, A.
Sgt
3515161
DCM
QOCH
Chant
Doug
Pte
5110274
 
R.Berks Regt; 2 tp; CasList WO417/67  9Sep43
Chant
L
Pte
  
 
R Warwickshire Regt
Chapman A.J. Pte 14631000   Suffolk Regt; wounded Italy 2/4/45 CasList WO417/91
William, Jopp
Pte
14241789
Police
 
QOCH; Mortar Section 1943 (PG); (CA54)
Charlesworth
Arthur F.
LCpl
 
 
 
Gerald
Fus
6482292
 
R.Fusiliers (COF L); died on war service
Jack, F.
Cpl
2930999
 
Liverpool Scots/PoW after St Nazaire
Cheney Robert, W. Gnr 1523294   RA 
Chesters
William
Cpl
14241790
 
2 Tp; S.Staffs; wounded Salerno WO417/67; OCTU; Poss police intake; (CA93)
William, Henry, Albert
LBdr
882221
 
RA; executed
Francis, John
Cpl
14411819
 
AS&H; wounded twice
Church
J
 
 
 
 
 J.M.T.F.
'Jack'
Lt Col
34657
MC,DSO*
Manchester Regt;
OC 2 Cdo after Chariot
Clancy
S.J.
Fus
 
 
 
James
Gnr
402083
MM
RA
Clark-Darby
P.F.R.
Pte
 
 
 
Alfred, John, Douglas
Gnr
902982
 
RA; kia
Clarke
H
 
 
 
 
George, Francis
LCpl
14241653
Police
 
Border Regt; to OCTU; (CA57)
Cleary
T.D. 'Paddy'
Pte
 
RA (RTU 2/11/44)
Albert, Edward
Pte
-
Police
 
Police Intake Sussex Constabulary 
Clements
Percy, Priestley
Sgt later Lt.
 
MC,DCM, MM
2 Para Cdo, 11 SAS Bn,  Army Air Corps, Paras
Clery
R.V.
Gnr
 
RA (RTU Oct44)
Clibborn
William
Maj
 
 
 
Clifford
Oswald
Pte
 
 
 
Coates
Edward
Pte
 
 
Liverpool Scots
Cobelli
Dominic
LSgt
 
 
 
Victor, Charles
 
14241816
Police
BEM
 
Cochrane
James, Geoffrey
Dvr
 
 
RASC
Robert

 
LCpl
3654681
 
S.Lancs Regt; 4 Troop; PoW after St Nazaire
Cockine
M
 
 
 
 
Codd
Charles, John
Dvr
 
 
 
Lawrence, Joseph
Sig
2332748
 
R Signals, and 11 Cdo; 
PoW June'44; (CA26)
Cohen
L
Pte
 
 
Middx. Regt.
Colbeck
S
Gdsm
 
 
Grenadier Gds; 3 tp (WD report by Lt Keep 18/12/43)
Colbert George, Thomas Gnr 914341   RA 1939; & 1 Cdo; from Peterborough (CA92)
Coleman
C.L.W.
LSgt
 
 
 
Lloyd
Pte
14241610  Police
 
5 Troop 
Coleman
R
Pte
 
 
& 4 Cdo; TB Sanitorium, Worcs. 1953 (CA17)
Colkin
Ronald, Arthur
LCpl
 
 
 
Collins
D.A.
Pte
 
 
Herts Regt
Collins E Pte 5989748   Beds & Herts;  Salerno CasLists WO417/67
Collins
Edward
Cpl
 
 
 
Collins
Ronald, George
Gnr
11412936
 
RA
Conley or Comley J Rfn 14404456   Father from Swansea
Stanley, J.
Pte
T 328227
 
RASC; kia Salerno
John, Alphonsus
Fus
14241817
Police
 
R Irish Fus; (PG); CasList  wounded 18/1/44 WO417/71
Cook J Gnr 5383332   Ox and Bucks LI and RA.
Ken
Pte
14241818  Police
 
RAC
Charles
Cpl
14241654
Police
 
KOSB
Cooper A.C. Gnr 11062858   RA
Cooper Claude, V. Pte      
Dudley, Edward
Fus
14241655
Police
MM
Lancs Fusiliers
George
Pte
14241819  Police
 
Notts&Derby Regt;
5 Troop and HWT
William,Oranmore 'Bill'
Maj
50169
DSO
South Lancs Regt; 2 i/c St Nazaire; PoW
Corke
Denis, A., David
Pte
 
 
 
John
LCpl
3781807
 
Kings Regt; kia St Nazaire
John, Richard
Cpl
14241656  Police
 
RAC
Arnold, C.
Pte
14241706
Police
 
Durham LI.  (CA57)
Courtney E.L Gnr 944786   RA Signals
Courtney
T
Pte
 
 
 
Couts
K
 
 
 
 
Coutts
Kenneth, Thomas,Freeman
Cpl
6352712 & 341981
 
QORWK; 4 Tp, OCTU 1945, LG37092, p2657
Cecil, Ernest, Roberts
Cpl
14241734 Police
 
RAC; kia
Edward
Gnr
.1779575
 
RA; kia
Hugh, Wilfred
Pte
 
 
 
Cox
R. 
Pte
5672751
 
Somerset LI
Coy
Reginald
Gnr
848464
 
RA
James,  Albert
Lt
255387
 
RA; kia
Coyne
Horace
Cpl
S929128
 
RASC; 2 tp; PoW 6/6/44 CasList WO417/82; (LL3); from burnley (CA120)
Ben
Gdsm
14241707
Police
 
Coldstream Gds; 6 tp; to CMP 6Oct45
Craddock Raymond, Charles Pte 14650092   East Surrey Regt
Craggs
Francis, W.
LBdr
937282
 
RA Attestations 1939
John
Pte
14241657 Police
 
Black Watch/ Italy CasList;wounded 
Robert
LCpl
14241708
 Police
 
RA; 4 Troop
Robinson, Ostle
Pte
14241791 Police
 
KOSB; kia Salerno
Craig
W
Pte
 
 
PoW Italy ?
Crane
Syd
LCpl
 
 
Essex Regt; 2 troop
Craven
George
Fus
 
 
from Burnley (CA92)
Crayne
S
 
 
 
 
Cree
Lamb, Lawrence,. 'Jock'
Gnr
 
RA attestations 1941; wounded Italy 16/9/43 CasList WO417/68
Cresswell 
A.B.
Pte
4868423
 
Leices. Regt; wounded 12/9/43 Italy WO417/69
Creswell J.M. Fus 6978829   (DR)
Ronald
RQMS
S/136147
BEM
RASC
Arthur, Raymond
Rfn
11420547
 
R Ulster Rifles; kia
Cross
S.J.
Fus
 
 
 
Crowe
Edward, 'Ted'
Pte
14241837
 
R. Norfolk; s/n suggests possible Police Intake; CA106
Crowther W Gnr 4543597   W. Yorks Regt & RA
John
Fus
6468006
 
R. Fusiliers; 6 Troop; PoW after St Nazaire; (CA120)
Cullen J Pte      
Cullum
T.
Gnr
5336897
 
R Artillery (SL)
Cummings G Pte 4127301   Cheshire Regt.
Cummings J Fus     R. Irish Fus.
Cunningham A Cpl 2525713   R. Signals
Henry, Peter
Pte
2781746
 
Kings Regt;
kia St Nazaire
James
Cpl
3525713
MM
Royal Tank Regt
Cunningham
William, 'Joseph'
Sgt
3521614
 
Manchester/Pioneer Corps?
Curness
Charles
Pte
 
 
 
John, Robert, Sanderson
Sig
2578032
 
R Signals /2 SS Bde Sigs; kia
Currie
Malcolm, R.
Gnr
 
RA attestation 1940 to A&SH 22/9/44 WO417/89;
From Lanark; (LL4) (DR)
Eric, Gordon
Pte
6349613
 
QORWK; executed
Curtis
Reg
Pte
2615427
 
Grenadiers; 11th SAS; 1 Para wounded 25/9/44 WO417/84 & 91; WO392/11

No 2 Commando Nominal D - H

Commando Veterans Archive Nominal Roll for No.2 Commando.
© Commando Veterans Archive 2016. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction permitted.
 
Notes
Click on highlighted surnames for more information.
CA followed by a number = entry in a Commando Association newsletter.
DR = List provided by Mrs Desiree Roderick MBE
EB = Eric Buckmaster No.2 Commando
JR = Notebook of LSgt Joe Rogers MM 5 Troop
LL followed by a number = entry in Commando Association Lost Legion List.
PG = Photo Gallery.
CasList = National Archives Army Casualty Lists.
WO = War Office file at the National Archives
 
SURNAME
FORENAME
RANK
NUMBER
AWARD
ADDITIONAL
Dahl
Leslie
Pte
 
 
& 4 Cdo (CA34, CA71)
Dalby
Aubrey, R.
Pte
14288596
 
Herts Regt; HWT; (EB)(DR) (PG)
Daniel
Robert ,Henry 'Bob'
Bdr
 
RA; (CA114); 4 Tp; wounded x2 Italy WO417/90 and 91
Gordon, Percy
Pte
14241820 Police
 
RAC; wounded Italy
Douglas, W.
Fus
6482296
Police
 
R Fusiliers
Davidson
Andrew
Major
 
 
Liv.Scots; 4 Ind.Coy; 2 Cdo 5 Tp injured 1941 reurned to unit
Douglas, Oscar
Tpr
14241622
Police
 
from Yorkshire (CA81)
Davidson
Ronald, F.
Pte
3775164
 
Kings Regt; 27Dec'41 wounded CasList WO417/36
Davidson
W
Pte
 
 
(PG)
A.H.W.
LCpl
14241793  Police
 
KRRC/CasLists;wounded Italy 13Sep43.
Davies
Brinley
Pte
 
 
Pioneer Corps
Davies
James, Emlyn
Pte
6297210
 
Buffs East Kent 
L
Pte
14241658 Police
 
Lancs Fus
Raymond, Spencer
LSgt
5780063
 
R Norfolk Regt; kia
R.J.
Gnr
2060103
 
RA; wounded Albania CasList WO417/80
Ronald, John
Cpl
7014421
 
R Ulster Rifles;
accidentally killed
Wyndam, Francis
Fus
6482247
 
R Fus (COF L);
kia Salerno
Davis
G.E.P.
Lt
18704
 
Recce Corp
Stanley, B.E.
LSgt
6459239
 
R. Fus; PoW St Nazaire; (CA120)
Dawson
H
Pte
5951021
 
Beds & Herts (DR)
Herbert, Horace
Pte
 
 
1st Bn Glosters POW Korean War (CA13)
John, William
LSgt
6465567
 
R Fus; wounded 29/7/44 CasList WO417/80; (DR)
Dawson
W
 
 
 
 
Arthur, Frank
Pte
6350696
 
QORWK; kia Salerno
Stanley, Ambrose
Capt
70873
MC
R Signals; Op Chariot
Derrick, John
Sgt
6896540
DCM
KRRC
George, James
LBdr
6201681
 
RA; kia
Deane-Drummond
Anthony, John
Lt (later Maj.Gen)
71076
CB,DSO,MC*
R Signals
Patrick, Gabriel
Fus
3854234
 
R Fusliers
Bernard, John, 'Paddy'
Sgt
4751121
 
KOSB; 5 troop (PG)(CA45).
Deighton
Jack, C. 'Yorkie'
Pte
 
 
 
Dempsey
J.R.
Pte
 
 
lka Wallsend on Tyne (LL4)
Mallinson, Charles, 'Bung'
Maj
145047
MiD
R Fusiliers; Op Chariot
Denny
George
Pte
6029743
 
Essex Regt
Dent
Henry, James
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Charles, Henry
Gnr
5123008
 
RA; wounded Sep43 Italy, CasList WO417/68
Devaney
George
Pte
 
 
Kings Regt
Devaney
J
 
 
 
 
Diamond
C
 
 
 
 
Thomas, A.
Pte
3779240
 
Kings Regt;
kia St Nazaire
Dickenson
E
LCpl
5630880
 
Devonshire
Dickenson
J
 
 
 
 
Dinham
W.G. 'Wally'
TSM
S/109291
 
RASC
Ditmar
G
 
 
 
poss id with Dettmer, C.
Herbert, 'Bert' or 'Herbie'
Fus
6290340
 
Buffs
Dobie
R
Sgt
 
 
 
Dodson
John, Thomas, Frederick, 'Doddy'
Gnr
 
 
RA; 5 troop
Doherty
James, Laurence
Pte
 
 
& 1 SS Bn; from Runcorn (CA110)
Dolphine
 
Pte
 
 
 
John, 'Jock'
LCpl
2884838
 
Gordon Hlighlanders;
kia St Nazaire
Done
W
Pte
 
 
 
Donovan
Patrick, 'Paddy'
Pte
5626300
 
Royal Sussex
Edward, 'Ted'
LSgt
292793
MM
Liverpool Scots
Douglas
William
Gnr
 
 
RA
Reg
Pte
6207462
 
Middlesex Regt./ 5Tp  then MT Section
George, David
Dvr
T92276
MM
RASC
Drever
W
 
 
 
 
Frank
Gnr
 
RA; PoW Salerno
Charles, Henry
Pte
6019959
 
Essex Regt; kia Salerno
Dudlaston
Jack
Pte
3779202
 
Kings Regt
Anthony, Patrick
Sgt
37732988
 
Kings Regt; kia
Duncan
George
Lt
 
 
 
Eagleson
A
Pte (3 tp)
 
 
Cheshire Regt / Wounded Grohote
Eaglestone
L.F.
Tpr (4 tp)
 
 
Recce
Eagley
R.E.
Lt
212252
 
R Sussex Regt
Eastaugh
Colin, Gordon
Lt (later Maj)
220396
MiD (Suez)
Manchester Regt; (2 Cdo Overseas doc); LG41092
Eaton
Frank 
Cpl
5950653
 
R Warwicks
William, John
Pte
3772677
 
Kings Regiment (OP Chariot ML 306); 4 tp
Edge
John
Gnr
 
 
RA
Robert, Ernest
Capt
212512
 
R. Sussex Regt; 17/4/45 wounded Italy WO417/8.
Edwards
Bernard, 'Bernie'
LBdr
 
 
RA; from Aspley Notts (CA120)
Edwards
Frederick, Stanley, James
Pte
 
 
 
Edwards
J
Pte
?....435808
 
 
Edwards
James, Henry
Gnr
?...137133
 
RA
Edwards
L
 
 
 
 
Edwards
Phillip, G. 'Swan'
Pte
 
 
 
Arthur, W.
LCpl
5336245
 
R Berks Regt; PoW 6/6/44 Italy WO417/77
Elder
J
 
 
 
 
Leonard, Frederick
Sgt
6461633
 
R Fus (City of London) ;
kia St Nazaire
Eley
Ronald, 'Ginger'
Pte
5781361
 
RNorfolk;CasLists; Italy wounded 13Sep43
Ellingsworth
C
Cpl
 
 
R. Sussex
Alfred, John
Pte
3773017
MiD
Kings Regt. (OP Chariot ); 3 tp
James
Bdr (A/LSgt)
 
RA; wounded Salerno
William, Cyril, 'Bill'
CSM
6019994
DCM
Essex Regt
Emmerson
John, Kenneth, 'Ken
LCpl
 
 
12, 12, 14 Cdos; and 1 SS BDE HQ (PG) (CA88)
Erdman
 
Pte
 
 
 
Etches
W
 
 
 
 
Etheridge
C.S. 'Jack'
Cpl or LSgt
 
 
and 6 Cdo (CA6)
F
Pte
5617635
 
Devonshire Regt. (OP Chariot ML 262); 2 tp
Evans
Frank
Pte
5017636
 
Sherwood For
Evans
P.G.
Pte
 
 
 
Ralph, John
Dvr
T175282
 
RASC;
died para accident
Evans
William, Frederick
Pte
 
 
 
Thomas
Sgt
7264371
 
RAMC, (OP Chariot ML 446)
George
Sgt
6460277
 
R Fusiliers (OP Chariot ML 156); 3 tp
J
Pte
3771871
 
Kings Regt. (OP Chariot ML 177); 4 tp
John
Sgt
2619513
MM
Grenadier Gds
Fairey
John
 
 
 
 
Farebrother
Patrick
Pte
 
 
 
Farnell
M.J.
Lt
201330
 
Northumberland 
Farrer
Patrick, George, Michael, Hugh, 'Gash'
Pte
6025733
 
Essex; initials on CasList WO417/92 only show G.H.  (PG)(LL4)(JR)
Faure
R
Gnr
 
 
RA
Featherstone
G.J.
Pte
4436814
 
Durham LI
Featherstone
Maurice
Cpl
6469566
 
R Fusiliers
Felton
G.M.
Gnr
 
 
RA
John, R.A.
LCpl
 
MM
London Scottish
Ferriss
George
Gnr
 
 
RA
Field
Norman
Gnr
959809
 
RA; wounded 9/10/44 WO417/84
William, Frederick
LCpl
5337375
 
R. Berks. Regt  (OP Chariot ML 457); 1 tp
V.W.C. 'Nicky'
Cpl
6012717
 
Essex (OP Chariot ) 3 tp
Finnigan
John
Cpl
 
 
 
Finnigan
W
 
 
 
 
Fisher
Joseph
Pte
 
 
 
Norman, Lucas
Cpl
6896443
 
KRRC;  kia St Nazaire
John, 'jack'
Pte
3780278
 
Kings Regt (OP Chariot ML 443); 4 tp
Fitton
Doug
Pte
3192224
 
KOSB
Fitzgerald
Gerald
Cpl
5338021
 
R Berkshire 
Fletcher
C
Pte
 
 
LKA Balsall Heath, Birmingham (LL5)
Fletcher
G
 
 
 
 
Fletcher
William, Douglas
Gnr
 
 
RA; from Crowthorne, Berks (CA118)
Foale
V.P.
Rfn
 
 
 
Donald, Neville
LCpl
6467881
 
R Fus (City of London);
kia Salerno
Forrester
Donald
Spr
2076993
 
RE
Henry, Francis
LCpl
6019554
 
Essex Regt; died in UK of wounds St Nazaire
Fowler
J V
 
 
 
RA
Fox
John
Gnr
 
 
RA; (CA112) (LL5)
Fox
L
 
 
 
 
Foy
L.T.
Fus
14209732
 
 
Francis
C.J.
Lt
304749
 
R Signals
Godfrey, Reginald
Major
71409
CdG(Belgian)
& 10 (IA) Cdo)
 
Fraser
Howard, Osborne
Cpl
 
 
 
Fraser
W
Pte
 
 
 
B
LCpl
5989934
 
Beds&Herts Regt.(OP Chariot ML 446); 1 tp
Freeman
P.W.
Lt
229204
 
R Signals
George
Pte
 
 
2 Troop
Fryer
Benjamin, W.
LCpl
2931435
 
Liverpool Scots; 5 Tp
Fuchs
Franz, R.
Dvr
 
 
 
Fuller
Denis, Charles
Sgt
6898932
 
KRRC; 6Tp; 16/7/42 to OCTU; later Capt. (PG)
Fuller
J.C.
Pte
 
 
 
Furnell
N.J.
Capt
 
 
 
Reginald,Henry 
Sgt
6896471
 
KRRC, (OP Chariot   ML 156); 6 tp
C. A. 'Jock'
LCpl
2591013
 
R Sigs (OP Chariot)
Francis, West, 'Ted'
Lt Col
109827
MC, Bx STAR
London Scottish
John
LSgt
3768318
 
Kings Regt (OP Chariot ML 306); 4 tp
Gallagher
J.
LCpl
last part of no.-613916
 
from New Ferry, Cheshire (DR)
Gallington
T
LCpl
last part of no.-39258
 
from Stoke Newington (DR)
Gamby
Albert, Henry, W.
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Gardiner
Bill
Rfn
 
 
& 4 Cdo. (CA19)
Gardiner
C
Rfn
 
 
 
John, A.
Pte
3598488
 
Border Regt. (OP Chariot); 3 tp.
Garfield
Mike
 
 
 
 
Lindsay, Ernest, Albert
Sgt/TSM
6012353
 
Essex; kia Salerno
Garrat
H
 
 
 
 
Arthur, Ernest
LCpl
5338655
 
R Berkshire Regt;
kia St nazaire
Garwood
E
Pte
 
 
3 Tp 15/12/43  (WD) 
Harold
Cpl
3864592
 
Loyal Regt.  (N Lancs);
died of wounds
John, W.
LBdr
MM
RA
George
H
Gnr
 
RA
George
Neil
Lbdr
 
 
RA
George
R.
Gnr
 
RA
Gibbs
Alf
Pte
 
 
served 2 Cdo 1942 only (CA92)
Gibson
J.W.
CSM
 
 
Served 11 SAS Bn. Poss 2 Cdo  before ? (CA21)
Gibson
Thomas
Gnr
 
 
RA
William
LSgt
2879864
 
Gordon Highlanders;
kia St Nazaire
Gilkes
J.W.
Pte-4tp
 
 
 
Richard
Rfn
6846123
MM
Cameronians
Gillian
W
LCpl
 
 
 
Goff
Charlie
Pte
 
 
 
Goldie
Thomas
LSgt
 
 
 
Alfred, G.R. 
Pte
3056437
 
R Scots;CasLists;PoW Italy 13Sep43;Stalag 2B
Gooby
 
Lt
 
 
 
Frank , C
Rfn
7016236
 
R Ulster Rifle (Op Chariot); 3 tp
Goodwin
H.W.H.
LCpl
 
 
 
Gopshill
R.F.
Gnr
 
 
 
Gordon
John,  'jock'
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Gordon -Hemming
Tom
Capt
77094
 
S.W.B.
Gosling
B
Lt
193406
 
R Artillery
Leonard, George, William
Fus
6459167
 
R. Fus. (City of London) ;
kia St Nazaire
Gould
H
 
 
 
 
Goulding
E
Pte
3780553
 
Kings
Gradon
Ralph
Dvr
T/168938
 
RASC; wounded 10/3/45 WO417/90; (CA92)
Graham
George
Gnr
14277231
 
R Artillery
Graham
Thomas
Gnr
 
R Artillery; RA attestation lists
Graham
T.S.
Dvr
 
 
RASC
Grant
B.A.J.
LCpl
6291595; The Buffs
 
Wounded 11Sep43 and 4Feb44 Italy - CasLists WO417/68 and 72.
Grant
J
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Graves
E
Pte
 
 
KOYLI; 4 troop; (LL5)
Andrew
Fus
3185419
MM
R.Scots Fus; Salerno casLists WO417/67
Frank, Herbert
Pte
14235476
 
Hampshire Regt; kia
Gray
John, Herbert
Pte
 
 
& 4 Cdo; from Lancashire (CA107)
Green
Ernest
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Green
Frederick, William
Fus
14339047
 
R. Fusiliers; wounded 20/3/45 WO417/90
Green
H
Pte
6019884
 
Essex;CasList;wounded Italy 9Sep43
Green
S
Rfn
7015368
 
R. Ulster Rifles
William, F.
LBdr
6204868
 
R Artillery; PoW 6/6/44
Greenan
W
Fus
 
 
lka Ayrshire (LL5)
Greenfield
Edward, G.C.
Pte
 
 
from Barnes, London (CA102)
Samuel
Rfn
7015368 
 
R. Ulster Rifles; (CA78); Wounded 17Apr45 Italy 
Grice
J
A/Cpl
5047781
 
N.Staffs; 2 Para Cdo (11SAS Bn) PoW Middle East CasList WO417/22
Grief
E
 
 
 
 
George, Valentine
LCpl
5949085
 
Beds&Herts (OP Chariot ML 177); 1 tp
Griffiths
Owen, Edwards
Fus
 
 
 
Grimwade
Stanley, William
Pte
 
 
(CA91)
William, Ernest, 'Bob'
Gdm
2617390
 
Grenadier Guards; 
kia St Nazaire
Eric, Richard, Clifford
Cpl
T/183555
MM
RASC
Groves
Peter, W.
Cpl
6029358
 
Essex Regt; wounded 13/9/43 Italy CasList WO417/70; (CA115)
John, Edward, Hebert
Pte
2929834
MiD
QOCH; kia St Nazaire
Habib
 
Dvr
 
 
RASC. From Palestine. Wounded Grohote
Hackett
John
Pte
 
 
 
Hackman
Stanley
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Haig
R
Pte
 
 
 
Haigh
W
LSgt
 
 
 
George, Ernest
TSM
6141513
DCM
East Surrey (OP Chariot ML 177); 5 tp
Hales
G. 'Scouse'
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Hallgarth
Thomas, R.W.
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery; 4 Tp (WD report by Capt Keep 18/12/43) 
Hallows
P
 
 
 
 
Hamilton
R
Cpl
 
 
S Lancs PofW Vol
Hammond
 
TSM
 
 
 
Thomas , Gerard, 'Gerry'
Pte
3654970
 
S Lancs (Op Chariot) Maj Copland batman
Hanstock
George, Alfred
Pte
5781568
 
RNorfolk; CasLists; Italy wounded 13Sep43
Harbert
Harold
Cpl
5337734
 
R Berkshire
Harding
James, Edward
 
 
 
 
Victor, Philip
Pte
5189003
MM
Glos Regt (Op Chariot ML177) 1 tp
Peter
LSgt
2879689
 
Gordon Highlanders;
kia St Nazaire
Harper
Thomas,Harold, Lawrence
LCpl
14453904
 
QOCH
Jack, Lonsdale
LCpl
7014698
MM
R Ulster Rifles (OP Chariot MGB 314)
Harrison
Joseph
Pte
 
 
 
Maurice
LSgt
6896247
 
KRRC; kia St Nazaire
Charles, Edward
Cpl
5337958
 
R Berkshire Regt; kia
Harvey
J
Pte
 
 
 
Fritz, Sigmund
LCpl
PAL/1344
DCM
RASC
Havin
Ginger
 
 
 
 
Hawkes
Eric, John
Fus
 
 
 
Hawkins
F
Cpl
5885298
 
Northants; POW Salerno
Hay
E.G.
Lt
 
 
RASC
William
LCpl
325315
 
RAC; kia St Nazaire
Hayes
Arthur
Pte
 
 
from Liverpool (CA51)
Frank
Gdsm
2615360
 
Grenadier Guards;
kia Vaagso
Hayle
A.N.
Pte
14683234
 
R. Warwicks; wounded 20/3/45 WO417/90
Healey
Frank, H.
Fus
3136018
 
R Scots Fus; wounded Italy 9/3/45 WO417/90
Heard
Thomas, R.W.
Cfn
 
 
REME
Heath
W
Pte
 
 
 
William, Bernard
LCpl
6400817
 
R Sussex Regt; 
kia St Nazaire
Harold, L. 'Harry'
Sgt
3655790
 
2/4 S Lancs; (PG); wounded Salerno
John, 'Jack'
LSgt
1889465
 
R Engineers (Op Chariot ML443); 6tp.
Heesom
H
Pte
3654991
 
S. Lancs Regt; Cas List WO417/50 (later deleted)
Heilds
 
LCpl
 
 
(see entry for Hields)
Hemming
 
 
 
 
see entry for Capt. Gordon - Hemming
Stanley
Sgt
6014969
 
Essex Regt;
kia St Nazaire
Henderson
Alexander, Ponton
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery; from Lanark (CA97)
John, Patrick, Leo
Maj
117132
MC
RE/ 2SS Bde
Bernard
Pte
5337785; R. Berks 
MM
CasList WO417/84 and WO417/67
W
Pte
3533229
 
Manchester Regt; CasList WO417/67; 
lka Glossop (LL6)
Herbert, Edward, 'Ted'
TSM
6013031
MiD
Essex Regt (Op Chariot ML447); 2tp
Hewitt
Gordon
Pte
 
 
from Swansea (CA118)
Hickman
Stanley, N. 'Stan'
Gnr
 
 
RA; from Birmingham (CA54, CA113)
Hields
Alan, George
Bdr
894331
 
1939 RA; (CA10); (CA115)
Edwin, Alexander
LCpl
6145277
 
East Surrey Regt; kia
Higgins
K
Pte
4133888
 
Cheshires; wounded  Sicily x1 and Italy x2
Hill
Frederick
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery; from Sheffield (CA97)
Eric, Arthur
Sgt
5953566 
 
 
Beds & Herts;  4/2/44 CasList WO417/72;  Died 30/4/1950 (CA11)
Hiscock
G.S.
Sgt
 
 
from Kent (LL6)
Hoare
Edward, C.
-
 
 
CA9, CA23, CA27; emigrated to Canada
Hobart
S.G.
Gnr
 
 
RA; Branch Sec. CA  Scarborough (CA26)
Eric, Stewart, 'Bertie'
Capt
75234
 
Beds & Herts Regt;
kia St Nazaire
William
LCpl
2326631
DCM
R Signals
Holden
Stanley, John
Tpr
 
 
from Wythenshawe (CA120)
Holland
S
Pte
5603586
 
Wiltshire 
Holland
E.A.
Sgt
6460776
 
R. Fusiliers; PoW 16/2/44 Italy.
William, Anthony, 'Dutch'
Pte
3602596
MiD
Border (Op Chariot); 3tp.
Frederick, Lewis
LSgt
 
RE (Op Chariot ML 443); 2tp
Fred
Cpl
2929875
 
Liverpool Scots (Op Chariot); 5 tp.
Levi
LCpl
2930668
 
Liverpool Scots
Peter
Pte
2930015
MM
Liverpool Scots
Hooper
G
Cpl
2023893
 
R Engineers
Hooper
William, F.
Cpl
 
 
 
Richard, Henry, 'Dickie'
Capt
70956/ 79066
MC
Kings /5
Hope
J.R.
Pte
6024341
 
Beds & Herts; Salerno CasLists WO417/67
Hoper
Peter John
Cpl
 
 
 
Hopkins
R
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Howell Gaston Lloyd Hoppy
Lt
79651
MiD
Essex
Francis, Alexandra
Pte
11050237
 
RA & Cheshire Regt; wounded Italy CasList
Hosey
T R W
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Joseph, Blundell
Capt
130206
MC
QOCH; executed
Fred
alias see entry for HAUSMANN
 
DCM
 
Howard
H D
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
John, Dennis
LCpl
7375194
MM
RAMC
Arnold, 'Arnie'
LCpl
3448514
BEM,MiD
Grenadier Guards; escapee St Nazaire; wounded Salerno/died
George, Herbert
LCpl
6896827
 
KRRC; kia St Nazaire
Hughes
A
 
 
 
from Plymouth (DR)
Hughes
C (or O.C.)
Pte
 
 
from Glasgow (LL6): (DR)
Edward, 'Ned'
Pte
 
 
and 1 Cdo; from Brymbo near Wrexham (CA74)
Edward, Joseph
Gnr
14204254
 
RA; kia Italy
Henry, Finn
LCcpl
7590916
 
REME; kia Albania
Hughes
Norman, James
Rfn
 
 
 
Hughes
William
Pte
 
 
QOCH
George
Rfn
3247242
 
Cameronians; kia
Hulme
J
 
 
 
 
William, Mclean
Sgt
2940188
MM
QOCH
Humphrey
E.C.
LCpl
3384817
 
N.Staffs; 11SAS Bn., PoW Middle East CasList WO417/22
John, Edmund
LCpl
6968214
 
Rifle Bde;
kia Salerno
Ernest, 'Ernie
Pte
2931768
 
QOCH; 5 troop; Salerno CasList WO417/67;CA96
Hustwick
James, Martin
Cpl
6352953
 
RWest Kents
Hutchinson
F.S.
Pte
6216020
 
Middx. Regt; 13/9/43 CasList WO417/68
Hutchinson
Ron
 
 
 
RA; Secretary Tyneside Branch (CA85 etc)
George, Francis
TSM
6012900
DCM, MiD
Essex Regt; (CA120)

 

No 2 Commando Nominal I - O

Commando Veterans Archive Nominal Roll for No.2 Commando.
© Commando Veterans Archive 2016. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction Permitted.
 
