Looking for info on Harold Hughes 3 Commando

This is great news and exactly what the CVA Forum is about.

This should also bring hope to others that may be frustrated at the lack of info' they have been able to find out about their relatives...

It also shows how important it is for people to post anything they have - it may not seem too relevant to them at the time, but it may open a treasure chest for someone else.

Regards,
Nick

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 11/02/2019 22:06:29

Thanks to all involved for identifying these 2 Commandos. The picture has been updated accordingly. I have created a sub album for Harold Hughes with the 3 pictures that relate to him. The troop pictures are very good just as they are in No.2 Album ( not quite as good but then i am a bit biased towards No.2.) Thanks must go to Stephane in particular for his great photos of No.3 but also to all the family and friends who have posted or provided pictures in all the albums and make it a lasting and fine tribute to the Commandos . Keep the pictures coming...Heres the gallery No.3 Album link:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/

Just a quick note to say thanks Nic and Pete for the last two posts. Nic is correct it is really difficult trying to pull together crumbs of information and even the smallest clue can give an important lead but it takes an amazing amount of time and much perseverance.

Pete the gallery looks great and as you correctly point out thanks must go to Stephane for the pics he?s uncovered, and I have a bit more info about one of them. On the 3CD 2 Troop May 1944 pic, as Stephane mentioned in a different thread John Carney is underlined in blue (holding a cigarette), Dickie Dunne is the guy two to JC?s right or if you prefer sat on Spotty the dogs left (!) ? I guess that?s two names if you include Spotty trp mascot! Thanks to John Carney for this info.

Cheers

Nick

My brother had the pleasure of meeting Ted Piggott 3 Cdo 2 Troop the other day. Ted recognised my grandfather but didn?t recall many details. However, we now know from this and other info we have been given that Harold was in 2 Troop prior to d-day. I need to get to Kew to try and dig up some more info to try and put some detail to this.

Ted joined the Commando's from the SAS (unusually) so didn?t go through the usual training (!) and amongst other things, was a Jeep driver in 2 Troop MT section. He knew Lt. Scovell very well and was with him when he was promoted to Lt (I think this is mentioned in the war diary). He was offered promotion at the same time but much to his regret turned it down.

Ted also mentioned that the style of commando arm flashes I have of Harold?s were issued on completion of training prior to being given a unit - hence no 3 before Commando. Also that during service he would likely have worn flashes saying ?3 Commando? but that you had to buy the embroidered ones yourself.

I?m trying to get info now on 2 Troop so if anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated. I?ll be posting more info as I get it.

All the best

Nick

Hi

I met with John Carney (2 Troop Sergeant) this weekend who went through the information I have and he has given me a great deal of additional information on 2 Troop and MT section.

Firstly I must publicly say a huge thank you to John and Phyllis for their time and for helping with the information below. Johns stories left me completely stunned.

It looks like Harold was to be posted to 2 Troop as part of a Vickers crew containing him, Jack Carter and T. Coleman. These guys were amongst a number moved to MT as the 2 Troop Vickers crews were already effectively full. In MT Harold was a Despatch Rider (and Jeeps). This all ties in nicely with the only photo we have which has Jack Carter and Mike Scovell (MT Sgt at the time) both on welbikes.

We visited the old 2 Troop/MT HQ at Homefield House (see pic) and the park opposite where they did much of their training (Bob Cubitt has mentioned this to us too) and had a pint in the Ham Hotel (now The Smugglers ? see pic) where they did their drinking (amongst other things!) and where Mike Scovell and Jack Carter were billeted. We also visited Ham Way where Harold was billeted but we don?t know which house it was.

We will be going back to meet John again to look at other sites in Worthing and go to Pulborough where MT apparently had a main depot. I will now be extending my research on MT section further.

John also put the following names to the numbered photo in the gallery from May 1944 ? the numbers correspond to those on the pic (apologies in advance for any spelling mistakes). John said he thought this picture was taken at the Homefield House HQ. Hopefully more names to follow from John.

