Pte W.J. Coman, No.1 Commando and General Engagements of No.1 Cdo in Burma

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 28/07/2017 23:13:09

Hello everyone. My name is Tom Nash. I am a cousin of Private William Joseph Coman, Service Number 5735209, of the Devonshire Regiment and No.1 Commando, who died in Myebon, Burma on the 15th of January 1945. From my own research, I have found out that he died either in action or from wounds. I am trying to find out what battles or engagements he was involved in. This is proving difficult because at various points No.1 Commando merged with numbers 3 and 5.

The only engagements in Myebon that I have found are landings by No.42 and No.3 Commando (which I think incorporated No.1 but I am not sure) on the 12th January 1945 and the Battle of Hill 170 but the latter one occurred after my cousin's death.

I have not been able to find out whether the Myebon landings occurred and were completed on the 12th of January, or whether this went on for several days, this could be the engagement in which my cousin died, either in battle or subsequently from wounds. I am not sure because it is hard to decipher what engagements No.1 were involved in because of their mergers - I suppose it could be that William Coman was taken there for medical treatment, though I have no specific reason to believe that. All I can really say is that he died in Myebon.

I would be really grateful if anyone could shed any light on these questions and if anyone can provide more general information of No.1 Commando's activities and achievements in WW2. If anyone knows of any photos or footage of William Coman this would also be of great interest to me. Also would anyone be able to confirm whether all members of No.1 Commando trained at Achnacarry prior to deployment in Burma ?

Many Thanks

Tom

Hi Tom,
Welcome to the CVA Website & Forums.
Perhaps I can help solve your confusion...

Formed in 1943, 3 Special Service Brigade set sail, in November '43, for India and the Far East to fight the Japanese in the Burma Campaign.
3 SS Brigade (renamed as 3 Commando Brigade in December '44) consisted of four Commando Units - No.1 Commando, No.5 Commando, 42 RM Commando & 44 RM Commando.
During its time in SEAC (South East Asia Command), 3 Cdo Brigade was placed under the command of the 25th Indian Division, a subordinate unit of the XV Indian Corps.
By the end of December 44, XV Corps was ready to take the offensive once more against the Japanese 28th Army. General Christison, the Corp Commander planned to use 3 Cdo Brigade to clear the island of Akyab. In the event the island was undefended and the landing was used as a training exercise. The island was quickly secured and used as a supply base for future operations. On a patrol to a neighbouring island No. 5 Cdo had a brush with the enemy killing four at no loss to themselves.
General Christison's next objective was to destroy the Japanese 28th Army before it could retreat across the mountains to the valley of the Irrawaddy.
As part of this 3 Cdo Brigade was tasked with landing on the south-eastern face of the Myebon peninsula. They landed in the early morning of 12th January 45. Reconnaissance raids by a COPP team had earlier laid delayed action charges to destroy beach obstacles just before H-Hour. The assault was made with 42 RM Cdo making the first landings. Soft mud prevented the use of the tanks of the 19th Indian Lancers and by the afternoon the landings switched to another beach. This was open from the next morning having been prepared by Indian engineers. Anti-personnel mines slowed progress and the beach-master was killed as he stepped ashore.

Despite these obstacles 42 RM Cdo seized their objectives and secured the beachhead. No.5 Cdo then passed through, meeting little opposition until the approaches to a hill, codenamed 'Rose', where they came under machine gun fire and suffered a number of casualties.
No.1 Cdo followed No 5 up and at 0830 the next day, after an air strike and naval bombardment, the 'Rose' feature was attacked by No 5 Commando supported by A Squadron of the 19th Lancers. The area was cleared although no prisoners were taken, the Japanese preferring to fight to the death. 42 RM Cdo came through to attack Myebon village, which they took with little difficulty supported by the 19th Lancers.

The Brigade then proceeded to clear the Myebon peninsula. Captured documents, and the interrogation of the only two prisoners taken, showed that there had been 250 Japanese on the peninsula.
Only 40 Japanese had escaped the net.
3 Cdo Brigade lost 5 killed and 30 wounded.
The Brigade withdrew to the beachhead for two days of rest.

According to the No.1 Commando Roll of Honour, published in the 3 Commando Brigade's magazine, 'The Third Jungle Book', Pte W J Coman was Killed in Action.

here is the link to the CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) record for your cousin -
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2084926/COMAN,%20WILLIAM%20JOSEPH

Nick

Here is a link to our entry for your cousin:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/Coman1Commando

Thank you very much Nick and Pete. This is a lot of information to digest, so I will reply more fully shortly. This is a lot more information than I had before, so many thanks, I really do appreciate it

Thank you Nick. This has indeed helped a lot. I was quite confused and had assumed 3Cdo Brigade and No3. Commando were one and the same and I now can see that several different Commando Nos were part of 3 Cdo Brigade. This all makes sense now. It is also good to have some detail about the nature and events of the operation in Myebon and to know that even though it was not without loss, it was ultimately successful. You have given me plenty of things I can read up on to increase my knowledge, so many thanks again.