Help: Stanley Jones no3 troop no2commando

Hi,

I'm embarking on family tree research and I am looking for any information about my great grandfather Stanley Jones from Liverpool.

I believe I have found him on a group picture of No 3 Troop of No 2 Commandos in 1941 however there are no other images of him in this troop.

I have very little information about his time during WW2 apart from the fact he had escaped being captured in Crete.

Anything would be of great help.

Many thanks,

Lauren

Hi Lauren,

Welcome to the CVA Website & Forums. Sorry I haven't responded earlier - I've been away for a short but welcome break in warm West Wales, far from the madding crowd, mobile phones and wifi...

My first comment has to be a note of caution - unless you know for certain that your great grandfather is on the group photo you mentioned, then I wouldn't pin my hopes on it. There have been many, many cases of mistaken identity where photos are concerned!
Another reason for this is you state that he escaped capture in Crete - well although No.2 Commando were in the Mediterranean, they weren't involved in Crete...

Whereas No.7 Commando certainly was.

You tell us that you're researching your family tree so this will be a detailed and lengthy search; therefore, I would advise applying to the MoD for a scan of your great grandfather's original, handwritten service records - detailing everything from enlistment to demob.
There are two forms you'd need to complete ( I can forward them to you should you wish), you'd need his death certificate and the consent of his next of kin. The MoD charge a one off fee of £30 but, if your great grandmother is still with us and signs the consent form, then the fee is waived...

Do not bother with any online genealogy websites such as Forces War Records or Ancestry etc., as although they will claim to have his records, they don't!
The MoD is the ONLY custodian of WWII records and will not release them for many years yet...

If you have any photos of your great grandfather in uniform and from the WWII era which you are happy to share with us, they can often be a huge clue to which Commando he served in - especially idf someone recognises other commandos in the same picture...
If you have, post them within this thread in the first instance and we'll get to work...

Also if the family have any tales or anecdotes he used to tell - even the most bizarre or seemingly ridiculous can be a huge clue to us.
I was once told a story regarding a pig that a Troop in a particular Commando were fattening up for Christmas - it was given a name. This tiny snippet of useless information was picked up by first one lady whose father had been in the Commandos, then another recognised the tale and so it immediately linked these ladies and the research was able to start in earnest!

Regards,
Nick