1. Captain W. Mount
9. Major Troop Commander J. Bartholomew
10. Josh Homes (Pte)
11. Tommy Eeary (L/Cpl)
21. Jock Agnew (Cpl)
22. Conney Vaughen (Pte)
24. Jock Allen (TSM)
25. Bill Wormsley (Pte)
26. Freddie Gamester (Pte)
27. Spotty (Troop mascot)
28. Dickie Dunne
32. Bob Cubitt (Pte)
33. W. Lock (Pte)

Hope this is of interest and as always if anyone has any further info (or corrections!) it would be greatfully recieved.

Cheers

Nick

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 11/02/2019 22:07:33

Great update Nick. Another of our troop photos is filling up with the names of those portrayed.

I also thank John and Phyllis for all their help.

Nominal List 3Cdo MT 5 May 1944.xls

Attached are a couple of 3 Cdo troop lists, one given to me which I understand is from Peter Young?s personal notes and is for MT dated 5 May 1944 and the other which Lists 2 Troop (Heavy Weapons ? Vickers Machine Guns) again May 1944 provided by John Carney (thanks yet again to John!).

The first list should be viewed with an open mind as 5th May was, in Commando terms, a long time before d-day and much could have changed in the meantime e.g. we have spoken to Dutch Holland who was in MT along with Arthur Griffin, neither of whom are on the nominal list. Also I can?t be sure the spellings of names are correct so any correction would be appreciated.

Perhaps view this as a starting point to be amended as appropriate.

All the best

Hello NICK

I'm enjoy than you met John CARNEY, I know him since many years.
Are you in touch with BOB CUBBITT ?
I've moved to an other house, and i've installed internet last week, so this is more easy for me to correspond with you.
Now, I can looking for in my boxes about documents and archives.
I enclose photo taken last May on your grandfather's grave in HERMANVILLE.
sincerely
stéphane

Looking at the MT list, my Dad Cpl Potthast is included but I spotted another name there I recognise, T (Taffy) Hawcutt who was my Dads best man! I would be interested to find out more about him too.
I will post photos on the topic I started for Dad.
Regards
Anne

Hello

I enclose names about 2 Troop 3 Cdo, given to me few years ago from John CARNEY.

Sincerely

stéphane

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 30/10/2009 10:47:35

Stéphane, thanks for the new photo?s of Harold?s headstone it is much appreciated, I hope to visit Normandy in the new year and will let you know when we are coming over. I am pleased you have your computer working again and have updated the photo in the gallery with the full list of names, thanks again its fantastic to get a full list of names next to faces!

I hope to have some more photo?s soon. We have managed to contact Barry Norton son of the lady Harold was billeted with and he thinks they have a couple of photo?s in the attic and is going to try and dig them out. He was eight at the time and remembers Harold had a sten gun, rifle and pistol along with ammunition and grenades in his wardrobe (!!), he had a motorbike and side car that he drove his officer around in (don?t know who) as well as a small jeep called a champ (could be an Austin champ but I thought they were made after the war??). Also he kept his welbike in the garden shed.

Most houses in the street with a spare room had commandos in and Harold shared with a commando called Jimmy. This is news to me, apparently Jimmy was Canadian but had a Scotts accent ? again I don?t have a clue but if anyone has any ideas please help! Barry thinks there is a photo of Jimmy too.

We have been in touch with Colonel Reynolds and Major Westley who true to commando form have been extremely helpful and informative. As a result we have some more contact names and addresses to follow up so will post if we get anything back.

With regards Bob Cubitt, yes we have spoken to him and he?s a fantastic character and was very very helpful and this is how we managed to find Anne.

I will be putting another colourised picture of Harold in the gallery shortly that my mum had.

More to follow

Cheers

Nick

A quick update ? been distracted by work for a while but have been keeping up research.

