Jim Wilson No 1 Commando

HI,
Looking for information on L/CPL 6979516 Jim Wilson who served with No 2 Troop No 1 commando , He was my wife's Grandfather , I think he was in north Africa Algiers ? has he received the Africa star .
I believe he was invalided out suffering with TB . He served post war with the MOD Police guarding R.A.F bases including Northern Island Bases.
Any and all information would be gratefully received as he is no longer with us to ask about his wartime service .
Many thanks in advance Phil )

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 22/11/2016 10:49:28

Hi Phil,

Welcome to the CVA Website & Forum.

No.1 Commando were involved in Operation Torch and certainly carried out several operations in North Africa before being withdrawn to the UK prior to being sent to the Far East in November '43.

We have, on the Website, a nominal roll for each of the Commando Units and, checking the No.1 Cdo Nominal Roll, I see that, at the moment, we haven't got your wife's grandfather listed...

However, this certainly does not mean that he wasn't in No 1 Cdo - to our knowledge there was never a definitive list of all those who served as commandos (volunteers were only 'on loan' from their regiments and, on the disbandment of The Commandos at the end of hostilities, returned, in the main, to their regiments).
Because we believe that all those who attained the right to wear the green beret deserved to have their Commando Service recorded and remembered, we decided to compile Commando Nominal Rolls. This has meant collecting and collating thousands of names from War Records & Archives, official documents and books, service records and other verifiable sources...
Unfortunately we do have to acknowledge that, with the passage of time, there will be omissions and errors - but we strive to be as accurate as is possible...

From the information you have presented, I think it is probable that Jim Wilson was a commando with No.1 Cdo - although I'm sure you'll understand that I'm reluctant to add his name to our lists without a little more evidence.

Does your wife have a photo of him in uniform showing Commando patches and titles?

Maybe we have a photo of him in the No.1 Commando photo album in our Gallery -
http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/1/

But if you really want to know more about his service then I would recommend applying to the MoD for a copy of his original, handwritten service record. For a fee of £30 you can find out details of enlistment, training, postings, conversion to commando, embarkation & disembarkation, overseas theatres, promotions, woundings & hospitalisations and demob etc.

The MoD is the only custodian of service records until they are opened to the public in the National Archives. They do charge a fee of £30 but I believe it is worth it. If your wife does choose to follow this up, I can forward the appropriate forms...

Once you get his record and confirm that he was definately a commando then I'll be honoured to add his name to the appropriate Nominal Roll(s).

Finally, I'm intrigued by your Username...

Nick

Having asked Phil a few questions via pm, I can now confirm that Jim Wilson did serve in No 1 Commando. His name is listed in the Commando Association list of members they had lost contact with which is in our gallery on this link here to Commando Association Lost Legion 11.

About 18 names down you will see Fusilier J.J. Wilson No 1 Commando, last known address Newtown, Powys. His service number provided by Phil of 6979516 is in the batch allocated to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers which all fits in nicely with the extracts from Phil's reply to me below.

To answer your last question first Yes he lived in Newtown Powys for many years until his death , date of death to follow as soon as my mother in law tells me the date . I'll also find out if he had a middle name . I think he was in the Irish fusiliers before the Commando's , I'll try and confirm that also . I have a small commando association lapel badge somewhere with a number on the back of it , I will find it and let you know the number if this helps . I think his rank was lance corporal but this may be his rank before he was invalided out ?.
He was born in Goatstown which I think is a part of Dublin .

Jim's daughters and grandchildren all still live local to Newtown .

Station 342 was Raf Atcham near Shrewsbury the Americans used it for training P47 Thunderbolt pilots there during WW2 losing around 50 pilots in accidents , training casualty's have to be the most tragic of any war time deaths . Best Regards Phil

Further to the above Phil has confirmed his first and middle names as James Joseph which again confirms the initials in LL11 above.

No 1 Commando Nominal Roll updated http://www.commandoveterans.org/1CommandoNomRollP-Z

Great news - always good when we can add another name to the nominal rolls.

When Shall Their Glory Fade...

Nick

HI ALL,
I now have 2 photo's of Jim Wilson in uniform , thanks to some searching by my mother in law , both seem to show the No1 Commando shoulder titles , although you can only make out the edge of the titles on one of them , the one with his lance corporal stripes.
I will try to post them on here , if I can't I'll e-mail them to Pete
Best regards Phil

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 23/11/2016 20:15:33

Here is the first one

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 23/11/2016 20:16:34

Here is the second

Hi Phil

I have amended the picture format so that your excellent images display correctly. They will be added to the Gallery in due course. Many thanks

Pete

Hi

The second photo actually shows an even better view of the classic No1 curved shoulder title above the elliptical Salamander in flames badge, see attached link which will take you to our gallery where there is an image of an original set of No1 insignia.

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/Commando+Badges+and+Memorabilia/1+Cdo/Z90-Insignia+belonging+to+Maurice+Brown-American+volunteer+with+No1+Commando+during+Operation+Torch_.jpg.html

Cheers Andy