Notes
Click on highlighted surnames for more information.
CA followed by a number = entry in a Commando Association newsletter.
LL followed by a number = entry in Commando Association Lost Legion List.
DR = List provided by Mrs Desiree Roderick MBE
EB = Eric Buckmaster No.2 Commando
JR = Notebook of LSgt Joe Rogers MM 5 Troop
CasList = National Archives Army Casualty Lists.
WO = War Office file at the National Archives
 
SURNAME
FORENAME
RANK
NUMBER
AWARD
ADDITIONAL
Ickes
W.
 
 
 
 
Ian
Gnr
 
RA; kia 1945
Ingram
A.
 
 
 
 
Irvine
Alexander
Pte
 
 
(CA93)
Irvine
B.
 
 
 
 
Donald
LSgt
4744517
MM
Award with Yorks & Lancs; POW 6/6/44
Irwin
Stephen, George
Lt
126519
 
Rifle Bde; (Hon. Capt. 1946) LG 37570
Isted
L.
Gnr
 
 
RA; (DR);
Jackman
H.E.
Cpl
 
 
lka Worcester (LL6)
Jackson
Alan
Dvr
part number
? 962102
 
(DR)
Joseph
Pte
3655268
 
South Lancs Regt;
kia Salerno
Joseph
LSgt
3781177
DCM
Kings Regt; kia Italy
Jackson
Reginald, Henry, Cyril
Pte
6205802
 
Middx Regt; (DR); (CA102)
Jackson
Robert, Kenyon
Dvr
14640238
 
RASC and 3 Cdo; (PG)
(CA109 and 111)
Jackson
William, Henry
 
 
 
 
Jacobs
Harry
Sgt
2935294
 
QOCH (PG)
Jakeman
F.C.
Pte
5781752
 
R. Norfolk; (DR)
Jakeman
K.
 
 
 
 
James
A.
LCpl
 
 
RAMC; (DR)
James
T.
Pte
part number
? 968877
 
(DR)
James
W.R.
LCpl
7518223
 
RAMC; (DR)
Jamieson
A.H.
Rfn
6896265
 
KRRC; (DR)
Jarram
Derek, Peter
Pte
14697528
 
Joined 5/9/44.  Left 3/11/44.
Charles, Jack
Rfn
7014212
 
R Ulster Rifles; PoW St Nazaire
Jauncey
L.G.
Pte
 
 
(LL7);
rank also seen as Gnr (DR)
Jay
F.
 
 
 
 
John, Darrell
Lt
95277
 
KOSB; kia
Morgan
Lt
157336
 
Welch Regt; kia St Nazaire
Samuel, Leslie
Capt
88225
 
SWB; kia Solta
Jenkins
W.
Gnr
part number
?341267
 
RA; (DR)
Jermyn
John, Bennett, 'Paddy'
Capt
187409
 
RA
Jessen
Ronald, Richard, Cecil
Rfn
 
 
(DR); spelt wrongly as Jesson on CA103
Jeyes
F.W.
Pte
5960150
 
Beds&Herts; (DR)
John
G
Gnr
 
 
Left Cdo 3Nov44 (DR)
John
J.F.
Rfn
 
 
(DR)
John
Roy, D.
Dvr
part number
? 688827
 
RASC; (DR)
Johns
T.J.
LCpl
 
 
lka Southall (LL7)
Johnson
H.
Dvr
part number
? 116012
 
(DR)
Johnson
L.R.
Fus
part number
? 4329144
 
Lancs Fus; (DR)
see entry for Houghton
Capt
130206
MC
QOCH; executed
Johnston
Lionel, Robson
Fus
14329144
 
Lancs Fus
Colin
Sgt
2931662
MM
QOCH (CA67)
Jones
G.L.
Sgt
 
 
lka Manchester (LL7)
Jones
Glyn
Cpl
 
 
from Wallington (CA112)
H.L.
Tpr
7949428
 
RAC; wounded 17Apr45 Italy CasList WO417/91
Jones
H
Cpl
4128526
 
Cheshire Regt; (DR)
Jones
Harold, W.
Cpl
 
 
from Congleton (CA107)
Jones
L.A.
Spr
 
 
R Engineers
Jones
O.
 
 
 
 
Jones
T.
 
 
 
 
Jones
W.F.
Pte
part number
?215572
 
(DR)
William, George
Pte
 3781556
 
King's Regt; Op Chariot
Clifford, Norman
Capt
176804
MiD,
CMG
R. Fus and RA; and 2 Cdo Bde); CMG post war
Jupp
J.W.
LCpl
 
 
RAMC; (DR) (LL7)
Justice
Leonard, D.'Len'
Pte
5336367
 
R Berkshire Regt
Kallaway
L.T.
Dvr
T/175413
 
RASC; PoW 6/6/44 CasList WO417/82
Kayes
 
LCpl
 
 
 
Keenan
Stanley, D. 'Taff'
Pte
 
 
from Somerset (CA108)
Raymond, Walter
Maj
187000
MC
West Yorks Regt
Keith
A.
Rfn
3248768
 
Cameronians wounded 3/4/45 CasLists WO417/91
Keith
G.W.
Pte
3605595
 
Border Rgt; wounded Sicily 16/8/43 CasList WO417/66
Kelf
R.
 
 
 
 
Kelly
Desmond
Pte
 
BEM
 
Kelly
Edward, Norman
TSM/Lt
6920929
 
 
Ernest, Patrick
Gnr
 
RA; kia Italy
Francis
Pte
4467369
 
Border Regt;
kia St Nazaire
John
Cpl
3660155
 
South Lancs Regt;
6/6/44 POW at Brac
Martin
Pte
404846
 
Beds & Herts Regt;
kia Salerno
Kilpatrick
A.
 
 
 
 
David
LBdr
 
RA; kia Italy
King
L.R.
Rfn
 
 
 
King
Norman
Cpl
 
 
 
William, Adamson
Cpl
7662003
DCM
R Signals / 2 SS Bde Signals
E.
Pte
3059140
MiD
R. Scots
Knowles
Johnny
Sgt
2931831
 
QOCH
Knowles
William, H.G.
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Knox
 
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Sidney, James
Fus
6482244
Police
 
R.Fusiliers
Langford
K
Gnr
 
 
RA; & 6 Cdo (LL7)
Latto
Jack
LCpl
 
 
 
Laundon
Richard, L.J.  'Ricky'
LSgt
6850423
 
KRRC;CasList; Rfn.wounded
Italy 9Sep43. 4Tp
Lavin
Joe
Pte
 
 
 
Lawley
Arthur, William, Albert
 
3952374 
MM
S Wales Borderers
Thomas, Dick
Maj
47603
 
Royal Scots; kia Salerno
William, Henry
Pte
6401966
 
R Sussex Regt
Charles, William
Lt
65769
GM
RE; kia Salerno
Ledger
E.H.
Gnr
 
 
RA
Lee
Arthur
Lt
5990155
 
Beds & Herts
Lee
E
Pte
 
 
 
Lee
G
 
 
 
 
Lee
 
Tsm
 
 
 
Lees
Brian
Capt
 
 
RAMC
Letts
F.E.
Pte
2658728
 
Wounded Grohote
Levy
I
Pte
 
 
 
John, Frederick
Gdsm
217158
 
GrenadierGuards;
kia St Nazaire
Lewis
S
LCpl
 
 
 
Lima
Cyril
Cpl
2929831
 
Liverpool Scots
Herbert, Charles 'taffy'
Gdm
2617231
 
Grenadiers
Lloyd
John, David, Leonard, 'John'
Rfn
 
 
died London 2/6/49 (CA12)
Love
F.G.H.
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Lownden
 
Lt
 
 
 
Lucas
 
Pte
 
 
Wounded Grohote
Lucock
J.
Gnr
 
 
RA; (CA32) post war RA Sgt 
Minden Barracks Malaya 
Albert, James
Fus
6461459
 
R Fus (City of London);
kia St Nazaire
Luffman
C. 'nick'
Cpl
 
 
 
Lumm
Harry, Dennis
Pte
5956829
 
Beds & Herts;  wounded Italy 11/3/45 WO417/90
Lyon
B
 
 
 
 
Frederick, James
Pte
6469624
 
Queen's Royal Regt; kia
Mabbott
C
Pte
 
 
 
Mabey
Reginald, Stanley
Pte
2066882
 
 
Maccreedy
Hugh, Francis
Fus
 
 
 
Laurence, Eric
Major
129561
MC, MiD
Manchester Regt
Macdonald
William,  'Mac'
Fus
 
 
 
Mackay
Peter, John
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
A. George
Sig
2757591
 
R Signals; Caslist WO417/80
29July44
Macklen
Charles
Sgt
 
 
 
Maclean
Alexander, Robert
TSM
6465533
 
Royal Fusiliers
Maclere
A
 
 
 
 
Madeley
S
Pte
 
 
 
Madley
S
 
 
 
 
Reginald, Henry
Pte
841059
 
Gordon Highlanders;
executed
Manderville
 
Pte
 
 
 
Mandeville
 
 
 
 
 
Mann
G. 'yorkie'
Pte
 
 
 
Mann
R.
 
RFN
 
 
Mann
Robert
Rfn
 
 
 
Ernest, Victor
Pte
4864151
 
Leics. Regt; CasList WO417/67.
Marshall
A.E.
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Mason
F.
 
 
 
 
Frank, Stanley
Lt
149207
 
Recc Corps, RAC;
kia Salerno
Mason
K.
 
 
 
 
Mason
Robert, H. 'Taffy'
Gnr
 
 
RA; & 4 Cdo (CA98)
Ronald
Pte
3655109
 
S.Lancs; (CA 108); 
CasList WO417/67
Tom
Pte
3655804
 
S.Lancs; (CA68) 29Jul'44
CasList WO417/80
Matchell
 
Lt
 
 
 
Matchwick
Maurice, Gordon
LCpl
5344998
 
R Berkshire 
Mather
Ernie
Pte
 
 
 
Mather
Fred, N.
LCpl
 
 
RAC; post war  licensee in Morpeth 1962 (CA35)
Harry
LCpl
3656822
 
South Lancs Regt;
kia St Nazaire
Mattison
William
Fus
6458012
 
Royal Fusiliers
Mavin
John
Pte
 
 
 
Jesse
Pte
3654748
 
South Lancs Regt
kia St Nazaire
Kenneth
TSM
2929412
 
Liverpool Scots, 5r Troop
McAnulty
D.
Rfn
834883
 
R Artillery
McCallum
J.
 
 
 
 
Alexander, Richard
LSgt 
6968725 & 251446
MiD
2 Cdo.Op Chariot; OCTU; Temp. Capt. 2SBS
McClean
A.
Sgt
 
 
 
McClusky
George, Anthony
Gnr
14270688
 
RA; wounded Italy 9/10/44 CasList WO417/84 (initial
only shown as 'A') ; CA94
McCormack
J.
 
 
 
 
Thomas
Pte
2930404
 
QOCH; kia St Nazaire
J.
Pte
3604728
 
Border Regt (Op. Chariot)
McDonnell
J
Pte
6469199
 
Royal Fusiliers
McDonough
John
Pte
 
 
 
Peter
Bdr
 
RA; died of wounds Italy
John
LCpl
2929120
 
LiverpoolScots; (CA101); Force X Malta
McGee
Edward
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
McGinley
Pete
Bdr
 
BEM
R Artilery
McGuire
T.H.
Sgt
 
 
 
McIver
Alex, J.
Capt
 
 
RAMC
McKechnie
Harold
Pte
 
 
 
A.
Pte
4698775
 
KOYLI; wounded 22/3/45 CasList WO417/90
McLean
John
Sgt
3654604
 
Pow Vol
James, Hugh
Lt
UDF64394V
MC
Transvaal Scottish SA
McNiven
H.
Pte
 
 
Lionel, 'doc'
Major
100995
MC
RAMC
Meaney
P.
 
 
 
 
Jack
Bdr
 
 
RA; & 4 Cdo (CA26) (PG)
Mewse
A.
 
 
 
 
Miles
 
LCpl
 
 
Wounded Grohote
Miles
Sidney, J
Pte
5672122
 
SLI; Italy wounded  11Sep43 WO417/68
Mill
J.
 
 
 
 
Miller
E.G.
LCpl
 
 
 
Miller
J.E.
Bdr
 
 
 
Miller
J.L.
Pte
 
 
 
Miller
O.F.
LSgt
 
 
2 Tp (WD report 15/12/43 by Capt Keep)
Miller
S.B.
Gnr
 
 
R Artillery
Miller
Steve, 'Ossie'
 
 
 
 
Miller
T.S.
CSM
 
 
Coldstreams
Miller
V.W.
LCpl
 
 
 
Miller
Victor
 
5835397
 
R Norfolk Regt
Mills
William
Pte
5336103
 
R Berkshire 
Robert
Gnr
2567490
MiD
R Artillery
Milner
Ernie
Sgt
3775340
 
South Lancs 
Norman, John
Gnr
5440660
 
RA; kia Italy
Ronald, England
Captain
T/Major
79658
MBE
Herts Regt; & 2 Bde
Mitchell
W.
Pte
 
 
 
Moffat
'Cocky'
Pte
 
 
 
Molkenthin
Alfred, Joseph
Pte
 
 
 
Molkenthin
P.E.T.
 
 
 
 
Mollison
I.
 
 
 
 
Mollison
J.M.
Lt
245312
 
KRRC
Monaghan
A.
Pte
 
 
 
Moody
John, 'Jack'
Rfn
 
 
 
Moore
F.H.
 
 
 
from  Birmingham
Moore-Brown
C.K.S.
Lt
 
 
R Fus (COF L)
Jack, Ernest
Sgt
5767479
 
R Norfolk Regt; kia Albania
Francis, C.
LCpl
6468099
MM
Royal Fusiliers
Morgan
G.
 
 
 
 
Morgan
J.E.
Lt
149826
 
S W B
Morgan
R.
 
 
 
 
Richard, Fuller
Lt 
105100
MID
S. Lancs; post war Maj.
R. Ulster Rifles
Morgan
G.C.
Pte
 
 
 
Peter, Douglas
TSM
3655808
DCM
South Lancs Regt
Herbert, John
Sig
 
 
R Signals
Morris
J.
 
 
 
 
Luke
LCpl
7014390
MM
RASC
Mort
Alexander
TSM
3656780
 
South Lancs 
Alan
RSM
2930992
MID
QOCH; kia St Nazaire
Moulsdale
B.
 
 
 
 
Thomas, Joseph
LBdr
MM
RA
Murdoch
Sid
Pte
 
 
LiverpoolScots
Murphy
John
 
 
 
 
Laurence, Kevin, 'Paddy'
LSgt
5338001
MID
R. Berks Regt; wounded Italy 19/4/45 WO417/91
Murray
J.
Gnr
 
 
RA
Myers
John, 'jerry)'
Capt
253959
 
Hampshire 
Albert, Edward 'Mick'
Sgt
 
MM
Somerset Li
Peter
Pte
13801753
 
Pioneer Corps
(Op Chariot)
Alfred, William
Pte
7349551
 
RAMC; kia St Nazaire
Neighbour
Ronald
Rfn
 
 
 
Neighley
Jimmy
 
 
 
 
Neil
W.
 
 
 
 
Neilly
Stanley J
Cpl
 
 
 
William, John
Pte
7902975
 
R. Ulster Rifles;
died accident Italy
Newell
James
Pte
5504742
 
Hampshire 
Augustus, Charles
Lt Col
33927
VC, DSO
Essex Regt; OC 2 Cdo PoW St Nazaire
Niblo
J.
 
 
 
 
Joseph, Edward, Chancellor, 'Joe'
Capt
179442
MC
RA
Nicholls
J.
Gnr
 
 
RA
Derrick
Sgt
 
 
Ident with entry for
Derrick John de Nobriga
Norey
H. Pete
Fus
 
 
 
Norman
William
Pte (later CSM)
 
 
from Holmfirth, Yorkshire (CA120)
Norton
Jimmy
 
 
 
 
Richard
Sgt
5340890
DCM , MM
R Berkshire 
Laurence, P.T.
Cpl
6896669
 
KRRC; PoW St Nazaire
Offord
Michael
Pte
 
 
 
O'Hare
Bernard, Joseph
WO/Lt
6976912
 
Royal Irish Fus
Oliver
C
 
 
 
 
Oldridge
L
LSgt
6451333
 
R. Fusiliers
Barry, Aden, Joseph
Lt
151674
 
RAC; kia Italy
O'Neill
John
Pte
 
Sherwood Forresters
O'Rourke
E.P.
Pte
 
 
 
Osborne
H.
 
 
 
 
O'Sullivan
M.
Pte
5184736
 
Glosters; 27/12/41
CasList  WO417/36 
O'Sullivan
T.
Pte
5341384
 
QORWK; 17/4/45
CasList WO417/91
Neil
Capt
70524
 
Lincolnshire;
Op Chariot

No 2 Commando Nominal P - Z

Commando Veterans Archive Nominal Roll for No.2 Commando.
© Commando Veterans Archive 2016. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction Permitted.
 
Notes
Click on highlighted surnames for more information.
CA followed by a number = entry in a Commando Association newsletter.
LL followed by a number = entry in Commando Association Lost Legion List.
PG = Photo Gallery.
DR = List provided by Mrs Desiree Roderick MBE (CBF).
EB = Eric Buckmaster No.2 Commando
JR = Notebook of LSgt Joe Rogers MM 5 Troop
CasList = National Archives Army Casualty Lists.
WO = War Office file at the National Archives
 
SURNAME
FORENAME
RANK
NUMBER
AWARD
ADDITIONAL
Paddy
Leonard, Arthur
Capt
140076
 
RA; LL9; CasLists 17Apr45
wounded Italy WO417/8 
Pallett
 
Gnr
 
 
named in 2 cdo overseas
Palmer
Fred
TSM
 
 
 
Palmer
N
Sgt
2035474
 
R Engineers
Henry, Albert
Fus
14318966
 
R Fus (City of London);
kia Italy
Charles, Alfred
LCpl
5950711
 
Beds & Herts
Frederick
LCpl
3652898
 
S. Lancs Regt; PoW OP Chariot; (CA96)
Parkes
James, Patrick
Pte
 
 
 
Parnell
 
Lt
 
 
wounded Grohote
George, Alexander
Capt
162020
MC
Somerset Li; kia Albania
Parsons
George
Cpl
 
 
R. Fusiliers; 6Tp;  post war Padre of the CVA
Cecil,Douglas
LSgt
5952876
MM
Beds & Herts; award Italy
Parsons
Sid
 
 
 
 
Parsons
Thomas, F.
LSgt
 
 
from Lincs (CA118) (PG)
Reginald, Jack
Gdsm
2621407
 
Grenadier Guards;
kia Salerno
Pasternak
R
Dvr
PAL/31628
 
RASC
David
Capt
 
 
RAMC; St Nazaire evac UK
Patterson
G.R.
Lt
 
 
 
Kenneth, Albert
LCpl
5442424
 
Duke Cornwall LI;
kia St Nazaire
Payne
J.F. 'Jack'
Cpl
 
 
5 Troop /post war 10Bn, Para TA; (PG)
Payne
Roy, 'Jack'
Gdsm
2616354
 
Grenadier Gds
Frederick
LSgt
3654154
MM*
South Lancs; St Nazaire evac UK 
Arthur
Sgt
4965863
 
Essex Regt; St Nazaire
Peck
J.E.
Pte
4983147
 
Sherwood Forr.; CasList; wounded Italy 15Sep43
Pembrey
 
Pte
 
 
wounded Grohote 
Pender
Pat
LCpl
3656262
 
Lincs. Regt; wounded 17/9/44 6th Bn Lins Regt (CasLists)
Frederick, Arthur
Fus
6460208
 
R.Fus; PoW St Nazaire
Pentelow
A
Cpl
 
 
 
Leonard
TSM
2930945
MM ,MiD
Liverpool Scots
David, Robert
Major
124427
MC
RTR
Peters
Frank, J. 
Rfn
6711969
 
London Irish Rifles; CasList; Italy 13Sep43.
Peters
Fred
Pte
 
 
London Irish;
6 Troop (PG)
Pettit
Ernest, Henry
Cpl
 
 
(CA116)
Pexton
Henry, Charles 
LCpl
5052531
 
S. Staffs Regt; PoW Feb41 11 SAS Bn Op Colossus; CasLists and WO344/251/1
Thomas, Grenville, Pitt
Lt
112912
 
KRRC; kia St Nazaire
Francis, Edward
Pte
6351455
 
QORWK; kia
Phelan
E.J.
 
 
 
M.D. of a travel agents in London 1950s (CA18,CA20)
Phelan
M
 
 
 
 
Albert, Henry
Cpl
7885644
 
RAC; died accident 2 Para Cdo (11 SAS Bn)
Henry
LCpl
6467370
 
R. Fusiliers; Force X; PoW
Phillips
L
Gnr
 
 
RA
Phillips
T.A.
LCpl
 
 
lka Dunstable (LL9)
Picket
R.G. (Ray or Ron)
Cfn
 
 
REME; (LL9); (CA83, CA88, CA91).
Pierth or Pirth
Henry, Bergamein
 
PAL/
 
RASC; (PG)
Pittard
Simon, Rood
LCpl
 
 
& 9 Cdo; from Burnley (CA100)
Pitter
L
Pte
 
 
 
Pitter
Toby
Sgt
 
 
From East Dulwich (CA66)
Plummer
Norman, James
Gnr
 
 
RA; Emigrated Australia (CA108)
Pollock
John
Pte
 
 
died May 1950 (CA22)
Alfred, William, T.
Pte
14713795
 
East Lancs Regt;
kia Italy
Powell
A. 'Les'
Gnr
929812
 
RA
Pratley
Sidney, Thomas
Sgt
 
 
From Walsall (CA68)
Pratt
Victor
Cpl
5781708
 
R Norfolk Regt
James, Frederick, Anthony
TSM
 
 
London Scottish
Preston
D
Maj
 
 
 
John, Alfred
Pte
3650666
 
S.Lancs; CasLists; St Nazaire
Priest
Charles, George
TSM
 
 
1995 Mayor of Bromley (CA101); (PG)
Prince
Stanley
Pte
 
 
 
William, Henry
Lt
76488
MC MID
RE; kia St Nazaire
John, David
Lt (later Maj)
117903
 
Liv. Scots; wounded and evac UK St Nazaire
Rackham
Percy
Pte
867393
 
RA 1937; RTU (DR)
Frederick
Pte
3772039
 
Kings Regt; kia Salerno
Ragan
R
Fus
14408827
 
(DR)
Ralph
Victor
Pte
5989608
 
Beds &Herts Regt; wounded 29/7/44 CasList WO417/80
James
Fus
6482227
 
6 Tp Dec'42 (PG)
Donald, Charles, 
Sgt
2929382
DCM
Cameron Highlanders;
PoW St Nazaire
Ransom
Joseph, Patrick
Gnr
845061
 
RA 1935; (DR)
Rawlinson
Jack
Gnr
11270315
 
RA; (DR)
Read
Victor, Herbert
Pte
 
 
Pioneer Corps (DR)
Redfern
James
Pte
3585611
 
also 12 Cdo and 4 Cdo (CA101); (DR)
Reed
C
Gnr
 
 
RA; (LL9)
James, 'jim'
LSgt
2930597
 
Liverpool Scots;
PoW St Nazaire
Renton
J
Pte
 
 
Border Regt; (DR)
Reynier
Peter
 
 
 
 
Richards
A.S.
Pte
3959279
 
Welch Regt; wounded 17/3/44 CasList WO417/59
Richardson
E
Pte
 
 
RA. (DR)
Richardson
W.J.
Fus
14376191
 
(DR)
Richman
Harris, Ronald, ‘Harry’
Pte 
 
Royal Berks Regt; 1944 OCTU; Essex Regt
Riggott
J
Bdr
 
 
RA; from Derbyshire
(LL10)
Riley
Bernard
LBdr
 
RA 1940; (LL10); wounded 30/7/44 CasList WO417/80
Riley
R
Pte
 
 
Pioneer Corps; (DR)
Ritchie
Robert
Pte
 
 
wounded Grohote
Thomas, Ypres
Rfn
6849064
 
KRRC; kia St Nazaire
Roberts
D.C.
Pte
6021667
 
Essex Regt; (DR)
Harold,  'Aggs'
LCpl
 
 
Liverpool Scots;
PoW St Nazaire
Roberts
J
Fus
6459118
 
Royal Fusiliers
Roberts
T
 
 
 
 
G.E.
Pte
5952268
 
Suffolk Regt;wounded Italy 
Sydney
Gdsm
2619196
 
Grenadier Guards;
kia St Nazaire
Rochford
Desmond
Sgt
 
 
Black Watch; 1 troop
Stanley, William
LSgt
6465544
 
R.Fusilers; St Nazaire
John, Morgan
Lt
94409
MC
Essex Regt; PoW St Nazaire
Harold, Reginald
Pte
5346498
 
R Berkshire; St Nazaire
Roe
John, Windsor
Major
71049
 
RA
Joseph, Gerard, Anthony
LSgt
2933493
MM
Liverpool Scots;
St Nazaire evac UK
Rogerson
James, J.
Spr
 
 
RE; (CA101)
Rohinger
K
Dvr
 
 
RASC; (DR)
Rollo
Harold
Cpl
 
 
from Perth (CA54)
Norman
Pte
 
 
Liverpool Scots; Force X Malta
Ernest, Zeno
LCpl
PAL/1115
 
RASC; kia Albania
John, Douglas
Lt
74664
 
Welch Regt; kia Salerno
Ross
W
Pte
XO37972
 
 
Leslie, William
Fus
5511893
 
Lancashire Fusiliers kia 28/2/45 WO417/89
Rousell
A
LSgt
 
 
 
Rowe
A
LSgt
3773996
 
Kings Regt; (DR); 2 Tp (WD report by Capt Keep 15/12/43)
Rowe
H
Pte
 
 
Manchester 
Rowland
John
LSgt
 
 
 
