Operation Abercrombie

Sgt Veasy's Patrol : Operation Abercrombie April 1942

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Photo kindly supplied by the daughter of Tom Overbury ( centre row second from right) and posted with her permission.

Notes supplied with the photograph :-

Sgt Veasy's Patrol at Boulogne April 1942 (4 Commando)

Right to Left:
Back Row: Furlow, Ennis, Walters
Centre Row: Middleton, Overbury, Cook, Fearless, Jackson, Larment
Front Row: Sgt Benn, Sgt Veasy, Wallace, Rose (medical orderly)

It appears to have been taken at the same location as the 'C' troop photograph in the Archive.

I hope this works as this is my first time trying to upload a photo. Mods please let me know if I need to correct anything.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 04/04/2018 20:46:50

Hi Richard

Thank you, and please thank Tom Overbury 's daughter ( can you advise us of her name so we can credit the image). Your photo did not display as you cannot post flickr links direct but I have reposted it here.

Thanks Pete,

Tom's Daughter is Mrs Marianne Ballantyne.

Kind regards

Richard
Stratford upon Avon

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 04/04/2018 21:41:19

This is a great photo and was taken at the Sidearms Store of the Drop Redoubt at Dover Castle...

I would, however, query the names of the guys in the photo - the moustached commando in leather jerkin, front row 2nd from right, is, I'm fairly sure, Lt Arthur Francis Veasey, B Troop.

Phil Eyden has written an excellent history entitled, "Dover's Forgotten Commando Raid, Operation Abercrombie: The Raid on Hardelot"

Nick

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 30/03/2022 10:27:43

There is an image of a Captain Veasey here at no.40. Looks similar to the man you identify Nick:

No 4 Commando F troop Falmouth 1943

The list of the names of the men in photos came to me in a word document. I will ask Marianne if there are any contemporaneous notes and if Lt. might have been misread as Sgt..

kind regards

Richard
Stratford upon Avon

Just for info, Commando Association newsletter 112 of March 2001 announced the death Lt. Veasey under the Obituaries for No. 4 Commando as follows:

Lt. Arthur Francis Sherrard Veasey of Somerset West, Cape, Sth. Africa. (also served in 3 Cdo).

An earlier newsletter refers to him as Captain A. F. S. Veasey ( ex 3 & 4 Commandos).

I have now posted this photo in the gallery on the link below. I have moved it next to the other one at Dover Castle that we had and both are now displaying on page 1 of the No 4 Commando gallery presently 5th row down. You will note that I have now shown the names as left to right which is the preferred option, and I have also put the information about Veasy/Veasey in there.

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/4/4+Cdo+patrol+April+1942.jpg.html

Richard Elbourne wrote: I will ask Marianne if there are any contemporaneous notes and if Lt. might have been misread as Sgt..

kind regards

Richard
Stratford upon Avon

Thanks Richard,
I'm fairly sure that may have been the case...
I have compiled a nominal roll for No.4 Commando and the list of names with this photo have given me a couple of new names - which is always great news. However, it also caused some questions - I have a 'Wallis' listed but not a 'Wallace' - again I have to consider whether they were two different commandos or one and the same but with a mis-spelling of the surname.
Also, I mentioned Phil Eyden - well he is delighted to see a photo of L/Cpl Middleton as a number of No.4 Cdo scored their names on the walls of the Redoubt at Dover Castle during their stay there. Middleton was one of the names and was the only commando that Phil didn't have a photo of...

Many thanks,

Nick

This message was edited 8 times. Last update was at 05/04/2018 16:35:21

Wow - I was really excited to see this image. Having spent years researching the raid resulting in a book (for charity) two years ago, I never thought I would see a 'new' photo of the raid.

What this shows is No.1 Patrol comprised from B Troop of No.4 Commando and commanded by Lt. Veasey (not Sergeant as stated). They advanced to the right of the beachhead along the Hardelot beach to engage any enemy patrols, record beach defences and cut communication lines when discovered.

Please note that this photo was not taken at Dover Castle. It was taken at the Napoleonic Drop Redoubt fort a mile or so away from the Castle on the hill on the opposite side of the valley. The 100 Commandos, 60 Canadians, 20 Royal Engineers and others were locked into the fort for five days from the 18th April 1942. The grass bank behind them is an 1861 Sidearms store, rather like a grass covered shed, but you can't see either end in the photo. I know it very well indeed from taking tour groups around in the summer.

I am not convinced all the names are correct. That is definitely not Lt. James 'Carpet Slippers' Ennis in the centre at the top - he had a moustache, but could there have been two men with the same surname? Similarly, I think the order on the bottom row may not be correct, Sergeant Benn and Medical Orderly Rose may be back to front from the Sergeant's stripes on the chap on the right's uniform.

I was really pleased to finally see a photo of Frank Middleton. Over the years I managed to identity eight sets of graffiti belonging to soldiers participating in the raid in the fort and obtained photos of seven of them. 7902963 L/Cpl. Frank Middleton was the missing one, so you have plugged the gap! I don't have an awful lot on him, but I can tell you he came from Sheffield and was a volunteer from the Royal Armoured Corps. He took part at Dieppe was promoted to Sergeant and also spent some time with the British 8th Army, earning the Africa Star. He went on to serve in France and Germany.

If it's alright with you I would love a really clear copy to show our tour groups in summer. I always describe the raid and show some of the traces these men left in the fort.

Thanks Richard!

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 30/03/2022 10:28:11

There is some confusion here I believe because the names when originally posted are labelled to show RIGHT to LEFT.

I have corrected this in the gallery to show names by our normal method LEFT to RIGHT.

https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/4/4+Cdo+patrol+April+1942.jpg.html

Phil this affects your man. I have shown the revised location on the gallery details for the image.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 30/03/2022 10:28:37

Several of these surnames are also shown on the Partial nominal roll for the Dieppe raid here. On that list I note a Sgt Bend but cannot find a Sgt Benn there.

https://www.commandoveterans.org/DieppeNomRoll

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 05/04/2018 16:38:44

Thanks Pete - I've just changed my graffiti match photo. I will revise my Abercrombie Lists and post a revised version here in a day or so with the new men. I now have names for two-thirds of 4 Commando and all of the Canadians.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 05/04/2018 18:37:00

Hi Phil,

MIDDLETON Frank Leonard Lance Sergeant 7902963 R.A.C. & 4 Commando
28th January 1920 - 4Q 1986 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

I'm not sure about the Sheffield connection, he seems to have been born in Yarmouth. In 1939 he is listed as a plater's helper in a shipyard, residing in Great Yarmouth.

You could obtain his tracer card from the Tank Museum at Bovington, that would give you a summary of his military service?

How goes the second book?

Guy

Commando Association published lists of those they had lost contact with. They were known as Lost Legions (LL). A Lance Sergeant Middleton is listed in LL8 published in March 1976. His last known address was shown.

LSgt. F.L. Middleton of No. 4 Commando. Gorlestone, Gt. Yarmouth, Norfolk.