No 1 & No 5 Commando 1943

Hi all
I would like to know the nominal manpower strength of both No 1 & No 5 Commando when they left for India in November 1943, could anybody help please?
Regards
Bill

Can help just a little, its no answering your question,but think it may help.

In 1 Cdo war diary for Dec 1943 is a field return of the units strength,this is the first month in the far East:

Officers
Lt Col x 1
Major x 1
Capt x 10
Lt x 14
TOTAL 26

Other Ranks
WO 1 X 1
WO 11 X 7
Sgt X 17
Cpl X 51
Pte X 404
TOTAL 479

These figures give a unit strength of 505 in total,

These figures are on arrival in India.

I am trying to find if I have the same info for 5 Cdo,hope this is of some help

The above info is from 1 Cdo war diary WD 218/49

Regards
Graham

Graham
Thanks for the reply. I have the following figures, that I am trying to confirm for Convoy KMF 26 of 3542 troops on HMT Ranchi (No 1 Cdo, 42 RM Cdo & 3 Commando Brigade HQ) and 3046 troops for HMT Reina del Pacifico ( No 5 Cdo & 44 RM Cdo). It was a large convoy of about 17,000 troops I am trying to get the total for 3 Commando Brigade when it sailed for India. If I work on the figure of about 500 per Commando then there must have been other troops on the ships that, as yet, I cannot identify.
Regards
Bill

In the section about 5 Cdo in the final edition of the Third Jungle Book it says there were 27 officers & 430 men on board the Reina del Pacifico.

There were also 40 wrens (see http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/1754:babs-fraser-drennan/)

I hope that is of some help.

Julie

Julie
Thanks for the information on numbers, it`s pretty much confirmed what I thought. With regard to the link to the Wrens being on board it just proves the more you look into it the more comes to light.
Many thanks
Bill

Reina Del Pacifico