Donald, William
Capt
88495
DSO
Cameron Hldrs; PoW St Nazaire
Royle
Victor
Gnr
 
 
RA
Leonard
LSgt
6147484
 
East Surrey; kia Salerno
William, Francis 'Tan'
Sgt
3654948
DCM
1/4 Bn South Lancs;
PoW St Nazaire
Rudland
John
LCpl
6010470
 
1/4 Essex Regt; 3 Ind. Coy; 1 SS Bn.
Ruffell
H.G.W.
LSgt
7016185
 
R. Ulster Rifles; (DR); (LL10)
Rumble
F
Fus
 
 
 
Roy,John, James 'Smoky'
Spr
14318535
 
RE; MT section; wounded 29/7/44 CasList WO417/80; 
Rutter
Jack, Walter
LCpl
14329105
 
(DR); (CA75)
George
Cpl
3772112
 
King's Regt; wounded Salerno
G
Pte
5952271
 
Beds & Herts; PoW St Nazaire
Dennis, A.
Rfn
 
 
 
Sanderson
K
 
 
 
 
George
Pte
5888422
 
Northants Rgt; Salerno casList WO417/67
Sarginson
Edward, William
Sgt
 
 
 
Saunders
Alfred, Frederick
Pte
2066437
 
QORWK; wounded Italy 17Apr45 WO417/91
Sawkins
Thomas, James
CSM
6014018; 343031 
 
Essex Regt; OCTU
A.F.E
Gnr
 
RA.
Dudley, R.
Lt
74801
DSO
 
Schofield
G
Pte
 
 
 
Robert
Dvr
PAL/30212
 
RASC; kia Italy
Schreiber
Herbert
Pte
13809326
 
Pioneer Corp
Scott
B.J.
Pte
 
 
 
Scully
Louis, Len
LCpl
 
 
(PG); (CA47)
Scutt
Steve
LCpl
 
 
 
Seabrook
R.G.
Pte
 
 
 
Searle
Francis, A.
Sgt
881586
 
RA; 6Tp Dec42 (PG)
Searle
J.H.
Pte
 
 
 
Alfred, Clarence
LSgt
6403917
MM
R Sussex Regt; PoW St Nazaire
Searson
T
 
 
 
 
Alexander, Fairgrieve 
WO1(RSM)
T/1054316
 
RASC; known as Sandy; St Nazaire evac UK
Selby
H
Pte
3781155
 
Kings Regt
Selby, or Selsby
P.C.
Fus
 
 
 
Seymour
H
Pte
6350471
 
The Buffs
Shankland
George
 
 
 
 
Peter
Pte
3059646
 
QOCH; 1945 wounded
Italy, 1947 died of wounds 
Sharpe
F
Gnr
 
RA; wounded Sicily 15/8/43 CasList WO417/67
Shaw
Alan
Pte
 
 
 
Shaw
L. 'Titch'
te
4547160
 
Yorks & Lancs
Sheard
Enoch
Cpl
3655822
 
S Lancs Regt
Shears
Harry, G.
Pte
 
 
 
Sheehan
Christopher
Cpl
 
 
R Ulster Rifles 
Anthony, Wilson
LCpl
6351892
 
QORWK; kia Salerno
Sherman
R
Pte
 
 
& 6 Cdo; lka Wickford (LL10)
Thomas
TSM
 
OBE
Kings Regt; (PG)
PoW St Nazaire
Albert, Edward, G.
Pte
6351428
 
QORWK; St Nazaire
died whilst a PoW
Shine
R
Pte
 
 
Mortar Section HWT 1943 (PG)
Shipley
Stanley, George
Sgt
5568215
 
Wiltshire Regt
Shore
G
Gnr
 
 
RA; Mortar Section 1943 (PG); (WD)
Shutt
George, Thomas
A/Sgt
4853823
 
Leics Regt; PoW Feb41 11SAS Bn. Op Colossus; CasLists and WO344/286/2
Charles, Arnold
Cpl
7363858
MM
RAMC
Simmonson
N
 
 
 
 
Simons
M
LCpl
 
 
 
Simpson
Charles, J.
Cpl
 
 
CA77 and others
Simpson
L
 
 
 
 
Simpson
N
LCpl
2879531
 
Gordon Hldrs
T.S.
Pte
3766995
 
Kings Regt; (CasLists); (DR)
Harold, Leonard
LCpl
2879581
MID
Gordon Hldrs; PoW St Nazaire
Richard, William
Sgt
2033171
MM
SLI; wounded Italy
11Sep43 CasList
Edward
LCpl
3654059
 
S. Lancs; PoW St Nazaire
Skilling
S
Pte
 
 
 
Jack, Noel
Cpl
6019864
MBE
Essex Regt
Harold, 'Joe'
Cpl
3654571
 
S Lancs 
Slaughter
A
Pte
 
 
 
Slaughter
Dennis, Harry, 'Todd'
Sgt
 
REME
Nelson, Arthur. Michel
Sgt
6467394
MiD
R Fus (City of London);
kia Italy
Smart
Herbert
Cpl
 
 
 
A.
Cpl
6573594
 
St Nazaire evac to Uk
Smith
Alfred, Frederick
Sgt
 
 
(CA89)
Smith
Benjamin, Ralph
Pte
 
 
& 6Cdo (CA110)
Smith
C
 
 
 
 
Smith
G
Fus
 
 
 
Smith
Henry, James, 'Jim'
LSgt
 
 
 
James
LCpl
3654054
 
S Lancs; kia Salerno
Smith
Jimmy
Sgt
3655831
 
S Lanc
Smith
L
Rfn
 
 
 
Smith
L
Fus
 
 
6 Tp Dec42 (PG)
Miller
Sgt
2657063
 
Coldstream Guards;
executed
Smith
Peter
Cfn
 
 
REME; (CA102)
Smith
R
Pte
6288645
 
Recce Corps (The Buffs)
S. R. 'Solly'
Sgt
 
 
& 'C' Group SBS  (CA7)
Thomas, J.
LSgt
3655831
MM
S Lancs Regt; 
Snowling
G.W.
LCpl
 
 
 
Somerville
Robert
Bdr
 
 
RA; and 9 Cdo (CA103)
Edward, Gordon
LCpl
2930775
 
Liverpool Scots
Sowerbutts
N
 
 
 
 
Spalding
W
 
 
 
 
Claude, W.
Dvr
T/193292
 
RASC; PoW 6/6/44 
WO417/82
William, Albert
Cpl
6088619
 
QRR; kia st Nazaire
Spearman
Reg
 
 
 
RA
Spearman
T.A.
Gnr
 
RA
Edward, George
Sgt
6482324
Police
 
R Fus (COF L)
Roy, Peter
LSgt
6353598
 
QORWK; wounded Italy
Sprall
G.W.
Lt
312661
 
Queens Royal 
Stafford
F
 
 
 
 
Standen
T.E.
Pte
 
 
 
Robert, James
Pte
6104499
 
Queens RR; (DR);(CA67)
Stanley
George, V.
Sgt
 
RE
Stanley
T
 
 
 
 
Stanton
W
Pte
 
 
 
Stanton
 
2/Lt
 
 
 
Steele
D
 
 
 
 
Steele
Ronald
Sgt
2334308
 
R Signals
Stephens
William, Howard
LCpl
2621414
 
Gren Gds; Italy CasLists WO417/76
Stern
John, Henrick
Bdr
1123647 & 349226 
 
RA; (OCTU)
Stevens
Andrew, John
Pte
 
 
 
Stevens
Adrian, John
LCpl
6213205
 
Middx Regt; CasList 13/9/43 WO417/68
Stevens
W.H.
LCpl
2621414
 
Grenadier Gds
Stevenson
J.S.C.J.
Pte
 
 
 
Stevenson
Stanley, G.
LSgt
6460557
 
Royal Fusiliers; wounded 13/9/43 WO417/68; 2 tp; from Kilmarnock (CA120)
Stewart
J.A.
Gnr
 
 
RA
John, Alexander
LCpl
2931169
 
Liverpool Scots;
kia Salerno
Stewart
John, Rattray, Chalmers
Capt
92023
MID
Kings Regt
Michael, William
Major
P/149313
CBE, MC
Coldstream Gduards
Stitt
W
Bdr
 
 
RA
Stockie
G
Pte
 
 
 
Walter, Percy
Fus
 
 
from Birmingham (CA81); (DR)
Henry
Gnr
3392730
 
RA; kia Italy
Stott
C.F.M
Pte
 
 
 
Straker
R
Fus
4271883
 
R North'land Fusiliers
Straughier
Forrest, Mitchinson, Longstaff
Gnr
 
 
RA
Stretton
Albert
Gdsm
2612604
 
Gren.Gds;CasLists;Italy;
wounded 9Sep43
Stuart
W
Gnr
 
RA (HAA)
Stubbs
G.A.
Pte
3654706
 
S Lancs; 6 Tp Dec42 (PG)
John, Forbes
Lt
182409
MiD
Gordons
Sugden (Sugdon)
Eric. Coates
LCpl
7356938
 
RAMC
Sullivan
E
Pte
5341450
 
QORWK; wounded I17/4/45 Italy CasList WO417/91
Frank
LCpl
 
 
Liverpool Scots; PoW St Nazaire
Suthers
Jimmy, P.
Gnr
6287961
 
RA
Swallow
Ronald, Thomas
Sgt
 
 
6 Tp Dec42 (PG); (CA23); (CA118)
Swayne
R
 
 
 
 
Swayze
Bill
Cpl
 
 
 
Sweet
E.E.
Gnr
possibly 5628200
 
resided Devon
Swet
Zvi, 'Vic'
Pte
PAL 13437
 
& 51ME Cdo; from Tel Aviv (CA98)
Tarkinton
E
 
 
 
 
William, John
Rfn
6921429
 
Rifle Bde; kia Salerno
Taylor
D.M.
Gnr
3056601
 
RA; wounded Italy 9/9/43 CasList WO417/69
Gerald
Sgt
7598084
 
RAOC; kia St Nazaire
Taylor
Horace
Cpl
5047398
 
KSLI; wounded Italy 13/9/43 WO417/68
Taylor
Lawrence, 'Larry'
Capt
89029
 
Liverpool Scots
Stanley
LSgt
2927159
 
Liverpool Scots; Force X Malta
Taylor
Stanley, John
Capt
 
 
(CA75)
James, Henry
Pte
6013011
 
Essex Regt; wounded
Italy CasList WO417/70
Templeton
Jimmy
 
 
 
and 6 Cdo (CA87)
Terry
Anthony, F.A.J.
Maj
 
MC
 
Thomas
D.I. Royden
Capt
 
 
RACD
Thomas
Dewi, Alun, 'Tommy'
Capt
148494
OBE
RA
Thomas
Donald
LBdr
 
 
RA
Thomas
S
Pte
 
 
 
Thompson
Kenneth
Cpl
 
 
 
Robert
Pte
6014360
MID
Essex Regt
Thrift
Frank
LCpl
6459241
 
Royal Fusiliers
Tombs
Tommy
Pte
 
 
 
Richard, M.
CSM
840175
MM
RA
Reginald, Maurice
Cpl
6896917
 
KRRC; kia St Nazaire
L
Cpl
5334138
 
R Berkshire; (LL11) Italy CasList WO417/67
Torkington
Wallace
LCpl
 
 
 
Cecil, Alexander
Pte
5884935
 
North Staffs. Regt; (CA67); wounded 17/4/45 Italy 
Frederick, Harry
Pte
6399046
MM
Sussex Regt; kia Italy
Trueman
Denis
Fus
6465522
 
R. Fus / 2Cdo.6Tp.
Tuck
Albert, Walter
Pte
6293183; The Buffs
 
2 Tp; Wounded 16Aug43 4Feb44 Italy - CasLists
Edward, Arnold
Fus
6460951
 
R.Fus (Op. Chariot); 6Tp (PG);
13 Bn. Paras.
Turner
Larry
Capt
63622
 
KRRC
William, James
CSM
5951593
 
Beds & Herts
Turpin
A
Pte
 
 
 
Turpin
Dick
LCpl
 
 
 
Turpin
John
LSgt
 
 
 
Raymond, Charles
Gdsm
2616651
 
Gren.Gds; CasLists;
wounded Italy 14Sep43
Twiddy
Arthur, Thomas  'Doug'
Gnr
 
RA
Tynan
Sydney
LCpl
 
 
(CA87)
J
LCpl
3775247
 
King's Regt; (DR); (CasList)
John, Edward
Lt
117921
 
Kings Regt; kia St Nazaire
George
Gnr 
 
RA Attestations 1940
Vatcher-dow
Peter
 
143880122
 
 
Vaughan
D.W.
Gnr
 
 
RA
Vaughan
R.B.
Gnr
 
 
RA
John, Young
Pte
3188895
 
Royal Scots; kia Salerno
Veitch
W
 
 
 
 
Alexander
Cpl
5337321
MM
R Berkshire
Vick
F.G.
Cpl
 
 
 
Vingoe
Stanley
Rfn
1436615
 
RA / KRRC: 1944 King's Comm; 1945 2 Cdo
Wainwright
W
Pte
 
 
Yorks & Lancs 
Waite
William, R
Fus
 
 
 
Eric, Graham
Lt
217716
MiD
Buffs; 1 Tp (Jan43); award with The Buffs 1944
Wakefield
Edward, Roger
Capt
138709
 
Special Svc Bde
Waldron
F
Gnr
 
 
RA
Walker
Alan
Capt
 
 
Beds & Herts
Walker
J.F.
Cpl
3771765
 
Kings Regt
Walker
G
Cpl
6350209
 
QORWK
Peter
Pte
ALIAS
 
See Peter NAGEL
Walker
R.S.
Cpl              
 
 
Pioneer Corps; to OCTU
Walker
S
 
 
 
 
Walker
T.G.A.
Lt
91956
 
Herts Regt
Walkinshaw
A.D.
Pte
 
 
RA
Wallace
D
LSgt
 
 
 
Wallace
J
Cpl
7016105
 
R. Ulster Rifles
Walsh
T
Sgt
 
 
 
Walters
 
Lt
 
 
 
George, William
Gdsm
2618526
 
Grenadier Guards;
kia St Nazaire
Philip
Lt
104117
 
Beds & Herts Regt;
kia St Nazaire
Walton
W
Pte
3712489
 
S. Staffs; wounded 27Dec'41 CasList WO417/36
Wanstall
Sydney, D.
Pte
 
 
 
Warburton
H
Pte
 
 
Recce Corps
Ward
Cyril
LSgt
 
 
Loyal Regt
Ward
H.P.N.
Pte
 
 
 
J.W.
Rfn
 
Rifle Bde; wounded 17/4/45 Italy
Ward
V
Gnr
 
 
RA
Arthur
Sgt 
3459543
MC
Lancs Fusiliers;  later Capt 3Cdo
Wardle
M
 
 
 
 
Wardle
V.F.
Fus
6461567
 
R. Fusiliers; wounded 7/4/45 CasList WO417/91
Warne
Roy, Peter
Gnr
886077
 
RA attestation 1938; (DR). 
Watson
Robert
Cpl
5989899
 
Beds & Herts; (CA16)
William, Humphries 'Tiger'
Lt
189409
MC
Blackwatch
William
Cpl
6460971
 
R Fus (City of London);
kia Sicily
Watts
Stanley
Tpr
365294
 
RHG
Weaver
D
Pte
7392008
 
RAMC
Weaver
William, Charles
LCpl
 
 
RAMC
John
Sgt
7377410
MM
RAMC
Michael, Hinton
Capt
242138
MC*
Transvaal Scottish
Webster
Douglas, 'Dink'
Sgt
 
 
R. Norfolk Regt
Welbeck
 
LSgt
 
 
 
Welburn
T
LSgt
 
 
W. Yorks Regt
Welch
F
Pte
 
 
RASC
Henry, Valerian, George
Captain the Duke of Wellington
56864
 
Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regt; kia Salerno
Wellings
Clifford, J.
Pte
 
 
Border Regt; & 12 Cdo (CA113);(DR)
Wellington
H
 
 
 
 
Wells
Leonard
Pte
 
 
Hampshire Regt; (DR)
Wells
Stanley,  D. 'Bomber'
Pte
 
 
 
Wells
Terence, Morris 
Pte
5950877
 
Beds & Herts
Westlake
Peter, D.
Rfn
 7016551
 
R. Ulster Rifles
Weston
W.F.
Gnr
 
 
 
Albert
Rfn
6898157
 
KRRC; died accident
George, Leslie 'Les'
Pte
2930965
 
QOCH
George, Russell
Cpl (later Lt)
6899186
MM
R Sussex Regt;
St Nazaire escapee
John, William 'Jack'
Bdr
883001
 
RA
John, Edward
Sgt
2620077
MM
Grenadier Guards
White
V.C.W.
Rfn
6971154
 
Rifle Brigade
William, L.
Sgt
6010917
MiD
Essex; CasList; wounded
Italy 13Sep43
Whitehouse
C.F.G.
LCpl
5499071
 
Hamps Regt; & 5 SS Bn., PoW 13/11/41 - WO417/34, 35,  38, 76, 
Peter, Beckwith
Capt 
100423
 
RE; 2 SS Bde SORE kia Albania
Guy, Faulkener
Capt
143475
MC
KSLI / Recce Corp RAC
Whittaker
W
LCpl
3654663
 
S. Lancs; 29July'44
CasList WO417/80
Whittingham
Ernest, Edgar 'Dick'
Pte
 
 
(CA105)
Lionel, Charles
Sgt
5950750
MM
Beds & Herts
Wightman
C.L.
Dvr
 
 
RASC
Wightman
Norman
Cpl
 
 
(CA107)
Arthur, G.
Pte
14682795
 
R. Warwickshire Regt; and 6 Cdo (CA107); wounded Italy 17/4/45 CasList WO417/91
Richard, 'Dick'
LCpl
2931468
 
 L/pool Scots; PoW St Nazaire
Wild
C
Gnr
 
 
RA
Wild
Jack
Piper
 
 
 
J
LCpl
3655016
 
South Lancs
Frederick
Pte
2931680
 
Liverpool Scots / PoW St Nazaire
Wilkins
Lewis, M.
Lt
140113
 
RASC
Wilkinson
Cyril
Pte
2929839
 
QOCH
Willett
Stanley, W.  'Billy'
Pte
6094960
 
QRR
Williams
C
Gnr
 
 
RA
Williams
C.H.
Dvr
 
 
RASC
Williams
W
Fus
 
 
 
Wills
 A.J.
Pte
 
 
 
Wilson
 
Fus
 
 
 
Wilson
A
Pte
 
 
 
Wilson
Gerry
Pte
2929369
 
Liverpool Scots
Kenneth, Charles
Pte
6297934
 
Middlesex Regt;
died accident
Wilson
Lawrence, Henry
Pte
 
 
 
Winter
Frederick
Pte
 
 
 
Winter
 
Cpl
 
 
 
Winter
Thomas William
 
108938
 
RASC
Wood
G
Rfn
 
 
 
Wood
H.W.E.
Pte
3909924
 
SWB; CasLists ;Italy;
wounded 13Sep443.
Wood
R
Pte
 
 
 
Arthur, Frank,
 'Buster'
Cpl
5343292
MM
Queens Royal; PoW St Nazaire
Robert, Salonicka
Fus
6467448
 
R Fus (City of London);
kia St Nazaire
Leslie, William
LSgt
5777911
 
R Norfolk Regt; kia Italy
Woods
Anthony, H. 'Toc'
Cpl
5781196
 
R Sigs; CasLists;
Italy 13Sep43 
Woolford
E
Pte
 
 
RAMC
S
Pte
6353299
 
QORWK; 6Tp Dec42 (PG); (CA21) (DR)
William, A.
'Bill'
Gnr
 
 
RA; post war Met Police;  (CA57) (DR)
Wray
 
LCpl
 
 
Loyals
Wright
C
Pte
 
 
DCLI
Wright
C.E.
Gnr
 
 
RA
Dennis, Raymond
Pte
5127463
 
R. Warwickshire Regt;
kia Salerno
Wright
E
Pte
 
 
 
Wright
J
Dvr
 
 
RASC
Wright
J.H.
LCpl
2335243
 
R. Signals
Wright
S
Gdsm
2615718
 
Grenadier Gds
Wright
William, Leonard
Pte
 
 
 
Wynne
Hugo
Sgt
 
 
QOCH/Liv.Scots
Yoles
P
 
 
 
 
York
George
Gnr
 
 
RA
Arthur
LCpl
2880180
MiD
Gordons
Young
L
Dvr
 
 
 
Young
M
 
 
 
 
Younger
A
 
 
 
 
Youngman
Frederick
Gnr
 
 
RA; resided Zimbabwe (CA72)
Zavaroni
Cesare
Pte
 
 
 
 

2 Commando Commanders

This history of No. 2 Commando was compiled at the request of The Commando Veterans Association, who wanted a record of the unit’s activities and first-hand recollections of its members as seen through the eyes of a No. 2 Commando veteran. There was a certain urgency about the request because this veteran, turned author, is old and just about one step away from the knacker’s yard. There is much to tell about the No. 2 Family and its Father, Charlie Newman.

Bob Bishop

Read more about each Commanding Officer below.

Continue reading our history of No 2 Commando here  'Some of the Men'.

Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

NEWMAN, Lt Col. Augustus Charles, VC

Known as: 
Colonel Charles
Rank: 
Lieutenant Colonel
Unit / Base: 
2 Commando
3 Independent Company
Regiment/Corps: 
Essex Regiment
Service: 
Army
Number: 
33927
P.O.W. number: 
18640
P.O.W. camps: 
Oflag IX-A/H (9A/H), Spangenberg, Germany
Honours & Awards: 
Victoria Cross (VC)
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Territorial Decoration (TD)
Deputy Lieutenant (DL)
Mentioned in Despatches
Order of the Legion of Honour (France)
Croix de Guerre (France)
Born: 
Friday, August 19, 1904
Died : 
Wednesday, April 26, 1972
Operations: 
'St. Nazaire - Operation Chariot'
Col. Newman VC, 2 Commando
Augustus Charles Newman VC
Lt. Colonel Augustus Charles Newman, Officer Commanding No 2 Commando, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry whilst Military Force Commander of Operation Chariot, St. Nazaire. He was a prisoner of war after the raid.
Extract from Commando Association Newsletter 55 of September 1972
It was with profound regret that we learned on the 26th April last, of the death of Lieut. Colonel A. Charles Newman, V.C., O.B.E., T.D., our first President to pass away whilst in office, and we are deeply indebted to his close friend and comrade, and esteemed Chairman of our Warrington Branch, Lieut Colonel W. O. (Bill) Copland, D.S.O., for the following most fitting tribute:-
"St. Paul's Cathedral, a link with famous men and their memorials for nearly 300 years, can seldom have held a more numerous and more varied a congregation of friends as were gathered together on the first of May, 1972, to pay homage and to show affection to the memory of Charles Newman, V.C., our President, friend of many, enemy to none, example to all of us.
As a Territorial Soldier he was the epitome of civilian military service in Peace and in War, ranging from his own beloved Essex Regiment to No. 3 Independent Company which saw service in Norway in 1940, then in No. 1 Special Service Battalion to his zenith of Service in No. 2 Commando which he commanded on its formation in 1941. To him, this was the ultimate in choice of a service and, because he was so splendid a Commanding Officer, he gained quickly the affection and respect of his new command drawn, as it was, from almost every Regiment in the Army. The high standard he set for every aspect of military training and conduct both on and off parade and his deep sense of fairness, helped to produce a unit in which the only punishment was R.T.U. and whose only standard was perfection.
Enough has been written about his part in the Naval and Commando Raid on St. Nazaire on 28th March, 1942, where he earned his Victoria Cross, to assure for him his special niche in military history. With others of No. 2 and attached Commandos, Royal Engineers and others, together with Royal Navy personnel, he spent 3 years in German prison camps. Here again he contributed much to morale by his conduct and bearing. If this were not enough, and knowing he had still much to give, he commanded 2lst S.A.S. Regiment (Artists) T.A. and was Colonel Commandant of his County Army Cadet Force.
His links with civil life were many and varied and in many ways required similar outlooks and qualities as-best befit a soldier. As Chairman and Managing Director of a world wide firm of contractors, he led his company through good times and bad with the same kindly handling and belief in those who worked with him. In public life he was a man of many parts with wide interests and affections. He became a Deputy Lieutenant of Essex and Chairman or member of many organizations, civil and sporting. 
Finally, after his retirement in 1971, ever a lover of children, he gave much joy to youngsters in many recreations, Pony Clubs and 'messing about in boats', all so near to his ' Peter Pan' heart. So we say 'au revoir' 'to one of our most excellent of Presidents of The Commando Association, splendid soldier and citizen, head of a loving and beloved family. May his example illuminate our future and may our Nation ever find men like Charles Newman to help guide and protect it in War and Peace "  W. O. Copland.
 
Bob Bishop No 2 Commando recalled the Colonel’s tremendous work in recruiting, training and forging a fighting unit that he could lead into battle anytime and at anyplace.  Colonel Newman managed to keep his troops at a razor-sharp level of efficiency despite the winter of discontent and impatience of 1940 and the year of frustration that followed it in 1941.
Under a lesser leader morale would have surely gone to pot, but, by clever use of novel training programmes which he dreamed up, managed by sheer force of personality to actually improve the ‘readiness’ condition of the Commando, day by day.
During a boxing tournament that had been arranged between No. 2 Commando and a local artillery unit stationed near Ayr, the artillery C.O. entered the hall and took his ringside seat amid some mutterings from his own men to the effect of ‘officers always getting the best seats’.
Then Colonel Newman made his entrance and Bob Bishop comments "the difference could be compared to codfish versus caviar. The entire Commando rose up and belted out this verse:
Clap hands! - Here comes Charlie!
Clap hands! - Good Old Charlie!
Clap hands! - Here’s Our Charlie now!!
The Colonel grinned, and turned with his hands clasped above his head in the prize-fighter manner to acknowledge what he knew was a genuine expression of admiration from his boys. The artillery lads looked on in disbelief."
 
Colonel Augustus Charles NEWMAN VC OBE TD DL (Commanding Officer No 2 Cdo) died 26th April 1972.
Sources
Victoria Cross - London Gazette 37134, page 3171.
OBE - London Gazette 41856, page 6844.
TD and 1st, 2nd and 3rd Clasps - London Gazettes Supp. 37499. page 1369 and Supp. 39567, page 3172.
MiD - London Gazette 37396, page 6189.
Prisoners of War / National Archives file WO3921/1.
 
Photo of Commando in Gallery: 
Yes
Additional content: 
NEWMAN, Lt Col. Augustus Charles, VC, (OC No.2 Cdo), London Gazette
Commandos awarded the Victoria Cross
'A document on the object of Special Service'
Archive pages : 
No 2 Commando
No 3 Independent Company
St Nazaire Commandos

NEWMAN, Lt Col. Augustus Charles, VC, (OC No.2 Cdo), London Gazette

Type: Files
Author: John Mewett
Year of Publishing: 2015
Keywords: Lt Col A C Newman VC No 2 Commando St Nazaire Raid
Download

The Citation for the award of the Victoria Cross to Lt Col A.C. Newman The Essex Regt No 2 Commando and Commander of the land forces St Nazaire raid 27/28th March 1942.

Follow this link to learn more about all the Commandos awarded the Victoria Cross

Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

CHURCHILL, John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming (Lt Col)

Known as: 
Mad Jack
Rank: 
Lieutenant Colonel
Unit / Base: 
2 Commando
3 Commando
5 Commando
Regiment/Corps: 
Manchester Regiment
Service: 
Army
Number: 
34657
P.O.W. camps: 
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Germany
Honours & Awards: 
Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
Bar to the Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross (MC)
Born: 
Sunday, September 16, 1906
Died : 
Friday, March 8, 1996
Operations: 
'Vaagso - Operation Archery'
‘Sicily - Operation Husky’
Salerno - Operation Avalanche
'Brac - Operation Flounced'

After a brief spell as 2i/c No 5 Commando, the then Major John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill (later affectionately known by some as Mad Jack) moved to 2i/c No 3 Commando. Wounded during Operation Archery at Vaagso 27 December 1941.

On the 1st July 1942 the now Lieutenant Colonel 'Jack' Churchill M.C. was appointed commanding officer of No. 2 Commando joining them on 3rd July 1942*, their previous OC, Lt Col Newman [more...] , having been taken prisoner of war at St Nazaire. Lieutenant Colonel Churchill remained OC until he was also taken prisoner during Operation Flounced on the island of Brac in 1944. 

*No. 2 Commando War Diary July 1942 and Field Returns of Officers in WD (incl. Dec43).

An account by Bob Bishop No 2 Commando from his history of No 2:

"It has been over sixty-three years since this author served under the command of Jack, but to this day it is impossible to think of the man without prefacing my reverie with some kind of exclamation such as: Whew! or My God! and I have to stop thinking about this larger-than-life character or else I wouldn’t get anything done during the day or sometimes, night. Jack will always be with me because he will be part of my life; something that will last and never fade.

