Achnacarry mock graves.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 26/02/2013 22:48:53

I was well aware of the mock graves that were situated at the entrance to the camp and the various warnings written on the markers. Recently while reading Commandos In Exile (Nick van der Bijl) part of a passage written by Lt Kieffer (1st French Marine Rifle Company) states

'Each time a commando candidate was killed, a ficticious grave was dug at the entrance of the camp briefly explaining the circumstances of his death and how it could of been avoided'.

Is it correct that each grave was a reminder of a genuine incident?
How many graves were there and does the number correspond with actual fatalities?

Steve

Hi Steve,

I've read elsewhere that the graves described actual incidents but I'm not sure the number of graves corresponded to the total number of fatalities.

You can see them in the film 'Commando - The Story of the Green Beret' between points 15:16 and 15:36
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEbkxgDIGH0

Regards,

Julie

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 27/02/2013 12:21:34

Both Donald Gilchrist and Jimmy Dunning mention these mock graves in their respective books. Neither gives the explanation that is described above. Donald Gilchrist describes seeing the long line of graves with all the explanations of death on in his book Castle Commando when he arrived at Achnacarry. From what he says he went to Achnacarry on an Officers course which turned out to be an Officer Instructor's course as they were short of Officers. Whilst no specific date is mentioned he does say that he was there when the news that a

"Detachment of 2 Officers and 24 OR's of the French Marine Commando were coming to go through a course"

From a document we have have in the gallery we can date that course as commencing 28th April 1942: http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/W...+1942+1944+spean+copy.jpg.html

The 1st Intake at Achnacarry commenced on the 17th March 1942 only 5 weeks before. From the writings of both of the above authors, who were also Instructors at Achnacarry at various times, the explanation given to new arrivals was they died for the reasons shown on each cross. However I'll leave readers to make up their own minds about the authenticity of that explanation.

After I visited the now peaceful Achnacarry around 1997, and having seen pictures of the graves, I asked my late granddad about the gravestones. His opinion was that they were mock headstones each with an epitaph detailing something a solider might do wrong, such as "didn't keep his head down", "didn't look behind", "didn't clean his gun" etc. The idea being to shock the new recruits.

But training could be lethal, at another training site which he said was Wrexham, he told me some US Rangers were killed by a fixed machine gun during boat training on a river when the wind blew up, or about a solider who fell off a church spire while climbing. He also would say a certain percentage of training losses were allowed to keep the training realistic. Also they would practice knife fighting with live blades.

Just wondering ... reading about the first intake at Achnacarry - I think Dad went on the Lofoten Raid but I know he trained at Achnacarry. He used to mention Lochailort - could he have trained there first then moved to Achnacarry?

As for the 'mock' graves ... dad used to tell me about them (with half a smile) ... if they were real, surely they'd have their names on them? Yes, I'm typing this with half a smile on my face. ;)

Well people, I remember my Dad telling me over 30 years ago on our annual trip to Fort William and the Estate, that after his parachute training etc and doing his weeks of training up there, that when they were informed that the U S Rangers were coming up to see how it was done, that the grave plaques were positioned at the entrance just past the gates to put the fear of God in them. How true I don't know, but he did tell me that several were killed or injured because they didn't, as told, KEEP their heads down on the night time landing assaults when live ammo was being thrown over them.
Who knows ?
John White.

Just to add to my post, I meant to say it was the Rangers who got injured, though i guess some of our lads did.
John.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 28/02/2013 20:05:51

Link to testament which mentions Achnacarry, thanks to Julie.
http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/3872.page;jsessionid=91289E37D0DF1EDE58EA01CB307DE61A

I've always thought the mock graves to be a 'training aid' and have not come across any other information to suggest different, this is why I found Lt Keiffer's explanation quite interesting.

Lt Keiffer also gives information regarding the number of fatalities at Achnacarry;
'Approximately forty men lost their lives at Achnacarry, that is two in every thousand was killed'.

Even if these numbers are correct I would not expect there to have been 40 mock graves as there would have been a number of incidents occurring due to similar circumstances.