Messages posted by: McHarg

Rest in peace Piper Jimmy Lawson. It was a privilege to have spent time in his company - a man who imbued the commando spirit.

Ian McHarg

Thanks Pete. Yes a bit of commando humour! and as everyone knows a play on Winston Churchill's famous 'Butcher and Bolt Policy'

Hi all,

Further to speak to Pete I would like to share with you the details of my new book. After writing 'Litani River' about No.11 (Scottish) Commando, I decided to try my hand at a WW2 novel about the Commandos and I'm pleased to say that 'The Pinch' was released two weeks ago. The story is based around the No.3 Commando's raid on Vaagso and includes a number of well known commandos that you will all be familiar with. The plot, however, is fictional and is about a small section of handpicked men who undertake a special mission under the command of Lieutenant Robert Bolt and Corporal Sam Butcher. The book has been described as an action packed thriller, but has a historical fiction feel about it especially with regards to the commando training they undertake before the raid. The book is available on amazon etc or via my website www.ianmcharg.co.uk where there is more information on the book. If anyone would be interested in reviewing it please let me know.

Best wishes

Ian McHarg

Thanks John,

Regards,

Ian

Thought I would share this excellent painting of Lt Eric Garland MC at Litani River. It was painted by David A Thorp and shows Lt Eric Garland deliberately exposing himself to an enemy sniper so as to locate his position. Once located he got down behind the Bren and shot him.

Reg Harmer DCM (11 Scottish Commando and Wiltshire Regiment) told me during an interview a few years ago that Ronnie Freke was among the men billeted next door to him in Lamlash.

Reg was billeted with Jessie Taylor's mother and I'm sure that Jessie would be able to provide some information on Ronnie Freke.

Regards,

Ian

I am very pleased to inform you all that my book "Litani River" has now been published and is available to order online from Amazon, Waterstones and all good book shops.

As many of you will know 9/10th June was the 70th Anniversary of Litani River so it was especially pleasing to have the book available to coincide with the anniversary.

A percentage of all proceeds from the book will be given to the Commando Benevolent Fund, please see below for links to Amazon and Waterstones:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Litani-River-Ian-McHarg/dp/1907463380/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307916576&sr=1-1

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/ian+mcharg/litani+river/8610951/

Regards

Ian

Nick

See below the information from Sir Tommy Macpherson's No.10 Troop note book, as you can see this J Innes has a different parent unit and regimental number than the J Innes that Mary is looking for.

INNES J L/Cpl 2932101 5th Battalion Cameron Highlanders No.10 Troop

Regards

Ian McHarg

Thanks Nick.

Pete,

Henry More also sent me two photographs of his dad along with his permission to post on the 11 Commando gallery, details as follows:

Captain (later Colonel) George R. M. H. More.

Col More got an MC and bar during the war (one for Litani River, the other for SOE), an MID for his actions at Dunkirk, and retired as a Colonel.

1939 photograph - Royal Engineers
1944 photograph - SOE.

Regards

Ian

Nick / Pete

Below are extracts from a few emails I recieved from Henry More (son of Capt (later Colonel) George R.M.H More MC - No.11 (Scottish) Commando. As you can see Henry has solved the mystery of Capt / Wg Cdr R Davidson (11 Commando / RAF) - a fantastic piece of research.

Cheers

Ian

There is a list of the officers of C Battalion presumably made while they were on Cyprus before the Litani (May-June 1941 diary) and Davidson is listed there as 2nd Lt (Temp Lt) R.B. Davidson, Royal Scots.

I googled R.B. Davidson RAF and he is shown as:

December 1953-1956 Sqn Ldr R.B. Davidson, DFC squadron commanding 602
Squadron RAF.

He is also shown as Station Commander for RAF Turnhouse: 12 Jan 1970 Wg Cdr R B Davidson

Here's a link that looks interesting: Two Royal Air Force pilots are
photographed in front of a Vampire fighter aircraft. Squadron Leader Roy A
Schofield and Squadron Leader RB Davidson, ...
www.scran.ac.uk/000-000-035-731.

I am attaching a copy of the photo (very small file) but it would seem to
indicate that the pilot on the right is Davidson. If you contact the
Scotsman you could probably get a good photo of Davidson in what seems to be
the 1950s.

I am also attaching a page from an RAF type that shows Flt Lt R. B.
Davidson in October 1944 as being in No 6 Squadron.

This would seem to imply that he did indeed make the transfer during the war.

