Messages posted by: Jack Bakker

Concerning the book Fighting with the Commandos which Frank mentioned in his post: I suppose Stan Scott is THE Stan Scott (or "Scotty") as we can see him in the photo gallery?

When that is the case, and Niall Thomson is mentioned in his book, I presume that he has known Niall. In that case, would it be an idea for me to contact Stan Scott in any way and ask him about Niall? I don't suppose Stan Scot has email (but you never know of course!) but perhaps someone on the forum has his address or knows him personally and can help me out on this? Or does someone has other ideas/suggestions?

Pete,

Does Liz know the address of the nursing home? If we know it might perhaps be an idea for the members of this forum to send Piper Bill a card wishing him well?

Just a thought!

Jack

Hi Frank,

Thanks for the info! I was just looking at the booksite Pen and Sword and found the book Fighting with the Commandos when your message came in. So I will order it.

Regards,

Jack

In his post of 23/12/2007, Steven Hambridge refers to the book Invasion by Piper Bill Millin and that the book is avaliable from the Dawlish Museum. I have emailed the museum and they will send me an signed copy of the book!

The cost of the book is GBP 6.99, the postage and packing is GBP £3.00. Which is for sending it to The Netherlands I guess. They normally give Piper Bill GBP2.00 for signing, making a total of GBP12.00. You may of course give more, as any surplus would go to the Museum funds. I will give more so that Piper Bill can have a wee dram or two!

If you want a copy, be quick because there are only nine left for sale as at today! Mail to: [email protected] and you will get in touch with Liz of the administration!

Hi Frank,

Thank you for the hint of going to the Pegasusarchive site! I have visited the site earlier, but I never looked very close at it. As I am searching for information on Niall Thomson (see my ealier posts) I did now. And the War Diary of No. 3 Commando reveiled his name! When you go to the Diary and start from the date of 26th of June 1944 (the date on which Niall was posted from Achnacarry to No. 3 Cdo), you will encouter his name a few times. Although his name is sometimes written with or without the letter P in it, I am sure it is him they are talking about.
So now I know a bit more about him. But the search is giong on!

A good link to wikipedia by Pete about the smock. Never knew that it, in a sense, originaly came from far back as 1854!

I think "unknowncommandos" is right in saying that if the Commandos saw something good, they usually managed to get it. Little has changed I can tell you!

This morning I was looking at photos of Operation Infatuate (the landings on Walcheren) and I noticed that every picture concerning Commandos, shows them wearing the smock. It proves to me that they had a steep learning curve in those days: if somebody else uses an item which is good, get your hands on it!

I enlarged the photo of 3 Commando on the LCI's, and noticed that about five men are wearing para smocks, or so it seems. I thought that the para smock was issued to the Commandos later in the war. Correct?

The man on the left is indeed Lieutenant-Colonel Vaughan. The photo comes from the book by Donald Gilchrist called "The Commandos; D-day and beyond". The text underneath the picture says: ?Farewell to Lieutenant-Colonel Charles E. Vaughan, commandant of the Commando Basic Training Centre, sometimes know as ?Rommel of the North?.

I think that the man in the middle of the photo is Gilchrist himself. On the site You Tube you will find a short film (approx 10 minutes) called Commando Country about Commando training at Achnacarry and at Lochailort. At the end you will find a piece of black and white film on which Vaughan is handing out green berets to trainees. The man giving the berets to him is Gilchrist in my oppinion. I compared the photo with the film. That?s why I think the man in de middle is Gilchrist, but I could be wrong of course.

Looking at both photos of Niall as put on the forum by Pete (thanks Pete!) I am convinced it?s him on the black and white one, or I must be very much mistaken! The outline of his face in the b/w photo is the same on the picture I took of him, as goes for the way his hair is done. But I might be wrong here as well!

Pete,

I have found the same picture on a site (can't remember which one) with the names of the officers on it. Niall is not among them. The man on the extreme right of the front row of the picture you posted is James Dunning.

Bill!

Thanks for your reply!

Last week I talked to an old mate of mine about my search for information on Nial Thomson. He told me that he had been to the Spean Bridge Hotel a couple of years ago and they couldn't tell where Mr Alex Ferguson went. And you come up with an address or two. Really great and thanks a million!

I might be very much mistaken, but I have a feeling that we will meet each other in Vlissingen in November. I live about an hours drive from there. Tell me when you will be there and we will link up!

I will let you know how I will get on.

Hi Pete,

Thank you for your swift reply!

The Captain Nial(l) Thomson on the site you mention is the one!
In 1995 we did the speed march as mentioned on that site with our commando course, with Nial as an observer. He addressed the course in front of the Spean Bridge rail way station, after which we startede the speed march. It was done in weather conditions that would make Scotland really proud! At the gates of Achnacarry the course was presented to a very proud Neil, and there he presented the Officer Commanding the course with a very nice plaque which is now in the office of the Commanding Officer of the Dutch Commandos. I have a photo of that presentation, as well as others of him which I took during our stay.
On the site http://www.abmp.org.uk/ there is a button called Commando March. There I found the message that Neil had passed away in 1997.

Thanks again for you reply!

My name is Jack Bakker and I am living in the south-west of Holland. In november 2007 I left the Army as a captain after 38 years of service. Most of those years I served with the Dutch Commandos. In February 1995 we had the final exercise of the Commando Course in Scotland. In the preparations for that exercise, which took us to Achnacarry amongst other places, we came in contact with Mr. Alex Ferguson, than the owner of the Spean Bridge Hotel. He brought us in contact with a man I shall never forget as he made a big impression on me: Niall Thomson from Tain.
As Niall had been an instructor at Achnacarry during the war, he was our guide and guest. He showed us around and told a lot about those times. After our return to Holland I had some correspondance with Niall. But as is often the case this stopped I am sorry to say. Last year I was sorry to read on a website that Niall had passed away in 1997.
From that time on I am trying to get to know more about him, but that seems to be nearly impossible in one way or another. I have sent e-mails to several people in Tain, posted a message on the website of Tain, even sent a letter to the address of Niall which he had in 1995. I am in mail contact with Margaret Short of the Spean Bridge Hotel who has forwarded my mails to the local newspaper, all to no avail. I am correspondig with major James Dunning, who brought me in contact with Ron Youngman of the Commando Benevolent Fund. He gave me the address of the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow, and some details about Niall. The Army Personnel Centre sent me a bunch of papers to fill in with data about Niall I can never get my hands on as I am not a relative.
The information about Niall which I got from Mr. Youngman is: he was an instructor at Achnacarry before he joined No. 3 Commando; date of transfer to No. 3 is 26th June 1944 (James Dunning, who knew Niall from Achnacarry, told me that Niall stayed with No. 3 from that time uintill 1945); his parent regiment was the Royal Artillery; his rank was luitenant; his service number was 19434; he died on 28/7/97; he has an daughter living in Scotland, but Mr. Youngman does not know her address or name.

I am trying to get in contact with people who know more about Niall and/or relatives of him, so that I can get to know him better. I also have pictures of him taken during our stay in Scotland. I would like his relatives to have those pictures as a memory of him. My question is: can anyone help me in any way? Thank you for reading my post and I am looking forward to your reply.

With kind regards,

Jack Bakker