Messages posted by: Jack Bakker

On 30 June and 1 July, family members of Joseph (Joe) Ball visited his grave for the first time. This has always been a wish of their father, a brother of Joe, but he died very young. They have now fulfilled his wish. I had the privilage of being their host for the weekend. A weekend to remember I can asure you! The family laid a floral tribute on Joe's grave and met the man who had witnessed the shooting of Joe, which was a moving experience. On Monday an article with a photo was publised in a regional newspaper.

This morning I received an email from the journalist. He received a phone call from a man who had seen the article and he had some more information. In a telephone conversation I had with him he confirmed things I already knew from the eyewitness of the shooting and he confirmed things as wrong of which I thought/knew they were wrong. He lived in a house at the pond of the asylum Vrederust which was the place where No 4 Commando were billeted in 1945, which was confirmed by him. The man was 14 years of age at the time. Two French Commandos were billeted at his place and they regularly went on raids to Schouwen, one of the islands not far away. He still has a photo of one of them.

When it became known that a Commando was shot (which he heard from one of the Frenchmen billeted in his place; the incident was know at Vrederust the same day), the troops wanted to get their revenge in Bergen op Zoom. They were armed but were stopped by the commanding officer. This is probably what is said in the book about No 4 Commando, The Fighting Fourth, that the troops were confined to their billets to prevent a riot. The incident took place in the early evening of the 2nd of June. One of the Frenchmen billeted with this man, against orders went to the Grote Markt. It could be possible that he was involved in the big fight on the Grote Markt (which is in a police report). For going against orders he was punished and this for him meant that he wasn?t going to Paris where on the 6th of June a big parade was held (which is right).

The shot was fired by a patrol of the Dutch Navy and not by a Dutch Marine as they had already left Bergen op Zoom (which is right). The reason for firing is not known by the man. He doesn?t know if the Dutch Navy personnel and the Commandos had a quarrel beforehand. He does know though that the victim had very little to do with it all!! Which makes the death of Joe even more sadder I think. The Navy patrol came from the Fortuinstraat (which confirms the story of the eyewitness). From a cinema called Roxy, situated on the other side of the Grote Markt, the Commandos came walking and the shot was fired in front of Hotel De Draak (this also confirms the eyewitness's story). The man had heard then that the man who fired the shot had been brought to Vrederust, but he isn?t sure about that.

He is very sure though that the incident was kept completely silent and was covered up. Which is right I believe as I have found nothing about it in the archives of the Military Government at that time. He is also almost convinced that the legal side of the incident was dropped, which is right I believe as I have found nothing in the archives of the Military Court at that time as well. According to the man the French and/or British were also not keen on the incident being known. Which could be the reason that the death of Joe, nearly a month after the official end of the war, is not even mentioned in the war diary of No 4 Commando.

The family went back to the UK with more knowledge about their uncle than they ever had before. The service record of Joe is being applied for at the moment. When that arrives perhaps more will be known about the actions he took part in. It has been a hard slog since the beginning of November last year, but seeing the family at the grave of their uncle made it all very worthwhile!

Hello Steph,

On your photos about the ceremonies in Normandy is a man called Roy Maxwell of No 4 Commando. That is interesting for me as I am busy with a search about Joseph Ball who was also of No 4 Commando. He was in 1 Troop. Joseph was shot and killed by a Dutch soldier on the 2nd of June 1945 in the Dutch town of Bergen op Zoom. There is a topic about my search on the forum.

I am in contact with family members of Joseph and they know absolutly nothing about his time in the Commandos. My question is: are you in contact with veterans of No 4 Commando, for example Roy Maxwell, who could perhaps tell me more about Joseph Ball. Or do you have any information perhaps?

Family members of Joseph are coming to Holland on the 30th of June to visit his grave for the first time. It would be wonderful if I could tell them something more about him.

Thank you very much!

Regards,

Jack

I feel a bit of seasickness coming up... Great video though!

Hi Stephane, I have sent you a PM!

I have seen them on green berets in Fort William and they are also on the green berets of the veterans during the ceremonies in Normandy: the black badge with the red dagger, topped with the word Commando. I am interested in them. Does anybody know where and how they can be obtained?

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the photo. I think you are right in saying that this was the Nederlandsche Club. As Nick rightly says you can see were the door has been converted into a window. Besides that, the stones on the right of the window are the same shape and laying pattern as the stones to the right of the door on the old photo. I wonder were the stone with the name of the club went.

Jack

Hi Paul and Kevin,

Thank you very much for this information! I will put the photos you made of the location as it is today in our archive.

Cheers!

Jack

Pete and Eric,

Thanks a lot for this information. As you say Pete, it makes a lot of sense and for me it does clear up a lot of "smoke" about when the green beret was issued to trainees after going through Achnacarry.

Regards,

Jack

Does anybody know when the green beret was first worn in Achnacarry by the staff and when it was first issued to the trainees after completion of the training?

