Sgt James Peter Gallacher, 45 RM Cdo

This message was edited 7 times. Last update was at 27/06/2012 11:29:23

Hello is there anyone out there at all that knows someone who knew my grandfather????

He was a Royal marine commando that was trained at achnacarry commando training camp, he was a active seargent in the WW2ive wrote alot and everything i knew about him, i Also have photos i can send of him in uniform back in the War days holding a tommy gun and photo's taken with him and his fellow Comrades, but i dont know who they are in the photo with him but they are fellow Royal marines.My father is also trying to digg up his service number as were trying ao apply for his service records and he was also issues my grandfather 3 or 4 War medals that got lost when my parents moved country to live here in australia. I myself am my Grandfather grandson Peter Gallacher aged 27 yrs old born in England scotts bloodIf anyone after reading this has any information or can help me obtain any people that are still alive he served with id be muchly appreciated and please contact me at this

email address [email protected]

Now to get to more to the point, My Grandfather James, Peter Gallacher, trained at The Achnacarry commando training camp in 1942 or 1943 he was in the 45 commandos unit.Now he served in the war and was a active seargent. A exceptionally fit and brave man and one of only a handful at that of his platoon of some 30 men or so came out of the War alive. I have information on my granfather pictures of him in uniform etc.. with fellow comrades in his unit etc...I unfortunately only ever physically got to meet my grandfather in 1991 when I was only 9 yrs old, and to great sadness he was in a wheelchair and was unable to talk very well at all. And this was not the War believe it or not that had contributed in him being this way, you see my parents came from England with my brother and myself to live over here in 1984 when I was only a couple years old, and my father kenneath, John Gallacher ever so regretted now that we moved here because of 1 main incident that occured in England where my grandfather James, Peter, Gallacher lived at the time.

My grandfather many year's after the War of coarse and after his son my father moved here to Australia suffered a fall off a ladder when he was working on his house, and i guess you could say if you could understand my grandfather being a marine commando even not a active one, at the time being trained the way they were trained once a marine commando always a commando, didnt think much of his fall I guess? either that or his stubbern-ness got the better of him, my father also tell me grandad never liked hospitals either. So around just over a year after my grandfather sustaining this fall, he never did seek medical attention and non of the family that was still in England I guess never managed to convince him enough or couldnt physically take him to a hospital (good luck trying to give a commando orders that's not coming from a higher ranking superior officer)

This lead to what I believe I was told in him having what they call a Sub-dural hemerage in his head, where you've sustained a nasty blow to the head and slowly over time your head / brain has had internal bleeding. I still to this day can't fathom how such a great man could go out like that, to have faught major battles in the war and recieve 3 medals at the end of it, just pass away from such a petty accident, which due to lack of medical attention managed to put a marine commando in a wheel chair in his 60's?which still back then before his fall was as fit as a mally Bull at the age of 60 or so. So thus is why the only time i got to meet him he was in that condition. What im trying to do right now as he is my hero, someone on my father's side of the family that I consider as a war time hero gather as much information on his service at Achnacarry and the World War II that he served in. Now ive laready got the right documents and contacts to request his military service records and such, and also correct papers to fill out for Re-Issuement of his Wartime medals he was honoured with since through the move my father made to come to Australia they got lost in transit somehow? which my father was devastated. wondering if you could do your best to try find out for me that if at Achancarry there are any memorials or logs of the soliders that trained at Achnacarry or if you think within your power at all help me find out where to go to digg up anything at all for me to commenorate my grandfather.If you still have ties with Achnacarry house or know connections? at all to try and help me unvail any peace of history or document or photo's of my grandfather at all from his training at Achnacarry i'd be most appreciated.

As im sure you can tell grandfather his blood my blood surname is Scottish. Now ill give you some information on my grandfather so if at all you can help me with my quest in anyway at all

His name: James Peter Gallacher, Born: 29th june 1920 , born in glasgow, paisley. Registration district: Plymouth (where my grandfather lived after the war with his son my father)

Military details: British Royal Marine Commandos / trained at Achnacarry / 45 commado unit joined the commando's in 1942 or 1943 Rank: Active Sergeant in the warDied in: 1994 Febuary/ Age 73

NOW the reason ive put this photo here is at the moment till i get the ones from england sent here of him in military Uniform. Heres one of him after the war and after he finnished his service in the Royal Marine commando'sNow consering know one has replied to my post at all, im assumeing everyone think's it's a joke so let me test some of you veterans and see if you can tell me what that tattoo is hes got on his RIGHT forearm look closely

Ill tell you gladly as my father (His son told me) that tattoo my grandad has he got is the Commando Dagger with a scroll goin around it with these words
DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR

Now as I said if anyone can tell me any information on if anyone here knew him in the war or his Commanding Officer Ken Holmes let me know.P.S once i get the photo's of him in uniform ill post them, and sent away already for his service records!!![img]

Hi Peter Gallacher here just a friendly update if anyone has found any information since me making this post in regards to my grandfather.
You can contact me via email [email protected]