1 Commando - reformed in Dartmouth, but where?

I understand 1 Commando were reformed in Dartmouth, but does anyone know where?

Naval College looks most likely, but wondered if anyone knows?

I'm down there a lot, I am hoping to pop into the museum and take a look at their photo library.

Regards

Pete.

Extract found on the web from Henry Brown gives your answer :
NO 1 COMMANDO

In November 1940 soldiers of the No 1 Special Service Battalion
commanded by Lt. Col. W Glendinning, moved to this area of Devon. The Battalion H.Q occupied Derwent Lodge, South Town, and the Quartermasters stores was based in Warfleet Brewery. All ranks were paid a special subsistence allowance to enable them to be billeted on local families, and detachments of the battalion were housed at Dittisham, Kingswear and Stoke Fleming. Intensive training was conducted during the winter months of 1940 during which time it was obvious that the formation was too cumbersome for its amphibious role. Therefore, on 5th March 1941, the large battalion was divided into two, the Battalion HQ and ?A? Company forming No 1 Commando with part of the HQ Staff and ?B? Company forming No 1 Commando with part of the HQ Staff and ?B? Company stationed at nearby Paignton become No 2 Commando.

The men of No 1 Commando, volunteers for special service from almost every Regiment and Corps of the British Army, remained in the Dartmouth area until late May 1941, when the Commando moved to Irvine and Kilwinning on the West coast of Ayrshire.

--------------------------------

During 1941 and the early part of 1942 No 1 Commando took part in two small scale raids on the enemy occupied coast of France, whilst on the 8th November 1942 landed at Algiers, moving on within days to take part in heavy fighting in Northern Tunisia until April 1943 when they returned to England. In May 1943 the Commando was stationed in Winchester where intensive training took place, and the Commando was brought up to strength with new volunteers, and a large contingent of Commando comrades from the disbanded No 12 Commando.

In November 1943 the Commando again left the United Kingdom, this time for service in the Far East, but their troopship being bombed in the Mediterranean, caused a stay in Egypt during December of that year, finally reaching India in January 1944. The Commando engaged in an extensive programme of Jungle training, and later that year went into action in the Arakan region of Burma. January 1945 saw the Commando landing unopposed at Akyab and within days carried out opposed landings at Myebon and Kangaw where the Commando greatly distinguished itself in severe actions against large Japanese forces.

In August 1945 the Commando left India for further action in Penang but, due to the ending of hostilities, was re-routed to Hong Kong to carry out important garrison duties until the Commando was finally disbanded there at the end of 1946.

Many members of No 1 Commando received Gallantry Awards, and it was in fact the only Commando unit in the 2nd World War to gain two VC?s.

They performed whatsoever their King commanded.

Given by ? H Brown Esq., M B E

of the Commando Association

February 1991

and as an added extra heres a bit from the history of a little manor that used to be known as Warfleet Creek which gives a mention of when the Commandos took over the old brewery:
"Warfleet House became a "Wrennery". The derelict Brewery was taken over by the Commandos as their headquarters, from which they set out for exercises in secret on Gallants Bower. The story goes that they once found a case of bottles of Bartlett's best Pale Ale hidden in the building, and no doubt had quite a party. All the area beyond Warfleet Bridge was out of bounds to the general public without a special pass. "

Funny, but I know every single one of the buildings mentioned, but never a clue about the history.
The brewery became the home of dartmouth pottery, that closed a few years back and it has now been split up into million pound apartments.
The area over Warfleet bridge is likewise a playground for the rich.

Next time I am there i will pick up a few photo's.

We owned a pub in Stoke Fleming, I wonder if any of the lads lodged there - what a thought!

In a letter I received from Henry Brown in May 1984 he said,
' after a spell in Scotland they all moved south to Lands End Zone during the invasion scare in England (summer 1940, after the evacuation at Dunkirk). No 9 Independent Company was stationed on the Scilly Islands and in Penzancs during this period. It then moved for a short time to Plymouth (where incidentally the HQ office was in Plymouth Argyll football ground stadium) and then in November the unit moved to Dartmouth to become part of No1 SS Bn.'
In conclusion he mentions that at his home he had seen a photo of a group of sergeants taken in Irving in 1941/42 and was almost sure that my father was one of them, and assumed that I had a copy, but unfortunately I did not ( If any one knows of this photo I would be interested in a copy).
Hope that this is of interest to you
Kevin