My uncles service record. Lionel R Johnston 14329144

On his service record it states that in 1943 joined lanc fus sent oversea. Volunteered for no 2 commando jan44.
I am trying to find where he may have seen action during his service.He was wounded on July 29 1944.Are there any documents available that would indicate in what action he was wounded.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 05/04/2013 18:32:01

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 02/02/2011 19:19:28

Hi Steve

Welcome to the CVA. In January 1944 No.2 Commando were at Molfetta in Italy and were rebuilding the Commando after its heavy losses at Salerno. This involved recruiting not from Achnacarry, but from the 5th Army and North Africa. This is the likely route your uncle took. After volunteering they were interviewed for suitability by selected No.2 Cdo Officers. Those being accepted were then placed into Training Troops. At this time it was decided to name the training troops after No.2 Cdo Officers who had been killed. As a result in January 1944 there was a Wellington Training Troop, named after Capt. the Duke of Wellington, Captain of 2 troop, and Broome Training Troop, named after Captain Dickie Broome of 5 troop. Both these officers had been killed in action some 3 months before at Salerno. Their training In Italy was rigorous and the War Diary states considerable numbers of personnel failing to come up to standard were RTU'd. Towards the end of January 1944 No.2 Cdo. moved to the Yugoslav island of Vis where they linked up with Partisan Forces. Here your uncle is likely to have participated in the numerous raids on other German occupied islands in the area. This continued until July 1944 when No.2 Commando moved to Monopoli. It was from there that they set off on the raid to Albania. It is likely that your uncle was wounded during Operation Healing 2 which took place on the 28th/29th July 1944 at Spilje, Albania. Most of the above information is from the official No.2 Commando War Diary.

There was an official film unit accompanying No.2 Commando on this raid and some footage can be seen here :

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=23453

and a photo of some of 5 troop in Albania can be seen here :

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/5+troop/Operation+Healing+2+-+Spilje-+Albania-July+1944-pic+2.jpg.html

The Imperial War Museum do have other still photos from the raid that you can purchase, some of which coincidentally were sent to me only a couple of days ago. I am about to contact them with a view to the CVA being allowed to display them on our website.

Have you any photos of your uncle from his Army or Commando days. If so please contact me direct on my email address below. We have an extensive gallery of photos for No.2 Commando and we can include personal documents such as Commando Service Certificates also. Although there is no official list of Commandos who served I have a note that he was from Newcastle and his rank was Fusilier. Perhaps you can confirm this. Also can you just confirm that his forename and surname are as you have spelt them,ie. Lional rather than Lionel, and Johnston with a 'T'.

Regards

Pete Rogers

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:45:33

Hi, thanks for the information .I have attached files of his service record which show when he joined no2 Cdo also confirming when he was wounded and a photo of him in uniform.

Hi Steve

The photo does not appear to have been posted. Should you have any difficulties please email me the photo and I will upload it direct

Pete R
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:45:56

This message was edited 6 times. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:46:38

Photos of Lionel Robson Johnston 1 taken before active service the other after return.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:47:04

Hi Steve

I have created a small album for the 2 photos of your uncle you placed here and included some of the information. Please check it and let me know if there are any errors. At present it is located on Page 3 of the No.2 Commando album on this link:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/?g2_page=3

Regards

Pete

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:47:23

Very interesting - nice to be able to read a request that can be answered so fully.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:47:41

There are other photos from my uncles collection that other users maybe interested in see attached.

This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:48:05

Hi Steve

In the group photo there are 2 or 3 who look familiar posibly 5 troop men. I will send these photos, and that of your uncle, to Eric Buckmaster who was in 5 troop No.2 Commando to see if he can assist with any information. Although it may seem obvious I always ask people to point out any names they know in photos they contribute, so can you point out your uncle and any others in each of the 2 photos. Thanks.

Pete

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:48:39

Eric Buckmaster has responded and confirms that the two Commandos together are Ernie Hurst on the left and Doug Fitton on the right, both of his own, and my father and uncle's troop, 5 troop No.2 Cdo. The group photo as I thought and Eric confirms contains the following:

Front row squatting:l-r. 1. Bill Aspey; 2. Ben Fryer; 3. n/k
Standing l-r 1. Jimmy Smith; 2. n/k ; 3. possibly George Deaker (later kia); other faces recognised but names n/k.

Eric goes on to say, "Doug Fitton came from a Kilted Regiment. The building they are in seems to suggest Molfetta. Italy"

My thanks to Eric for helping to identify some of these people some 68 years after the photo was taken !

My father's notebook shows Doug Fitton as originally from the Kings Own Scottish Borderers.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:48:54

can eric comfirm which opperations 5 troop were on from Jan 44- May 45

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 09/02/2011 18:53:09

Hi Steve

The CVA history of No.2 Commando written by Bob Bishop MC of No.2 Commando, whom we dearly miss, gives you that information. Here is the link to January 1944:

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

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:49:36

Hi Steve

I had originally only sent Eric Buckmaster the 1st photo where he looks very young. I later sent him the second full length photo and he has replied as follows:

"With reference to Lionel Johnston in the the first Photograph that you sent, the expression of his Face only picture, looked so young and if I may say gentle, also the name Lionel threw me, so that I did not recognise him.

The second Photograph shows the man that Stanley & I knew. To us he was Geordie Johnson ( we would not have known the finer points of how exactly he spelled his name ).

If you came from the North East you were were simply Geordie. If you were Irish you were Paddy. We had 2 or 3 of each in 5 Troop (We even had a Geordie O'Reilly who came from the North East with an Irish Name and a Newcastle Accent)

He was some 6' 2" quite sturdy and physically as hard as nails. He came from the North East and had the delightful accent that comes from that Region. He definitely joined 5 Troop and was a very likeable man

I have also sent you a private message Steve

Regards

Pete

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:51:24

Hi Pete,
and a very big thank you to Mr Buckmaster.His description of my uncle was very kind .The years must of took a lot out of those young men.I have attached more photographs of my uncle which were taken on his return to his origonal unit and also after his return to civilian life. The change in him is there for everyone to see .From when he first enlisted ,to his return to his origonal unit and then back home in 1947.
On the group photo my uncle is standing on the far right with a white shirt on.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 15/02/2011 22:51:06

photograph of him later in his service