Edward George Spinks, No2 Cdo (post St Nazaire)

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 31/10/2010 01:12:11

Thanks for the opportunity to post in your forum, my late father would have wanted me to send his best wishes along with my own.

"Ted" Spinks was a Police Officer in London (as was his father) before volunteering for the Commando training and I have obtained a copy of his war record (handwritten and hard to read), I also have some great photos from the era and noted he was not listed anywhere on your site so as he was very proud of his Commando roots I thought I would "let him know" I am proud too and still think of him a lot by ensuring he got a mention.

I have his wartime photo album so I am hoping I can give others some memories too.

Kind regards

Howard

To add to the infomation I have to date which I found interesting and I am sure other will, when Dad died in 2003 I wrote to the Commando Association to notify them and Eric Buckmaster sent me a very nice lettter and we exchanged emails briefly.

As a result I sent him a photo of Dad and he explained (edited):

The black and white lanyard was unique to 2 Commando as was the SS shoulder flash. The hat badge was a small metal fighting knife fixed to a black background and initially they were in short supply so we used to make our own filing them out of a nickel deset spoon.

The hat Dad was wearing is a khaki Tam-O-Shanter taken up by 2 Commando because it had a strong contingent of Liverpool Scottish which then became 5 troop and at his joining from the Metropolitan Police on 9th June 1942 there were two contingents apparently sent to Achnacarry, one was met Police and the second was other police forces.

He thinks my Dad was in 1 or 2 troop and Bill Capp who ended up with Eric in 5 Troop trained with Dad in "Glendenning" training troop. Ken Cook another 5 Troop buddy of Eric's also ended up in SIB like Dad after he came out of hospital from his injuries in Yugoslavia.

In a recent lettter he says "Since your Dad received his injuries in Yugoslavia, he would have ended up in ? Bari Hospital ? in the South of Italy. The Front Line, on the Italian Mainland was then fairly well up above Rome, although we were still fighting the Germans in Yugoslavia & Albania.

There was someone in the Bari Area in the SIB, and he persuaded several of our Ex Policeman Comrades that the War would soon be over, and that it would help their career in Civvy Street if they had experience of Army Policework. Whether it did or not I have no Idea, but whoever he was, must have been a good Salesman."

He also tells me "Did you know that Policemen were given only 2 Options, they could either do Flying duties with the RAF or join the Commandos. That?s how your dad ended up with us. "

It seems not knowing exactly what Troop Dad was in is a major sticking point at present not helped by the fact that he seems to have been hospitalized quite quickly and as the record says the injury was severe I guess the Commandos was not the place for someone who was not 100% fit at that time and actually they never did remove all the sharapnel I believe from a mortar shell explosion.

I have to obtain the album and scan the photos but look forward to adding them to the photo gallery for the wider audiance.

I was looking for cdo photo's for sale on ebay and found this which looks like it might include your dad?? hope it is, what do you think?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=350110592536

A bit expensive but might be of interest. I found one from the same seller that i have bought that I think includes my Grandfather Harold Hughes and the rest of 3cdo 6 troop on their LCI prior to setting off for Normandy.

Nick

Nick Birkinshaw wrote:I was looking for cdo photo's for sale on ebay and found this which looks like it might include your dad?? hope it is, what do you think?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=350110592536

A bit expensive but might be of interest. I found one from the same seller that i have bought that I think includes my Grandfather Harold Hughes and the rest of 3cdo 6 troop on their LCI prior to setting off for Normandy.

Nick

Hi Nick

Thanks for the thought but I dont think my Dad is in the group, the guy face on has a tattoo and my Dad had none and the guy side on is too thin.

Regards

Howard

Looking at the photo (and description) I would say that this is a RN Beach Party.
The guy with the face towards us has his trade badge on his helmet and it is clearly crossed flags - which indicates a Signaller.
Here are a couple of Shore Signal Service badges to compare with the photo.

Unfortunately I cannot make out his rating (rank) badge worn on upper left arm but there is clearly something between the top of the flags so maybe he is a Petty Officer (PO)

Nick

NIC wrote:Looking at the photo (and description) I would say that this is a RN Beach Party.
The guy with the face towards us has his trade badge on his helmet and it is clearly crossed flags - which indicates a Signaller.
Here are a couple of Shore Signal Service badges to compare with the photo.

Unfortunately I cannot make out his rating (rank) badge worn on upper left arm but there is clearly something between the top of the flags so maybe he is a Petty Officer (PO)

Nick

Thanks for the added info but I am conviced it isn't him and find nothing in his war record to indicate an RN link or a PO rank.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 31/10/2010 01:09:46

Son Of Ted Spinks wrote:
Thanks for the added info but I am conviced it isn't him and find nothing in his war record to indicate an RN link or a PO rank.

That was exactly my point, I certainly don't think that the guy in the photo is your dad (I'm not a gambling man, but I'd even put money on it!).

Nick

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 26/04/2009 09:20:20

NIC wrote:[quote=Son Of Ted Spinks
Thanks for the added info but I am conviced it isn't him and find nothing in his war record to indicate an RN link or a PO rank.

That was exactly my point, I certainly don't think that the guy in the photo is your dad (I'm not a gambling man, but I'd even put money on it!).

Nick

Thanks Nick, it's been a long week and I have not long been awake so misunderstood your explanation (due also to lack of overall knowledge of the subject). I appreciate the clarification and facts to back up my gut instinct.

PS: I am collecting the photo album today so should soon have some pictures for the group.

I am very interested in the two intakes of Policemen, there was another thread on an Essex Pc - is there a list for the two intakes?

I also recall a post from a Police Inspector who was researching his stations war memorial - how come I can never find these posts when I want to !!

Howard - where in the Met. was your dad stationed?

I served in the Met. and then Hertfordshire in the 80's/90's/00's and have long been interested in the coppers who went off to war - I didnt know it was either RAF or Commando's though.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 26/04/2009 21:18:39

Pete Keane wrote:I am very interested in the two intakes of Policemen, there was another thread on an Essex Pc - is there a list for the two intakes?

I also recall a post from a Police Inspector who was researching his stations war memorial - how come I can never find these posts when I want to !!

Howard - where in the Met. was your dad stationed?

I served in the Met. and then Hertfordshire in the 80's/90's/00's and have long been interested in the coppers who went off to war - I didnt know it was either RAF or Commando's though.

Here is a picture of my Dad and Grandfather both in the Met at the same time, (Dad was 19) they were from Leytonstone and Dad retired in 1969 five years before I joined the Met. Dad served in several Central to East London stations including Leman Street I believe and if it is really important I am sure I could be more specific.

I am not aware of any intake list sorry.

Not essential, just idle curiosity really. the closest I got to Leytonstone was Barkingside, but then got put out to pasture at Loughton.

I might have to do some digging about the two intakes, make a nice article for Police Review !

Pete.