A landlady's dog training with No.2 Commando in Scotland

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 04/03/2012 19:31:38

This extract is taken from the memoirs of Herbie Dixon who was in 6 troop (and later 5 troop) of No.2 Commando. He is referring to their training in Scotland between September and December 1942. As you will see it refers to a landlady's dog and I wondered whether it might be one and the same as that in the two photos that came with the collection of L/Cpl 'Ken' Emmerson. The unknown Commando in the picture certainly looks fond of the dog.

The training was still rather hectic and then somebody had a bright idea, we were lent collapsible 'bikes' by the High Command. These proved, for a time, a pleasant break. It was hard to understand that some fellows had never ridden and it was chaos at first. We had a fellow °Ginger' Havin who always came on parade with his landladys dog and many a time he was ordered by the sergeant in his section to take it home & lock it up. lt was so attached to him and became friends with all his troop. He appeared when we had the bicycles & followed us, that was OK when we were marching but on wheels we covered lot of ground. The poor old dog just couldn't keep up so Ginger and his best mate rigged up between them a gas sheet, this held by them and the little dog in the middle. By this way (believe me) he was taken home back to where he lived.

The full memoirs of Herbert Dixon can be read here: http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/documents/Letters/