Looking for any information on Frank Eaton WW2 Commando

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 27/11/2017 12:25:27

Hi

My grandfather Frank Eaton Born 7/01/1919 - Died 9 MAY 1977 was a WW2 commando, my mum said he never talked about his time at war so we know very little about what he did or even what unit he was in, I know he trained in Scotland, went to Norway, Malta and India. Can anyone help?

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Agfq1w0_Ii4JqSIL_Wvpp6NchZpW

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Agfq1w0_Ii4JqSfiO8YjtMBStceE

Warmest wishes
Cheryl

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 27/11/2017 13:34:58

Hi Cheryl,

Welcome to the CVA Website & Forums. Thanks for your post and the links to the photos.
I have two records of Frank Eaton on two different Commando Unit Nominal Rolls - one of which I think I can discount as he was KIA on 23 March 1944. But there is a possibility that the other may be your grandfather...

Do you have any other information that could help me pin him down?
Did your grandfather have a middle name?
Do you know what his parent regiment was? [all Army Commandos were 'on loan' to the Commandos from their parent regiments].
Do you have any documents with his service number on?

You are obviously interested in finding out more about your grandfather so did you know that your family can apply to the MoD for his Service Records? The MoD are the only custodians of WWII service records and for a search/admin fee of £30 you will be sent a scan of his original, handwritten records.
If you do want to pursue this avenue of inquiry I can give you the links to the relevant forms.

Nick

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 27/11/2017 13:54:57

Hi, Many thanks for getting back to me,
I would love to know more about my grandfather he died very young just before my eldest sister was born, so I never got to meet him. I've joined the https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/ but can't find anything exact to link him.

Do you have any other information that could help me pin him down? His from Stony Stratford. Apparently he did wake up on the morgue table, one story he did tell.
Did your grandfather have a middle name? He didn't have one
Do you know what his parent regiment was? [all Army Commandos were 'on loan' to the Commandos from their parent regiments]. I have a copy of a document which says Particulars of Office or Reservist and has a number: 5950653 Regt RWARKS, I think he left in 1952 started 1940. https://1drv.ms/i/s!Agfq1w0_Ii4JqSBQk4z9E67H-isc

Yes I'd love to know more about him, so please if you could send me a link to the form.

Many thanks for your help so far

Hi Cheryl,

Okay, thanks for the information - but that has proved that he was neither of the two Frank Eatons that I already had!
However, than doesn't mean that he wasn't a commando though, as I said, they were on loan from their parent regiments and, as far as we have been able to find out, there was no definitive nominal roll for The Commandos. A couple of enthusiastic volunteers ( of which I'm one) have compiled nominal rolls for all the Commandos by searching through official documents, War Diaries at the National Archives, Newsletters, obituaries, Commonwealth War Grave Records etc. and despite all the long hours and hard work, we will admit that a number of names will have slipped our net. The fact that we already have two records in the name of Frank Eaton gives you some example of how complex it can be when compiling lists...

So, your grandfather was in the Royal Warwickshire Regt.

I do wish that you'd contacted us before you joined the Forces War Records site because although they - and other similar commercial sites - claim to have WWII records, they don't. But you pay good money to find that out!
The only custodian of WWII Records is the MoD - and they WILL have your grandfather's records.

I recommend that you apply to the MoD ( and cancel your subscription to Forces War Records!) you will need the consent of the next of kin and a copy of the Death Certificate.
Here are the links to the two forms you'll need...

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/545054/request_service_details_NOK_pt1_v6.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/545060/request_for_service_details_army_application_part2_1_.pdf

I have taken the liberty of restoring the photo of your grandfather to the original black & white...
I hope you don't mind and I hope you regard it as an improvement compared to the very discoloured one. At any rate - you now have two photos of him!

Nick

Hi Nick,

Many thanks for fixing the photo, it looks great :) Right I'll get filling out the form and get my mum to sign as she is sadly the only next of Kin left, lost my beloved grandma last year :(

I will get canceling my subscription to forces of war, thanks for the tip my fault I just thought as I had his number I would find him, should have realised things are never that easy.

Once I have some more information I'll come back and let you know what we found out, he was definitely a commando I found this card is this number anything?https://1drv.ms/i/s!Agfq1w0_Ii4JqSVeRTVqXHnHtKT1

Many thanks for all your hard work and thanks again tweaking the photo my mum will be please as well.
Smiles
Cheryl

Hi Cheryl,

yes that's your grandfather's membership number & card for the Commando Association signed by Henry Brown. The Commando Association sadly 'Stood Down' in Sept 2005 and the Commando Veterans Association was formed shortly after.
Unfortunately we do not have access to any Membership Lists of the old association.

As for the Forces War Records - it's not your fault as they advertise that they have 1,300,570 WWII records - the only way they can get these is from other sites such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission etc or by relatives sending the information to them. I strongly object to the way they deliberately fail to tell the whole truth!

Nick

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 27/11/2017 20:47:24

Cheryl, Nick
Frank Eaton enlisted in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (5950653 around May 1939) prior to being transferred to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
There is a record of him serving as a Lance Corporal with No.2 Commando.
Guy

Frank Eaton from the Wolverton, Bucks. area (which fits in with Stony Stratford) was a Corporal in No 2 Commando. His death was announced to members in the Obituaries section of Commando Association newsletter 65 dated September 1977. He is listed in our own Obituaries here: http://www.commandoveterans.org/CommandoObituariesD-G

and our Nominal Roll here with a middle initial of R. but not sure where that came from: http://www.commandoveterans.org/2CommandoNomRollD-I

Hi,

Many thanks for finding him :D , I did some more digging myself and found this letter https://1drv.ms/i/s!Agfq1w0_Ii4JqTecLfEzSchVKNjP which now ties in with your Commando Association newsletter. As far as I know, he didn't have a middle name??

Many thanks for all your input slowly finding out more and more

Warmest wishes
Cheryl

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 27/11/2017 23:42:22

Hi Cheryl

I have now added the date of your Grandfather's death to our Obituary entry in his name, and placed the photo of him into our No 2 Commando gallery. It is currently on page 3 of that gallery here:

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/?g2_page=3

Excellent work! Great effort by all.
I have now amended and updated the No.2 Nominal Roll.

Cheryl, I would still apply for your granddad's service records as they will fill in a lot of details.

Nick

Thanks again for all the help, I showed my mum the No.2 Nominal Roll and also obituary entry this morning she is really pleased! My mum has some more photo's up the loft so I will see if I can scan them.

I got my mum to fill out the forms and have just posted them today for service records. I'm going though your site now seeing if I can spot him in any photo's. Can't thank you enough, on behalf of my mum and myself.

Thank you

Hello Cheryl,
It never ceases to amaze me how much information is available on this site. People ask a simple question with little hope of an answer and the response can be incredible. Keep looking, keep digging, there are still photos and information out there that haven't been shown before.

Dear Cheryl

This is an archive of great importance with a wonderful team that work hard getting photos and information onto it for the relatives of all the Commandos from WW2 to the present day.

United we Conquer.

Best wishes.

Bill Harvey