Found a London Gazette reference to RB Davidson becoming Flying
Officer from Pilot Officer 01JAN1943 and refers to "(Lt, R. Scots)".

There's conclusive evidence for you!!!

Best regards,

Henry

Pete

As promised I have sent a few 11 Commando photographs to your email address.

Cheers

Ian

Ian

Fred Birch, No 7 and No 11 Commando, gave a Sound Archive interview to the Imperial War Museum in 1987. Fred?s parent unit was the 2nd Battalion Liverpool Scottish; in the interview he gives his account of No7 Commando?s ( or ?A? Battalion Layforce as they were known in the Middle East)participation in the Bardia Raid and the withdrawal from Crete.

He also goes on to detail his involvement in Operation Flipper and the raid on Rommel?s HQ.

The transcript of the interview is available from the Imperial War Museum; it is 57 pages in total and is packed with information on No.7 Commando.

A copy of the transcript can be obtained through the Sound Archive at following contact:

[email protected] or by contacting John Stopford-Pickering on Tel 0207 416 5363

The following details will speed up the process:

Sound Archive Reference ? 9770 Birch, Frederick

Description ? British NCO served with 7 and 11 Commando in North Africa and Crete, 1941, including raid on Rommel?s Headquarters, 11/1941

Recorded ? 28/April/1987

Regards

Ian

Pete

I am fairly sure this is 'A' Section of No.8 Troop which was led by Capt Ian Glennie who I think is sat on the seat to the right of the two Sgt's.

'B' Section was led by Lt Bill Fraser who like Capt Glennie and a number of the Troop were from the Gordon Highlanders.

Jim Bogle, also a Gordon, is a surviving member of No.8 Troop, I passed his details on to Geoff a few weeks ago, perhaps he could assist with the names?

Regards

Ian

Hi Pete

I would agree that the Troops were only referred to by their numbers, however when I visited Sir Tommy Macpherson a couple of years ago he told me that Col Dick Pedder was keen to form the Troops around the officers who had hand picked men from their own regiments.

I would say this is where the reference to the parent units came from, for example Sir Tommy, No.10 Troop, was a Cameron Highlander and over half of 10 Troop consisted of men from the Camerons. The same example is applied to Lt Col Geoffrey Keyes VC, who took men from the Royal Scots Greys who were serving with him at Redford Barracks in Edinburgh.

In a conversation with No 4 Troop?s Reg Harmer DCM, Wiltshire Regiment, he also made reference to this happening when they mustered at Galashiels:
?We used to march in a group, like a Troop, there was ten Troops and he (Col Pedder) kept most of the regiments together so I had all the Wilts with me, and then there was Lincoln?s, North Hants all infantry in my lot?.

I would hazard a guess and say that the parent unit designation only happened for administration purposes during the initial muster at Galashiels and as Jimmy didn?t join the Commando until they were in Arran the Troop numbers would have been well established before he got there.

Once training got underway, and the ten Troops were established, Dick Pedder was very keen to instil a Commando ethos and gel his men into a proud Commando unit. It was during the process of fostering the esprit de corps attitude that he introduced a uniformal headdress for the Commando.

Cheers

Ian

Hi Bill

Major Bruce Ramsay MC, a territorial officer from the Cameron Highlanders, was appointed Second in Command of No 11 (Scottish) Commando as they mustered at Galashiels in the summer of 1940.
Major Ramsay, a veteran of the First World War, was responsible for administrating and assembling the volunteers.

In an interview with Dr Hamish Ross for his book ?Paddy Mayne?, Sir Tommy Macpherson makes the following reference to Mayor Ramsay as he explains how he volunteered for the Commandos:

?I volunteered and I myself picked from the other companies the other ranks that I thought suitable. I went down to Galashiels and clocked in and found that the administrative man was a Major Ramsay, who had been my Company Commander in September 1939. He was a First World War veteran with a Military Cross and one arm and so was considered the bees? knees by all concerned; he was also very convivial and liked his dram. The first thing that happened to me was that my Commanding Officer, of the Cameron?s, decided that the people I picked were to good and he wasn?t going to let them go and signalled that a substantially different body of men was about to be sent. I got Major Ramsay to call in higher authority and got ninety percent of the personnel I selected and they remained my Troop throughout the active period of Scottish Commando ? and very good they were?.

Major Ramsay left the Commando while they were training in Arran. Hope this helps.

Regards
Ian