George Jones No3 Commando 1945

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 06/11/2019 20:38:11

Hi Nick

Thankyou very much for the information, I really appreciate the help with my grandads service record. I would have like to have known where and when he was wounded so I could tell my family. I am going to the archives soon, so maybe with luck I might throw a little more light on this. The following line on his service form reads:-

X68/45 33 RHU TO 38 RHU X(iv)A NWE 17/6/45.

Unfortunately I don't have a copy of his paybook.
I am also planning to contact the Staffordshire and Worcestershire regimental museums to see if they have any more information.

Many Thanks for the help C

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 06/11/2019 20:19:24

I would just comment on the statement that most commandos had a green chit pasted in the back of their paybook. I have checked and my Fathers does not have it and he was in No.2 Commando from formation to disbandment.

Craig, do you have a photo of your grandfather that you could post ?

Hi Pete

I know of 2 photos of my grandad in uniform, one just the general head shot with no unit markings which my Aunt has but they have just moved home and another which shows him wearing his commando badges which we are trying to find. As soon as I find either I will upload them.

Kind regards C

Pete wrote:I would just comment on the statement that most commandos had a green chit pasted in the back of their paybook. I have checked and my Fathers does not have it and he was in No.2 Commando from formation to disbandment.

Pete, I am basing my information on years of research and the dozens of service records that I have read, deciphered and transcribed for countless people - not just one record.
I'm assuming that your father never got posted to X(ii) List, because of illness or wounding? In which case he wouldn't have had the green chit pasted into his pay book.

For Craig's granddad to be posted to X(iv) List (A), he must have been posted to X(ii) List beforehand...

Nick

My comment was based on the use of the word Most as there were thousands of Commandos. Your assumption about my Father not being posted to the x(ii) list is incorrect.

My father Bob Mewett No 1 Cdo was posted on the x(ii) and his paybook does not have a green chit....and I have the paybook still.

A bit of a conundrum

John M

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 18/11/2019 17:05:23

Hi Craig

Craig wrote:Hi Nick

The following line on his service form reads:-

X68/45 33 RHU TO 38 RHU X(iv)A NWE 17/6/45.

Many Thanks for the help C

I'm not sure what the X68/45 stands for and it does depend in which column of the records it is in, but I would say it is the serial number of a routine order and the year of issue
The rest is quite straight forward -
33 RHU = 33 Reinforcement Holding Unit - possibly for The Wiltshire Regt.
38 RHU = 38 Reinforcement Holding Unit - possibly for the East Lancashire Regt.
NWE = North West Europe

101 Reinforcement Group was part of the 21st Army Group and was the HQ administering a number of Reinforcement Holding Units, usually three although more was possible, of which 33 RHU was one and 38 may have been another...
On 17 June 1945 he was posted from 33 RHU to 38 RHU [he was still on the X(iv) List] awaiting posting, as a reinforcement, to a suitable unit in NWE.

When he eventually did join his new unit in Europe, he was not posted as a commando - unless you have evidence that suggests otherwise?

Nick

Hi Nick

X65/45 was in the orders column on his service form, the next entry 52 RHU was DA to 9th Worcestershire regiment NWE 3/7/45. He was not sent back to a Commando unit and completed his transfer on the 17th July 45 and returned to the UK. Then he embarked for India on the 6/11/45. I have been to the National Archives last week and got copies of 3 commandos war diaries for the time frame of my grandads service in the battalion and other information around 300 photos of documents which I am slowly working through. I know there is very little chance of finding anything specific to my grandad. I just want to say the list of documents on this veterans archive that the National Archives hold was very useful so thankyou. I am still chasing the photos to get them posted.

A big thankyou to all who have helped with this search
Kind regards C

Thankyou for adding my Grandad to No3 Commando Nominal Roll

Thanks for the photo Craig which is now in our No.3 Commando gallery currently on page 4. If you have your grandfather's precise date of birth and death I will add those to the entry in the gallery. Here is a link to page 4 of the No.3 Gallery: http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/?g2_page=4

Hi, Pete

My Grandads date of birth was 30th May 1925 and died on 26th August 1980. He served in the Army from 16th March 1944 till 31st January 1948. As echoed by so many other posts my grandad never really talked about his time in the army,. There is another story other than the one regarding my grandad wounding which I am still researching, this involved my grandad almost being bayoneted by a German soldier but was saved by his friend/fellow commando. Unfortunately I have no way of verifying this as I have no name or date when this happened.
Kind regards C.