Unlike so many of the men he commanded, Jack came from a pretty well-heeled Oxfordshire family. Following his formal education at the Dragon School, Oxford and King William’s College, Isle of Man, then RMC Sandhurst, he obtained a regular army commission in the Manchester Regiment in 1926. His career in the peacetime army came to a screeching halt ten years later when Jack and his C.O. agreed to disagree and Jack resigned his commission.

Jack was recalled to the army at the outbreak of war, served with distinction at Dunkirk and got himself an M.C. After which, he was one of the very first volunteers for the newly-formed Commandos. Jack found himself assigned as Major, and second-in-command of No. 3 Commando. The author wonders about that time. The thought of having three diverse personalities and future Commando legends – John Durnford Slater, Peter Young and Jack Churchill – all under the same roof is frightening! However, it all worked out well – J.D.S. was kicked upstairs, promoted to Brigadier, Peter Young eventually got control of No. 3 Commando, and Jack Churchill was shifted over to No. 2 Commando replacing Lt. Col. Charlie Newman, who had been lost at St. Nazaire.

The ‘coming’ of Jack to No. 2 Commando in 1942 and his subsequent campaign exploits are related elsewhere. In this narrative, the author confines himself to relating his memories of Jack and endeavors to try to convey some truths that need to be recorded and questions that need to be asked now, or they will never see daylight.

This author finds himself somewhat dismayed by various reports that have surfaced from time-to-time which infer that Jack Churchill was a sort of ‘publicity seeker’. For those who have that opinion, I ask them to consider this:

Where is there a book written by Jack Churchill concerning No. 2 Commando depicting himself in a starring role?

Jack has never written anything about his life and times, or caused them to be recounted by some ghost-writer. Thankfully no officer who served in No. 2 Commando has ever caused publication of a book to join the many which were authorized by Jack’s brother-colonels in other Commando units and several accounts written by lieutenants on upwards. The author makes this point, not in criticism of these many published scribes, but to illustrate that Jack certainly had a personal story of unexcelled heroism to tell, but was too darn modest to cash in on it.

There is that matter of a decoration. At Salerno Jack and his runner had operated far out ahead of the Commando and entered the enemy-held village of Pigoletti, whereupon Jack descended on each German sentry post or weapons pit, made its occupants prisoner and delivered them group by group to be guarded by the waiting runner. When the count was made it amounted to 42 prisoners Jack had taken. He even made the German mortar crews carry out their own mortars. The prisoners with all their weapons were then handed over to the leading Commando troop when it finally caught up with Jack. For this audacious feat of arms Col. Jack was recommended for the Victoria Cross, which was in due course watered down to a D.S.O. WHY? The award of the V.C. had certainly been made as a result of actions concerning far-lesser valour.

The qualities of leadership displayed by Jack’s fellow Commando colonels, Lt. Cols. Durnford Slater, Peter Young, Derek Mills-Roberts, Lord Lovat and Ronnie Tod, were all recognized by their promotion to the rank of Brigadier. They were all grand leaders who deserved such recognition. BUT Jack was not promoted. In fact, we have to sadly note that in 1948 he had been demoted to the rank of major engaged in the thankless task of keeping Arabs and Jews from each others throats in the Palestine mandate. It is thought that Jack had fully deserved the promotion which was awarded to his peers, but somehow denied to him. WHY? again.

It is said by many fanciful writers that Jack went into action in No. 2 Commando ‘resplendent with bow and arrows’. Where? The author participated in everyone of the Colonel’s operations in No. 2 and only saw our Jack adorned with claymore, bagpipes, an American M-1 carbine, sometimes a 45 automatic, haversack, helmet with large S.S. badge, and map case. Wasn’t that enough?

Jack much admired the discipline and enthusiasm of the average German soldier. He once stated ‘that was what made them such wonderful soldiers’. He compared such qualities rather favourably with those who inhabited our ‘mass-produced army’. He always advocated more realistic training for the ordinary British soldier although he fully realized that it would be impossible to put the whole army through Achnacarry.

Jack, the man, was hard, if not impossible, to get to know. He lacked a certain rapport with his brother-officers and certainly never got close to the rank and file boys in the same way as Charlie Newman. But, then again, Charlie Newman’s fatherly attitude was a tough act to follow and Jack Churchill’s pale, steely-blue eyes were fixed on the prosecution of the war and nothing else.

Our ‘Mad Jack’ once gave himself to prose, writing that:

"No Prince or Lord has tomb so proud
As he whose flag becomes his shroud"

Lt. Col. J.M.T.F. Churchill, D.S.O., M.C., a.k.a. ‘Jack' and 'Mad Jack’ passed on March 8, 1996. He was 89."

Photo of Commando in Gallery: 
Yes
Additional content: 
5 Commando, Officers in 1940
A Return in 1973 to Yugoslavia
Archive pages : 
No 2 Commando
No 3 Commando
No 5 Commando
Prisoners of War

Obituary for Colonel Churchill DSO MC by Henry Brown OBE

Officer Commanding No. 2 Commando from April 1942 until, his capture in 1944 during Operation Flounced [more...]. Affectionately known by his Commandos as "Mad Jack". He died on Friday 8th March 1996. 
 
Henry Brown OBE, National Secretary of the Commando Association contributed the following obituary published in the Commando Association Newsletter 103 dated Sept 1996:
 
"Colonel John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill DSO MC.
The National Press obituary notices outlined in great detail the sterling qualities of Colonel Jack, describing him rightly as probably the most dramatically impressive Commando leader of the Second World War. One could go to great lengths in describing his charm and countless attributes, and doubtless, all comrades privileged to know him closely, especially those in No.2 Commando, know how daring and fearless he was certainly a man born to lead' Not surprisingly, he soldiered on after the war and in spite of his many varied interests and activities he always took a very close interest in our Association and we look back with much pleasure on his two periods, 1957-8 and 1968-70, as our President.
For his dear widow Rosamund we correct the following inaccuracies in the Daily Telegraph obituary notice. Colonel Jack, always particular about being correctly dressed, did not transfer to the Seaforth Highlanders until after the war. Neither did he rush up any beaches "dressed only in a kilt", nor was he born in Surrey, but Sri Lanka. The passing of these two great wartime Commando leaders* has certainly left gaps in our Commando family we can never hope to fill."
 
* In the same issue Henry wrote about the passing of Lord Lovat.
 
[View our Archive entry for Colonel Churchill below.]
 

FYNN, Francis West (Lt Col)

Known as: 
Ted
Rank: 
Lieutenant Colonel
Unit / Base: 
12 Commando
2 Commando
Regiment/Corps: 
Gordon Highlanders
Service: 
Army
Number: 
109827
Honours & Awards: 
Military Cross (MC)
Mentioned in Despatches
Bronze Star Medal (USA)
Born: 
Thursday, July 9, 1908
Died : 
September, 1981
Operations: 
Sarande - Operation Mercerised
Lake Comacchio - Operation Roast
Lieutenant Colonel Francis Fynn 2 commando
Lieutenant Colonel Francis Fynn 2 Commando
Lieutenant Colonel Francis West Fynn M.C. was appointed Commanding Officer of No 2 Commando from June 1944 after Lt Col Churchill was taken prisoner of war.
23.12.1939 Lance Sergeant, Royal Artillery T.A., appointed Second Lieutenant [1].
11.07.1942 (Lieutenant) (Royal Artillery) posted Gordon Highlanders [2]. 
23.01.1943 (Major) (No.12 Commando), Operation Cartoon, awarded the Military Cross [3].
14.11.1943 (Major) joined No.2 Commando appointed Second in Command [4].
MC Recommendation
"Operation Cartoon
Major F.W. Fynn was in command of a Force of 5 Officers and 43 Other Ranks of the Special Service Brigade which landed at Sagvaag, Norway, on the night of the 23rd/24th January 1943.
Due to the speed and drive with which the operation was carried out, the main machinery of the Pyrite Mine at Lillebo and the silo installations at Sagvaag quay were destroyed. In addition casualties were inflicted on the enemy, three prisoners were taken, 4 enemy guns destroyed, and valuable intelligence material brought back. The great success of this operation was largely due to the careful planning of Major Fynn, and high qualities of leadership and courage displayed by him during the operation itself" [3a].
  • Lieutenant Colonel Fynn M.C., (No.2 Commando), Mentioned in Despatches for distinguished service in Italy [5].
  • Awarded the Bronze Star, conferred by the President of the United States of America, in recognition of distinguished services in the cause of the Allies [6][6a].
  • 6 November 1945 relinquished his commission on appointment to Southern Rhodesia Forces [7].
Bronze Star Citation
"Francis W. Fynn M.C., 109827, Lieutenant Colonel London Scottish Infantry, 2 Commando, British Army, for heroic achievement in connection with military operations in Italy on 1 April 1945.
By superb leadership and complete devotion to duty in face of every possible difficulty attached to a water borne-operation, Lieutenant Colonel Fynn led the 2nd Commando in an attack, with only one third of his force, against well-entrenched enemy positions near Lake Comacchio, Italy.
His inspiring influence materially affected the outcome of a hazardous and daring operation behind the enemy lines, as did his encouraging of his weary troops in successive assaults on a vital bridge and an enemy force of almost 1000 men were eventually captured.
Entered service from Lewes, Sussex, England." [6a].
 
Sources
[1] London Gazette 34758, page 8535.
[2] London Gazette 35627, page 3035.
[3] London Gazette 35952, page 1405.
[3a] National Archives file WO373/93/81.
[4] No.2 Cdo. War Diary Field Return of Officers.
[5] London Gazette 37368, page 5816.
[6] London Gazette 38288, page 2917.
[6a] National Archives file WO373/148/598.
[7] London Gazette 38184, page 581.
 
Below is an account by Bob Bishop No 2 Commando from his history of No 2:
 
"Colonel Fynn was known to all as ‘Ted’, why it is not known, he arrived with that designation and everyone used that name thereafter. He was the third Commanding Officer to be at the helm of No. 2 Commando, inheriting the job right after we had lost ‘Mad Jack’ on June 6th, 1944.

A difficult man to describe - perhaps he was not as fatherly as Lt Col Newman, more like an uncle I suppose, and not as autocratic as Jack Churchill. His style was more ‘laid back’ and easier in the manner of many South Africans, but when you looked at Ted you knew that he had ‘seen’ life. Although this author is second-to-none in his admiration of ‘Mad Jack’ and considered him to be the ‘bravest of the brave’, after two and a half years of serving under his command Ted was regarded with an expression of some relief. This quiet man who had taken over, we all knew, was going to be o.k. It was as though someone had said “It’s time to lighten-up a little, boys!”.

In October, 1942, at Lerwick in the Shetlands, Ted became the titular head of ‘Fynn Force’, a group of Commandos formed with the purpose of making life uncomfortable for the Germans in Norway. Ted led attacks on objectives in Southern Norway. The first assault was on Stord Island where Ted blew up a pyrites mine at Lillebo. A highly successful raid, Ted managed to get this job done with the loss of only one Commando K.I.A. Other operations followed. Ted said nothing of this background when he joined No. 2 and went on to lead the Commando in action at Himare, Albania July ’44 and Sarande, Albania October ’44. Shortly after these operations, the author was seconded to S.O.E. and that was the last he saw of Ted.

Ted won the M.C. in 1943 and was also awarded the Bronze Star (U.S.A.) for his leadership of No. 2 Commando at Lake Comacchio 1945.

The author would like to relate an episode from Ted’s tenure with No. 2. Ted had gotten himself married in Bari, Italy, with a good attendance at the ceremony by officers and others. He was later asked by someone , “How did the night go?”  Ted then said, “Well, do you remember what Charlie Newman said when he was awarded the Victoria Cross?” The enquirer replied, “What did Charlie say?” Ted then smiled and uttered the historic words:

"I GOT IT FOR THE WHOLE COMMANDO."

Photo of Commando in Gallery: 
Yes
Archive pages : 
No 12 Commando
No 2 Commando

2 Commando, Some of the Men

There is a worn-out cliché which goes as: "They came from all walks of life". It is descriptive and fits, so we will use it one more time because it certainly describes the pre-service backgrounds of the people who took their places in the ranks of No. 2 Commando. They were an interesting assortment and what follows is some insight as to how their lives unfolded and sometimes terminated.

nb. click/touch the names for additional info

Lance Sergeant Joseph Jackson

Joe was a former Isle of Man taxi-driver who was an old hand from the Independent Company days and was there from the beginning of the Commando. Awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal Joe almost made it to the end of the war, K.I.A. 27 February, 1945, Age 39, at Lake Comacchio, Italy.

Private Dennis Wright

Dennis was a student from Birmingham, although judging by his age probably schoolboy would have been more accurate. This lad fought in the battle of Dragone Hill in the Salerno landing and was K.I.A. 13 September, 1943. Dennis was 18.

Lance Sergeant Frederick Peachey 

Fred came from Warrington, Lancs, and was an early member of No. 2. He was at Vaagso and later was seriously wounded at St. Nazaire. He fought in Sicily followed by the Salerno landing where he was wounded again and received an M.M. for his courage. Fred continued his campaign in Yugoslavia and Albania operations and was wounded a third time in the Argenta Gap, Italy, battle where he won a bar to his M.M. After the war, Fred resumed life as a Lorry Driver and passed on at the age of 63. A quiet man.

Lance Corporal John Phelan

Johnny was educated at an expensive finishing school in Belgium. He came from a family that operated a flourishing restaurant business in London. Johnny was in the campaigns in Sicily, Italy, Yugoslavia and Albania. He was commissioned from the ranks as a Lieutenant in 1945. The thing that the author remembers most about Johnny is that he got on our nerves relating about yummy hot roast beef sandwiches at his family restaurant while we were in the process of consuming our usual meal of corned-beef and hard-tack biscuits.

Captain The Duke Of Wellington

The 6th Duke of Wellington could have had a very comfortable war had he chosen to be the functional head of his own regiment, The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regt. Instead, the Duke sealed his own fate when he arrived at 2 Wellington Square, the 2 Commando H.Q. in Ayr, May 1942. This rather chubby, unpretentious and likeable man turned out to be a great Commando Troop Leader who knew that leading from the very front of his troop was the only place to be. The Duke was K.I.A. 16 September, 1943 at Piegolette in the Salerno beachhead. He was 31. It must have been in our minds when some Sgt. remarked that our Duke had paid a higher price than his illustrious ancestor. The ‘Iron Duke’ rests in the crypt of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Our Duke is buried alongside many other men of No. 2 Commando in Salerno War Cemetery.

Sergeant Jack Moores

Jack enlisted in the regular army in 1929. He was a fugitive from hard economic times and very much admired the idea of eating on a regular basis and the luxury of having a roof over his head. He arrived in Ayr from Achnacarry in May 1942 and enquired if this author was also from the Royal Norfolk Regt. He then stated that the author’s name was the same as his first R.S.M. in 1929 who had a five-year old son. So, the author stuck out his hand and said “It’s been a long time, Jack!” We became firm friends for the remainder of Jack’s life. The campaigns that followed our stay in Ayr proved that Jack was a fine leader of men who was much-admired for his steadiness in any situation. Our friendship was broken when Jack was severely wounded and died after reaching his objective – a fortified ridge at Himare, Albania. The date was 29 July, 1944. His age was recorded as 37 (going on 42). We all missed this fine old soldier.

Lance Corporal William Cant

Police Constable Cant arrived from Achnacarry in May, 1942 as part of the wonderful Police Intake who had no previous military training prior to attending Col. Charlie Vaughan’s school. Our ‘cops’ settled in very fast and not one of them had any problem becoming valued Commando soldiers. Everyone addressed Bill Cant as ‘P.C.’ thereafter. The boys from the London Police used to tease ‘P.C.’ about being from a rural Essex Constabulary, with references to the famous case of two runaway chickens when they had to ask ‘The Yard’ for help. ‘P.C.’ fought well and became an obvious leader in seven ‘No. 2’ operations resulting in him receiving his Lieutenants ‘pips’ in 1944. ‘P.C.’ survived the war and presumably went back to the still-unsolved chicken case in Essex.

Lieutenant Thomas Peyton

Tommy Peyton had been with No. 2 Commando for only a few short months when he embarked for the voyage to the Loire River and the port of St. Nazaire. Somewhere in the holocaust that followed on the night of 28 March, 1942, Tommy earned the distinction of being the youngest officer of No. 2 Commando to fall in battle. He was 20 years old.
Alfred Neal was a medical orderly with the assault troops of No. 2 Commando, who landed at St. Nazaire on the night of 28 March, 1942. Alfred’s attempts to help wounded Commandos from very exposed positions on the docks resulted in his receiving fatal wounds. Alfred was from Norwich – this author’s hometown. Pte. Neal was 24.

Captain Joseph Houghton MC

Known to everyone by the surname of Houghton, his actual family surname was Johnson - Houghton. The family tended to simply use the shortened version. Joseph Houghton was educated at Marlborough College and later employed at the African Manganese Company in Sauda, Norway. He was mobilised with the Honourable Artillery Company in 1939 and commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on the 29th April 1940. After volunteering for special service he was posted to No.4 Independent Company. In May 1940 he embarked for Norway with No.4 and other Independent Companies as part of Operation Scissorforce. In October 1940 as part of the restructuring of the Independent Companies he was posted to B Company No.1 Special Service Battalion and a few weeks later to the newly formed No.2 Commando.
On the 28th March 1942 Joe participated in Operation Chariot - the raid on the port of St Nazaire. He was in charge of the Protection party for a demolition team on board ML443. This was one of the few ML's to make it back after the raid. It was later that year that Joe took part in what would be his final raid with No.2 Commando. This was the raid on the Glomfjord hydro-electric plant in Norway codenamed Operation Musketoon. During this raid he was wounded, and along with 6 other members of the raiding party, was taken prisoner of war. They were later transferred to Germany. On the 23rd October 1942 at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp all seven of the Commandos taken prisoner during the raid were executed.
Captain Joseph Blundell Johnson - Houghton was posthumously awarded the Military Cross and he is remembered with honour at the Brookwood Memorial. He was 31.

Lance Sergeant Charles Blattner

Charlie Blattner came from Edinburgh and was unmarried. That was all we knew about him. He was among the most modest of men and would always help anyone, regardless of the consequences to himself. Charlie missed St. Nazaire because he had been loaned to Achnacarry to help out before Col. Vaughan’s grand opening of the Commando Depot. The author remembers a conversation with Charlie the evening before No. 2 was attacked on Sept. 13th at Dragone Hill, Salerno. Our appreciation of the situation was that a mixed force of panzer-grenadiers and paratroopers was getting ready to hit us in the morning, perhaps numbering nearly 2,000. We had heard the unmistakable rumble and roar of tank engines or self-propelled guns. I remarked to Charlie that it looked as though we would be in for a rough time in the coming hours. Charlie responded with a smile, “But think of those ‘puir’ German lads! How would you like to attack 160 dug-in Commandos?” Attack they did and when the battle was over we found Charlie at 45 years, the oldest member of No. 2 Commando, K.I.A. in the war.
P.S. The author has a message for Charlie which is - I wish you had an ‘email address’ because I want you to know that whenever I hear the tune of glory ‘Scotland the Brave’, I think of you.

Reverend Captain Gareth Banting

The Rev. Banting took holy orders after graduation from Cambridge. He became the much-liked Chaplain of No. 2 Commando and served in all their campaigns of 1943-1944. After the battle at Sarande, Albania, the Chaplain was attending to the burial of Commandos and German soldiers when he detonated an anti-personnel mine. Rev. Banting died while being carried to an aid post, 10 October, 1944, aged 32.
When the author was a kid in school he was told that the City of Nottingham was famous as being the home of ‘Players’ cigarettes and Raleigh Industries. I know now that it is also famous as being the home of one of the group of unsung heroes – the Privates of No. 2 Commando. Bernie typifies the men who went from end to end in all the No. 2 Commando campaigns, carrying the heaviest loads of any ranking which were heavy on ammunition and other equipment, but very light on food and other creature comforts for himself. This soldier was wounded in Sicily and recovered to fight again in Italy, Yugoslavia, Albania and Corfu. He received no promotions or decorations. Bernie survived the war to share the rest of his life with his devoted wife, Pat, and children Dave and Di. He made the pilgrim’s way to the Memorial at Spean Bridge with Pat and Di in 1996. After Bernie passed on in 2002, Di remembered her father in every possible way, including attending the 2005 Stand-Down Ceremony of the old Commando Association at Portsmouth. Bernard Edwards and his fellow Privates were the indispensible element of the Commando.

The men of No. 2 Commando were indeed a quiet group of men who worked very well together. They said very little concerning their pre-war backgrounds. The Sergeant who was in civil life a floor-walker in a department store was always on very good terms with the bookie (sorry, I mean turf-accountant) and the scion of a wealthy family with huge land holdings and business companies was quite at home commanding his group of men which included men from such diverse backgrounds as a gardener and part-time grave digger, a Lloyds Bank management trainee, a former office-boy, a rather elderly building contractor, professional soldiers, a solicitor, labourers, an elementary school-teacher, a couple of lorry drivers and a former communist party worker. The list of pre-war vocations could go on ad infinitum.

Some time statistics will tell a story or be informative, the author has thought of a few:

The average age of the soldiers of No. 2 Commando was 23. The youngest member of the unit to fall in battle was aged 18 and, at the other end of the scale, the eldest man to be K.I.A. was aged 45.

The volunteer soldiers of the Commando came from 54 different Regiments of the Line and from all the Corps of the army with the exception of the Corps of Military Police. Somehow, strangely enough, the lack of C.M.P. representation was not a cause of great concern or sorrow to the troops.

The South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales Own) supplied the largest contingent of the volunteers, with the Royal Artillery coming in second place.

The origins of the 2 Commando boys lay in many far-flung lands. As the author’s memory goes they were from England, Wales, Scotland, Canada, Southern Rhodesia, Palestine, Switzerland and the Republic of Ireland plus a couple of lads who were refugees and thus, stateless.

Only one soldier of the Commando had seen service in World War I. That was Major Bill Copeland who was awarded a D.S.O. for his role at St. Nazaire.

Only one officer had been with the B.E.F. at Dunkirk. That was Mad Jack Churchill himself. The author muses that if the B.E.F. had all consisted of men of the calibre of Mad Jack, history would now be describing Dunkirk as an attack instead of an evacuation.

About 30 percent of No. 2 were graduates of Achnacarry. This percentage dwindled as No. 2 was forced to replace its losses in 1943, 1944 and 1945 with volunteers recruited from Gibraltar and also the 5th and 8th Army in Italy. Alumni of Col. Charlie Vaughan’s finishing school were inclined to be a trifle ‘snobby’ about their training background. As the news of the ardours of Achnacarry became public domain, the Achnacarry boys were possibly even more insufferable.

What always united the men was their supreme, sincere regard for the family of No. 2 and their collective desire to stay put in its ranks. According to what information this author can assemble, about 72 men (all ranks) were ‘Returned to Unit’ for one reason or another. Although any man was free to do so, only a handful of the men decided to leave the Commando of their own volition. They were never allowed to return.

These have been an odd collection of thoughts of this, now 83 years gone, author who can only now say that it was good to be one of THE MEN.

nb. The above  account is part of the overall history of No 2 Commando by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo.

2 Commando, Vaagso

Evacuating the wounded from Vaagso

"The frustrations of 1941 dragged on almost to the end. It had not been a good year from the offensive-action viewpoint of the men of No. 2 Commando. They had done nothing to speak of and were upset at being unemployed. However, the Vaagso raiding force announced the end to this inertia, commencing warfare on December 27th, 1941, landing on Maaloy Island and overrunning the place in less than ten minutes.

The Vaagso operation was a No. 3 Commando affair. Lt. Colonel John Durnford Slater took along all his boys numbering close to 500, all ranks, and No. 2 Commando got into business by providing two troops – about 127 men, all ranks – as part of the raiding force.

This author was not invited to this party. He was ‘miffed’, as were about 323 other members of 2 Commando from Lt. Colonel Newman on down who also had received no invitations. Inasmuch as these writings are supposed to be ‘as seen through the author’s eyes’, I cannot describe the raid happenings because I was not there.

The History of No. 2 Commando will include their participation alongside No. 3 Commando in this successful raid. There had been 20 Commandos K.I.A. and 57 wounded, mostly No. 3 men. The author and the rest of the still-unemployed men settled down once again to the process known as ‘waiting your turn’."

(nb. This report was originally written for the No 2 Commando history section by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo. and therefore relates primarily to their role)

Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

2 Commando Detachment 13 Sep'41 for 7 months

On 13 September 1941 Captain Godfrey Franks and a detachment of 25 Other Ranks left No.2 Commando and proceeded to Gibraltar from where they made several onward and return journeys between Gibraltar and Freetown, via Ghana and Lagos. Their role on board was primarily manning A.A. guns, the 14 pounder on the stern, 3 Bren guns on the top deck, and general ship maintenance and look out duties.
  • 15th September embarked at Glasgow Docks on H.M.T. Ulster Monarch.
  • 16th ship left Glasgow and arrived at Greenock and were joined by a group of 65 Officers and 299 Other ranks as passengers
  • 17th ship left Greenock. No.2 Commando manning A.A. guns and joined convoy.
  • 24th 1700hrs the Ulster Monarch, Queen Emma, Princes Beatrix and "S" with two destroyers as escort parted company with main convoy.
  • 25th 0330hrs arrived at Gibraltar. No troops allowed to leave ship.
  • 26th No troops allowed to leave ship.
  • 29th 0100hrs ship put sea.
The dates above are from the Detachment War Diary signed by Captain Godfrey Franks OIC of No.2 Commando Detachment.
 
Extracts from the account by Fusilier Herbert Dixon
[found on Linked Content below].
"We did two or three runs from Gibraltar to Freetown and this consisted of taking top ranking forces, personnel and lots of air-force down to Freetown, to be flown across country to Egypt. At this time the Mediterranean was too hazardous and the sinking perhaps in the ratio of three out of four ships sunk on this venture."
"Later on in Gib, we went into dry dock for repairs. This consisted that after the ship came to dock, a large gate affair was closed around it, something like on a canal. Then the water was drained off, and as it subsided props were placed against the vessel to keep it in its right position. When the water had flowed back into the sea a large amount of fish was left. This was gathered up by the Spanish workers who came across the border every day to be employed by the authorities. We were given enough for our mess the rest they took home to their impoverished families."
"After coming out of dry dock the ship was placed along the Key behind the capital ship, HMS Malaya. Alongside us came Corvettes and an occasional submarine. Being tied up, to get ashore they had to come aboard us. We made quite a lot of friends and sometimes were invited into the mess."
 
Nominal Roll of Detachment No.2 Commando
5335029 Pte. J. Agnew
3599697 Pte. S. Arnison
6019504 Pte. W. Ballard
6290340 Fus. H. Dixon
6207462 Pte. R. Downes
6019959 Pte. C. Drury
6019994 Pte. W. Ellwood
6467881 Fus. D. Formoy
3780553  Pte. E. Goulding
3781177 Pte. J. Jackson
2935294 Pte. J. Jacobs
5990155 Sgt. A. Lee
5344998 Pte. M. Matchwick
5336103 Pte. W. Mills
3655808 Sgt. P. Morland
834883 Rfn. D. McAnulty
3654604 Pte. J. McLean
2035474 Sgt. N. Palmer
2930945 Cpl. L. Perkins
6459118 Fus. J. Roberts
6147484 Pte. L. Rubin
6019864 L/Sgt. J. Skinner
5334138 Pte. L. Toombs
6971154 Rfn. V. White
2615718 Gdsm. S. Wright.
 
Source
Detachment War Diary entry by Capt. Godfrey Franks OIC No.2 Commando Detachment. 
National Archives file WO/218/22 ref. C396407.
 
Linked Content: 
DIXON, Herbert, Memories of No 2 Commando
Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

2 Commando, St. Nazaire

Operation Chariot

"If any reader of this attempt to record the history of No. 2 Commando has gotten this far, he or she will have noted that the pride of place, on Page 1, has been given to the remembrance of the men of the Commando who died in the course of No. 2 Commando operations, including the men who did not return from St. Nazaire.

It now becomes a duty of this author to allow a similar pride of place in this account of St. Nazaire to the men of our brother Commando units who participated in the raid and remain alongside the Fallen of No. 2 Commando. It is with pride and a deep sense of comradeship that the author records those names. (click on the link below).

The Roll of Honour of Commandos who died during Operation Chariot.

To the other members of our brother Commando units who also fought alongside No. 2 Commando and who suffered wounds or capture, the author, some sixty-five years after the fact, offers his belated, sincere thanks.

The Nominal Roll of Commandos who took part in Operation Chariot.

In the lovely town of Ayr in Scotland, during the early weeks of 1942, the No. 2 officers and men were engaged in their normal training routines centered around our seat of power which was Number Two, Wellington Square, our H.Q. Absent from that location was Lt. Col. Newman, the C.O. Our Charlie was off somewhere and was gone for quite extended periods of time. Sgt. Blattner observed to this author that he thought ‘it a bit weird!’ He noted that Mrs. Newman had been seen that day, so the Colonel was obviously not on leave, and concluded that maybe, just maybe, something might be coming up. Meanwhile, the second-in-command, Major Bill Copland, continued to control the Commando giving no clues as to the reason for the absence of Charlie Newman. As it was, Bill Copland did not know anything more than we did, although he continued to act on some rather unusual requests relayed from Charlie who was ‘somewhere’ down South.

