No 14 Commando

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'Norway - Operation Checkmate'

Wednesday, April 28, 1943

Location

Kopervik
Norway
59° 17' 1.3452" N, 5° 18' 24.7572" E

Operation CheckmateA combined operations raid on Axis shipping in the harbour at Kopervik, Norway. This raid was a No 14 Commando operation. The raiders managed to sink several ships using limpet mines, but were eventually captured and initially taken to Haugesund for interrogation before being transported to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

'Norway - Operation Crackers'

Monday, February 22, 1943
An intelligence gathering operation originally planned to include the destruction of observation posts in the Norwegian fjords, but due to bad weather the raiders took over an unmanned observation post for a week of intelligence gathering before making good their escape. 
 

14 Commando

This was a very short lived Commando unit raised for the specific purpose of operations in Norway. Mountbatten wrote to the Chiefs of Staff in November 1942 expressing his view for the need of Arctic specialists from any source for winter operations in Norway. They agreed and No.14 Commando was formed on the 3rd December 1942, initially under Lt Col. E.A. M. Wedderburn, Royal Scots, with a total of 15 Officers and 40 OR's including some Canadian RNVR's. Their first HQ was at Ewe Bank Cottage, Beauly, Inverness-shire.
 

BURGESS, Neville Arthur

Able Seaman Neville Burgess 14 Commando
Able Seaman
C/JX354547
No 14 Commando
HMS Fox, RN
Executed

Able Seaman Neville Burgess  was one of the raiding party at Kopervik, Norway (Operation Checkmate). Captured and later executed at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. Son of Arthur and Doris Burgess, of Beverley, Yorkshire.

COX, Victor John

Sergeant
5671612
No 12 Commando
Somerset Light Infantry
Executed
Sergeant Victor John 'Jack' Cox, No 12 Commando, was assigned to No.14 Commando for Operation Checkmate.  He was captured on the raid at Kopervik in Norway on 29th April 1943. Sergeant Cox was imprisoned and later executed after being taken to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and shot.

GODWIN, John

Lieutenant John Godwin, 14 Commando
Lieutenant
No 14 Commando
Mentioned in Despatches
Executed
Lieutenant John Godwin, a veteran of Operation Crackers * [view], was an Argentinian in the RNVR. Commanding Officer of the raiding party at Kopervik, Norway.

HAIG-THOMAS, David

Lieutenant
120492
No 4 Commando
No 14 Commando
Royal Army Service Corps
Killed in action or died of wounds
Lieutenant David Haig-Thomas, No. 4 Commando 'C' troop, was initially reported missing believed killed during operations at Normandy, later confirmed to have been killed in action.

HAWKINS, Patrick, T.H.

Sergeant
2573910
No 14 Commando
Royal Armoured Corps
Sergeant Patrick Hawkins was reported missing 13 July 1943 during operations in Sicily, later found to be a prisoner of war.
 
Sources
Casualty Lists / National Archives files WO417/66 and WO417/93.

HISCOCK, Harold

Petty Officer Harold Hiscock, 14 Commando
Petty Officer
LT/JX 217862
No 14 Commando
HMS Quebec / Royal Naval Patrol Service
Executed

Petty Officer Harold Hiscock, a Canadian from Newfoundland, was one of the raiding party at Kopervik, Norway (Operation Checkmate). He was captured and later executed at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. 

MAYOR, Keith

Able Seaman Keuth Mayor 14 Commando
Able Seaman
D/JX 363471
No 14 Commando
HMS Fox, RN
Mentioned in Despatches
Executed

Able Seaman Keith Mayor was one of the raiding party at Kopervik, Norway (Operation Checkmate). He was captured and later executed at Belsen Concentration Camp having been transferred there from Sachsenhausen. He has no known grave. Son of John and Gertrude L.

ROE, Alfred John

Petty Officer Alfred Roe 14 Commando
Petty Officer Motor Mechanic
P/MX 98752
No 14 Commando
HMS Fox, RN
Mentioned in Despatches
Died on war service

Patty Officer Alfred Roe was one of the raiding party at Kopervik, Norway. He was captured and later died of typhus at Belsen Concentration Camp having been transferred there from Sachsenhausen. Husband of Dorothy Elizabeth Roe, of Manor Park, Slough, Buckinghamshire.

WEST, Andrew Anthony

Able Seaman
D/JX363264
No 14 Commando
HMS Fox, RN
Executed

Able Seaman Andrew West was one of the raiding party at Kopervik, Norway (Operation Checkmate). He was captured and later executed at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. Son of Patrick West, and of Sarah West, of Glasgow.


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