Phew thank goodness - I thought I was becoming a grumpy old man...
Thanks guys
I thought I would let one such specialist know and sent him a quick message on Ebay
NIC wrote:This badge is V Force - NOT No5 Commando! They were two 2 separate and unrelated units.
V Force were not Commandos and were not entitled to wear the coveted Green Beret.
Specialist wrote:I think you need to use Google my friend
what do you believe the Roman numeral V stands for ???????? the number 5!!
they were army commando in WW2 and actually for your information DID wear a green beret but absolutely nothing to do with bootnecks what so ever!!!
hey but glad to see you have time to e mail this stuff
you have a great day
Former WO2 Scots Guards, 2 Para & G Sqn (what would I know huh)
NIC wrote:Dear "Former WO2 Scots Guards, 2 Para & G Sqn (what would I know huh)",
In answer to your question - not a lot apparently!
I sent my message to you in good faith and thought that, as you advertise yourself as:
"THE WORLDS No1 SPECIALIST BRITISH MILITARY REGALIA, ACOUTRIMENTS & GIFTS DEALER Est 1965." you would like to get your facts right as it was obvious to me that you were confused about the difference between No5 (Army) Commando and V Force.
Your reply was rude, offensive and ill-informed; however, I will persevere in an attempt to put the record straight and, on behalf of your customers, give you the facts.
No5 Commando (V Commando) were formed in Bridlington on 23 June 1940 and commanded by Lt Col Wood, shortly after it's formation The Commando moved to Dover then to Helensburgh.
It was organised into The 5th Special Service Battalion and was redisignated No5 Commando on 26 Feb 1941.
No5 Cdo trained at Achnacarry near Fort William, were entitled to wear the Green Beret (originally with a yellow hackle).
The first recorded raid performed by no5 was in Aug '41 on beaches of Hardelot and Merlimot.
They provided expertise for the St Nazaire Raid (Dieppe) and then went on, on 23 Mar 42, to participate in the landings at Madagascar
Together with No1 Commando & 42 & 44 RM Commandos they formed part of 3 Commando Brigade (originally 3 Special Services Brigade) in the Far East from 1943 until it was disbanded on 26 Mar 1946.
V Force were NOT commandos!
V Force were a guerilla force whose officers were recruited locally in Burma
By May 1942 the area commanders had been appointed:
Ledo Area ~ Lt. Col. R. M. Pizey (a tea planter)
Kohima Area ~ Lt. Col. G. S. Lightfoot (a police officer)
Manipur Area ~ Lt. Col. E. M. Murray (Assam Rifles)
Lushai Hills ~ Commandant, Lushai Battalion Assam Rifles
Tripura Area ~ Lt. Col. Hollington Sawyer
Arakan Area ~ Lt. Col. Dona
Each area of V Force consisted of:
Commander
2 i/c
Adjutant and Quarter Master
MO
1,000 enlisted guerillas of the race living in the area
Four platoons of Assam Rifles
Specialist wrote:dear sir
again I am pleased that you have enough time to waste my time continually, the joys of retirement huh??
your e mails are tedious at best and you are a rude individual as well as an E mail hero
so I shall not waste my time on your further and neither shall I insult you as nature clearly beat me to it already!
good bye, keep taking the pills, if you stick to the prescription they will work
PS your cut and paste bull was a poor attempt,
but at a guess I would say a bootneck???? as only a bootneck would talk such twaddle
The fellow can't even spell ACCOUTREMENTS correctly!
Wish I'd have thought of Geoff's bidding trick - that was very amusing.
Nick