No.4 Independent Company Officers 1940

Photo courtesy of Mrs Desiree Roderick MBE.

Standing l-r : Cap. Donald Roy; Lt. Joseph Houghton; Lt. Richard Broome; Lt. John Proctor; Lt. Richard Morgan; Lt. John Vanderwerve;; Lt Wright; Capt. Larry Taylor.
Seated l-r : Capt. A. McKeiver (also seen spelt as McIver, McIvor); Capt. Graeme Black; Capt. Stanley Day; Major Bill Copland; Capt. Andrew Davidson; Capt. Richard Hooper; Capt. Harold H. Blissett

Most of these Officers went on to serve in No.2 Commando.

Lieutenant Donald Roy became Captain of 5 troop No.2 Commando. He was taken POW during the St Nazaire raid. He was i/c of an Assault Party on board HMS Campbeltown.

Lieutenant Joe Houghton joined No 2 Commando. He took part in the St Nazaire raid as head of the Protection Party on board ML443. After returning to the UK he rejoined No 2 Commando and took part in Operation Musketoon. He was captured and later executed whilst a POW.

Lieutenant Richard Broome later became Captain of 5 troop No 2 Commando. He was killed in action during Operation Avalanche at Salerno.

Lieutenant John Proctor served as a Lt in 5 troop No 2 Commando and took part in the St Nazaire raid as part of Capt Roy's Assault Party on HMS Campbeltown. He was seriously wounded resulting in one of his legs amputated. Evacuated back to the UK on one of the 3 ML's that returned, he later served on the staff at the C.B.T.C.

Lieutenant R. F. 'Dickie' Morgan joined No.2 Commando 2 troop. He was i/c of a protection squad for the demolition team on board ML262. POW at St Nazaire. 

Lieutenant John Edward Vanderwerve joined No.2 Commando and was killed in action during the St Nazaire raid. He was i/c of a protection squad for the demolition team on board ML306. 

Captain Larry Taylor joined No 2 Commando and then went overseas with Force 'X' to Malta. He was involved with covert operations from submarines during this period. He later returned to 5 troop No 2 Commando as their Captain after Captain Dickie Broome was killed at Salerno. He died not long after the war on the 25/1/1949.

Captain A. McKeiver (also seen as McIvor and McIver) was the Medical Officer for No 4 Independent Company.

Captain Graeme Black joined No 2 Commando and took part in Operation Musketoon. He was captured and later executed whilst a POW.

Captain Stanley Day was the Adjutant of No 4 Independent Company and became Adjutant of No 2 Commando. He was in Lt. Colonel Newman's HQ party at St Nazaire and taken POW.

Major Bill Copland became the 2nd i/c of No.2 Commando and was taken POW on the St Nazaire raid.

Capt. Andrew Davidson joined 5 troop No 2 Commando after Norway. He was injured in a motorcycle accident in 1941 eventually rejoining the 1st Bn. Liverpool Scottish Regt. 

Captain Richard Henry 'Dickie' Hooper MC joined No.2 Commando. He took part in the raids on Vaagso and on St Nazaire i/c of an assault squad on ML156. He returned to the UK and remained with No 2 Commando throughout the remainder of the war.

Captain Harold H. Blissett joined No 2 Commando and remained with them until being appointed to the staff of No.1 Special Service Brigade HQ as Brigade Major during the invasion of North West Europe.


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