No. 5 Commando, 2 Troop.

Hi all,

I am still researching my grandfathers service history, I am concentrating on the South Lancs Regt. still, and recently put a note in the burmastar Dekho magazine.

I have been contacted by John Wall, who was originally in the 2/4 Bn. S Lancs Regt (TA), until he volunteered for the Commandos in 1941.

What a nice guy to talk to. Gave me lots of 'snippets' about the S Lancs, and also 2 troop, 5 Commando.

He was, until its standdown, chairman of a Commando Assoc., and could prove to be very helpful source of info. I believe he has a collection of photo's which I hope he may share with us.

I am going to e.mail him a link to the photo's here, in the meantime if anyone has a particular interest in 2 Troop post it here, as I am sure he will read this.

Regards all

Pete Keane

Pete,
Well done at 'finding' John Wall - by coincidence I only added his name to the No5 Cdo List of Names yesterday (thanks to Stephen Donnison)

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/762.page

Although my dad was in 5 Troop, I'd be interested in anything relating to No5 Cdo.

Nick

Nick,

On the photo section for 5 Commando, there is a photo for 2 troop - is it correct, would you know? Its just that i'm sure the same photo is elsewhere as 5 troop - or maybe they just look similar!

Pete.

Ps I didn't find him - in best Commando fashion, he found me...

Pete Keane wrote:Nick,

On the photo section for 5 Commando, there is a photo for 2 troop - is it correct, would you know? Its just that i'm sure the same photo is elsewhere as 5 troop - or maybe they just look similar!

Pete.

That photo was given to me by Billy Moore, No5 Cdo.
I've seen that same photo in 'The Third Jungle Book' - the 3 Commando Brigade 'magazine', Issue No9, March 1946 and it is labelled as 2 Troop.

As Billy was in 5 Troop I'd guess that it was probably 5 Troop?

I want to restore it and return it and a copy to Billy.

nick

I've just learned that on 4 December 1944, 5 troop was disbanded and absorbed by other troops so perhaps the photo is of 2 troop and includes former members of 5 troop

Julie

Hi Julie,

Julie W wrote:I've just learned that on 4 December 1944, 5 troop was disbanded and absorbed by other troops so perhaps the photo is of 2 troop and includes former members of 5 troop

Julie

That's very interesting and the first I'd heard of a troop being absorbed into the other troops in 1944 - months before VE-Day let alone VJ-Day.
Do you know why?
Were other troops affected in the same manner?

Nick

Hi All

Not relating to 5 commando I know..........but in a similar fashion and in the same theatre.

In the War Diaries for number 1 Cdo and on the roll of wounded for Kangaw there is listed a '12 Troop' ........when I queried Henry Brown who 'wrote'the WD's he stated 1 troop and 2 troop were amalgamated and became 12 troop.

Harry Winch who was in 2 troop had 'No Knowledge' of this............

Strange!!

regards

john M

NIC wrote:
Do you know why?

The only reason given is "for the purpose of future operations". On the same day, Major Gen Laycock visited 5 Commando at their camp in Teknaf so I guess it must have had something to do with him

Hi Again

On checking my notes HB said the reason for the amalgamations was the slow arrival of 'Replacements' due to losses and medical conditions taking their toll.

Operationaly and admin wise it was better to have one complete troop than two reduced troops.

I think the geographical location and the appalling conditions played its part in this.

Regards

John M

Hi Pete....My Grandfather, John Skipper was in 5 Commando and until recently I was never sure which troop he was in. My Uncle had told me a story about when the Commandos were training on the Isle of Wight and there was an incident involving explosives and the windows on Ventnor seafront being blown out !
I was looking around on the Imperial War Museum website the other night and came across the following:

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80021556

It's an Interview with an ex member of 5 commando who talks about his time in the regiment, the places he visited, and the story of the windows in Ventnor being blown out ! He mentions in the recording that it was members of 2 troop which in turn, now makes me believe that my Grandfather was in 2 troop. It's a great listen if you get the time, and a lot of the places he talks about relate to my Grandfathers service record, which on a personal level is great for me and my research ! If you look on the photos section on here there are a couple of photos of John Skipper with members of his unit....whether or not they are 2 troop, I do not know.
It will be interesting to see any pictures that you manage to obtain Pete.
Hope the link works ok and good luck with the research !

Mark