Joining No1 Commando

Hello. Could anyone explain please whether an individual joined No1 Commando in 1939 directly or would they have joined a different regiment and then been transferred? My Uncle James Smith was a member of No1 Commando but Army records cannot trace any details of him. Kind regards
Steven Smith

Hi Steven,

The Army Commandos were formed entirely from volunteers from all the regiments in the Army - so yes your uncle would have been in a regular regiment or Corps and then volunteered for Special Service. He was only 'on loan' to the Commandos and when the Commandos were disbanded in 1947 most individuals returned to their parent regiment to complete their service and be de-mobbed...

When you say Army records cannot trace any details of him, where did you apply to?
Was it The MoD?
Or Forces War Records?
Or any of the other commercial, online, genealogy Search sites?

Nick

Published in The Stage 26 February 1970

Hi Steven

I believe you are the same chap who has been in email contact recently regarding your uncle CSM Jimmy Smith after finding the page about him in the archive. For the benefit of others the link to the page is below. I am attaching another newspaper clipping here.

https://www.commandoveterans.org/JamesSmith1Commando

Pete

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 23/07/2023 12:30:51

Steve

I should have added your uncle is no.309 in this panorama image of No.1 Commando in 1943, identified by his daughter Pamela.

https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/1/panorama/Numbered+No1+Panorama_.jpg.html

Pete

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 23/07/2023 14:26:00

He is also named in this No.1 Commando concert programme

https://www.commandoveterans.org/1_cdo_concert_programme

Pete

Many thanks to everyone's help in replying to my request.
Kind regards
Steven James Smith