At the usual morning ‘roll-calls’, however, we could not fail to notice that five or six places in more than one troop were now ‘gaps’ in the ranks. The missing men had been sent off to various parts of the country and, reaching such unspecified destinations, were doubtless puzzled as to why they were being instructed in the technical matters of dry-dock pumping equipment, power-hoist motors and general dock and maritime installations. However, security was tight and the boys obeyed the Commando Commandment: ‘Thou shalt not run thy mouth in idle rumours’.

All our wonderings ceased when Capt. Mike Barling, our medical officer, was joined by a second doctor, Capt. Dave Paton. We knew then that we were not being given two ‘M.O.s’ for nothing. Something was in the wind for sure! The same day well over half the Commando was given instructions to report with full kits, which were to be turned into the unit storage shed. Some of the men who were not so instructed did not like being left out of the proceedings, resenting the slight – especially the ‘old hands’ who muttered about seniority or something.

The old cross-channel ship ‘Princess Josephine Charlotte’ conveyed the lucky participants-to-be from Ayr to Falmouth. Everyone’s morale was sky-high, the food was good, duty-free cigarettes abounded, and all was right in the Commando world, as we knew we were at last on our way to somewhere to actually do something!

The boys of No. 2 soon resumed training following disembarking from the ‘P.J.C.’. Nothing very much was different from the usual regimen of long, forced marches in daylight and darkness, weapons drills, and the usual emphasis on maintaining top physical condition. On March 18th Lt. Col. Newman finally outlined the details of the forthcoming operation to the assembled Commando. Charlie gave a remarkably clear and concise presentation of the overall objective, together with detailed descriptions of what the various tasks groups were expected to perform. It was amazing how the Colonel had condensed the 80 page operational order that he had received down to an easily-understood situation talk.  He concluded his informative duties with a question: ‘What do you think of that?’ He was answered by a roar of approval that shook the closed room where we had been assembled.

The briefing that the Colonel had conducted had not included the mention of the location of the objective, which resulted in ‘head-scratching’ from past geography lessons. Was it to be Cherboug? L’Orient? Brest? or, maybe, Le Havre? It was not until almost the eve of sailing on March 26th that the Commando knew that it had a one-night engagement booked for St. Nazaire.

If this author remembers correctly, it was on the minds of several of the men that many more officers were showing up at Falmouth. Indeed, there were 25 familiar faces of No. 2 Commando officers now present among us. As there were about 215 members of the Commando remaining in Ayr, and the total ‘table of organization’ was 26 officers – Who was minding the store? Someone suggested that the Padre was calling-the-role at the morning parades up there! Even Major Bill Copland, who had been in charge at Ayr, arrived and smiled his usual greetings. The mystery of ‘so many officers’ deepened when someone pointed out that there also were 15 more officers – the ‘guest-workers’ from the other Commando units. We were now looking at a total of 40 officers! Mathematics was quickly brought into play! The equation of 220 Commando other ranks divided by 40 Commando officers revealed the astonishing ratio of 5.5 – One officer for every five and a half men!

This author still wonders why so many officers were among us in those days. A Commando officer always was the man who led from the front. He was the most eager of the eager-beavers, but also very difficult to replace and train to the level of Commando expertise required. It is thought, looking backwards to those days in March 1942, that quite possibly some of the officers who were there could easily have been substituted for by the experienced sergeants and corporals who had been left behind ‘crying in their beer’ in Ayr. However, all this was conjecture on the part of the Commando men. The force assembled was what it was, the dice had been rolled, and that was that.

On March 19th, the Colonel told the men that Mountbatten, (Admiral Lord Louis), had informed him a few days previously that ‘We are writing you off!’ and that he was confident that the Commando force could get in and do the job, BUT ‘we cannot hold much hope of you getting out again’. He also passed on Mountbatten’s comment to the men which was to the effect that ‘any man could volunteer out of the forthcoming operation should he wish to do so’. Charlie, however, had been wasting his time in passing on Lord Louis’ offer. Everyone stayed put, satisfied in their work, and of course, laboring under that strange delusion – their own immortality.

Time in Falmouth passed. On the evening of March 25th, the Commandos boarded their motor-launches and passed into the care of the Royal Navy. For security reasons, everyone was ‘ordered below’ and thus passed the night and the following morning somewhat grumpily, ‘below decks’. At 2:00 p.m., March 26th, the motor-launches, together with the other vessels in the little convoy, sailed out of Falmouth harbor and set a course for St. Nazaire. Our motor-launch was just like the other 15, thirteen of which were carrying Commandos. It had a wooden hull and wooden decks and carried some light anti-aircraft armament. On its deck, aft, there were two large steel drums containing petrol. One of the men pointed out sagely, ‘those things will set us all up in a fireball if anything hits them’, and Cpl. A.H. Smith, acting in the role of a ‘counter-sage’, observed that we would hardly be able to make the return trip without refueling. Thereafter, we looked at the 500 gallon tanks with something akin to affection.

The naval force with its Commando passengers sailed on, first in its daytime cruising formation, and then to the night alignment until just after 8:00 p.m. on March 27th, when the force maneuvered into attack order about seventy miles off St. Nazaire. The disposition of the Commandos was that the attack (sacrifice) destroyer, H.M.S. Campbeltown, had on board 80 Commandos. Charlie Newman and his Commando group were in the motor gun boat (also of wooden construction like the motor launches), and 185 Commandos were being carried in motor launches. This was the ‘order-of-battle’ as the force entered the estuary of the River Loire.

Up ahead of the ships something was happening that did not fit the plan which had included a sharp, diversionary bombing attack on certain areas of St. Nazaire. There was no mass of searchlights with their beams of light crisscrossing in the sky. None of the 88 mm and 40 mm guns were pouring streams of shells upwards. These absent things we noted with some concern. Other benefits of the air-raid would have been many German soldiers and sailors, not employed on the guns, seeking safety in air-raid shelters. As it happened, the desultory far-off bombing that had occurred, put the German defenders on a high alert and they were ready with their searchlights and A-A guns which they depressed to low-angle use. Amazingly enough to the men aboard the M.L.s we were not subject to hostile fire until 1:22 a.m., about eight minutes before the Campbeltown was scheduled to ram itself into the caisson of the Normandie dock at 1:30 a.m.

The battle that was joined at 1:22 a.m. would last about four hours on shore in St. Nazaire and just a little longer in the estuary of the River Loire. The most important objective of the operation, the immobilization of the Normandie dock, was completed some hours later at about 9:30 a.m., when the huge charge of explosive encased in the bows of H.M.S. Campbeltown, detonated, lifting the caisson from its base. In general, the demolition groups who had wrecked or blown-up the ancillary machinery which operated the caisson, were drawn from the men of the other Commandos. The protection groups for these guest-workers were, in the main, the men of No. 2 Commando, who also had supplied the troops forming the assault parties.

Apart from the Commandos who had disembarked from the Campbeltown, the other No. 2 troops attempting to land from the motor-launches experienced severe difficulties. Illuminated in the glare of searchlights, they were subjected to a virtual storm of gunfire from the German defenders on shore. Many of the launches with their navy crews and Commandos were destroyed. Few of the M.L.s managed to land their troops. Most were destroyed when their intrepid sailor crews did everything that they could to fulfill their tasks.

This author did not see this incident, but it is said that Colonel Charlie Newman, on arrival at the theoretical re-embarkation point with his group of survivors from the previous fighting, remarked that ‘there goes our transportation home!’ He was, of course, regarding the burning hulks of the M.L.s in the river when he made that appraisal. It follows that Charlie and friends then attempted to escape to the countryside beyond the confines of St. Nazaire by fighting their way through the old town. The attempt to prolong the fight and evade captivity failed as they ran out of ammunition and were slowed down by the increasing numbers of wounded in their midst. Only five men from the Commando force succeeded in eluding the cordon of German soldiers who had just about entirely sealed off the streets and exits from the town. Cpl. Wheeler, L/Cpl. Douglas, L/Cpl. Howarth, L/Cpl. Sims and Pte. Harding all, somehow, managed to trek all the way through France and Spain to Gibraltar, from whence they were repatriated back to Britain and No. 2 Commando.

It is pretty much fair to say that if a Commando landed at St. Nazaire he was either K.I.A. or made captive. Those survivors of the raid were almost exclusively from the men of the M.L.s in the River Loire who somehow survived their ordeal in what seemed at the time to be a ‘river on fire’. Of the Commandos who had entered the Estuary some seven hours previously, 64 had been K.I.A. and 156 were being led into captivity. Among these, now prisoners-of-war, were over 80 men who were wounded in action. The Royal Navy casualties were even higher, as twice as many sailors had participated in the raid as there were soldiers present. 105 Navy men were K.I.A. and 106 were taken prisoner. Of the 18 motor launches that had entered the river on the night of March 27-28, 1942, only four eventually made their battered and bruised way back to Falmouth. Overall, out of a total of 611 Commandos and sailors committed, 403 would not return.

The comrades of the Commandos, the sailors of the Royal Navy, more than upheld the highest traditions of the Senior Service. If across the passage of time this author could convey a message to the Navy’s illustrious Admiral Horatio Nelson, it would read something like: ‘At St. Nazaire your descendants also fought in wooden ships, and they had hearts of oak, brave and true.’

Some ‘aftermaths’ of St. Nazaire are recalled. Among these are, Capt. Mike Barling returning to Ayr to find himself as not only the unit’s Medical Officer, but also, the senior rank present in No. 2 Commando.

Pte. Fred Peachey was in hospital at Devonport trying to recover from a serious wound that he received in the River Loire. Did this later-to-be Sgt. Peachey have any premonition that this was only the first wound he was to suffer? Fred was to be wounded again at Salerno and, for the third time, at Lake Comacchio.

Lieut. Joe Houghton was not very far away from Fred in the same hospital. It is as well that this super officer did not know that in less than seven months hence he would be executed near Berlin by some thugs carrying out Hitler’s commando execution order.

L/Cpl. Ivor Bishop, who had just seen R.S.M. Alan Moss make heroic efforts to save fellow Commandos and lose his life as a result, could have no inkling that he, Ivor, would be promoted so fast that he would be the new No. 2 Commando R.S.M. in far-off Yugoslavia two years hence.

Then there was the time about a month of so after the raid. The author was returning to his billet in Ayr, and Mabel, his wonderful, kind landlady, rushed out to meet him, tears rolling down her face, proclaiming: ‘Wicky is safe! Wicky is safe!’ L/Sgt. Lionel Wickson, who had shared this billet with us prior to leaving for St. Nazaire, had notified her through the Red Cross that he was a P.O.W., alive and well.

Somewhere, someone coined the phrase: ‘The Greatest Raid of All’, and since that time, those words have been used to describe the mainly No. 2 Commando operation at St. Nazaire. Whoever came up with that accolade? I don’t know who, but I certainly wish that he had not done so as it implies a sort of second-rate status to the many other actions that have been fought with equal bravery and losses in men by the other Commandos. This author has the opinion that no one Commando had any monopoly on efficiency, skills, or in the severity of the actions in which they fought. This author would have been proud to have served in any one of them!"

nb. The above  account is part of the overall history of No 2 Commando by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo.

Is this defencless port the place
That once I came to wreck?
Is nothing manned at my approach,
And no one armed on deck?

No, nothing now’s afloat to sink,
Nor on the shore invade
These by the coach are teachers.
These in the boat want trade.

And over old unhappy things
Pacific Ledgers mount,
Deals must have duplicates, and lives,
That had no copies count,
And children come with flowers
To place where teachers bid,
Who never heard of Goering,
Or ask what Goebbels did . . .

O glittering wings, so suddenly
high in the vacant blue,
Stay, till to-day dies normally,
And normal nights ensue!

Never again the premature,
Never again the pain.
And a rose for those who went in first,
And where they fall remain.

Michael Burn M.C. 1997
Linked Content: 
'St. Nazaire - Operation Chariot'
Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

2 Commando, Glomfjord, Norway

The Glomfjord Commandos of Operation Musketoon
Units: 
2 Commando

Operation Musketoon

"It was on a day in late July, 1942 that the author noted the absence from the ranks of his troop of Capt. Graeme Black, Pte. Eric Curtis and Rfmn. Cyril Abram. At the same time, men of other troops recorded that Capt. Joe Houghton, Sgt. Richard O’Brien, L/Sgt. Bill Chudley, Pte. Reg Makeham, Cpl. John Fairclough, T.S.M. Miller Smith and Pte. Fred Trigg had also vanished. No member of No. 2 Commando had any inkling as to the significance of these disappearances, but as usual, no questions were asked.

The author and everyone else in No. 2 had no news of this operation, or the fate of the men who participated in it until long after No. 2 Commando had been disbanded. Indeed, it was not until the proceedings of the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials unfolded that they learned about the raid and the criminal imprisonment and execution of seven of our comrades in Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Only Pt. Fred Trigg, Sgt. Dick O’Brien and Cpl. Jack Fairclough had evaded capture by escaping to Sweden. These three men had later returned to service in No. 2 Commando and Pte. Fred Trigg was later killed in Italy in 1944.

A splendid, accurate account of this operation is contained in the pages of the book ‘Mustketoon’, written by Stephen Schofield, first published in 1962. This author commends this book to others, considering it to be, in his opinion, the best-recorded account of any Commando operation to have been published.

The leader of the Glomfjord raid, Capt. Graeme Black, was from Dresden, Ontario, Canada. He was the only Canadian to serve in No. 2 Commando. Capt. Black had been twice wounded at Vaagso and received the M.C. for his gallantry in the field. He became the leader of the 10-men group from No. 2 who landed from a submarine and made their way to their objective – the large hydro-electric power station at Glomfjord. The destruction they caused was hugely out-of-proportion to the small number of men involved in the operation. During the attempted escape, Capt. Black and six others were captured and later executed.

In 2004 my Canadian wife, Janet, and I communicated Capt. Black’s story to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch President at Dresden, Ontario, thinking that on the upcoming November 11th Remembrance Day they would make known Capt. Black’s heroic deeds in his home town. It is to my everlasting disappointment that the Legion decided not to mark his courageous passing. He has never been forgotten by this author who first served with him at the age of 18 and who has always been honoured to have known him."

nb. The above  account is part of the overall history of No 2 Commando by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo.

Read more about the raid and the raiders here in our WW2 Commando Actions section.

Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

2 Commando, Sicily

Operation Husky.

"On the 22nd July 1943, No. 2 Commando arrived in Sicily. They had come from Gibraltar, calling at Algiers, Bone, Phillipville, Tunis and Valleta, in Malta, along the way. This author and ten others had been temporarily detached from the Commando a few months previously to attend to some S.S. Brigade unrelated business in North Africa. We rejoined the Commando on board ship in Valetta harbour and got acquainted with some new faces that had volunteered to join us from the Gibraltar garrison. Some of these ‘newly-minted’ Commandos come to mind. They had left their N.C.O.’s stripes on the ‘rock’ as an entry fee required to become ‘members’ - Pte. Bill Woolley, Pte. Des Rochford and Pte. Albert Myram who would win an M.M. for himself on the last day of fighting in Sicily.

The campaign in Sicily was not very noteworthy to 2 Commando. We resided in the dirty and mosquito-infested olive groves between Augusta and Catania and did nothing too much in the way of plying our trade until August 15th. Up until that date No. 3 Commando had done the ‘heavy-lifting’ in Sicily and Lt. Col. John Durnford- Slater was probably a most-satisfied commander. For some reason or other, at the same time, our Colonel Jack was not the most-contented of men.

Operation Blackcock.

No. 2 Commando came off the unemployed list on the night of August 15th, landing at Scaletta – a small coastal town well behind the supposed German lines, about 15 miles or so south of Messina. Our landing was a bit off the intended spot, but no matter, as we soon were engaged with the luckless tail-end of the German rearguard who were heading at top speed towards their evacuation point at Messina. The enemy vehicle drivers and their troop passengers didn’t have much of a chance and the fight was over in short order. The following morning it became apparent that several soldiers of the German rearguard had ‘holed-up’ in houses and other buildings in Scaletta. Some rather-bitter street fighting followed on the morning of August 16th, resulting in casualties on both sides.  

No. 2 killed in action or died of wounds

They were buried alongside many more of their comrades from No. 3 Commando at Catania War Cemetery.

Following the conclusion of the fight at Scaletta, ‘Mad Jack’ and a few officers piled into a vehicle (the author cannot remember if it was a captured ‘Kubelwagen’ or an automobile). They headed for Messina at high speed brushing off other ‘eager-beavers’ who tried to join them. Arriving in Messina, Jack discovered, much to his chagrin, that the Americans had gotten there first during the previous night. Reflecting now on that day, it seems stupid to have put any value on who had entered Messina ahead of anyone else. The bragging rights really belonged to all the British, Canadian and American soldiers who rejoiced at being alive on that day the campaign in Sicily ended."

Note: National Archives references for research of this operation. [view].

nb. The above  account is part of the overall history of No 2 Commando by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo.

Read more about Operation Husky here in our WW2 Commando Actions section.

Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

2 Commando, Salerno

Salerno map © IWM (A 20158).jpg

Operation Avalanche

"The 379 page book ‘Operation Avalanche’ by authors Des Hickey and Gus Smith details the Salerno battle as compiled from lots of painstaking research and interviews with several veterans of that nasty battle. After reading the book and casting my memory back to that time, Sept. 9th to Sept. 17th, 1943, this author found the book entertaining reading, although, he was unable, for the most part, to reconcile his remembrances with the printed words of Gus and Des. The author was a non-erudite 19 year old at Salerno, rather an unimportant member of No. 2 Commando, but he was there, and come to think of it, Gus and Des, he imagines you hadn’t been born at that time.

As this author saw it, the landing on the beach at Vietri, which was a little suburb of Salerno, at 3:30 a.m. Sept. 9th, was an absolute breeze! The ramp of the L.C.A. went down and his Troop, No. 4, made a comfortable, dry landing. Not a spot of water on our boots. Needless to say, the boys were not at all unhappy to find that there was no ‘welcoming’ party awaiting our arrival - indeed, no signs of any angry men in grey hanging around. Meanwhile, ‘Mad Jack’ at the head of his troops passed through us in a cloud of dust and speedily captured a battery of German field artillery guns which could have fired on the invasion ships from their positions on the hills about the beach. The author and his friends passed the next four hours doing nothing but watching and waiting, until the next crisis arose. We ran out of ‘smokes’! It should be explained that Colonel Churchill never allowed us to be slowed down by carrying the heavy back-packs containing our reserve ammunition, spare clothing and personal stuff such as food and cigarettes. The overwhelming criteria in ‘Mad Jack’s’ modus-operendi was speed and then more speed to close with the enemy. He reasoned there was always plenty of time for us to get our heavy packs later.

The German Army boys could never be accused of being slow to react to a situation, and somehow they mustered enough mortar crews in the hills above the beach which started plastering the area with their bombs. A few M.G. 42 machine guns also started to sweep the sands from time to time. The landing craft crews did not like this atmosphere at all and refused to stay for our lads who were waiting to unload our packs. The faint-hearted sailors shot off from the beach taking with them our reserve ammunition and the other items of our gear – including that essential life-support item, our cigarettes! Nelson would have had that miserable lot keel-hauled! Furthermore, when they fled back to their ships they caused considerable consternation by spreading the story that Vietri was in enemy hands. This nonsense was, of course, untrue. The Vietri beach was only occupied by a gloomy bunch of Capt. Tom Hemming’s boys who were watching their means of survival fade into the distance.

Our little group (still smokeless) was then detailed to get up to the coast road, which any enemy reinforcements from the North would have to use, and take up a blocking position astride the highway. We marched up the scrub-covered hill until we came to a road and started to site our bren gun position. At that moment we heard a tremendous roar and were showered with debris from an explosion. The Germans had managed to place and detonate a large cratering charge in the middle of the road. After the dust had settled a bit we observed two German sappers who had done the deed leaving the scene. These two soldiers never lived to receive congratulations on job well done from their superiors! Tpr. Gordon David, an ex-cop, brought both of them down with two well-placed shots. We buried them in the crater that they had made.

All through that night and the following morning we heard the rattle of automatic weapons and the thump of grenades as the troops of No. 2 patrolled the hills and two small hill villages above our heads. They and the boys from our companions, No. 41 R.M. Commando, prevented infiltration by the enemy, maintained strongpoints on strategic features and took prisoners. One report reached us which told of Capt. John Henderson taking on and knocking out a PZKW Mk.4 Tank with that crude PIAT mortar weapon. Also there was an account of Sgt. William Rudge with Pte. C.E. Smith taking on a patrol of five panzer-grenadiers, killing all of them and returning with their weapons and identity discs. Although we were taking steady casualties from these activities there was no cause for alarm as we were supposed to have been relieved by a 46th Division battalion after 48 hours. More wishful thinking!

The morning of the 11th is noteworthy for three events. First, ‘Mad Jack’ had announced in a very quiet voice – one could barely hear him – that he ‘thought the Commando had been efficient in its operations’. The second event was the arrival of our large backpacks (thoroughly looted), dumped on the beach. The third event was the contact on the left flank of the Commando with our old friends, the U.S. Rangers. The Rangers’ young officer said to the author by way of presenting his credentials ‘I was at Achnacarry’. Charlie Vaughan would have liked to hear his school being used to establish bona-fides. Then this likeable soldier just about emptied his, and the pockets of his seven men, of packs of cigarettes and gave them to us. He said for us not to worry as ‘they had stacks of butts back there’!

In the evening of Sept. 12th, we moved into the village of Dragone and onto the slopes of the hill behind the little place. The author thought it strange that so many of the Commando were being concentrated at this one place. Maybe there were 150 to 160 men there, the actual number is not given in the 2 Commando War Diary because no actual count was ever taken. The sounds throughout the night were unmistakable – transport, tank engines, even voices of German paratroopers, panzer-grenadiers and nebelwerfer crews. The men of 2 Commando readied their weapons and waited as did the Marines of No. 41 Commando close by us. The ensuing battle which commenced by a saturation coverage of our positions by the nebelwerfer rockets started just before 6:00 a.m., was later described by Lt. Col. Churchill in one sentence: ‘There had been a terrible battle at Dragone’. For ‘Mad Jack’ to use those somber few words to tell of what happened gives one some idea of the severity of the action. Even our leader, ‘the bravest of the brave’, was stunned by the horror of that morning of Sept. 13th. This author has decided not to revisit that hill by recounting a blow-by-blow description of the battle, but instead to remember the friends that were lost, and to recall his joy at seeing the faces of some of his comrades who had somehow endured the horror of that morning and survived.

The battle of Dragone claimed the lives of 

In addition, 53 members of No. 2 Commando were wounded in the struggle for Dragone Hill, Sept. 13th, 1943. 

Pte. John Barry of Yorkshire, age 22, and Pte Alfred Blower of Liverpool, age 25 died of their wounds.

The author would like to share an incident concerning the battle at Dragone with others. It came during the counter-attack made by the Commando. A group of four men, including two walking-wounded, found themselves in a narrow cobbled alley which passed for the main street of the hamlet and saw two German paratroopers, with weapons slung across their backs, attempting to carry a wounded comrade to safety. The No. 2 boys knew that they were paratroopers because of the bulbous trousers and distinctive, rimless helmets. The paratroopers turned and found themselves looking at our four with weapons pointing in their direction. The N.C.O. leading our group said: ‘No firing lads!’ and motioned with his arm for the Germans to keep going and get their wounded man out of there. One paratrooper raised his arm in acknowledgement and they vanished around the corner of the alley. It seemed to this author that, at that moment, humanity had arrived to reassert itself in his world.

The day after Dragone, No. 2 Commando was moved into Salerno for rest and refit. The author and the others had been ‘on the go’ since the night of the landing five days previous and had not been allowed to get any sleeping time in, other than snatched ‘cat naps’. We rested, washed ourselves, and tried to remove some of the filth from our uniforms. Once again, that Commando curiosity, nothing was said about the previous day’s battle. Our Colonel Jack was very busy reassigning people to new responsibilities. T.S.M. Richard Tomlinson offered congratulations to ‘Mad Jack’ – it was the Colonel’s 37th birthday. Jack looked puzzled and replied, ‘Birthday? Yes, Hmph!’, and passed on. He had been summoned to a conference at Brigade H.Q. as there was an area of trouble elsewhere in the beachhead that required his whole attention. On his way out, ‘Mad Jack’ said to no one in particular, ‘Get ready to move at a moment’s notice!’

The Commando duly moved to Mercatello, about three miles east of Salerno. Our friends, 41 R.M. Commando, had also moved at the same time. On arrival, we were informed that a serious situation had developed in the valley below Pigoletti during the previous night and he (the Brigadier) wanted the Commandos to ‘sweep’ the area and clean out the enemy forces.

The ‘sweep’ was performed with Commando elan. Our boys, with the 41 lads alongside, went up the valley in the dark, all yelling ‘COMMANDO!’ at the top of their voices. Jack led the way, far ahead, and as is related elsewhere, took 42 prisoners virtually by himself. A short distance away, Capt. Tom Hemming, accompanied only by his runner, Pte. Bill Davidson, also grabbed nearly 40 prisoners. Having completed the requested ‘sweep’, the Commando returned to its start line bringing with them a total of about 150 German soldiers that they had taken prisoner. However, this was not the end. The Commando, as a result of a change of plan, were ordered to retrace their steps and occupy the same areas once again. The weary men of No. 2 and 41 returned to Pigoletti and a feature known as ‘The Pimple’.

During the course of the next two days the Commandos held their positions with their losses steadily mounting. Capt. The Duke of Wellington and his T.S.M. Lindsay Garland both were lost leading an attack on Sept. 16th, as was Pte. Joseph Jackson from Warrington. Many more army and marine Commandos were among the fallen before the two Commando units were finally relieved on the evening of Sept. 18th. The battle for Salerno had been won and the men of No. 2 Commando who had come through it all could now await their removal to Sicily where they would recruit and rebuild once again.

Here we look at statistics once again: No. 2 Commando and No. 41 R.M. Commando together had 367 killed, wounded or missing out of the 738 who had landed in the Salerno operation. Not one Commando was taken prisoner by the enemy.

The men of No. 2 Commando will never forget their comrades of No. 41 R.M. Commando. To these warriors of 64 years ago, the author wishes to record his belated appreciation and say that it was an honour to have taken the field alongside you!"

nb. The above  account is part of the overall history of No 2 Commando by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo.

  • View documents relating to the action at Salerno - [View here.]
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No 2 Commando

No.2 Commando Officers 1943 photo

2 Commando Officers Gibraltar 1943

No.2 Commando Officers Gibraltar 1943. Photo courtesy of Mrs Desiree Roderick MBE whose husband Captain Richard Broome was one of five officers in this photo killed at Salerno a few months later.

left to right
Rear rank: Lieut. F.S. Mason (kia Salerno); Lieut. A.T. Brunswick (kia Salerno); Lieut. G.F. Whitfield (awarded the MC in Italy; Lieut. J.E.C. Nicholl ( awarded the MC in Italy).
Middle rank: Lieut. P. Henderson (awarded the MC as a T/Major in Italy); Lieut. T.G.A. Walker; Lieut. H. Barnes; Lieut. D.R. Peters (MC and later a bar to his MC whilst a temp.Major); Lieut. J.D. Rosling (kia Salerno); Lieut R. Bavister.
Front rank: Lieut. R.W.Keep (awarded the MC as an acting Major in Sicily); Capt. R.F. Broome (kia Salerno); Capt. the Duke of Wellington (kia Salerno); Lt. Col. J.M. Churchill (awarded DSO and bar, and MC); Major H.H. Blissett; Capt. R.H. Hooper ( awarded the MC Sicily); Lieut. B. Lees.

In Memory of the No.2 Commando Officers in this photo who were killed in action at Salerno.

85468 Captain RIchard Frank Broome
South Lancashire Regiment and No. 2, Commando
who died age 27 on 13 September 1943

149207 Lieutenant Frank Stanley Mason
Reconnaissance Corps, R.A.C.and No. 2, Commando
who died age 31 on 13 September 1943.

172379 Lieutenant Arthur Trotter Brunswick
Durham Light Infantry and No. 2, Commando
who died age 29 on 13 September 1943.

74664 Lieutenant John Douglas Rosling
Welch Regiment and No. 2, Commando
who died age 25 on 14 September 1943.

56864 Captain Henry Valerian George Wellesley
6th Duke of Wellington.
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)and No.2 Commando
who died aged 31 on 16 September 1943.

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Salerno - Operation Avalanche

2 Commando, Salerno Aftermath

"As the No. 2 Commando War Diary states, the remnants of the unit, following the Salerno campaign, were redeployed to Catania, Sicily. For once they were not lodged in their usual dusty field. By some accident they had been given a roof over their heads in the shape of a former Italian barracks.