Spoke to John Fearon of 3Cdo MT Section who was helpful, he remembers Harold and gave a couple of other names for guys in MT, these are:
Bob Longhorne (Jeeps) ? trained with Ken Prosser at Achnacarry
Charlie Finch (billeted with J. Fearon)
Bill Harding (billeted with J. Fearon)

He also mentioned Jack Carter was made up to Sergeant, and he remembers Austin Byrne driving a jeep up to the Wirral. He also recalled Taffy Hawcut, Kennedy, George Hancock, Tommy Hodgkinson and Jack ?Tank? Thompson.

More info to follow including a photocopy of a photo MT Section from 1945 (once I?ve got my scanner working) and I?ve been given a couple of pictures of 5 Troop which i?ll post too.

Cheers

Nick

Attached is the photo of 3 Cdo Motor Transport (MT) Section taken in Worthing in 1945. This was kindly given to my brother by Ted ?Dutch? Holland from MT. Dutch noted that Mick Scovell was unusually missing from the photo and also named a few of the guys and I will put a numbered version in the Gallery with these names on. He also gave two more names for MT, these being Hammond and Burt De-Liege.

The following are a few brief notes from conversations with a number of veterans in particular Dutch Holland, Ted Piggott, Bill Brian, John Fearon, John Carney and Scotty to whom I owe great thanks for the following. We will add more as we pull our notes together.

MT was a section not a troop and had a high turnover of men in and out of the section. If you had a specific MT related skill e.g. you were a mechanic or could drive you would likely be moved into MT at some point. Men were often called back/into Troops as required. For example we have found a record of my Grandfather in a vickers crew in 2 Troop with Thomas L. Coleman and Jack Carter (in welbike pic in earlier post with Mick Scovel) as well as in MT, and Scotty recalled being attached to MT for a short period.

MT did not, therefore, operate as a Troop did but individuals were attached to any other Troops or HQ or Officers across the Commando that had specific MT requirements for a particular operation e.g. on D-Day individuals were attached to and landed with different Troops and those that drove heavy vehicles landed later when the beaches were ready to receive them.

Within MT men generally knew best other men with the same role e.g. Bill Brian, Ray Field and Eric Jenkinson were all heavy vehicles and were close friends. Similarly John Fearon, Finch, Longhorn and Harding drove Jeeps and again were close friends. My Grandfather was listed as dispatch rider and was likely to have known well Siggers, Pothast, Prosser, Raybold, Brayne, Davis, and Davies.

More from the veterans to follow as we pull our notes together.

I said i?d post a couple of pics of 5 Troop but I notice that the recent fantastic batch of photos posted by Pete include better versions of the ones I have.

Regards

Nick

Hi Folks,
Thank you so much for posting the great press picture of 3Cdo on LCI's before D-Day.
We only have two photos of my Grandad during the war. On Saturday night we found another, he's sat on the back on the middle boat (second from left at the front dark hair, spread nose and chubby cheeks :)
His Name Is Joseph William Millard he was in troop 6. We all recognised him straight away. When i showed him the photo he started naming lots of names. He smiled all night remembering the names and faces. I plan on having it printed larger so we can write the names and ill send it in.
I know he was Injured from 88mm flack or a tiger tank, and was taken the Bayeux hospital to be treated.
He then went on to serve the medical if anyone has any more information or Photos he could be it, i would really appreciate it. It would be great to tell my Nephew more stores about his Grandpa.

Thank you.
Becky

Hello to all

About the photos with the LCI(s).

This is 45 RM cdo Landing Craft. Loading Number about 45 RM cdo : 289 is Craft 518 - 290 is Craft 532 - 291 is Craft 528 - 292 is Craft 530 - 293 is Craft 517

About 3 cdo : 284 is Craft 512 - 285 is craft 509 - 286 is Craft 535 - 287 is Craft 538 - 288 is Craft 501

Best Regards

stéphane