Leendert Almekinders

My grandfather was a dutch royal marine in ww2.

His name was Leendert Almekinders, birth date 10-10-1912.

When ww2 started and the Germans invaded the Netherlands he escaped to the UK.He served on several Dutch naval vessels operating from UK harbours.

On his funeral in 2000 a British Royal Marine veteran visited us and told us that my grandfather also trained and fought in ww2 as a British Royal Marine (my grandmother was British, maybe that's why he was allowed to serve in a British unit?).

Now, years later, I am trying to find out everything there is to find out about his career during ww2. I asked for, and received his Dutch service records but on these there are only records of his career related to Dutch ships and locations.

We found a Royal Marine baret and a pin of the Royal Marine association in his personal affects and now I hope you might have a record about him.

I am looking for any information you might have about him that can increase our knowledge about his war career. Where and when did he train and fight and in which unit was he placed.

Also if you have any advice for me on how to request any British service records that might exist of him please let me know!

If this is not the right address for my questions please advice me on the proper address and/or forward these questions there.

Thanks in advance for your reply.

Best regards,

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 23/10/2017 10:51:31

If you are absolutely certain that it was a Royal Marine who visited, then my advice to you would be to obtain a copy of your Grandfather's death certificate, and also a copy of his Dutch service record and the send a freedom of information request to the Royal Navy (Royal Marines) asking for any information that they may have about his WW2 service with UK Forces. Here is the UK Government's advice on how to do so:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/request-records-of-deceased-service-personnel

The address to send it to would be

RN Disclosure Cell,
Room 48,
West Battery,
Whale Island,
Portsmouth,
Hampshire,
PO2 8DX

However you may wish to exhaust all avenues, family or Museums, in your own country before you do so as the Ministry of Defence do charge £30 for the check. There used to be a Dutch Commando Museum in Holland but their website seems not to exist now ?

I have checked with the Royal Marines Association to see if they have him on their database of members past and present but they state they have not. This in itself may simply mean he was given the pin by a British Royal Marine and did not join the Association post war. Or if he was married before enlisting might he have used your grandmother's maiden name if she was British ?

There was a Dutch troop that were part of 10 (Inter Allied) Commando in WW2, and some from this troop were attached to different British commando units, both Army and Royal Marines, for specific operations. Therefore whilst we cannot be certain he was a part of that troop, I think in your application you should specify a request that if nothing is found in the Royal Navy/Royal Marine records, they forward your information to the Army Disclosure Centre for a check to be made there as well:

The Army Personnel Centre
MS Support Unit, P & D Branch
Historical Disclosures, MP 555
Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
GLASGOW
G2 8EX

I would suggest you do it as one request to the RN/RM. Highlight the fact that you are requesting a full check of UK military records, RN, RM, and Army, under the Freedom of Information Act. I cannot guarantee that they will deal with it as one, but certainly worth a try.

Good luck and keep us informed as to your progress