51ME Commando

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BIRCH, Frederick

Fred Birch 7 Commando
Sergeant Frederick Birch 7 Commando
Corporal (Acting Sergeant)
2931860
No 7 Commando
51ME Commando
Liverpool Scottish Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
Frederick Birch, a Wholesale Meat Salesman from Liverpool, enlisted on 21 August 1939 later volunteering for the commandos. Sergeant Birch served in No.7 Commando and took part in operations at Bardia and Crete before moving to 51 Middle East Commando.

BROWN, Leslie Jock

Cpl. Leslie Brown 1st SAS
Corporal
5437777
SAS
No 8 Commando
'Layforce'
51ME Commando
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Killed in action or died of wounds
Corporal Leslie Brown had previously served in the Commandos before joining 'B' Squadron of the 1st Special Air Service. He died when his jeep patrol was attacked whilst en route to harass the enemy in Southern Tunisia.
Service*

CATOR, Henry John

Lieutenant Colonel
26093
51ME Commando
Royal Scots Greys
Pioneer Corps
Royal Armoured Corps
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Military Cross (MC)
Deputy Lieutenant (DL)
1917 awarded the Military Cross in WWI.
31.01.1940 Commanding Officer No.1 Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps (AMPC).
15.10.1940 Commanding Officer 51 Middle East Commando on formation from volunteers selected from No.1 AMPC.
23.03.1941 wounded Eritrea and evacuated. Later served with Airborne Forces.

DAB, Jakob

Jakob Dab Middle East Commando
Raider (Private)
PAL 12810
51ME Commando
Pioneer Corps
Military Medal (MM)
Raider Jakob Dab was awarded the Military Medal for gallant and distinguished service.
Recommendation
Before Keren Eritrea.

DRORI, Avishalom

Corporal
PAL/14538
51ME Commando
No 11 Commando
'Layforce'
Pioneer Corps
Corporal Avishalom Druri was Jewish and from Palestine. He enlisted into the Royal Air Force (sn. 775189) on 30 July 1940 before transferring to the Army 30 March 1941. Served in the Pioneer Corps and 51 Middle East Commando before being attached to No.11 Commando ('C' Battalion Layforce) for the raid on Rommel's HQ (Operation Flipper).

FISCHER, M.

Raider (Private)
PAL/10750
51ME Commando
Pioneer Corps
Died on war service
Raider Fischer, 51 Middle East Commando, died during operations in Eritrea. Son of Aaron and Sara Fischer, of Haifa, Palestine.
Raider Fischer is sadly listed only by his surname and initial on the CWGC record. He was Jewish and buried initially at Makele. Re-buried Asmara 9 May 1943.
Source: CWGC.

FROST, Henry Shelmerdine

Captain Henry Shelmerdine Frost
Captain
51425
51ME Commando
Cheshire Regiment 1st Bn.
Mentioned in Despatches
Killed in action or died of wounds
Captain Henry Frost died during operations in Eritrea when leading a patrol up a steep gulley running South from Beit Gabru to harass enemy positions.
Mentioned in Despatches in recognition of distinguished service.
Son of Lt.-Col. John Meadows Frost, D.S.O., and Olivia Frost. of Chester.
 

HASLAM, Roy

Lance Corporal (later Sergeant)
2319382
51ME Commando
52ME Commando
Royal Corps of Signals
British Empire Medal (BEM)
Posted from the Middle East Commandos to the Indian Long Range Squadron on its formation in 1942. He became the Signal Sergeant and was awarded the British Empire Medal (Military Division) in recognition of distinguished service in the Middle East whilst organising and training those in the Signal Section of this new unit.

HEATH, George

Sergeant
6285981
51ME Commando
The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM)
Sergeant George Heath, 3 Troop, was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in recognition of gallant and distinguished service during operations on the night of 4/5 March 1941 at Beyt (or Beit) Gabru, Eritrea.
 
Sources
London Gazette 35221, page 4110.

JAMES, Keith Wyndham

Keith Wyndham James 51 Commando
Keith James 51 Commando
Captain
117487
51ME Commando
Inns of Court Regiment
Yorkshire Hussars
Royal Sussex Regiment
Service
02.09.1939 - Inns of Court Regiment.
04.02.1940 - 110 O.C.T.U. commissioned Second Lieutenant, Yorkshire Hussars.
02.12.1940 attached 51 Middle East Commando.
27.01.1942 attached 1 Special Service Regiment.