These happenings were unknown to the author who had been placed aboard a hospital ship and was on his way from Salerno to Tripoli in North Africa. The ship’s medical people quickly removed the shrapnel from both of my legs and efficiently stopped any incipient blood-poisoning. Both legs were clean, but very stiff when the ship docked in Tripoli harbour. Then it was off to the nearby Army General Hospital.

It was natural that the author’s mind was occupied by wondering what was happening to the Commando, and the plans that needed to be worked on concerning the return to No. 2 Commando. Meanwhile, much time was taken up by swimming in Tripoli harbour to strengthen my legs so that I could undergo the long trek back to the ‘family’!

Getting back to one’s unit from hospital was no easy task. In those days, as soon as one was discharged from hospital, any ‘other rank’ was simply put in a ‘transit camp’ and was subject thereafter to be drafted to any regiment that needed replacements. At that time, this author was definitely an ‘other rank’ – his commission was to come later in his career. So, upon receipt of his hospital discharge, and declining a kind offer of transport to the transit camp, he set a course westward heading along the desert road bound for the Libya-Tunisia border on what he remembers as the first stage of his journey ‘home’. What followed was walking, riding on farmers’ trailers pulled by tractors, riding in an ore hopper car on a narrow-gauge railway, sneaking into a covered R.A.S.C. lorry which only travelled about ten miles. But, ten miles was ten miles! And Ben Gardene, Souse, Sfax, came and went and the author found himself looking out at the blue Mediterranean from the Bizerte waterfront. Sicily and Italy seemed so far away. He had by his estimate, walked about a hundred and ten miles so far in addition to the distance covered by the various forms of transport.

The author’s contemplations were interrupted by an American M.P. in a jeep calling out something like, ‘How are ya!’ This good soul was from a U.S. Army Air Corps base nearby and he listened to my story of wanting to get back to my Commando unit. At his invitation to ‘hop-in’ I obliged and then was given over to the care of some of his friends who were crew members of a C-47 (Dakota) transport group. A clean U.S. set of overalls was provided for me, together with washing and shaving gear – plus cigarettes! At 6:00 p.m. that evening I was escorted to a mess-tent and served a meal of steak and canned potatoes, followed by canned fruit-cocktail! The next morning a pilot of the group awakened me and observed that ‘you sure were tired!’ After breakfast we boarded the C-47 and had a nice flight to Catania, Sicily. After enquiries were made at the R.A.F. transit office, it was established that No. 2 Commando was right there in Catania – I WAS HOME!

The Commando that this author had rejoined was very busy. Officers were off on recruiting trips as the number of available men had shrunk to 125 – all ranks. Other Officers had gone on travels to far-off places trying to locate our boys who had been wounded at Salerno, but had since been stuck in transit camps. Capt. Sam Jenkins swooped on a camp near Bone, Algeria, and snatched four of our boys from the clutches of the paper-waving, protesting ‘desk-warrior’ who ran the place, and added insult to injury by recruiting an Officer who looked like a ‘likely lad’ to Sam on his way out of the camp gate.

Our Colonel Jack, meanwhile, had signed up Major Ted Fynn to be 2i/c in place of Dick Lawrie, and having done this, decided to resume ‘training the hell’ out of us. A novel innovation comes to mind. Mount Etna is very close to Catania and Mad Jack decided to take advantage of its near proximity. Our leader ordained that No. 2 Commando would, that night, climb the volcano and would line the rim of its crater by First Light of the next morning. We duly climbed the slopes until we reached the summit. In the dawn’s early light, we found ourselves peering down into the crater. It was kind of weird, but – ‘ours was not to reason why!’

Sometime in early November, we packed up and went by L.C.I.s to Taranto, Italy and thence by train to Molfetta – a town on Italy’s east coast. At Molfetta many volunteers arrived from the 8th Army – Lieuts. Coyle and Parsons among them. Pte. Eric Buckmaster, who had been in the Commando for a long time, was joined by Pte. Stanley Buckmaster, his brother, who volunteered to join us.

Christmas 1943 came and went, and it was – next stop Yugoslavia in January 1944."

nb. The above  account is part of the overall history of No 2 Commando by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo.

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No 2 Commando

2 Commando, Operations from Vis

Komiza on the island of Vis

"No. 2 Commando started to arrive at Komiza on the Yugoslavian island of Vis on January 16th, 1944. They were to operate on Yugoslav soil for the next six months. The Commando was still much-depleted as a result of the battering it had taken at Salerno, and almost half the unit remaining in Italy consisted of the replacement men and those ‘old hands’ who formed the training cadres.

During the coming months a wide variety of activities would unfold involving: conventional assaults on fixed positions with the classic bayonet charge; pirate-style boarding parties going after any German supply ship that floated; quick in-and-out raids on isolated enemy garrisons; long reconnaissance patrols; manning coast-watching positions in assorted locations; as construction workers helping to build an airstrip; operating the ‘stir-up-trouble’ type of fighting patrols; mental disturbing of enemy troops by our German-speaking boys suddenly arriving with loud-hailers in the middle of the night; and cleaning up after the thoroughly-upset Germans had their Luftwaffe bomb us in retaliation for our endeavours which they did not appreciate. Even if one was a Commando connoisseur, there was something for everyone.

The situation facing the Commando seemed to be a rather simple one. The partisan forces under their leader, Marshal Tito, were being hard pressed nearby on the mainland of Yugoslavia. ‘Mad Jack’ and his troops had been given the task of reducing the pressure by drawing off large numbers of the German 118th Mountain Division. This process of ‘drawing off’ did not take Jack very long to implement. On January 26th, which was ten days after his arrival, he somehow managed to assemble enough decrepit vessels to transport three troops of No. 2 to attack the German garrison near Milna on Hvar. After thoroughly shooting up the place, we returned to Vis with prisoners, who appreciated greatly that their captors were British and not partisans. Not being one who would change a winning system, Colonel Jack twice returned to Hvar and twice repeated the process within five days. The author remembers on the return trip of the last one of these ventures he remarked to T.S.M. Peter Morland that the rickety schooner we were sailing couldn’t possible last another trip.

There was not long to wait before we were at it again. On February 4th Capt. Jack Bare took a troop to attack the garrison at Hvar Town, where unfortunately Jack Bare from Watford, age 29, was killed. The action on Hvar was concurrent with another action by No. 2 Commando, termed as an ‘Officers Reconnaissance’ by our Colonel. This was taking place on Solta and employed the services of Lieut. McMenamin, Capt. S.L. Jenkins with L/Cpl Wright and Dvr. Robert Scholem, who was one of No. 2 Commando’s Germans. This party had been observing the enemy garrison at Grohote which had been earmarked for a ‘visit’ in March on Jack’s calendar. Before this group returned from their work they encountered a large German patrol who opened fire, inflicting mortal wounds on the leader, Capt. Samuel Jenkins, age 29, a former Welsh Rugby international from Carmarthen. Dvr. Scholem made his way back to the safety of a partisan hideout after travelling for over thirty hours on a broken ankle without food or water. It is sad for this author to relate that after all this, poor Bob Scholem was to be K.I.A. in Italy one month before the war ended, age 21.

Meanwhile, ‘Mad Jack’ had added a new dimension to the lives of his boys - PIRACY! Lieut. Michael Stilwell led the first of what was to be many boarding parties and swarmed aboard a German chartered schooner taking 17 enemy soldiers prisoner, after what Pte. Jakeman later described as only a ‘third-class’ fight. These sojourns became very popular with the personnel of No. 2. The Royal Navy had on board their boats the wonderful commodity known as FOOD! The boarding parties ate away most happily while they cruised searching for their next floating victims.

The tenure of No. 2 Commando reached its high point with a textbook operation against the 110 man enemy garrison at a village called Grohote  (see Operation Detained 1). It happened on this author’s 20th birthday on March 19th, 1944. About two thirds of No. 2 had arrived to form a horseshoe formation about the village awaiting the order from Jack to move in. I was talking to my friend, Lieut. Jim Coyle about birthdays in general and he gave me the usual ‘Happy Birthday’ spiel. We then attended to the business at hand – 102 prisoners were taken and six of the German defenders were killed. It was most orderly. We sent the prisoners away and told them to pack their personal belongings which they did. We then found a garrison muster-roll belonging to the German officer in charge, and called the roll. As each Hans, Ludwig, Gunther and several Johans answered their names, we realized that we had captured the lot and no one had got away. Perfect! Jack eyed the scene benignly and led us back to our embarkation point. Our only casualty that day was Cpl. Cecil Cox from Sussex, age 24, who died of wounds received in the assault.

The Island of Vis became positively overcrowded by May 1944. Aside from the native partisans, the remainder of No. 2 Commando had long since arrived to be joined by the Marines of No. 40 and No. 43 Commandos and by elements of Artillery and the Highland Light Infantry Regiments. Several of these organizations sought to be included in the ongoing operations, but Colonel Jack was not too sympathetic to any such requests. He was said to have made some observation concerning ‘Too many Cooks’ etc.

About this time our Jack banished to Italy T/Captain Barton MC who had operated some weeks before on Brac on patrol, shot and killed the local German Commandant before returning to Vis with five prisoners. It seemed that he had conducted this business in civilian attire and this had been announced in the UK Press, so if captured Lieut. Barton would have been shot. Jack, who had recommended Lieut Barton for the DSO, could not be moved on the matter.

The major operation ‘to draw-off pressure on the partisans’ was in the works at the planning stage and it called for a major operation by all of No. 43 Commando with reinforcements from No. 40 Commando and partisan forces of up to 2000 men ( see Operation Flounced ). The force was to be commanded by Lt. Col. Jack Churchill. The planned attack, which was to be on a feature known as Point 622 and other adjacent mountain-top fortified German strongpoints, started on June 2nd and finished with a nasty conclusion three days later. This author, along with other members of No. 2 had no part in the operation. Jack was there only in a command function. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong it seemed. The end of the battle found Jack and Lt. Col. ‘Pops’ Manners of 40 R.M. Commando, who had been mortally wounded, alone on the top of Point 622 with Jack playing his bagpipes in defiance of the German counter-attack until he was knocked out and, upon regaining consciousness, found himself to be a prisoner. No. 2 Commando mounted an abortive attempt from Vis trying to rescue the Colonel. It was not successful and there were several casualties.

On June 23rd, No. 2 Commando, under its new commander, Lt. Col. F. W. Fynn, went to the airstrip where they marched past Marshal Tito in review, and afterwards, listened to some very nice things that he said concerning us. Soon after this parade we loaded up and disembarked in Monopoli, Italy, where the Commando went into its usual 4-star, dusty-field bivouac.

As life went on for the men of 2 Commando, many strange things were happening in the life of their former leader, now a captive of the enemy. After his transportation to Germany, Mad Jack was lodged in Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, the same hell-hole in which the Glomfjord raiders had been executed! Our former Colonel was handcuffed and chained to the floor for the first month. Then, the idiot guards removed the ‘cuffs’ and Jack departed for the Baltic coast where he hoped to get aboard a neutral Swedish ship and thus escape. Jack walked almost to the port of Rostock where he was recaptured. Following his removal to a more remote camp in Austria, Jack once again decided that ‘enough is enough’ and left his latest prison – leaving no forwarding address. Living off the land our intrepid former leader set off for his intended destination, Verona, Italy, some 150 miles away. He crossed the Alps on a badly swollen ankle and to his delight ran into an American armoured column shortly thereafter. It is said, but not confirmed, as Jack rode off on a tank to safety, he was sad that he did not have his bagpipes with him to mark the splendour of the moment."

nb. The above  account is part of the overall history of No 2 Commando by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo.

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No 2 Commando

2 Commando, Spilje, Albania

No.2 Commando 5 troop line up to attack from an orchard at Spilje, Albania

Operation Healing 11

"2 Commando had returned to Italy from its six month sojourn in Yugoslavia and were encamped near Monopoli on the east coast of Italy. For the most part, the month of July 1944 was occupied by the ever-present problem of keeping the unit up-to-strength. Even by counting every nose we had, it seemed that as often as we recruited, we could not find anywhere near the numbers of volunteers we required. Our total of men available stubbornly stuck at about 250 – all ranks. Several of the officers and men passed the time by qualifying as parachutists at the nearby R.A.F. No. 4 P.T.S.
 
On the night of July 28th/29th, 1944, No.2 Commando under the command of Lt. Col. Ted Fynn, along with other elements of Land Forces Adriatic, landed at Spilje, Albania. It was a sort of a ‘First’. No British soldier had ever campaigned in Albania before, it was confided to this author. Having landed and surveyed the place, it was easy to understand why it had not been included in the ‘must visit’ agenda of older soldiers.
 
An approach march of four miles from the point-of-landing was made by the 250 men of No. 2 through very difficult terrain and we arrived at the objective, a high ridge overlooking a village known as Himare. On the top of this ridge was a very strong German fortified position. As the Commando sorted itself out, and in general aligned its troops for the forthcoming dawn assault, our every movement was announced by the incessant barking of obviously pro-German dogs. This author has always considered himself an admirer of the canine species, but on that night he remembers he wished these particular critters in hell! Although the Germans on top of the ridge used their technique of searching-fire with their MG. 42 machine guns every time their furry friends ‘fingered’ (or pawed) us, we had no losses, and the attack started right on schedule.
 
The slopes of the ridge were steep and the German defenders had established excellent fields of fire. Progress by the Commando was slow as many barbed-wire obstacles were encountered and anti-personnel ‘S’ mines seemed to be going off all over the hillside. This author had, at that time, estimated that shortly after 10:00 a.m. about 100 of the enemy had been knocked out by the Commandos. Col. Ted Fynn ordered a withdrawal as a strict time limit had been laid in the operation orders. So No. 2 disengaged and returned to the embarkation point.
 
Casualties to the Commando were noted as 20 K.I.A. and 61 wounded. It had been a rather nasty fight and some 40 of the German defenders were left on the ridge refusing to surrender. These luckless men were descended on by an entire partisan brigade shortly afterwards and were wiped out to a man.
 

Before this author left the ridge-top, he knew that his old friend Sgt. Jack Moores was among the fallen and made a mental promise to himself to pay a visit sometime in the future to Jack’s family in Cambridge. Capt. Michael Stilwell had also been wounded severely in the assault, and the author remembers giving instructions for this officer’s evacuation. The battle was over."

nb. The above  account is part of the overall history of No 2 Commando by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo.

Read more about this raid in our Commando Actions section here  Operation Healing 11.

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No 2 Commando

2 Commando, Interlude

"In between the operation that had been undertaken at Spilje and the operation that was to come at Sarande (both in Albania), life went on much the same in that field near Monopoli, except that No. 2 Commando had been joined in its encampment by the men of No. 9 Commando and No. 43 R.M. Commando. At the time we wondered if this number of Commandos, numbering close to 800 men – a ‘horde’ by Commando standards – was the forerunner of ‘something big’. But none of the usual ‘pre-op’ signs which any Commando knew so well were present and we settled down figuring that the No. 9 and No. 43 boys just needed a home for a spell. Sgt. Doug Webster and two others from No. 2 returned from Albania, where they had been cut-off during our withdrawal from Spilje and had lived with the partisans for a few days.

One day in late August, the author was told to report to Col. Fynn. It seemed unusual, and it was to be the beginning of another change of direction in my Commando service. He advised me that he would like me to go down to Taranto the next day and ‘talk to someone’ he knew rather well. He further stated that this personage (still un-named) would have a chat with me at the Bologna Hotel. The Colonel asked me if I wanted to go, to which I replied, ‘Of course, SIR!’  The interview was over.

I wondered that night why the Colonel had ‘asked’ me to do something instead of just telling me what to do. The next day transport was supplied and conveyed me to the hotel at Taranto. Someone in R.A.F. uniform met me at the front entrance of the building and guided me inside. There was no office interview. A tall figure rose from an armchair in the lobby, eyed me, then stuck out his hand exclaiming, ‘Dodds-Parker! – Grenadier Guards!’ The figure had on his shoulders the insignia of a full Colonel. No time was wasted. He glanced at a single sheet of paper and then inquired, ‘Would you like to go to N.W. Europe and do something?’ I responded to this question by asking if I would be able to return to No. 2 Commando. He replied ‘Yes you will be carried on their strength until you return’. There was a brief pause and he concluded the interview by saying, ‘Go back to the Commando and talk to Colonel Fynn, be ready to move in 48 hours!’

The author returned to Monopoli and used the remainder of the day to go to Bari Hospital and visit Capt. Michael Stilwell who was making his recovery from his Spilje-raid wounds. I said ‘Goodbye’ to him then and wished him a speedy recovery. The next day I left and two days later I landed in Naples – the first step on a journey which was to terminate in Eindhoven, Holland."

nb. The above  account is part of the overall history of No 2 Commando by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo.

2 Commando, Sarande, Albania

Signallers from No 2 Commando at Sarande

Operation Mercerised

"No. 2 Commando landed once again in Albania. Sept. 22 1944 was the date, almost two months after they had conducted their raid at Spilje. This time their objective was to be the capture of the Albanian town of Sarande, a port through which German army units (which had been involved in the occupation of Corfu and mainland Greece) were now withdrawing. No. 2 Commando operations began with their landing at a beach about six miles north of Sarande. It soon became apparent that the only road that No. 2 could use to approach their attack positions at Sarande was covered by in excess of 20 artillery positions which quickly went into action against the leading troops.

At about the same time as the attack force of No. 2 had become stalled, Col. Fynn received another piece of ‘cheerful’ information. It seems that ‘intelligence’ had determined that the German defenders of Sarande numbered 200 soldiers. What Colonel Ted was later advised was that (oops!) we dropped a zero, please read 2000 Germans in the place, instead of 200! Non-plussed, Ted asked for more help which duly arrived on Sept. 24th in the form of the veteran fighters of No. 40 R.M. Commando.

The now combined force of No. 2 and No. 40 Commandos battled on through atrocious terrain and monsoon-type weather conditions. The town of Sarande fell after a bitterly-contested battle on the afternoon of October 9th, 1944. After the fall of Sarande, the German garrison of Corfu had no place to go and some white flags were seen from just across the strait. About three troops of No. 2 Commando and No. 40 went over to Corfu in mid-November and took the surrender of the island’s German garrison. After a brief sojourn, No. 2 returned to Italy.

Because this author had been sent off on other business from No. 2 Commando prior to the operation at Sarande, the events describing this engagement were obtained from his perusal of the 2 Commando War Diary. It is sadly noted that the reading of that document included the names of: 

who had fallen in the battle for Sarande."

nb. The above  account is part of the overall history of No 2 Commando by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo.

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Sarande - Operation Mercerised
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No 2 Commando

2 Commando, Lake Comacchio

No 2 Commando Heavy Weapons Troop at Comacchio

Operation Roast.

"Remote from what was to be known as the ‘Battle of Lake Comacchio’, this author did not have a clue as to what was happening to his friends in No. 2 Commando. He had been inside Germany for some time and way out of touch.

It seems that No. 2 Commando had been joined by No. 9 Commando and Nos. 40 and 43 R.M. Commando to implement the task of grabbing a spit of land which extended from Lake Comacchio to the Adriatic Sea, with further exploitation northwards envisaged in the minds of the ‘planners’.

What transpired is that No. 2 jumped off as scheduled at 7:00 p.m. on April 1st, 1945 and lugged and tugged and humped their boats across the few inches of water topping a layer of oozy slime that comprised Lake Comacchio. It was not until 5:00 a.m. the next morning that they landed on the opposite shore, approached the enemy from the rear and engaged in an attack on everything in a German uniform. The ensuing operations by all the Commando units present resulted in all their ‘specified’ objectives being achieved, with the whole enemy forces south of Porto Garibaldi being captured or destroyed.

As there were many casualties noted after the day of April 17th, 1945, it seems that the fighting went on until a little beyond that date, after which No. 2 Commando retired to its former assembly area at Ravenna. The German forces in Italy and Austria surrendered on May 2nd, 1945 and No. 2 Commando had fired its last shot.

A very long time after the Lake Comacchio battle had gone into history as a ‘Battle Honour’ for the Commandos, this author must make the names of No. 2 Commando ‘fallen’ part of the Commando history.  

No 2 Commando Roll of Honour

Looking backwards to those times, this author wonders about what times of sorrow must have been the lot of the families of those men who had fallen within days of the war’s ending. How muted their celebrations of V.E. Day must have been! "

nb. The above  account is part of the overall history of No 2 Commando by Bob Bishop No 2 Cdo.

Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

2 Commando, Postscript

"Soon after the cessation of hostilities in 1945, those in high places who had long advocated for the abolition of the Army Commandos, had their day. We went back to our various parent regiments, quietly, as always, obeying the last order.

This author became a former, relatively unimportant, member of the Commandos, who to be perfectly honest, was indulging in the human tendency of feeling a bit sorry for himself. I recall that what jolted me back into reality was thinking about the closing of the Commando Depot at Achnacarry. My miserable mood was surely nothing justified compared to what ‘the powers that be’ had done to Colonel Vaughan’s wonderful establishment.

Charlie Vaughan had lived through the horrors of the trenches in 1914-1918, but he had no ‘tunnel’ vision. He did not let his concept of war remain in that past conflict. Instead, he created a facility to train men for battle, achieving standards unprecedented in the history of the British Army. There is an old saying which goes: ‘Nobody ever told you life was fair!’ Those words certainly describe the ‘reward’ that Charlie received for his endeavours.

Four and a half years after the disbandment of No. 2 Commando this author found himself playing another relatively unimportant part in the Korean War. This time there were no green berets in the ranks alongside him. He felt lonely.

Acknowledgement

The author wishes to record his appreciation of the hard work and patience of his wife, Janet, in the ‘rush’ production of this narrative. Janet understands the subject well and is a willing historian of all things ‘commando’. She is a member of the Royal British Legion and an associate member of the Commando Veterans Association."

BOB BISHOP (No 2 Commando)
CANADA
AUGUST, 2007

​Read on from the links below 

A document about 2 Commando Overseas

2 COMMANDO OVERSEAS  April 13th 1943 - May 8th 1945

An account from a booklet written by an unknown member of No 2 Commando detailing the period April 13th 1943 to 8th May 1945 Gourock – Ravenna.
From the collection of Lance Sergeant Joe Rogers MM.

 

A False start

Everybody knew we were going overseas.  But at least we were going to get seven days embarkation leave before we went, and it was a crowded leave train that pulled out of Ayr station on that Friday night.  It was to say the least of it rather a blow to be woken up at one o’clock in the morning with the news that the train had been turned about and that we were to return to the sleeping landlords and ladies we had left but four hours earlier.

Six days later, April 13th 1943, Gourock seemed no less dismal than Ayr, and it was no real relief to be assembled in an overcrowded hold while the Colonel told us that the Commando was about to spend three months on the Rock of Gibraltar – because everyone knew that the Second Front would open ‘any day now’!

The Rock

Gibraltar was enjoying a ‘Levant’ when the Dunottar Castle steamed in after an uneventful trip.  The main Billet was to be Alameda Barracks with its Nissen Huts and the protective screen of cannon which had repelled the French during Rooke’s heroic defence in 18;;.  There were knowing looks when it was heard that the Officers were to be guests of a Pioneer Company in the appropriately chosen Nunnery.  By way of Commando training the only natural amenity offered by the Rock was climbing.  An assault course built by the Independent Company, striven over, competed over and sworn over, seemed the only alternative to the local sport of burrowing and tunnelling or a continuous round of bathing in sandy/Catalan bays.  Later, this monotony was varied by the use of two obsolete LCMs to convey as many men as they could possibly be made to carry on a round trip of the Rock, and to land them on a machine gun-swept beach for the assault on an imaginary power station.  ‘Exercise Seaweed’, as it was dubbed, was immensely popular with its instigators at least.  Two unfortunate troops had to repeat it seven times in almost as many days for the benefit of the great and their greater guests.

Sport

Normal entertainment on the Rock palled all too rapidly.  The Football team were knocked out of the Prince of Wales Cup before they got very far.  The Commando and Independent Company entered a combined side in the Cricket League, but only came into the limelight when Sgt Prescott and Pte Coulthard set up an all-time Rock record for a first wicket stand.  Batting against a team of Sappers they scored 150 odd before being separated.  Another all-rock victory was gained by the Unit with 100% in the Saluting competition.  Water Polo and 6 a-side Hockey were indulged in, but without conspicuous success.  Derby day however coincided with Payday, and this was too much for a subaltern inspired by the Sport of Kings.  A vast blackboard was erected in one corner of the square and as the Pay queue dwindled in the other corner the crowd around the ‘Bookie’ grew.  Runners and riders with their prices were chalked up by the Troop Sergeant Major, the inspired subaltern took the bets, and the Troop Commander’s Batman, remembering his days as a barrow-boy in the East End of London, shouted the odds.  The Troop Commander himself had an excellent alibi, and a non-plussed RSM found himself unable to deal with the technical illegalities.  Those concerned, on the contrary, gained a measure of fame from a notice in the pages of ‘The Rock’.

Vacancies for leave to Spain were all too few, but those who went came back with bulls cars and other parts of bulls, to encourage a practical demonstration in the mess.  Sides were taken, the initiated took the floor, and chaos reigned.

‘Rock-happiness’, a virulent disease, had taken its grip.  The ‘Off-the-Rock Society’ was formed, and exercise ‘Nuts!’ was the first of their many activities.

In the theatrical world the Commando made its mark upon the Rock with Lt Frank Mason’s very successful production of the first ‘Green Berets’ show, starting a Crazy Gang tradition which was to be followed with similar success elsewhere.  For entertainment also a far-seeing Welfare Association produced Vivien Leigh, Beatrice Lillie and Leslie Henson.  The latter, after a dinner at which Lieutenant Commander Tommy Woodruffe had proved to Col Jack that the Fleet could be lit up to order, is known to his undying shame to have recorded in his diary ‘….had an evening with some very tame Commandos’!

The Navy combined with the local defences to provide a fitting climax to the end of the North African Campaign, in Exercise ‘Gehenna’, when every blunderbuss on the Fortress hurled HE into the sky for three minutes, while Winston Churchill sat on the highest Rock to witness the proceedings.

At Last!

Sanity was preserved by the arrival just three months after we had reached the Rock of Lord Louis Mountbatten, who, in a rousing speech, told us that 3 Commando and the two Marine Commandos had left something for us to do in Sicily.  And with some still firmly believing that this was just a cloak to hide our intended assault on the Coast of France or ‘The Grapes’ in Ayr, the Prince Charles and Princess Beatrix took the Commando with what could be packed into a large valise to Syracuse, and then late at night to Augusta.

Brucoli, where we were destined to stay for most of the Sicilian campaign, brought heat and flies and dysentery, and an initial loathing of the Italian race.  The Commando exercises which preceded the Scaletta operation were distinguished by the Colonel’s new invention for hurling arrows into the air (it was made from a Besa tripod) and by his first use of the Mad Minute, practically demonstrated.  Neither invention got beyond the training stage, though it would have been good to see them used in battle.

Scaletta

The Scaletta operation itself was an anti-climax.  To the whole Commando assembled aboard the Prince Charles, Major-General Leese led off with a fearsome pep-talk whose main theme seemed to be that the immediate future might well be bloodier than Saint Nazaire’.  Lack of information, and the frantic haste of planning and preparation, did nothing to lessen the fearful expectancy.  And so when the Navy dropped us at the wrong place and at the wrong time, we were pleasantly surprised to be able, after a short mortar engagement, to march triumphantly into Messina.  A rather hollow success.

Salerno

After another period in the orange groves, this time outside Catania, where malaria was added to the distress of dysentery, the Commando was moved across the breadth of Sicily to some more pleasant groves outside Palermo.  Life here was still further improved by the American 5-in-1 ration; and for the first time since coming abroad there were no complaints about the food.

Being attached to the 5th Army however had its disadvantages, as was agreed when a Negro lorry driver informed a party of men of the exact details of the coming operation at Salerno.  His forecast turned out to be more detailed than our scanty briefing when it came.

With the Rangers, who gave us a grand reception, in two LSI and ourselves in a third, and 41 RM Commando in LCIs we made the sea passage mostly in daylight.  Except for one small air attack it was uneventful.  The three Churchills (Col Jack, Col Tom and Capt Randolph) were conspicuous by their presence.  The last named demonstrated a masterly command of the Italian language in translating a message from General Eisenhower, though it is possible that he might already have seen the English original!  Not even he, however, could explain the truth about the Italian surrender announced at 9pm that evening.  The guesses were many, and the betting was high.

Battle

The second wave were not unduly surprised to hear that the initial assault had gone in without any opposition on the beaches.  But they were rudely shaken by the mortar barrage that met them as they neared the shore in broad daylight.  However the primary objectives were taken with comparative ease;  though opposition was encountered on the high ground above Marina, and the I.O. killed by an 88mm, when ordered to threaten Salerno.  The Marines were holding the La Molina pass covering the main road into the town, but they had been counter-attacked repeatedly and suffered many casualties.  The situation there was precarious and we had been moved over to relieve them when a final and almost successful counter-attack was put in.  We were pushed back from the crest of the hill, but managed to dig in on the reverse slope.  A barrage was put down ahead of us by a regiment of 25 pounders, a cruiser, and the monitor Roberts and we were able to retake the hill.

