Lewis Teasdale West Yorkshire Regt & 12 Commando

This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 14/05/2017 19:58:55

Lewis Teasdale born 23rd June 1922, served with the West Yorkshire Regiment and 12 Commando. After the disbandment of 12 Commando, his subsequent Commando service is unclear.

He served in Normandy from 14th June 1944 until 8th September 1944 (87 days). He returned to North Western Europe on the 9th October 1944 and remained there until the 26th June 1945 (261 days)

He transferred to the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment on the 4th January 1946 and served in Palestine from 24th March 1946 until 11th January 1948 (1 year & 294 days)
He is released from the Army Air Corps on the 14th April 1948 after 7 years and 63 days service with the colours.

He died in Rotherham in 1994.

The photograph that I have attached shows him stood in front of a vehicle of the 4th Special Service Brigade (The Arm of Service serial number is partially obscured by the Commando's hip)

Lewis Teasdale is on the right.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 14/05/2017 16:47:07

Lewis Teasdale second from the left.

Lewis Teasdale 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment Palestine (on right)

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 14/05/2017 20:06:40

Guy, I think this is likely to be Pte. L. Teasdale 12 and 4 Commando who is mentioned in CA Lost Legion 11 as coming from Tinsley, Sheffield. No 4 Commando returned to the UK in September 1944 and then went back into action in October and stayed right through to the end of the war.

I will add the photos to the gallery in due course.

Pete

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 15/05/2017 18:10:12

No 4's movements.

Training for D-Day started and in Christmas 1942 and the new year of 1943 saw No4 move from Troon to Winchester then to Falmouth. D-Day training complete they moved to a marshalling area in Southampton. No4 now with two troops of French Commando landed on D-Day 6 June 1944 at Ouistreham in France. They fought up to 26 August 1944. On the 6 September three months after they landed they came back to Southampton.
From Southampton No4 moved to Den Hann in Belgium to start training for the landings in Flushing. This was one of the most important battles in the war, yet forgotten, as the Allies were running out of supplies and could not get supplies up the Scheldt to Antwerp because of the German guns on Walcheren. The British and French Commandos were joined by a troop of Dutch Commandos. They moved to Berskins and across the Scheldt to Flushing on the 1 November 1944. Another successful raid.
They stayed in Holland doing small raids and coastal defence. They were relieved and moved back to Middelburg and on 30 March 1945 moved to Bergen-op-Zoom (some of No4 are buried in Bergen-op-Zoom). No4 were further honoured with their French Comrades when they marched as a unit alone in Paris to the Arc de Triomphe where Philippe Kieffer and Robert Dawson laid a wreath on the Unknown Soldier's tomb. Robert Dawson wrote "I doubt if any other British regiment had been honoured in this way."
No4 then went to Recklinghausen in Germany to be part of the occupation force. Late in 1945 the Army Commando were disbanded, many newspapers described this as a "shameful decision."

We will remember the Fighting Fourth.

Pete & Bill
Thank you for the additional information. It clarifies why he is photographed with a truck from the 4th Special Service Brigade.
Guy

2 photos now added to the gallery for No 4 Commando.