LANDLER, Sandor

Raider (Private)
10074
51ME Commando
Pioneer Corps
Military Medal (MM)
Raider Sandor Landler was awarded the Military Medal in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in the Middle East.
Recommenation

LAPRAIK, John Neilson

Acting Captain (later Honorary Colonel)
132519
51ME Commando
SBS
SAS
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Military Cross (MC)
Bar to the Military Cross
Mentioned in Despatches
Territorial Decoration (TD)
Acting Captain John Neilson Lapraik was awarded the Military Cross for gallant and distinguished service in the Middle East [1].
Recommendation

MILLER, Christopher Dudley

Birth name: 
MILLER, Christopher Dudley Butt
Lieutenant Colonel
51ME Commando
Middle East Commando
10th Royal Hussars
Major Christopher Dudley Miller was the second in command of 51 Middle East Commando on its formation 15 October 1940. He took command as Acting Lieutenant Colonel on 23 March 1941 when Lieutenant Colonel Cator MC, their Commanding Officer, was wounded.

MOORE, Sidney Henry

Corporal (later Company Quartermaster Sergeant)
328884
No 8 Commando
No 7 Commando
51ME Commando
Lancers
Royal Signals
Medals: 1939/45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence Medal; War Medal.
1946 resided Pimlico, London. Member of the Commando Association last residing Ripon, Yorkshire. His brother Albert served in No.3 Commando.
 
Sources

OSTERMAN, Werner

Raider (Private)
PAL/10272
51ME Commando
Pioneer Corps
Died on war service
Raider Werner Osterman died during the period his Commando were engaged in operations in Eritrea and Ethiopia . Son of Alfred Osterman, of Tel Aviv.
 
Sources
CWGC.

RANDELL, Richard Noel

Acting Captain
112949
51ME Commando
Welch Regiment, 1st Bn.
Richard Noel Randell was commissioned Second Lieutenant on 31 December 1939 [1].
  • 6 March 1941, Second Lieutenant, 51 Middle East Commando, wounded during operations in Eritrea when on a patrol up a steep gulley running South from Beit Gabru to harass enemy positions [2][2a].

ROSENSTEIN, Natan

Lance Corporal
PAL/12479
51ME Commando
Pioneer Corps
Died on war service
Lance Corporal Natan Rosenstein, an Austrian of Jewish Faith, served in the Commando from November 1941 and died of illness in July 1942. Son of Moriz and Paula Rosenstein, of Paddington, London.
 
Sources
CWGC.

SHIELDS, Ronald Francis

Lance Sergeant
4388357
51ME Commando
Coldstream Guards 3rd Bn.
Died on active service
Lance Sergeant Ronald Shields, ‘D’ Squadron, died at 63 General Hospital in the Middle East from burns to his limbs and face received from an accidentally ignited petrol drum thrown up on the beach by sea at El Rakham Bay. Son of Frank and Constance Ada Shields, of Scarborough, Yorkshire. A former labourer Ronald enlisted into the Coldstream G

SWET, Zvi

Zvi Swet 2 Commando
Raider (Private)
PAL 13437
51ME Commando
No 2 Commando
Pioneer Corps
Zvi Swet served in Eritrea and North Africa with 51 Middle East Commando until it was disbanded early 1942. He later volunteered for No.2 Commando who were recruiting replacements for their casualties incurred in Italy.

ULRICH, Itzchaz

Raider (Private)
PAL/10692
51ME Commando
Pioneer Corps
Killed in action or died of wounds
Raider Itzchaz Ulrich died during operations in Eritrea when on a patrol up a steep gulley running South from Beit Gabru to harass enemy positions. 
 
Sources
CWGC.
Account by Lt.Col. Cator in Middle East Commandos, author Charles Messenger.

WAJNSZTEJN, Shmaryahu

Shmaryahu Wajnsztejn 51ME Commando
Shmaryahu Wajnsztejn 51Commando
Raider (Private)
PAL/10696
51ME Commando
Pioneer Corps
Killed in action or died of wounds
Raider Shmaryahu Wajnsztejn died during operations in Eritrea when on a patrol up a steep gulley running South from Beit Gabru to harass enemy positions.
 
Sources
CWGC.
Account by Lt. Col. Cator in Middle East Commandos by Charles Messenger.

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