The Infantry relieved us in due course and we regrouped in the now captured Salerno town.  After a short rest the depleted Commando moved out of the town under mortar fire in MT.  The convoy eventually reached a leafy valley, where the CO gave orders for a ‘beat’ in six columns, making as much noise as possible to flush the game!  No attack on Jericho could have been more successful, because nearly 150 Boche were put in the bag before daybreak, for the loss of one man wounded.

The subsequent attack was not so pleasant, and 1 and 2 Troops were badly mauled (all the Officers and the Sgt Major were casualties in 2 Troop) before being brought within the perimeter of the village of Piegolelle, where the CO organised an all-round defence.  Two nights later, to the strains of an occasional tune from Mad Jack’s pipes, the Commando was finally relieved and retired to the Salerno beaches.  The short period here was notable for an amazing tribute in a speech to the whole unit by Major General McCreery, then commanding 10 Corps.

Re-Org

An LSI sufficed to carry us back to Sicily, and by stages to Catania.  The Brigade was reformed and rumours were rife.  All the prophets proved false, and 3 Commando sailed Blightywards while we were destined for Taranto.  We made Taranto harbour in the rain, and suffered initiation to the miseries of the Italian State Railways in a freezing journey to Molfetta.

From Molfetta the first recruiting boards went out, and here later the first cadre courses were formed.  Infective Hepatitis or Jaundice spoiled the Christmas festivities for some, but the remainder were able to enjoy the second Green Berets show, and to show Italy the meaning of Whoopee!

The opening weeks of 1944 saw an exodus of two troops at a time to the monastery of San Michele.  The area proved a natural Italian Achnacarry, with climbing on the snow-clad slopes of Monte Vulture to remind some of Ben Nevis.

Meanwhile the Commando had been left to the tender mercies of a succession of remarkably similar organisations known in turn by the obviously progressive titles as Forces 133, 266 and 399.  For all the veil of secrecy which cloaked their activities, our connection with them was soon to have patent results, and with the New Year cognac still a powerful memory advanced elements of the Commando were whisked away to join a minute recce party under the CO on the Island of Vis.

Dalmatia

The Jugoslav partisans gave us a phenomenal welcome.  With the Germans barely 12 miles away across the water, and their last remaining Island threatened, there is no doubt that they were glad to see us.  Indeed the shots that sang across our bows from riflemen ashore were but indicative of their pleasure.  Full street lighting was on;  organised parties of men met the ships and formed a guard of honour and conveyed the baggage to billets which had been cleaned by organised parties of women; organised choirs of men and women sang partisan songs while we waited;  a brass band struggled with National Anthems and addresses were read from the steps of ‘Navy House’.

The set-up for Commando tactics was ideal.  Recce parties and wireless stations on the German-held Islands were maintained almost continuously during the first few weeks.  While the rest of the Commando and the first intakes were still in Italy going through the San Michele mill, Colonel Jack led two daring, if not typical, raids on the Islands of Hvar and Brac.  In a raid he had himself planned for 2 Troop Captain Bare was unluckily wounded and died while being carried back to the boat by the German prisoners he had secured.  He was given a funeral with the full military honours of three nations in the British Cemetery where the sailors of George III had been buried years before.

By the end of February the whole Commando was divided between the two small harbours of Vis and Komiza and the house on the central plain which Farmer Captain Walker had christened Duck’s Plash.  Lieutenant B J Barton MC, on his own initiative, carried out two very successful small-scale 2-man raids, which earned him the DSO and the nickname Barton of Brac.

Solta

The first and most fruitful combined operations was planned as an attack on the garrison of the Island of Solta.  The Navy were to land the Commando and a detachment of Rangers, with a few Italian 47/32 pack guns and an RAF link set in a small cove on the South side of the island.  The whole party was then to cross the Island under cover of darkness and surround the town of Grohote if possible in complete silence.  At first light the fighter bombers were to strafe the town and then the heavy weapons were to pummel it into submission.  The raid was an outstanding example of close co-operation of all forces.  A remarkable feature was the number of Officers who had spent 24 hours or more with Jugoslav partisans in their hideout on the Island prior to the final briefing, and by reconnaissance close to the enemy positions in daylight had provided a thorough picture of the task in hand.  The Navy did the right thing by landing us in the right place at the right time, the RAF established perfect communication and gave us an air-circus exhibition of precision bombing, while PWB rose to the occasion and provided a loud-speaker to call for surrender which actually did work!  The presence of Admiral Sir Walter Cowan was an inspiration sufficient in itself to secure the success of the operation.  The entire garrison of over 100 was killed or captured, and for two days the Germans on the mainland knew nothing of what had happened.  Then they sent over a rowing boat, and finding no Huns they took a couple of unsuspecting females who could only tell them that the English came and the Germans went.

Results

The German reply came in the form of three air raids on the Island – concentrated but comparatively ineffective as regards material damage done.  ‘Flaps’ and threats of seaborne and airborne landings abounded.  The Island was fortified and prepared for defence.  Parachute divisions and gliders were reported on the coast.  Siebel ferries of unimagined proportions became the subject of lurid Intelligence reports.

More Sport

But in the hours of daylight, life continued as normal.  The game of Rugby football was introduced to the inhabitants of Dalmatia, who apparently considered it rather a brutal form of sport.  Soccer matches were arranged, culminating in the tournament to celebrate May Day.  Everything went according to plan with the very painful exception of the fact that the Partisans lost in the final to SS Bde.  Further return matches were at once projected, but nothing could compensate them for having lost their game on their ground on their day.

Boarding Parties

Schooner hunting soon became the rage.  The Royal Naval complement included MGBs, MLs and Vospers and under the inspired leadership of Lt Comd Tom Fuller they carried boarding parties from the Commando on nightly tours between the Islands and the enemy coast.  The object was to sink or capture the unsuspecting schooners which by night were bringing supplies to the now beleaguered German garrisons.  One of the captured craft contained Danish butter in sufficient quantities to keep Navy House and other places supplied for at least a month.  There was an additional spice of excitement in the occasional brushes with U boats and aircraft which these trips produced.

The ceremony of handing over the first of these schooners to the Partisans was conducted by a visiting Admiral taken completely off his guard.  He had to remain rather long at the salute while the flags were being changed, because with both flags at half mast there was a technical hitch only solved eventually by a man who climbed the rigging to release them.

Miljet

The raid on Mljet will be remembered for many reasons.  For the scale on which it was projected (a Solta six times over) for the success with which the landing was effected;  for the damage it was to have inflicted on the sizeable garrison;  for the enormous amount of sweat and effort expended;  for the perfect summer weather and the driving wind and rain;  for the grandeur and the superfluity of the mountains;  and for the rumour which still persists that someone saw a German.  All the same the RSR fired a good many rounds of 75mm at the Hun, and the propaganda set broadcasting from the Sea Hawk drew enemy mortar fire from somewhere, the RAF scored near misses on a good many crags, and it was quite nice to be back in Vis.

Brac II

Shortly after Mljet the first party of Officers went back to the mainland on a Parachute course at Brindisi; but in the meantime a spot of bother occurred in Jugoslavia.  Tito’s HQ had been attacked and the Marshal himself nearly captured.  A large Partisan force was directly threatened and a diversion somewhere was vital.  Appeals were made to the British, and a large scale attack was planned on the German garrison of Brac.  Col Jack was acting Brigadier, and with 40 and 43 Commandos as the spearhead he led the attack.  His resulting capture and the death in action of Col Manners cast a gloom over the whole island.  An attempt to rescue Col Jack proved abortive.

Tito

It was particularly sad that Col Jack Churchill was not able to be present at the presentation of the Commando to Marshal Tito.  This ceremony, performed at 1030 on June 23, was accompanied by a really full scale diversion by the 25 pdrs of the 111 Fd Regt and by the 3.7s of the AA Gunners.  The Marshal, escorted by an entourage of Tommy Gunners, appeared to be entirely in his element.  He addressed the Unit, and his speech, when translated, was found to be duly appreciative and highly complimentary.

VIPs

His was the first of a number of inspections which characterised the closing days on Vis.  Brigadier Davey commanding Land Forces Adriatic saw the Commando and gave a hint that they would be seeing more of him.  The GOC SS Group paid us a visit, inspected the Unit, breakfasted with the Officers and gave a lecture on Commando activities in France.  Admiral Cowan – Commando Cowan – left the Island after inspecting our Guard of honour and receiving our cheers.

Still more Sport

A demolition course of considerable scope was run on the little neighbouring Island of Bisevo where the Partisans had made a prison Camp for the many Germans who kept rolling in.  Football, swimming, soft-ball, basket-ball – all kinds of sport filled the summer days between raids.  A 3rd edition of the ‘Green Berets’ ran to 16 performances in various parts of the Island.

Spilje

But the CO had been called to Italy for conferences, and it became evident that we were destined for other fields.  After a tremendous farewell party in the Officers Mess, with Partisan bands outdoing each other and suitable interruptions by the Commando piper, we at length embarked in LCIs and an ancient Adriatic steamer for Italy.  We reached Monopoli camp on July 16th, and almost immediately started training with the HLI for operation Healing II.  This operation, which was minutely planned with models and photographs and pages of paper, was a harassing task designed to destroy the German garrison of Himara near the town of Spilje in Albania.  The garrison which was guarding that sector of the main supply route to the south, proved a very tough proposition.  When we landed on July 29th and formed up under cover of darkness for a dawn attack on their positions they did not seem unduly surprised to see us, and despite the support of heavy naval gunfire and RAF fighter bombers and the guns of the RSR, they could only be dislodged by the determined frontal attacks of the Commando and the HLI.  Even then they hit back in no uncertain fashion, and the attacks went on all day.  In the end the time factor forced us to withdraw, but not before the town of Spilje had been entered and the German forces so disorganised and depleted that it was a comparatively simple matter for the Partisans to nab the rest next day.  Sgt Webster, Gnr Pallett and Dvr John were cut off during the battle when the latter was wounded and the force returned without them.  Two attempts had been made to bring them out in the week which followed, but no success achieved, when they were evacuated by Force 399 through their Liaison service with the Partisans who had been sheltering them.

Italian Summer

Casualties at Spilje had been fairly high, and the beginning of August saw most of the Commando on leave in Rome and other high spots.  A visit from Col Charles Vaughan who inspected the unit and told us much about the future, France, England, the present, the ‘Humming Bomb’ and ourselves, was a feature of the month.  The promotion of Major Fynn to Lt Colonel, and his confirmation as CO was the occasion of a magnificent party in the Grotto at Polignano when most of the Uniform and practically all the fairest of the fair sex in South Eastern Italy assembled to wine sup and dance.  As incidentals to this operation the local Italian population were shanghaied into such rowing boats as they could find, with their musical talent amongst them, and amid a shower of mortar flares and Verey Lights, they sang their way into the Grotto from the sea.  A motor convoy on the neighbouring road is reported to have halted for half an hour fearing a fresh invasion.  Other ‘attractions’ included a Jugoslav partisan choir, the Pipes, and a succession of Eightsome Reels.

In September the CO was married at Saint Augustine’s Church in Bari, Padre Banting officiating.  A guard of honour outside the church was formed by Troop Commanders and Warrant Officers with Fighting Knives as befitted so important an occasion.  But the Commando touch was added by Captain Parsons who had organised a smoke screen belching Verey Lights and flares, and a particularly explosive Jeep to convey the couple to the reception.  The Jeep didn’t make the grade (again by arrangement) and the entry of the ‘horseless carriage’ towed by a second guard of honour and led by the Pipes, provided an excellent start to an excellent party.

Sarande

But even while the festivities were going on, planning was proceeding apace.  LFA, we discovered, had quite a big Staff, and they were certainly not devoid of ideas.  Operation after operation was mooted, planned and scrapped, and finally after three false starts began the ‘fifty-hour operation’ of Sarande.

We arrived at the chosen beach on the Albanian coast a few miles North of Corfu, to find that our recce party under Capt Alec Parsons had been attacked by the Germans and nearly put in the bag.  To cap this, shortly after daylight it started to rain and to the troops in KD with the lightest possible equipment, who were forced for their own protection to hold positions at about 2000 feet, the rain was a decided nuisance.  We had been sent over to ‘harass’ the hun for the necessary period of 24 hours, in lieu of some other specific operation which had to be cancelled.  So harass the hun it was.  And for fifteen days we patrolled and strafed and recced in the craggy mountains and the waterlogged plain, all the time holding the valley in which our beachhead lay by manning positions on the flanking mountains.  There was no water on the mountains, nor any food, and even when mules had been provided to do some of the arduous carrying, several of these died under the strain and the men had to take over their loads.  Gradually a Brigade Force was built up under Brigadier Churchill, consisting of ourselves and 40 RM Commando, 150 Assyrian Levies, and elements of Royal Artillery and the RSR; and all the time offensive patrolling went on, and most of the time it rained.  There were many casualties from exposure in the first few days, and despite the surprisingly good morale quite a few men had not recovered in time for the battle.  Rain and the sharp rocks in particular played havoc with men’s feet.

However, on the 7th and 8th October we began to move up for an attack on the garrison of Sarande, carrying up the ammunition and stores required over the mountain tracks.  At 0245 on October 9th the leading Troops began to advance and by 1015 our final objective, a Battery of captured British 25 pdr guns on a fortress hill, was secured.  The Royal Marines, in a magnificent battle, cleared Sarande and the job was virtually done.

We withdrew by sea to our original beach and, amid a confusion of orders and counter-orders from Italy, the CO led a party to Corfu to clean up the Germans who remained.  This party received a magnificent welcome from the populace, many of whom spoke English, and the work of reconnaissance was somewhat hindered by the need for Ceremonial and receiving the honours paid.  Lt Eastaugh, halted by a crowd in a village, had to listen to a speech in modern Greek in which he was assured that his party were ‘not men but angels, sent from Heaven to protect us’.

Bitetto

Brigadier Churchill took his leave of the Commando on Oct 16 and the next day we returned to Monopoli and another spell of leave.  In November, the camp at Monopoli showing signs of reverting to the marsh it must originally have been, we moved to billets in Bitetto.  Reorganisation started in earnest.  A speech to the Commando by Major-General R E Laycock after he had inspected us, seemed to indicate that operations of a different kind were ahead of us.  Innumerable courses were laid on, intake troops were recruited and trained, and Christmas Horses, Mules and the proximity of Bari, were the only things that should have interfered with training.

A New Year

By the beginning of 1945 it was evident that something was afoot.  Mountain warfare training in the snow seemed to be the order of the day, and with two troops at a time ‘battling’ in the hills at Gravina, and later a 2 day Bde Exercise at Minervino, it seemed logical that our farewell to LFA at the conclusion of this feverish spell should be the prelude to our move to the flat, flat plains of Ravenna.

Here we came under command of 5 Corps and, arriving on February 18th, went into the line with 12 Lancers on the 21st.  After ten days we returned to Ravenna, were in the line from March 4th to the 11th, and again from the 19th to the 22nd.  During these periods there was a good deal of patrolling to be done, and we suffered a number of casualties from shell and mortar fire, and from the vast numbers of mines both own and enemy with which this much contested sector was littered.

The Spit

In the interim between the second and third spells in the line, and in the last week of the month training was carried out at a feverish pace with Fantails and Stormboats, in which new craft it was intended that we should carry out our share of operation ‘Roast’.  This remarkable operation to clear the Germans off the Spit of land between Lake Comacchio and the Adriatic, and thus secure the right flank for the big attack which was to follow, was carried out by the whole Brigade and won honours for all units taking part.  From our own point of view even now there is that about the success of the operation which savours of the miraculous.  No brief account can do justice to the story.  Let it be said merely that everything that could have gone wrong in the early stages had been foreseen and provided for; all those things did go wrong, and the snags had to be overcome by independent or concerted effort; as, for example, the little detail of having to walk half the way knee deep in soft mud and waist deep in water.  We reached the beaches six hours late, without our anti-tank guns without our reserve ammunition, with a minimum of medical supplies.  The initial assault was done by a Troop and Commando HQ together, the only flights able to reach the right place by daylight.  Instead of one troop as had been arranged, two and a half troops had to land on 9 Commando’s beachhead, leaving a very depleted force to take the main objectives.  Yet within four hours of landing these objectives had been secured by whirlwind tactics, and the troops with 9 had fought their way through from the south to join us.

When, on the evening of the third day after landing, the Brigade, having carried out its task of clearing the Spit, was relieved by 24 Guards Brigade, we had accounted for about 250 Germans in wounded and PW alone, and had secured large quantities of guns and equipment.

The battle of the Dykes

After a few days rest we were moved up with 43 RM Commando and Bde HQ to the town of Conselice, from where we were destined to carry out our last action in Italy.  This was briefly the task of making good the left flank of the thrust through the Argenta gap, by the not-so-simple expedient of fighting our way up the four dykes which contain the river Reno and the canals which run immediately alongside it.  To the left a large stretch of floodland robbed us of the power of manoeuvre and immediately to the right was our boundary with the main effort.

The principal snag was the difficulty of lateral communication.  There was no information as to which of the four dykes held the main strength of the enemy, and once a part of our force was committed to one of the dykes as a line of advance it was virtually on its own.  To reinforce against opposition encountered or to exploit success on a particular dyke was a slow business.  Troops were decidedly under strength after the days in the line and the matter of the Spit, and until the capture of a heavily defended lateral bridge improved communications, individual troops must have found it a decidedly chancy business.

The supply problem too was acute; finally a jeep-track was made by the simple expedient of driving through the undergrowth, but much of the difficulty still remained.  And the better the results of the fighting, the worse was the problem of supply.

Finally, after a very sticky period in which troops had to hold on to their gains in face of heavy fire and attempted counter-attacks, 43 Commando broke through with the tanks, and almost at once we were leap-frogged through again to take up the chase.

Short of Molinella, when the situation in our flanks was entirely obscure, and the German situation obviously chaotic, we were halted for a couple of days during which we patrolled in all directions, taking prisoners and drinking pre-war Vermouth dug out of hiding for the occasion by the Italian Partisans.

The end

We were taken back to Ravenna for a rest, and immediately reorganised into three troops and a recce section to meet the commitments which were designed to follow.  Then, amid talk of further special training for the crossing of the Po, on a sudden we found the Po was crossed, and the end in Italy had come.

April 13th 1943 – May 8th 1945 ; Gourock – Ravenna

Brigadier, what now ?

Unit Archive (excludes gallery): 
No 2 Commando

No 2 Commando Casualties from April 1943

Casualties record from an account in a booklet called No 2 Commando Overseas written by an unknown member of No 2 Commando detailing the period April 13th 1943 to 8th May 1945 Gourock – Ravenna. Original booklet from the collection of L/Sgt Joe Rogers MM, No 2 Cdo 5 troop [transcribed by Di Edwards]
 
CASUALTIES
             OFFICERS
                 ORs
Operation
Killed
Missing
Wounded
Killed
Missing
Wounded
Scaletta-Messina
1
-
2
3
-
14
Salerno
7
-
4
26
9
110
Dalmatia
2
1
6
2
14
33
Spilje
-
-
4
6
1
47
Sarande
3
-
3
3
-
25
Line Duties
1
-
3
10
3
28
Comacchio
-
-
1
3
-
25
Argenta Gap
-
-
3
4
-
26
Total
14
1
26
57
27
308
Total Officers  :  41
Total ORs  :  392
Embarked with unit 13 Apr 43 and remaining with unit until VE Day 1945  :  3 Officers,  161 ORs.

No 2 Commando decorations and awards from April 1943

Decorations and awards record from an account in a booklet called No 2 Commando Overseas written by an unknown member of No 2 Commando detailing the period April 13th 1943 to 8th May 1945 Gourock – Ravenna. Original booklet from the collection of L/Sgt Joe Rogers MM, No 2 Cdo 5 troop [transcribed by Di Edwards]

Note: This list is posted as transcribed from the document. It is not meant to be a definitive list. It is as it states, those who were in No.2 Commando itself, so for instance does not contain those who served as signallers, or in any other capacity, as part of HQ 2 Commando Brigade.

Bar to DSO
 
DSO
 
Bar to MC
 
MC
 
 
DCM
 
MM
 
MiD

BUCKMASTER, Eric, Memories of No 2 Commando

Over the last few years Eric Buckmaster, No 2 Commando, has been a wonderful help to this Archive by providing information in response to our many questions, not only about those who served with him in No 2 Commando 5 troop, but also in providing other more general information about events and places. 
 
Eric served alongside his brother Stanley Buckmaster [more...] in 5 troop. Here are some extracts from a few of his responses.
 
Joining No 2 Commando 5 troop
"The majority of the key members of 5 Troop came from Liverpool, Birkenhead, and Warrington. It was known as the Scottish Troop, because initially it had a large contingent of Liverpool Scottish, plus members of other Scottish Regiments.
 
Although I am a Cockney from the East End of London, I got into 5 Troop because I was part of the intake trained to replace those lost at St Nazaire, March 1942. The RSM asked for all Scotsmen to step forward. There were only 6 men in that intake who qualified, but he wanted 7 so he asked for a volunteer, and that is how I got in.
 
After Salerno when again we needed replacements, my younger Brother Stanley joined us, he had been through the North Africa Campaign, and stayed with me in 5 Troop for the remainder of the War."
 
No 2 Commando cap badge.
"When 2 Commando was first formed the Tam O' Shanter was our Unit headgear. When I joined them mid 1942 after St Nazaire, that is what I wore initially. However the CO had adopted the Fighting Knife as a standard hat badge, and we had shoulder flashes which were the Fighting Knife with SS on either side of it. We were issued the Flashes, but the hat badges were not at that time on issue, they had to be made by ourselves.
 
I joined 2 Commando very late one night in Boscombe, Bournemouth. When I got to my billet I was met by one of the lads from HQ Troop, who showed me to my room, gave me my Tam O'Shanter, and also gave me a teaspoon and said you can make your hat badge out of that. We had to file the fighting knife badge out of the teaspoon with a nail file. We sewed them on to our hats with a loop of cotton round the handle, and another loop under the haft. Some time later they actually issued the hat badges as a general supply for 2 Commando." 
 
Driving Trains and Mining in Ayr
"As part of our Training whilst in Ayr, some of us were sent to drive trains, some of us were sent down coal mines. I was sent down the Auchencruive Pit in Ayrshire which ran some 2 miles under the sea. A long part of the tunnel was no more than 4’ 6” high due to the presence of a long seam of hard “ Whin Stone ”. How men were able to traverse that each day before starting work I don’t know."
 
Exercise on board HMS Keren.
"There is a photo headed No 2 Boys on HMS Keren. 
 
This was an excercise that we went through in November 1942. We embarked at Greenock on to one of the Island's Ferry's - Macbraynes of the Highlands - and sailed among the Islands in the mouth of the Clyde. We disembarked at " Tighnabruiach ".
 
We then marched over the hills to the bottom end of Loch Fyne, where boats picked us up and put us on board HMS Keren. Later that day we embarked on Landing Craft operated by Americans and were landed at the top end of Loch Fyne for a night exercise. This was carried out. 
 
However, the American's came to collect us afterwards too late, and the tide ran out of the Loch and their landing craft were stranded high and dry. It's not too warm up there in November, and we spent our time moving about trying to ignore the cold until daylight and the return of the tide. Some few managed to light small fires to try to keep warm.
We finally got back to the Keren in time for breakfast, and some rest.
 
During the following night the weather was a little rough, and one of the ship's boats which had been tied alongside, broke loose and at high tide was beached high on the rocks at the side of the Loch. Captain Dickie Broome [more...] and about a dozen of us were detailed off to go to help the sailors get their boat off the rocks and refloated. They were using baulks of timber and pulleys lashed around large nearby trees. but the keel of their boat was very firmly lodged in the rocks. From information printed on the side of the boat it weighed some 10 Tons.
 
My earlier RASC training came in useful. We made enquiries about the nearest Transport Unit , and Capt. Dickie Broome and I were shipped about a mile up the Loch and we borrowed 6 jacks of the type that were used to lift the Army 5 ton trucks. With these properly placed we were able to get the boat lifted until the Keel was high enough to clear the rocks and the baulks of timber could be placed under it. Much to my disappointment, we never did see the Boat finally refloated.  Just at the crucial time, the Commando contingent were called back to the Keren in order to be shipped back to Ayr.
 
Sorry to have told you the tale of the old 'Iron Pot '. My reason for mentioning the Keren Photo, is that the No 1 man in the picture, front row left is Joe Slater, and the No 3 man is Ernie Hurst, both 5 Troop."
 
No 2 Commando on board HMT Dunnottar Castle to Gibraltar.
"I was most pleased to receive your note and the lovely photograph of the old boat. I was amazed to learn that she had continued in service as a Cruise Ship until 2004. It appeared relatively old to us in 1943, although there was nothing of the Cruise Liner about it when we were on board.
 
It was set out in Mess Deck Areas at different levels. Officers,& Sgts & WOs. were housed separately. Each dwelling area for Other Ranks, had some 20 very sturdy fixed wooden tables, with forms. Men were allocated to given mess tables which had a limited number of steel/iron dishes and kitchen utensils. Each table would hold about 20 men ( 10 per side). We slept in sailing ship type hammocks, which had to be slung above or around the Mess Tables. Some few had mattresses for any floor spaces. Everything had to be taken down and stowed away in side bins for the Captain's rounds each day. The impression of it has always stayed with me. It was like living in a 'Greasy Spoon' .
 
Two men from each mess table were responsible each day for going to the Stores below decks, to draw the food for the day. Vegetables had to be peeled etc. Then it was taken down to the Galley where they cooked the parts of the meal that needed to be cooked. Then you had to get your own trays back, and the two men on duty each day had to make sure that each man got his share, and then had to wash up their tables and dishes & utensils. Cleaning cloths & soap were almost non existant.
 
Can you imagine the contrast for volunteer rather spoiled soldiers, who had lived in civilian billets for some time, with Landladies who made the porridge for breakfast or provided meals during the day when required !
 
Officers & NCOs had waiters, men who volunteered for the task and probably found it a cushy number.
 
With so many men needing Facilities !!!, the loos were timber platforms along the whole of each side of the Ship, with appropriate holes cut out for the seats. They projected out over the sea, and one always felt a bit precarious. You had to climb up on to them, and if you looked down you could see the water rushing by below. There was some screening but not much privacy.
 
We embarked one lunch time, and set out from the Clyde during the evening, sailing past the North of Ireland. A huge Convoy of some 40 ships, a very motley collection of boats, with three Destroyers in attendance.
 
It took us nearly 6 weeks to get to Gibraltar, I imagine because we were following diversionary routes planned or plotted to avoid submarines. At one stage it was said that we had almost reached the Coast of America. How true this was I don't know.
 
One thing I do remember is that on the first night out, quite a number of people were a little upset by the motion of the ship, and the Galley served up Tripe for the evening meal. Some just didn't want it. I was very lucky, in that the sea motion did not affect me very much and I was hungry. I got about three men's portions of Tripe and slung my hammock that night very replete.
 
There was all sorts of stuff stacked around the Decks, but there were some spaces and weather permitting we trotted around in the spaces available, and or climbed the ship's lifting derricks for exercise."
 
Food Rations
"This is not a moan, but an observation, in our experience Commando soldiers did not often fare over well when it came to feeding. This was partly due to the inadequacies of the British army specifications on food, and partly due to lack of experience. Jimmy Smith confided to me one day that he had managed to burn the Tea !
 
Wherever you did not have a Cookhouse or Catering Section, you were dependant upon what was issued to your Unit or Section. The Containers were not synonymous with each other. A tin of beans might be shared between 6 men. A tin of bacon between 10 men, a tin of sausages between 8 men. The tins would be boiled up in a Dixie, and issued hot when thought to be ready. They had to be opened, and then matched with the numbers of men for each tin. Someone invariably went short of something.
 
On the Island of Vis, where we were dependant upon Boats getting over, we were often very hungry. On one occasion we captured two German Schooners full of various kinds of produce, intended for their Island Garrisons, Flour , pickles, tubs of fresh butter. We lived well for a week or two. Most of the Flour was given to the Partisans, and a baker made them bread, but they preferred the dry tack biscuits that we were given, and they used to come and ask us to swap with them, which we were happy to do.
 
It used to be said that in the American Army they had 7 ½ men to back up each member of the front line troops. With the British Army it was 2 ½ men. What ever may be the truth of it, on the matter of Food Rations they were better organised than us .
 
For a short period in Sicily, we were attached to the American 5th Army, to lead them in at Salerno. We were put on to American style rations. They had boxes of what were known as 5 in 1 Rations. Each box was allocated to 5 Men. It contained 5 packets of breakfast cereal, 5 pouches of preserved milk , 5 packets of biscuits, 5 little packets of cigarettes, 5 fruit juice, 5 chocolate bars. It was 5 of everything needed for the day. Also the combinations within the boxes were variable, so that you could have a different mix on different days.
 
To some of us it was heaven, but after only a few weeks some people were complaining that they wanted to get back on to proper British food. !!!."
 
