No doubt the ENSA records may provide you with ? out line ? details of the Concert Parties or Theatrical Groups who travelled around to entertain the Troops during and immediately after the War, and be able to remind you after all this time who they were. With regard to actual experience, because there was a lot of ground to cover, such entertainment by working Professionals was occasional, but nevertheless most welcome.

However, I think that I am right in saying that more than half of the entertainment for troops, was generated within the Units themselves, and good Commanding Officers encouraged it.

To deal first with the Professionals, during almost 6 years of War Service, I can recall that there were 4 occasions when Concert Parties or Theatre Groups visited the Unit in which I was serving at the time, and provided us with Entertainment.

Immediately pre-war I was employed by Granada Cinemas, whose continuous daily programmes provided very good value for money - a First & Second feature Film, a News Reel, and an Organist or 3 Stage Acts.

When I was first called into the Army early 1941, I was sent directly to a former Territorial Army Working Company in the RASC. based in Hampshire. During the 15 months that I was with that Unit, I was intrigued to find that 2 of the Concert Parties who visited us included Acts that I had previously encountered with Granada. To broaden the entertainment they invariably, at some stage, involved the Audience, and I recall winning a Half Crown for managing to complete some small Comic recitation that had been put up by the leading Comedian in the Party. Since a Soldiers Pay was 14 shillings a week, the monetary gain was very welcome.

A theatre Group that Visited us on that site staged the play ? Gaslight ?, led by a well known lady actress of the time, whose name unfortunately now escapes me.

All that these entertainers needed to put on their performance was the space to do it. They provided their own Lights, Framework and Curtains if necessary, and members of the Cast often played two or more Roles within the presentation.

When I went Overseas with 2 Commando, we were for a short period based on Gibraltar, en-route to more active engagements in Sicily. There were I understood some 48,000 men stationed on the ? Rock ? at that time and the capacious Garrison Theatre provided continuous daily programmes of Films, and occasionally Concerts, for their entertainment.

There I recall that Leslie Henson & Beatrice Lillie came with a mixed Concert Party and probably stayed for a week or so giving afternoon and/or evening performances so that most people had an opportunity to see them. I can still hear his Fruity Voice.

Ivy Benson and her Band played in one of the cafes on the Rock, but all civilian women were evacuated to the Spanish mainland every night, to ? La Linea ?, for their own safety.

To get back to the in house, own unit entertainment activities. In a Company Unit of some 150 / 200 men, there were invariably a few musicians who bring their instruments with them, and so you have an immediate Band or small Orchestra. All the unit needed to acquire is probably a piano if they don?t already have one. Two or three singers could usually be found, and often even a Comrade who aspired to be a comic. Remember that the audience were Comrade friends and not over critical. In settled ? Serving ? situations in the UK, dances were arranged say on Saturday Nights., again using the within Unit available musical facilities.

Again, in 1941, the BBC Broadcast a Concert using entertainment Groups from various Units . My own first Unit contributed to that. We had one member who had served in the First World War, and he recounted his experience of entertainment in the field, offered with the Tail board of an Army vehicle being the Stage.

With 2 Commando, after our initial Battles in Sicily & Italy, we spent 6 months with Tito and his Partisans on the Island of Vis, and from there raiding the other Dalmations and taking off the German Garrisons from some of them. It was an Active Service situation which could not accommodate Professional Entertainers, but we were very fortunate in that one of our Troop Commanders could write original Poems and Monologues that we could recite, or someone would produce jokes or cracks that we could use to entertain in quiet moments. I myself took part in one of Terrance Rattigan?s One Act Plays, ? The Object All Sublime ?. I played the Butler. If we needed to portray an Old Man, we simply scrounged some Flour from the Cookhouse to make our hair grey.

From Mainland Italy we still continued our Raiding across the Adriatic into Albania, but as the Front Line gradually moved North, life was more or less normal in the rear locations, and occasional Rest Camp leave was offered. Cinemas were available and the Theatres or Opera Houses put on Shows that Servicemen could attend.

At the end of the War Army Commando?s who had been first in the Field were disbanded, on the grounds that we had usurped the Marines Role. My younger brother, who had served with me in 2 Commando, and I, were put in charge of 500 young Soldiers and instructed to take them to Greece. The Journey was partly by train and partly by boat. On board the Troopship for several days we were asked to arrange a Troop Concert, and again we managed a credible evening of entertainment by finding a Piano Player, a couple of Musicians, some singers and a passable Comic, from among the Troops in Transit.

Within Greece it?self, to help entertain the resident troops there was an organisation called ? Music Abroad. ? It had two sections , one offering Musical Support from British Troop sources, and the other from Greek sources.

The Unit that I had been returned to was a Transport Company housed in a former Bank Building. It had an Excellent Flat Roof, ideal for Concerts and possibly Dances. With my former Cinema Experience I was put in charge of Entertainment.

