Messages posted by: Julie W

At the moment I'm trying to find out about the unit's operations in Normandy but thanks for the offer of help, Bill.

Best regards,

Julie

Smashing! Thanks Graham!

Does anyone happen to have copies or transcripts of the RM Engineer Commando War Diary (DEFE 2/49) or is visiting the National Archives in the near future and can look something up for me please?
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7178221

Thanks a lot,

Julie

Wow! What a wonderful thing!

Signature no. 40, JW Green, looks like '??? Forest' to me.

I wish you success in finding out more about the men who have signed the flag.

Best regards,

Julie

Chairete

It is very good to hear from you Lt. Gen. Lazari.

I have a particular interest in the Sacred Squadron as I spent a number of years living in Greece so I am looking forward to learning more about your organisation.

Kind regards,

Julie

Hi Jan,

You mentioned the British Library so in case you haven't already seen it, this link shows all libraries which hold a copy of the book:
http://www.worldcat.org/title/commando-diary/oclc/24720624
If you don't live close to any of them, your local library should be able to borrow one of the copies for you through the interlibrary loan system.

Good luck!

Julie

It sounds like you already have the War Diary mention I found - the 3 week detachment to 2nd Dorsets in 1944. Oh well!

Julie

Nick: Do the War Diary extracts mentioning Vic relate to Belgaum? If not, there is something else I can send you, Dick!

Julie

Calling Blighty was a series of short films made in 1944-45 of individual servicemen and women in the Far East sending personal messages home to their family and friends. 'A Message Home' is a project to try to find as many families and veterans as possible, to bring them together to show the films again, and to tell their stories.

Of nearly 400 issues made, only 48 are known to survive, and 3 of the personal messages show men from the 3rd Commando Brigade:
Sgt Quillin/Quillan of 5 Commando http://www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk/blighty/record.php?token=0766cbl2373HTy60111ZYm97B19057b4Lig7H
Pte Maloney of 1 Commando http://www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk/blighty/record.php?token=9931cbl68yKL511nxZYm97B10839b4Lig7HTy and
Pte Pawson of 1 Commando http://www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk/blighty/record.php?token=4519cbl73g7H611m97B16695b4Lig

Pte Maloney & Pte Pawson's films show lots of other men - presumably also of 1 Commando - in the background

North West Film Archive would love to find out as much as they can about these films and would like to know if you
- belong to one of the families
- know of someone who does
- know something about the films or the original screenings

Full details here: http://www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk/blighty/index.php

Julie

Thanks Nick.

I've applied but haven't heard anything back yet so fingers crossed!

Julie

Burma Star & Pacific Star veterans, widows and direct descendants can apply to attend the VJ Day commemorative events in London. Applications are due by no later than 24 July 2015. Full details here: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance/vj-day

Julie

There are some interviews with RM44 veterans held at the Imperial War Museum which are available to listen to online. The sabotage story is mentioned in several of the interviews, including the one with Thomas Charles 'Dinger' Bell. On reel 1 from about the 19 minute point he says:

"There was a faulty batch of mortar ammunition and they fired one and it went off in the barrel and killed a marine... There was a bit of a discussion then between our Colonel and the Colonel of the camp about whether we should fire another one because when things happen you just fire another one but it was decided not to and they checked the ammunition first and they found it was a faulty batch that had been obviously worked on by somebody and there was a wire that was there and it wasn't: it had been cut, it had been severed and if they'd carried on using these bombs they'd have carried on killing blokes, so we were lucky there. They got an ammunitions expert in and he stripped it down and found it had been sabotaged, this batch."
Here's the link to the interview: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80018883

Julie

Fantastic film, Andy.

Coincidentally, I was browsing on the NAM website before popping over here & had just read this about Garand rifles!

http://www.nam.ac.uk/online-collection/detail.php?acc=1992-03-160-1

Julie

In the section about 5 Cdo in the final edition of the Third Jungle Book it says there were 27 officers & 430 men on board the Reina del Pacifico.

There were also 40 wrens (see http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/1754:babs-fraser-drennan/)

I hope that is of some help.

Julie

Thank you so much Lloyd