Operation Healing Two - Spilje, Albania
Details on the photo below of 5 troop.
 
"The Commando between the 2 prisoners on the left is my brother Stanley, so 5 Troop were involved here although I cannot immediately remember the names and faces of the other lads present. I must be somewhere around that group, because Stanley was No 2 on my Bren Gun, and he’s carrying his rifle in that picture. We were moving down towards the Harbour, so that our Landing Craft could come round from our up coast landing spot, to pick us up more easily.
 
Spilje is the place where each Troop was given a different location to attack . Ours was a steep hill with German slit trenches all across the top. We came ashore in the early hours of the morning and moved in some distance across country, and then we just sat and waited for dawn. The Germans must have been rather Jittery because all the time they were firing tracer bullets on fixed lines. When it started to get light, we climbed through some barbed wire, and then ran up that hill so fast that we literally overan the German positions and Capt. Turner was reduced to calling “ Come back Five ”. That became a subsequent “Battle Cry ” for 5 Troop,  “ Come Back Five ”.
 
No 2 Commando did take casualties during the operation.
 
"The Germans were more concerned to know if we were Partisans or Englander. The Partisans did not usually treat them very well.  A few of them who had tried to run away had been shot.
 
With regard to the prisoners themselves in this picture, it was common practice to make them carry the heavy stuff that we had toted into battle. Any spare mortar bombs, our Bren Jackets and anything else that could be safely loaded on to them.  There were no Partisans with us at this time.
 
The Bren Jacket was in itself a heavy garment and with it 8 bren magazines, each Mag. contained 28 x .303 rounds of ammunition. In addition the No.1 man carried his Colt 45, plus the weight of 50 rounds for that. The Nos. 2 & 3 in the Bren Team, in addition to the Bren Jacket and their 8 Magazines of .303, carried their Rifles, Bayonnets and 100 rounds of .303 ammunition for that in clips and bandoliers which you can see in the Picture.
 
Some Troop members would be carrying the 2’’ Mortar, its Base plus supply of Bombs, and the 'Piat Man' would be similarly loaded. You can understand why, after the exertion of the activity, and certainly in the warmer weather it was felt appropriate to make the Prisoners carry the load.
 
In the Infantry Troops we thought we had our share of the weight to be carried, but spare a thought for the members of the Heavy Weapons Troop, who carried 3’’ Mortars, Base Plates, & Tripods, plus enough bombs for a battle, and Vickers Machine Guns, and loaded ammunition cylinders."
 
Communication and Cigarettes
"Unless one was say in the Orderly Room, and perhaps had access to a typewriter, all letters would have been hand written. Letters posted home were always censored by each Troop CO.  There was an Army Newspaper called the ‘8th Army News’, but afterwards this became ‘ The Crusader ’. I imagine because both the 1st & 8th Armies were engaged in the action at that time.
 
In case you do not know, the Vs… referred to were our Weekly free issue of 50 cigarettes. The name was “ Victory Vs ”. They came from the NAAFI, but did not arrive every week, some times they were up to a month late.
 
When we first joined the 8th Army they were called ‘Cape to Cairo’ the label pictured a Camel, and it was said that’s where they came from ‘the Camel’. But as we proceeded through Sicily & Italy the name changed. ( I didn’t smoke, so was not much affected by the quality )."
 
Preparations for Japan
We arrived home late June, early July 1945, and I was sent down to St Ives in Cornwall, to attend a “ Surf Landing Boating Course ” at the Commando School for Boating and Cliff Climbing. The Japanese War was still in progress and we were being regrouped to be sent Far East.
 
It was said that there were not many natural Harbours available out there and we had to be prepared to make Surf Landings. It seems that opposite the town of St. Ives, the beaches develop the highest level of surf around the UK. When the Local fishermen were coming in because rough weather was expected, we would set out. We used Canadian Dory’s which are sharp at both ends ( shades of Moby Dick ). Eight men rowing and one man with a sweep to steer.
 
The drill was to row into the shore keeping the Boat at strict right Angles to the shore. When we reached the actual surf, the rowers turned about face and adopted a rowing out stance. And held on. The surf would pick the boat up and carry it in. If we did it right the boat would ride in on a high wave and be deposited squarely on the beach. If the angle was slightly out the boat and rowers ended up in a heap under water, with the boat up around your ears.
 
Another factor was the very thick sea mists that can occur down there even on August Bank Holiday and before. We spent hours learning to steer by compass out at sea in very thick mist, with visibility nil."
 

Service after the War
"After the war Jack Payne, my brother Stanley, and I,  all enlisted in the London (TA) 10th Battalion Parachute Regiment, and spent 6 years jumping out of aeroplanes and balloons. I may have mentioned that we had done an initial Parachute Course on our return from Yugoslavia, at a place named Gioia del Colle, which means Happiness on the Hill.

We were in number 3 Company, based at Dagenham Essex.  Jack Payne persuaded us to make up a Company Boxing Team, and we won the Inter Company Trophy, 5 years running, so they gave it to us and set up another Trophy."

Many thanks to Eric for sharing his memories with us. Eric died on the 16th May 2020.
(First uploaded to Archive October 2016, updated May 2020.)
 
Linked Content: 
BUCKMASTER, Eric Henry
BUCKMASTER, Stanley Owen
Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

DIXON, Herbert, Memories of No 2 Commando

Type: Personal Papers
Author: Herbert Dixon No 2 Cdo, Tim Huelin
Year of Publishing: 2015
Keywords: Herbert Dixon, No 2 Commando
Download
Fus Herbert Dixon 2 Commando
Herbert 'Herbie' Dixon wrote this document aged 75.  It includes more than just his military service and is well worth reading. Our thanks to his grandson Tim Huelin for allowing us permission to reproduce on our website.
 
Names mentioned are as follows:
No. 2 Commando - 
Owen Hare / Bill Gibson / Peter Harkness / Jimmy Prescott / CSM Hammond / Stan Willett / Captain Burn / Lt. Peyton / Lt Jenkins / Fusilier Roberts (6459118 Fus. J. Roberts) / Sgt. Palmer (2035474 Sgt. N. Palmer) / Captain Godfrey Franks / Private McLean / Billy Elwood / Jock McKenzie / 'Pugsy' Foomry (this was Donald Formoy) /  'Robbo' Roberts (6459118 Fus. J. Roberts) / Billy Mills (5336103 Pte W. Mills) / Pte. Leonard Rubin (not mentioned by name but referred to on page 18/19.) / 'Tiny' Burke / Perkins / Bill Ballard (6109504 Pte William Ballard) / Lt Frank Mason / Lt Joe Nicholl / Charlie Goff / Captain Hooper / Lt Col Churchill / Harry Lumm /  Freddy Peters / Jimmy Neighley (may be ident with with Stanley J. Neilly) / Denis Trueman / Duke of Wellington / Taffy Davies / Sgt. Dawson / Reg Furze (6896471 Reginald Fursse) / Parsons / Captain Larry Taylor / Wee Ainslie (2826201 Pte Leslie Ainslie)  / CSM McAllister / Tan Rudge / Walter Ainslie / Denis Salmon / Paddy Jerman (187409 Captain John Jermyn) /
 
No.9 Commando - Hodkinson / Stewart.
 
Linked Content: 
2 Commando Detachment 13 Sep'41 for 7 months
Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

DIXON, Herbert

Known as: 
Bert, Herbie
Rank: 
Fusilier
Unit / Base: 
2 Commando
Regiment/Corps: 
The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
Service: 
Army
Number: 
6290340
Born: 
Friday, August 11, 1916
Died : 
December, 1999
Operations: 
‘Sicily - Operation Husky’
Salerno - Operation Avalanche
Herbie Dixon 2 Commando

Herbert Dixon enlisted with the Buffs on 15 March 1940. He then volunteered for No.5 Independent Company. After joining No.2 Commando he was posted to 6 troop. Late 1943 when the Commando was restructured he was moved to 5 troop. There are group photos of him and others in the 5 troop album.

Sources
Life Story (see linked content below)

[Image] Tim Huelin (grandson)

Photo of Commando in Gallery: 
Yes
Archive pages : 
No 2 Commando
No 5 Independent Company

SAWYER, Alfred, Memories of No 2 Commando

Type: Personal Papers
Author: Alfred Sawyer No 2 Cdo., Ian Sawyer
Year of Publishing: 2015
Keywords: 2 commando, alf sawyer, sicily, italy, yugoslavia, brac, greece
Download

The personal memories of Alf Sawyer relating to his military service in No 2 Commando. Use the download facility above. Provided courtesy of his son Ian Sawyer

Linked Content: 
SAWYER, Alfred Frederick Edward
Archive pages: 
No 2 Commando

SAWYER, Alfred Frederick Edward

Rank: 
Private
Unit / Base: 
2 Commando
Regiment/Corps: 
Hampshire Regiment
Service: 
Army
Number: 
1447691
Died : 
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Operations: 
Salerno - Operation Avalanche
‘Sicily - Operation Husky’

Read below the wartime memories of Private Sawyer No 2 Commando.

Archive pages : 
No 2 Commando

2 Commando Boxing Team 1942 / 1943

2 Commando Boxing Team 1942
No.2 Commando Boxing Team 1942
Top row: Pte Doug Chant, Pte Miles S, Pte Daly J, Pte Harry Lumm, H, Pte Taylor, Gnr John 'Jack' White, Gnr, Grant J.
3rd row: L/Sgt Roy Bellringer, Pte Wells, L/Cpl. Lloyd C, Gdsm. Roy 'Jack' Payne, Cpl Nelson Smallbone, Pte Douglas Brown, Pte Haig R, Pte Peter Sharp, S/I Niblo J.
2nd row: Pte Gallington T, RSM Alexander Seaton, Capt. H.H. Blissett, Lt. Col J.M.T.F. Churchill, M.C., Lt. F.S. Mason, Pte Len Justice;
Bottom row: Fus Thrift W, L/C Arnold F, RFM Wood G, L/C Turpin A, Pte Bellis J, Pte Simons M, Pte Davies R.

No.2 Commando Boxing Team 1943 in Gibraltar
Top row: 1. Gnr .John 'Jack' White;
Middle row: 1. nk; 2. nk; 3. LCpl Peter Sharp; 4. LCpl. A. Turpin; 8. Pte. F. Haigh.
Bottom row: 1. Harry Lumm; 2. nk; 3. Lieut. Frank Mason; 4. Lt Col 'Jack' Churchill; 5. belvd to be Capt.Samuel Jenkins; 6. nk; 7. Gdsm. Roy 'Jack' Payne.

Photos above courtesy of John White, son of Gnr. John 'Jack' White.
The Fallen from those identified
88225 Captain Samuel Leslie Jenkins [more....].
149207 Lieutenant Frank Stanley Mason [more....].
6467394 Sergeant Nelson Arthur Michel Smallbone, Mentioned in Despatches [more....].
3059646 Lance Corporal Peter Sharp [more....].
 

2 Commando Boxing Team photo

No.2 Commando Boxing Team, Gibraltar, 1943
No.2 Commando Boxing Team, Gibraltar, 1943 [view in gallery]. 

2 Commando troop being led by Capt. Peters at Spilje Albania, image

1 Troop No.2 Commando at Spilje, Albania
1 troop No.2 Commando making their way to the top of one of the 2000ft ridges at Spilje, Albania, 29 July 1944. Captain Peters in beret leading them. Photo credit: Des Rochford No.2 Commando.
Captain David Peters was awarded the Military Cross, and later a bar to his Military Cross whilst acting as T/Major in No.2 Commando.
 
Linked content: 
Spilje Bay - Operation Healing 11

2 Commando with wounded at Spilje, Albania, image

No.2 Commando tend to wounded during Operation Healing 2 at Spilje, Albania, 29 July 1944.
No.2 Commando tend to wounded during Operation Healing 2 at Spilje, Albania, 29 July 1944. Photo credit: Des Rochford No.2 Commando.
Linked content: 
Spilje Bay - Operation Healing 11

5 Troop No.2 Commando, Spilje, Albania, image

5 Troop No.2 Commando, Spilje, Albania

Operation Healing 2 - Spilje, Albania, 29th July 1944. Stanley Buckmaster (5tp) and Jock Cree (5tp) are on either side of the German prisoner in the middle of the photo. Jock on the right of him as you view the photo. Photo credit: Fred Mather. Additional photos from this operation are in the No.2 Commando gallery.

Info from Eric Buckmaster and Des Rochford both No.2 Cdo :The German prisoners are wearing assault jackets from some of 5 troop and carrying ammunition housed in the pockets. Eric said that it was easier to make them carry the heavy stuff." 

Linked content: 
Spilje Bay - Operation Healing 11

A Return in 1973 to Yugoslavia

Written by Henry Brown OBE, Secretary of the Commando Association and first published in Commando Association newsletter 57 of September 1973. Image from our archive [view here] depicts Colonel Jack Churchill and his brother General Tom Churchill during the visit. 
 
Whilst I shall endeavour to convey to members, especially all those ex No. 2 Cornmando Brigade, something of the atmosphere and success of this pilgrimage, I confess I have the feeling that my comments will prove quite inadequate, but here goes !
 
Gatwick Airport on Friday morning, July 20th 1973, saw the commencement of this sentimental journey, when a party totalling 40 members of 2 Cdo Bde and their wives, plus Mr. Ken Shaw of the Queen's Royal Reg., and Mr. George Mason of the 111 Fd. Regt. R.A., and led by their former Brigade Commander, Major General T. B. L. Churchill, C.B, C.B.E., M.C., flew off by Aviogenex 134A jet to Split where, on arrival, the party was given a most cordial welcome in the V.I.P. lounge by officials of SUBNOR (Yugoslav Veterans Organisation) and Tourist representatives.
 
This was to prove a fitting prelude to the ever increasing expressions of kindness and friendship which every member of the party experienced during this truly memorable pilgrimage-come-holiday. After being introduced to our courier, Mr. Bogdan Cvahte (soon to be affectionately referred to as 'Robbie'), the party immediately sampled the excellence of the arrangements made on our behalf when we boarded for the sea voyage to Vis, not a steamer taking four hours, but the Tourist Company's hydrofoil, which quickly and safely transported us to Komisa, with one short stop on the island of Hvar.
 
As only a small number of the party could be accommodated in the only hotel on the island, the majority were soon being introduced to their hosts in private houses, an arrangement which proved most satisfactory. Everyone came together at meal times in the very pleasant surroundings of the Hotel Bisevo where, in addition to a very satisfactory varied menu, there was an English breakfast for all who desired this.
 
Our first morning consisted of a coach tour, in a coach specially transported to the island from Split for our benefit, of the Island of Vis and, after about six attempts to get round one very difficult corner by the quay at Komisa, we were on our way. Passing through Podhumlje, the former location of the field hospital, we were soon climbing the hills towards the area of Tito's caves and had in fact to complete the last steep stretch on foot. Retracing our steps, we boarded the coach and our next stop was at the house formerly used by General Churchill as his Brigade Headquarters.
 
On then for a wreath-laying ceremony at a memorial commemorating the Yugoslav Forces, followed by a similar ceremony at a memorial commemorating fallen R.A.F. Pilots, this stands on the hill overlooking the former airstrip, now completely covered by very healthy looking vines. Continuing along the narrow mountainous, though now well surfaced road, we soon came upon the magnificent view of the harbour and town of Vis, and what amounted to our best view of Fort George, as the fort is still in a restricted area, and consequently no visit was possible to this old Troop H.Q. Whilst in the town, the party greatly enjoyed a reception given by the Mayor of Vis at the Town Hall, and a visit to a very fine museum in which many relics of the war are displayed - photographs too proved most interesting and especially those of Marshal Tito inspecting No. 2 Cdo on the airstrip and a group of Partisans and Commandos in which Jimmy Hustwick (one of our party) was immediately identified.
 
The party then returned to Komisa for lunch, and the remainder of that day, and the following day, Sunday, were taken up with swimming and sunbathing by most of the party. Others took this opportunity to have a real good look around Komisa taking pictures, of course, of buildings (little changed in thirty years) used as Officers' and Sergeants' Messes, Troop H.Q.'s, etc.
 
Monday, the 23rd, was taken up by a visit to the nearby island of Bisevo. Unfortunately, the sea was just too rough for entry by boat into the famous 'Blue Grotto', but not to be outdone, the strong swimmers, courageously led by General Churchill, dived overboard for what looked quite a perilous swim into the famous cave---their eventual return to the boats proving a very exciting episode. Moving then to a nearby sandy beach, the party quickly sought cooling refreshment before entering a large barn like building on the beach for a fish picnic, cooked nearby on an open fire. Liquid refreshment was in good supply and, needless to say, this picnic developed into a very jolly occasion, accompanied by rousing partisan songs.
 
Shortly after this the party had the honour of being joined by the British Ambassador and Mrs. Dugald Stewart, together with the Military Attache, Colonel B. A. M. (Tony) Pielow, and they returned with us that evening to Komisa for a very enjoyable reception at the town's most important outside restaurant and dance centre.
 
Making a very early start on Tuesday, the 24th July, approximately half our party set off in our specially chartered motor vessel, 'Argosy', for the island of Brac and, after well over three hours sail, eager eyes scanned the south west coastline trying to discern former landing points.
 
On arrival at Bol we were warmly greeted by local dignitaries and former high ranking partisan leaders, and taken by coach over what can only be described as a shocking road (we were told, and so it proved, that Brac roads are by far the worse on any of the islands) to the area south of Nerezisca, where we lunched in the beautifully wooded surroundings of the hotel Vidova Gora. This phase of the pilgrimage proved to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable, and certainly got off to a fine start when Colonel Jack Churchill came into sight from the other side of the hotel playing his pipes.
 
At the conclusion of the luncheon, all male members of the party received autographed copies of a lovely book about the island and, whilst most of the ladies stayed behind, the males accompanied the General and Colonel on a recce of the hill where the battle-raged thirty years ago. The terrain has, naturally, changed a little with the passing of time, but there was no doubt at all that we were treading the same path as the whole area is still littered with rusty spent cartridge cases,& shrapnel and pieces of mortar bombs, etc., many of which were brought home as souvenirs.
 
Eventually, Colonel Jack discovered the area in which he was taken captive, and later the place where Colonel Manners (40 Cdo) and Capt. Wakefield (2 Bde) were temporarily buried, and members stood with heads bowed whilst Colonel Jack played 'Flowers of the Forest' in memory of all those who died on the hill of Brac, an extremely moving moment for us all.
 
It was almost as moving later in the day, when Colonel Jack played his pipes as we left the shores of Brac to return over a rather unpleasant sea to Komisa.
 
Wednesday, July 25th, saw us on the island of Hvar where, during the coach journey for a very enjoyable lunch at Jelsa, we stopped for a moment on the hillside road, overlooking the little village of Grablje, which brought memories racing back to many of the 2 Cdo comrades in the party.
 
The following day we enjoyed seeing the beautiful island of Korcula, and survived our longest coach ride along the length of the island from Vela Luka to the town of Korcula for lunch, stopping for a while at the town of Blato, particularly remembered by Capt. Joe Nicholl, MC. On both Hvar and Korcula we received further very warm welcomes from local and partisan officials and enjoyed delightful lunches in their company.
 
Our last sea trip on Friday, July 28th, was to the island of Solta and our boat first pulled into the little port of Rognac so that comrades could climb the steep hill to the village of Grohote (a few letting the side down by thumbing a lift in a car ! ). Again the memories came flowing back and various points and buildings were recognised, though the church has been completely renovated since the war. Doubts were raised at first that this was in fact the place No. 2 Cdo attacked, but we were able to settle this satisfactorily when informed that the village square which all were seeking was now no more and in fact a public house and large hall now occupy this site.
 
It was here that a number of the party were invited into a house for refreshment and a very happy occasion this proved to be when the lady of the house realised she had Colonel Jack Churchill under her roof, she was obviously, judging by her spirited farewells to us all, loathe to let him go ! After this we re-embarked and sailed round to Maslinica for lunch at the Hotel Avlija, and then back to Komisa.
 
[Click/touch image to view in gallery]
 
Saturday, the 28th and Sunday, the 29th, were both days at leisure, though during this period permission was granted for a deputation to enter this restricted zone close to the mouth of Vis harbour, and a wreath was laid in the cemetery there by General Churchill and Sgt. Bill Humble, M.M., in the presence of Yugoslav Naval and Army Officers. On the last evening we gave a small farewell party to our many friends and hosts.
 
Early on Monday, July 30th. saw our departure from Komisa and we found it far from easy to say farewell to Vinco Svilioic and Dinko Repanic, our two excellent waiters at the Hotel Bisevo, to Vesna Bozanic and her sister Dina, who had helped so much with our language problems, and especially to our dear friend and Manager of the Hotel, Mr. Dinko Pusic. Many other newly made friends joined them for a touching farewell on the quayside as the hydrofoil moved off, once more to the strains of the pipes.
 
The party then flew from Split to Belgrade for three happy days at the Hotel Slavija where the food and accommodation was excellent, and during this period we enjoyed a reception at the Residence of the British Ambassador, and another at our Hotel, kindly given by SUBNOR (the Yugoslav Veterans Organisation) and where we were received by M. Dusan Sekic, the Secretary General of the Federal Committee of SUBNOR and other high ranking officials. During these two events we were particularly delighted to meet Mrs. Nada Sponza Mimica, whom many remembered as a nurse at the British hospitals on Vis.
 
On Tuesday morning, July 3lst, we gathered at the British War Graves Cemetery, for a short service, so fittingly conducted by the Revd. J. E.C. Nicholl, M.C., and where a wreath bearing a Commando Crest was laid jointly by the British Ambassador and General Churchill.
 
Everyone then had in opportunity to visit the graves, which are so beautifully tended, and to sign the register, before moving off for a similar ceremony at the Yugoslav War Cemetery.
The following morning the party visited the location of a former German Concentration Camp, where many citizens of Belgrade were put to death, and a wreath was laid here by Mrs. Doreen McWilliams. After this we moved to the National Memorial at Avala, a very imposing monument on the top of a hill, some way out of Belgrade.
 
Thursday evening, the 2nd August, saw our departure from Belgrade and where we were seen off at the airport by former high ranking army officers and by Mr. Branko Golovic and his charming wife. who presented each of our party with a red rose. Mr. Golovic, who met us at Split on our arrival, and who remained with us during our time on Vis, rightly deserves a very special 'thank you' for the manner in which he so kindly made himself available whenever guidance was required, and we are indebted to SUBNOR for so kindly arranging for him to be present amongst us.
 
Back for a night to Split, where we bade farewell to our wonderful courier Robbie, whom we all hope to welcome one day to these shores with his charming wife Sheena, and then back to Gatwick and Interviews to the Yugoslav services of the B.B.C. We had in fact received many notices in the Press in Belgrade, one day a full page of news and pictures of the party appeared, so we had not gone unnoticed. 
 
On behalf of our party I record our gratitude to General Tom Churchill for mounting this memorable pilgrimage and seeing it through, and also to his brother, Colonel Jack, for his presence and contributions on the pipes - in actual fact we had a spot or two of rain practically after each time he played, and the locals wanted to keep him there, as no rain had fallen for months, but we managed to bring him safely home !
 
This had indeed been a fantastic experience and one which every member of the party will never forget. [H.B]
 
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2 Special Service / Commando Brigade

A Return in 1985 to Yugoslavia

Written by Major (retd.) Laurence MacCallum, MC, President of the Commando Association and first published in Commando Association newsletter 81 of September 1985. Click/touch highlighted names for more. Image from our archive [view here]. 

Pilgrimage to Vis, Yugoslavia. 
Thanks entirely to the hard work of Peter Bickmore and his charming wife Doreen, of the Coastal Forces Veterans Association, a joint operation of Army and Naval Veterans returned in May to Yugoslavia for the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Victory.
The pilgrimage was combined with a holiday, the first week being spent at Hvar, the second at Trogir, near Split. The people of Hvar could not do enough, with concerts being laid on every night and a 'picture gallery' of the war in Vis at the Town Hall.
However, the return to Vis was the big day with Partisans from all over Yugoslavia making a visit to the island. Arrival was in Vis harbour at 8.30 a.m., the party having been transported by two diesel powered catamarans, most comfortable and fast vessels. The buildings in the harbour were just as they were 40 years ago, with the exception of a very large hotel, built opposite the old H.Q. of No. 2 Troop.
The whole of Vis turned out to greet us, including the town band. Refreshments, including drinks, were laid out on long trestle tables for us.
After many welcoming speeches, the party formed up behind the standard bearers of the colours of the Coastal Forces Veterans Association, the British Legion and the Flag of the Warrington Branch of the Commando Association, carried with great dignity by Geoff Wilkes, marched up to the large Yugoslavian Memorial Plaque of fighters killed in action from Vis.
Then came the unveiling of the 'Memorial of Friendship' Plaque by 'Doc' Capt. Lionel McWilliams, MC., which is situated on a building on the Komiza Road, this being the only road from Vis.
The plaque reads: ' In Memory of the British Forces, who gave their lives alongside those gallant Partisans of Tito's Liberation Army I943 - 1945. We will remember them. May l985. British Coastal Forces Veterans Association and The Commando Association'. 
Here, a short service was conducted by Major MacCallum, followed by the 'Last Post'. after which 'Reveille was sounded.
The Memorial was unveiled by Bill Cobby, Chairman of the CFVA and Major MacCallum, MC. A reply was made by Mr. Marinkovic, representing Vis and the Partisans. A visit was then made to the very good museum at Vis, which contains many exhibits of No. 2 Commando. 
After a short bus ride, the RAF Memorial was reached. From here there is a magnificent view of the air-strip, now replanted with vines, although the hazards lights were still in place !
Then on to Tito's cave where excellent wine tasting was laid on.
Continuing to Konija, the party was warmly welcomed and a parade was held at the local Memorial Plaque to the memory of fighters killed in action from that town.
The Association wreath was laid here by Major Ronnie Mitchell, MBE. The two houses used by Col. Jack Churchill DSO, MC, and Admiral Morgan Giles during the war, and on which plaques had been laid and unveiled by the British Ambassador last year, were visited next. The wreath placed on the army plaque was laid by Dusty Miller.
After this, the locals just mobbed the visitors, with the youngsters, who seemingly all spoke English, acting as interpreters for the older generation, who related an almost endless stream of stories from the war. One of the most interesting of these gentlemen, clad in a " city suit ", insisted on meeting Major MacCallum and on coming face to face with the Major, related how, as a boy of 16, he had been put on a LCI by the Major (at that time a Lieut.) and sent to Bari before continuing on to Egypt, and safety. He could not thank the visitors enough. 
Here, as at Vis, all the youth organisations' representatives were dressed in national costume, as indeed were many of the grown-ups, and it was something of an achievement to round up the visitors in order to return to Vis. 
On returning to Vis, we headed for the Hotel Issa for the official luncheon, Toasts in honour of the visitors were made by Mr. Dalic, President of the Assembly, and by General Piacho Peocla, and replies made by Major MacCallum and the Assistant Ambassador. Following this, everyone moved on to the Narodni Dom (Town Hall) for further entertainment.
After what seemed an almost too short time, the visitors boarded the vessels for the return voyage with the whole population of Vis on the quayside singing 'Tipperary' to the accompaniment of the local band. This was specially fitting, as this was the tune the Commandos were welcomed with 40 years ago. This time the locals sang it to bid us farewell. 
The rest of the holiday was not anticlimax. The party moved to Trogir, near Split, from which excursions and official trips were made. One such excursion from the hotel's quayside was to Solta, travelling by large schooner, for a fish lunch. Unfortunately, there was no time to visit Grohote.
Later, the official Navy Museum at Split was visited, and we were surprised to see the old vessel 'Marco Polo', now embedded in concrete from bow to smoke-stack - this was the vessel which was used to ferry almost everything, including troops, from Bari to Vis. Rather this than the breakers yard! 
At Padgora, a parade was held at the marvellous Navy Memorial, where a broken sea-gull's wing symbolises the loss of the Yugoslav Navy, and a complete wing on  the other side represents its reformation.
On the last night at the hotel, the visitors gave a party of thanks to our splendid Yugoslav hosts. The British Ambassador attended, having kindly made the journey from Belgrade. To him our thanks. Organising the parades for 170 people is no easy task and for this, thanks also to Tan Rudge DCM.
However, this must be finalised as it was started, with grateful thanks to Peter and Doreen Bickmore for organising and looking after everyone and everything. We will all come again. (Sgd.) L. MacCallum.
 
Archive pages: 
2 Special Service / Commando Brigade
No 2 Commando

A group from 5 Troop No.2 Commando at Spilje image

Group from 5 troop No.2 Commando after the raid at Spilje, Albania
Group from 5 troop No.2 Commando after Operation Healing 2 at Spilje Albania.
Rear row l-r: Sgt Harry Heaton; Pte. Fred Bennett; Cpl.Paddy Deighan; Pte. Ben Fryer; ?? Kelly.
Front row l-r: Taffy Davies; Eric Buckmaster; ????; Stan Buckmaster.
 
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Spilje Bay - Operation Healing 11