In Wartime and Post War situations Units invariably acquired equipment or facilities that would assist them. For example the Military Police in Athens had acquired some 200 Wicker Arm Chairs. Another Unit might have secured a Piano and so on. They were always helpful to each other, we were able to offer occasional Transport if needed, but could borrow the items they had to offer. However the British Musicians that we tried to ? hire ? were disinclined to play for us, because of the Open Air Siuation, they claimed that it was hard to play on the roof with no Stage Structure. A transport Unit always had spare Superstructures, and or Lorry Tilts, and so with the help of our Workshops we had a framework made and draped with secured Lorry Tilts, it gave us the Stage that we set up permanently on our roof top. We then Hired an excellent Greek Musical Group who would play for us whenever we needed them, and enjoyed it.

Naafi Beer a Canadian Brew was relatively expensive, but there was a Local Brewery ? FIX ? on Phalleron Way, between Athens and Pireus, who?s local Brew was only about half the price, the only stipulation was that they would supply you with as many bottles as you could return to them. So we encouraged our Troops to purchase the Naafi Beer until we had assembled some 2000 Bottles, and we could then purchase as much Local Beer as we needed. When a Local Man turned up one day with a Carton of Crisps which he had just made, again at a very reasonable price we felt that we were definitely on a winner in keeping the Troops happy.

The next problem was to arrange Dances. As you can imagine getting nice young Ladies to attend an Army Dance in Latin Countries in the aftermath of War was not easy. However, again we scrounged some End Rolls of paper from the Army Newspaper Unit, and with the help of a Greek Sign writer from our Workshops I had a Stencil made giving Notice in Greek, of the impending Dance. Offering also Refreshments at reasonable prices. Beer, Crisps etc. The Notices were posted in Local Shops and Cafes and it worked. All we had to change each time was the Date. Invariably the Girls came with a Brother or sometimes Parents, but they came.

I hope that this information is of help to you. As I have said Troops mostly entertained themselves.

Regards, Eric Buckmaster.

"James was so proud to be a Royal Marine and we are so proud of him. He was determined to be the best."

"He was always smiling with a wonderful sense of humour. James never had a bad word to say about anyone and was so kind and considerate."

"James loved his family and was as proud of us as we are of him. He touched the lives of everyone who knew him."

"Marine James Wright was an impressive young man with an insatiable appetite for life. A spirited and passionate character, he loved his job, his fellow Marines and his family and leaves behind a massive void in the lives of all those who knew him.

"An extremely bright prospect, he was renowned for his cheerfulness, no matter how dire the situation, and indefatigable loyalty and commitment to his profession. Tonight, as I sat with the tight-knit group of Marines with whom he has been working for the past four months in an austere combat outpost, the grief was palpable - a clear indication of the high regard in which he was held within Juliet Company and more broadly across 42 Commando - but so too was the resolve to continue with the challenging task in hand; exactly as he would have wanted, and in honour of his memory.

"Marine Wright has selflessly given his life in the service of his country and for the good of the Afghan people. Time and again he has displayed considerable courage, inner strength and physical robustness whilst taking the fight to the enemy; in doing so he has upheld the finest traditions of the Royal Marines. His personal contribution during what has been a demanding operational tour has been both extraordinary and humbling; he was a true Bootneck, a warrior and a consummate professional.

"His loss is another bitter blow to 42 Commando and he will be deeply missed, but his sacrifice will not be forgotten. He joins an illustrious list of fallen heroes whose bravery, selflessness, determination and dedication inspire us all. As we pick ourselves up and deal with this terrible tragedy, our thoughts and prayers are with his mother, Sallie, his father, David, his sister, Katie and his girlfriend, Shelley; may they find the strength to face the difficult days ahead."

"Marine Wright was known as 'Big Reach' by the men of Juliet Company, the 'Jesters'. His courage, heart and gentle manner will be long remembered. He possessed an open and amiable manner that enabled him to befriend all those he came into contact with, be it his fellow Marines or the Afghan farmers whose cow he provided first aid to.

"Always selfless, his infectious enthusiasm encouraged his peers and touched those who served with him. His distinctive laugh will long echo across Checkpoint KAMIABI and Nad 'Ali. He was a fine man, an outstanding Royal Marine, and the embodiment of what it meant to be a 'Jester'. The Company's and my sincerest thoughts are with his family and partner at this most difficult of times."

"The 'Big Reach' will be remembered by Juliet Company for his irrepressible smile and positive outlook. Our thoughts are with James's family and especially his girlfriend."

"Marine James Wright, 'Big Reach' as he was known, was without question one of the most liked, cheerful and central characters within Multiple 5.
I first met James in America and found him to be a jovial character that I easily warmed to. I will sadly miss him and my thoughts go out to his family and his girlfriend, Shelley."

"He was generally known as Gordon Hemming. Your Dad had a high regard for him. I picked up the impression that he was a man who spoke his mind. He was a Keen Cricketer and when we were on GIB and there was an Inter Unit Match on, he would do the Radio Commentaries. Whether he was in 3 Troop at any time I do not know. It is always possible. Sometimes when a new troop Commander was needed a Lieutenant would be promoted from another Troop and move across. I am not sure that he was still with us to the end. I think he had gone off elsewhere."

" Lt Hemming led the raid on Luc St Mere, code named Operation Chopper, in Sep 1941. Two men were killed on this raid and are buried in a local Catholic church, when Lt Hemming died in the early 1990's his ashes were, in accordance with his wishes, buried next to the graves of his two lost men, whom he never forgot."