In the book The Commandos, D-day and after by Donald Gilchrist he writes that when he came to Achnacarry in January 1942 to do the training: "We were herded across the hump-backed railway bridge by instructors who stood out, dressed in camouflaged two shade green jackets. Their equipment was blancoed white with brasses burnished and they were wearing green berets." (Page 113). On page 115 he writes: "The weather in June 1942 was better. (...) Earlier, in January and February, the thirty-six-hour scheme had been a hail-storming nightmare." Which to me means that he did his training in those months of 1942, after which he stayed on as an instructor. So in January 1942 the instructors in Achnacarry were already wearing the green beret?

In the book Commandos by Russell Miller and the editors of Time-Life books, there is on page 60 a photo of Lcol Vaughan talking to major Wiiliam Darby of the US Rangers. Vaughan is wearing a cap. The caption with the photo states that it was in July 1942. I can't image that the instructors were already wearing the green beret while their boss wasn't!

Then Gilchrist writes: "He was wearing a green beret with the silver badge of the Lovat Scouts. There was no mistaking the Chief of Clan Fraser, Lord Lovat." So this was in June 1942. Which means that Lord Lovat was already wearing a green beret even before the beret was even officialy introduced in October 1942. Lord Lovat is wearing the beret on the photos of No 4 Commando in Troon. So how can it be that Lord Lovat was already wearing the green beret in June 1942, when Vaughan was not in July 1942? If the caption in the mentioned book is right of course!

Another thing. It is said that the trainees speed marched from Spean Bridge to Achnacarry. So a run and walk movement. In several books (Castle Commando by Donald Gilchrist on page 18; Fighting with the Commandos by Stan Scott on page 46) I have read that they were marched, not speed marched to Achnacarry. I have even read that trainees were picked up by trucks half way to Achnacarry. The well known black and white film about the training in Achnacarry shows the trainees marching, not speed marching. In the book Commando Tactics by Stephen Bull it says on page 105: "(...) and were then harried along a fast speed march. (...) as we doubled along the final stretch...". When we were visiting Achnacarry last November I asked Harold Nethersole about this and he told me that he did the "walk and run thing." I can image that training changed during the years that Achnacarry was in function, but what was normally the case: marching or speed marching?

Thank you very much Pete!

I am looking forward to any specific information about him, especially post war. Thanks in advance!

We were shocked when we read this tragic news. Ria and I met Jimmy last year in Fort William and had a drink with him and a chat. He was a very nice guy with a good sense of humour who was smiling all the time. It was a real pleasure meeting him and I can still hear his voice.

Our thoughts and condolances go out to his dear wife and children and of course to Ron, Bev and the family.

Rest in Peace Jimmy.

Love from Jack and Ria Bakker

I am getting a bit confused about the date that the green beret was first introduced and worn. It is said that No 1 Commando wore the green beret when they took part in Operation Torch. This operation took place on the 8th of November 1942. In the gallery there is now a photo (see the link) of men of No 1 Commando dated the 18th of November 1942. They are not wearing a beret. :?: :?:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/main.php?g2_view=dynamicalbum.UpdatesAlbum&g2_itemId=25057

I have had a good look at the man on the photo with the glider badge on his his beret. I am more than certain that he is not from No 2 Dutch Troop. There were members of No 2 Dutch Troop who took part in Operation Market Garden whilst attached to the two US Airborne Divisions. I have seen photos of them but not one of them resembles the man on the photo I am afraid.

I agree with Belly on the gun the man is carrying.

Regards

Jack

Sad news indeed. I found it very good of him that he went onto the dancefloor in his wheelchair in Fort William last year to have some fun. That is Commando spirit!

Our condolences to his family. Rest in Peace Digger.

Jack and Ria Bakker

The document posted on 17 April concerning the introduction of the green beret is dated 13 October 1942. In the Photo gallery of No 4 Commando there is a photo taken in Troon, dated September 1942. On it the Other Ranks are wearing a beret. This means that the beret was already there, but the document I mentioned earlier was not. What was the reason for this? Red tape or is the date on the photo in Troon not the right one?

Hi Nick,

I agree that there is a similarity, but I still think the general concerned is not general Gale. First of all that general is a shorter guy, which is shown perhaps even better on the other photos of him. Photos of Gale (also the one you posted last) show that he clearly is a tall man; that general is not in my opinion.

I have printed out the last photo you posted of general Gale and I have held it next to the head of the other general after I enlarged his photo on the computer screen. I might be mistaken of course, but to me the left ear of general Gale is very different to the left ear of the other general. That ear stands a bit off the head itself, whereas the ear of general Gale does not. And the top part of the ear of general Gale is also different to that of the other general. Perhaps Pete with his background could shine a light on this?

Another thing to perhaps think about: why would general Gale not wear his red beret when visiting the Commandos? And I can't see the Pegasus emblem on the sleeve of the other general. Gale does have that on his battle dress on the photo you posted and he surely would have that on his service dress as well I suppose? Or was Pegasus only worn on the battle dress?

Is there perhaps a database with photos of the British generals in WW2? He might be in there.

Keep on searching!