Commando Basic Training Centre, Haydon Commando, Scotland April 1945

Bill,

Thank-you so much for your reply. I am, quite honestly, amazed to have got anything back, but, I guess if you are a Royal yourself, I shouldn't have been surprised. I'm not of the Corps, but I did serve under Lt Gen Ed Davis for a couple of years when he was a brig in London before he eventually went on to be CGRM.

My uncle, Thomas - aka "Tom" or " 'ar Tommy" - was an Army Commando with a Royal Ulster Rifles cap badge - 2 versions of which are in the family archive with his other effects. He had a chequered life after leaving the Army, but, as a kid, I absolutely loved him and even worked for him briefly selling baked potatoes before I commissioned in 1988. Sadly, nobody seems to know what happened to him. Since he was born in 1926 and had a fairly rough life, he is almost certainly now dead. Still, you never know with 'ar Tommy!

In the picture that started all this off Tom is number 8 from picture left on the third row back - I've circled him in the first attachment.

The second attachment shows Tom in his BD with the AAC dagger badge clearly visible and the 3rd attachment looks like some kind of camp in the Middle East / Levant / Cyprus - no date I'm afraid, but Tom is on the front row 4th from picture right.

We have now added the things on your Achnacarry list to our itinerary for August and I may even write to the Lochiel to see if my time defending Scotland can get me any further than the standard tour; you never know - no ask/no get?

The West Highland Museum was already on our list! Very, very much looking forward to it and can't thank you enough for replying.

Yours aye,

Dave H

Dave

What was the full name of your Uncle Tommy and do you have his service number ?.

Pete

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 31/07/2022 15:11:52

Hi Dave

Not a royal am 77 and a son of an No 4 Army Commando who was kia 1/11/44 in Flushing. I was born in January 1945 in Troon.

No4 COME TO TROON
From Inverary they were roused at 0400hrs to march the 16 miles to Dalmally. It was a bucketing all day and their train was late. They arrived at Ayr at 2200hrs some finding billets while others had to use the grandstand at Ayr racecourse. So on the 10 November 1940 the Commando marched behind the pipe band of the Royal Scots Fusiliers from Ayr to Troon and this became their base until late 1942. Troon was the ideal base, the harbour where small boats could be moored; beaches for landings; the surrounding countryside for field craft and tactical training with ranges near at hand including an area near Dundonald. The people of Troon made the Commando most welcome as they were billeted there. It is estimated that between 28 and 33 of the Commando married Troon girls.

I am like many others very involved in keeping the Commando name in memory and helping others.

If you want to see what would be possible at Achnacarry I would contact the curator of the Cameron Museum the contact is on their website about your visit.

Best wishes.

Bill