Lcpl J L Terry

Hi
In the very early days of 8 Commando in 1940, I found the following information:

2617532 Lcpl JOHN LESLIE TERRY,of the Grenadier Guards was killed 29 August 1940 by a locomotive during night operations (unit exercise).

Lcpl Terry is recorded in the CWGC,but no reference to the commando, and his name is not with the 8 Commamdo Remembrance page.

Regards
Graham

Hi Graham,
I have found a reference that he may have served in 2 Troop of No.8 (Guards) Commando.
Regards,
Alan.

L/Cpl J L Terry, No8 Cdo & Grenadier Guards, is remembered on the Army Commando Memorial Wall at the CVA Memorial in the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire.

As has been mentioned elsewhere on the forums, there are a number of fallen commandos whose Commando Service has not been recorded by the CWGC.

Inspired by my late friend Bob Bishop, MC and his lovely widow, Janet, I have been quite successful in getting the CWGC to amend their records to reflect Commando Service on a number of instances ( I still have a few in the pipeline)...

The CWGC do require 3 pieces of contemporary evidence of Commando Service before they will consider investigating any case! Unfortunately this evidence is alway very difficult to find...

We Will Remember Them.

Nick

L/Cpl Terry's name is also recorded on the Westminster Abbey Commando Roll of Honour. I have now added his name to our website Roll of Honour for No.8 Commando. Thank you for pointing this omission out to us.

In Memory of 2617532 Lance Corporal John Leslie Terry
Grenadier Guards and No.8 Commando
who died on the 29th August 1940 aged 22
Remembered with Honour at Carlton Cemetery, Notts.

The following all served with No.8 (Guards) Commando and subsequently lost their lives serving with L Detachment or 1 SAS.

65419 Lt. J.S. Lewes, the Welsh Guards.

2692673 Sgt. S.J. Stone, the Scots Guards.

2660354 Pte. J. Blakeney, the Coldstream Guards.

2696934 Pte. S. Bolland, the Scots Guards.

2734997 Pte. R.D. Davies, the Welsh Guards.

2615455 Pte. J.H.M. Baker, the Grenadier Guards.

Lewes was killed on operations in December 1941, Stone and Bolland were lost during Operation Squatter in November 1941.
Both Blakeney and Davies were taken prisoner on Operation Squatter and escaped from an Italian P.O.W. camp when the Italians capitulated in 1943. They returned to the U.K. in 1944 and rejoined the S.A.S. and were killed in action on the same day in April 1945.
Baker was captured by the Germans on Operation Bulbasket in France during July 1944 and was executed.

Regards,
Alan.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 04/10/2013 22:54:22

Alan Orton wrote:The following all served with No.8 (Guards) Commando and subsequently lost their lives serving with L Detachment or 1 SAS.

65419 Lt. J.S. Lewes, the Welsh Guards.

2692673 Sgt. S.J. Stone, the Scots Guards.

2660354 Pte. J. Blakeney, the Coldstream Guards.

2696934 Pte. S. Bolland, the Scots Guards.

2734997 Pte. R.D. Davies, the Welsh Guards.

2615455 Pte. J.H.M. Baker, the Grenadier Guards.

Sadly, of the six listed by Alan, only three:

2660354 Pte. J. Blakeney
2696934 Pte. S. Bolland
2734997 Pte. R.D. Davies,

are remembered on the Army Commando Memorial Wall.

It is unfortunate that the others aren't listed on the Wall, but I do know Geoff Murray spent many hours of painsaking research trying to record every fallen Army Commando. His draught list was scrutinised over and over again by Geoff, Pete Rogers and me (plus a few others) and mistakes were rectified and names added until we all felt that the list was as complete as possible.
From experience, we knew that there was always the possibility that some names may be omitted, it is a shame that these three names ( 65419 Lt. J.S. Lewes, 2615455 Pte. J.H.M. Baker, 2692673 Sgt. S.J. Stone) have come to our attention so soon after the Memorial Wall was completed.
Sadly, it will not be possible now to add their names to the Wall.
But, even by naming them in this Forum, means they will be remembered.

Nick

Hi all,
i have come across the following whilst searching for L Detachment P.O.W.'s.

L/Cpl. J.W. Maloney, 3061334, Somerset Light Infantry, 8 (Guards) Commando attached L Det. posted missing 16/11/41 on Operation Squatter, later confirmed as P.O.W. This man was i believe to be the Pte. E. Malone, 7022315, Royal Ulster Rifles recorded by me as being 7 Commando and L Det. an error on my part.

Sgt. Ralph Lazenby, 8038479, Scots Guards, 8 (Guards) Commando attached L Det. posted missing 16/11/41 on Operation Squatter, later confirmed as P.O.W.

Sgt. Leonard Colquhuon, 2695291, Scots Guards, 8 (Guards) Commando also as above, his surname as per attestation and POW records should read Colquhown.

Gdsm. Thomas R. Chesworth, Scots Guards, 8 (Guards) Commando attached L Det. his Service No. was 2659967 and was Coldstream Guards not Scots Guards another of my errors i believe, he became a POW in June 1942.

McCormick R in the No.11 (Scottish) Commando Nominal Roll should be Pte. C. McCormack, 3061334, Royal Scots. attached L Det. posted missing 16/11/41 on Operation Squatter.

Apologises for my errors.

Alan.

Hi Alan,

Many thanks for these - I will amend the nominal rolls accordingly.

Apology not accepted!

We've all chosen quite a tricky field to research and, from experience, know that some errors are almost inevitable - even the Commando greats who compiled the Commando Roll of Honour made mistakes and they were far better informed than we are...

Nick