Looking for the unit of a WW2 veteran

Hello All,

As a collector I could add a piece of equipment to my collection, which was once owned by D. H. Freeman. A soldier who served as a commando and fought on the second front. Can someone please help me find the unit of this man?

Thanks a lot in advance!

All the best,
Marcel

Hi Marcel,
Sorry you have not been answered thus far but the info you have given us is a little sparse.

Do you know whether this soldier survived the War?
How do you know he was a Commando and do you know which Commando he served in?

Any other info would be useful.

Nick

Hello Nick,

Thank you for willing to help me out. I own a combat helmet from WW2 that is named Freeman and bears the initials D H F. It was given to the previous owner by the soldier who survived the war unharmed. He told him it was his when he served as part of the Commando forces through the second front. When the war ended he continued civilian life. I also know the town where this soldier lived in the seventies, when he gave the helmet away.

As far as I could find out, there lived a person with this name in the small town, but he has passed away. I tracked down a nephew of him on the internet. He asked his father about this soldier, but it seems this is not the commando I'm looking for (middle initial and unit don't match).
It seems (through ancestry.uk) the soldier on his turn had a cousin of about the same age, with the right initials, but not from the town this helmet was picked up. I haven't found out if this could be the commando. In this case it wouldn't be his personal helmet anymore, but it might be a way how it got into his possession.

Although a more common name, I feel it still has a good chance that I might find the commando as I have also his initials to narrow information down. As he went through the second front unharmed, he can only be linked to 3 commando units: 3, 4 and 6 Commando

Do you know any other ways of finding the right person? Through a list of names or through other verterans that still might recall him?

Many thanks in advance!
Marcel

hi Marcel,

You seem to have a little bit of information regarding this soldier that could be useful - You know where he lived after the War and I think you know his parent Regiment/Corps.
Whereas you haven't provided much info to work with, I'll persevere as best I can.
In the meantime, may I suggest that you contact the soldier's relevant Regimental Museum and see if they can help, contact the local branch of the Royal British Legion and also post a letter in the local press of the area that he lived in - the latter is usually free and you may be surprised at how much this will normally turn up.
I suggest the local press because, generally, veterans of the generation that fought in WWII are not familiar with computers and rely more on the local papers for info.

Good luck in your quest,
Nick

Marcel wrote:

As he went through the second front unharmed, he can only be linked to 3 commando units: 3, 4 and 6 Commando

hi Marcel,

There is also the possibility he was from one of the Royal Marine Commando units (RM Cdo) who fought on the Second Front alongside the Army Cdos - unless you know which regiment he was from?

Nick

Hello Nick,

I have no information on his parent unit. I considered he might also be part of RM commando, but thought these were only assigned to the Normandy campaign (not the operation in the Scheldt Estuary and Operation Plunder later on). I thought the second front meant the whole of Western Europe.

Regards,
Marcel

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 05/04/2010 23:47:35

Marcel wrote:Hello Nick,

I have no information on his parent unit. I considered he might also be part of RM commando, but thought these were only assigned to the Normandy campaign (not the operation in the Scheldt Estuary and Operation Plunder later on). I thought the second front meant the whole of Western Europe.

Regards,
Marcel

Hi Marcel

1 Commando Brigade took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily and D-Day Operation Overlord invasion of Nazi German occupied Normandy, then campaigns in the Rhineland and crossing the Rhine.
No 45 Commando was part of 1 Commando Brigade along with Nos 3, 4 & 6 Commandos.

4 Commando Brigade, which was entirely Royal Marine after March 1944, comprising Nos 41, 46, 47 and 48 Commandos served in Normandy and in the Battle of the Scheldt on the island of Walcheren during the clearing of Antwerp.

nick

I stand corrected.
Thanks, Nick!

Marcel

Marcel,

The only trouble is, it widens our search! Hey Ho!

Nick