2 COMMANDO 2 TROOP

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 26/10/2009 18:57:43

MY GRANDAD SERVED IN 2 TROOP 2 COMMANDO. PTE DOUGLAS CHANT (BREN GUNNER). HE MARRIED MY NAN IN 41, IN PRESTWICK. MY NAN IS STILL ALIVE AND MISSING SCOTLAND (SHES A JOCK).

WHEN THEY GOT MARRIED, THEY WENT BACK TO MY NANS MOMS HOUSE IN PRESTWICK, WITH ALL THE GUESTS. MY NAN SAID THAT HER, MOM COME RUNNING UP TO HER AND SAID TO MY NAN. TELL THEM TO STOP IT (GRANDADS COMMANDO FRIENDS). WHEN MY NAN WENT INTO THE ROOM. THE COMMANDOS HAD EMPTIED THE VASES OF THE WEDDING FLOWERS. AND WERE USING THE VASES AS DRINKING TANKARDS. (NAUGHTY BOYS).

.

ANOTHER FUNNY TALE. ONE DAY MY NAN WENT INTO THE KITCHEN. TO DISCOVER, HER 8 YEAR OLD BROTHER, STRIPPING AND CLEANING A BREN GUN ON THE KITCHEN TABLE. GRANDAD, HAD UTILISED ALL HIS RESOURCES, I GUESS. :wink:

THEIR MUST BE MORE FUNNY TALES, FROM THESE VAGABONDS, KNOCKING ABOUT, LETS HEAR THEM.

THANKS.

LEE

Hi Lee,
Welcome to the CVA and thanks for those amusing anecdote. I'm sure you are right, there must be many more humorous tales about these resourceful soldiers.

Nick

This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 23/09/2014 22:19:49

Hi Lee

Your Grandad is indeed shown in our No.2 Commando " Those who Served" lists. Being in 2 troop he would have served under a famous Captain, the Duke of Wellington, who was sadly killed in action at Salerno, along with 1 Major, 3 other Captains, 2 Lieutenants, and so many other ranks, and that is just those from No.2. I see our late good friend Bob Bishop has posted a message about your Grandad previously. We all miss Bob. His message can be seen here :

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/460.page

Humour has a habit of shining through in times of adversity and I suppose that is one way of dealing with tragedy. I have heard many comical stories recently from Commandos and maybe you have pointed us in the direction of setting up a section in the forum for items of humour to keep them all together. Something for our committee to consider and I would certainly support it. I think the moderators might have to be on the ball though as a lot of what I have heard is humour of the "adult" nature. Only today I listened to a recently recorded second informal chat with a No.9 Commando Veteran called Ken Young in which he recalls some very humerous things which I will in due course put on the forum as part of a transcript of the tape. One that occurred in the midst of battle involving a call of nature but you will have to wait till I post it in the next day or so.
Returning to a more serious note Lee, do you have any pictures of your Grandad from his war days, or perhaps at Commando reunions or services after the war, that you would like posted in our gallery. I will gladly assist you in doing this. You can either contact me on here by pm or email me direct
Regards

Pete

*** Update 27/10/09*** I have now placed the details of the chat with Ken Young on the message titled "No. 9 Commandos, Ron (Ken) Young, Eddie Smith and others"

My grandfather served in 2 troop and took part in the St Nazaire raid , sadly I haven't seen him mentioned on the list of soldiers who served in 2 troop . His name is Leonard Frank Bayliss . I believe he was a corporal 6467968.

Hi Mandy,
welcome to the CVA. Please see the link below to find your grandfather's name in a nominal roll of No2 Commando which was compiled by the late Bob Bishop MC, No2 commando veteran and good friend of the CVA.

http://www.commandoveterans.org/site/no-2-commando-served

regards,

Nick

Hi Mandy,
Further to my previous message, you will also find your grandfather listed in the book:
THE ATTACK ON ST NAZAIRE', by Captain Robert Ryder, VC, RN,

He is listed on page 114, Appendix III, as: L. Bayliss L/Sgt. 3 Troop, No 2 Commando.

Regards,
Nick

Thank you for your relpy . I have seen his name and will look into getting the book .
Once again thank you

Mandy

NIC wrote:Hi Mandy,
Further to my previous message, you will also find your grandfather listed in the book:
THE ATTACK ON ST NAZAIRE', by Captain Robert Ryder, VC, RN,

He is listed on page 114, Appendix III, as: L. Bayliss L/Sgt. 3 Troop, No 2 Commando.

Regards,
Nick

Mandy,
As further corroboration of which Troop he was in, Lance Sgt L. Bayliss is listed as 3 Troop, 2 Cdo, in Stuart Chant's St Nazaire Commando (Appendix 3, page 197).

I can strongly recommend James Dorian's excellent Storming of St Nazaire, which has near complete lists of who was in which boat and their allotted task during the Operation. However my mother currently has my copy, so I can't check that for you just yet!

Do you know your grandfather's original regiment from which he was attached to No 2 Commando?

Cheers,
Mark

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 29/12/2009 16:32:26

mandy wrote:His name is Leonard Frank Bayliss . I believe he was a corporal 6467968.

Mandy,
Some further clarification:

Lance Sergeant is an Appointment where a soldier with the Rank of Corporal is appointed to perform the duties of a soldier holding the Rank of Sergeant.

As this was only an Appointment, it could be revoked by the commanding officer, whereas a soldier with the Rank of Sergeant could only be demoted by a Court Martial.

That extra flexibility probably suited commando units very well.

The down-side was that he usually still got corporal's pay, not sergeant's, and since he was officially still ranked a corporal, records/medals etc. often ignore the man's sergeant's status.

The exception to this is the Guards regiments and, I think, the HAC, where all corporals are known as Lance Sergeants!
HTH!
Cheers,
Mark

Thank you

Yes Len was with the Fusilers before joining No 5 Indepedant company. From the information gathered from his letters , names were pulled out of a hat and his was not called out. At a later date someone became injured and Len was asked if he would like to join. Of course he did.

I do believe he did make SGT, again shown in his letters. He was always getting into trouble so that would explain his lower ranking later.