Messages posted by: Pete Keane

Kevin,

Remind me....in the photo posted earlier of Maj English, was one of the others AV Earle ?

Pete

i've had a look at 3, 4 & 6 briefly, but they are all shown as 1st Special Service Brigade......from looking at an oob for the 49th there are no Commando units shown as attached from 1 SSB.

Without going into each Commando in some depth i doubt I will be able to find troops being detached.

Its definitely Army Commando, not RM.

Will do some more digging.

cheers

Pete

Hi Pete

Yep, ignore the latter part.

All I have is the name and that he served in Europe post d-day (definitely not Burma) and that his Commando were attached to the 49th, but no mention of a Brigade.

I searched here and the only 'D' I found was at St.Nazaire, but I dont think its the right chap.

Usual situation - not enough info!

Cheers

Pete

Have seen a reference to D Webb at St.Nazaire, but not sure what the D stands for.

Chap I am looking for survived the war, but I dont know which Commando other than European Theatre post d-day, so not 3 or 5.

Ring any bells?

Cheers

Pete

Sorry about the lack of detail here, but trying to put together a slightly confusing bit of info.

Post D-day, which commando units were part of 49th Infantry Division, if any? Cant find an order of battle showing Commando units attached.

Of course, there were several infantry brigades, so could have been in oob of one of those.

Any suggestions?

Cheers

Pete

Hi chaps,

Heard back from John Wall, he cant id any of the faces I'm afraid.

Cheers

Pete

Very interesting - nice to be able to read a request that can be answered so fully.

Glad they are of some use - sorry if its a bit of a procedural headache, I'm good at finding stuff, but not what to then do with it !!

Some great photo's though!

Pete

Sorry,missed a bit - its 2 Troop (dutch).

10 IA Commando photo album pointed out to me:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24846&id=130517190337735

Well worth a look.

Pete

Ok, still working on this.

From work done on details of prisoners at Rangoon, we are abstracting those 142 Commando troops - it is apparent from their much higher survival rate in the jail that their training and toughness kept them alive in the dreadful conditions experienced there.

I have also found a record on a 50 (ME) Commando raid, prior to their posting to Burma, I hope to abstract names from this to compare to the 142 Coy names from rangoon - will post here whatever I find.

Not related, but also come across a series of files relating to missing personnel from various Commando operations, inc Musketoon, Freshman etc.Once I have copies I will let you know how useful it is.

Regards

Pete

We've found the gazette entry for it, dated 1943, and thats where we've got the Kings Liverpool details from, but we cannot find the details of the incident for which he was gazetted - it could be from the first chindit expedition, or possibly earlier in 1943.

The odd thing is his service history, theres a clear 2 year gap on one page, he appears to have gone to India as a S.Lancs (not with a battalion - they didnt go to India for a few more months), and when he was there he seems to have joined the Kings!

I've seen records that need some deciphering, but his actually provides no info about his army service!

He is referred to briefly in one book, where he is described as leading a small group who headed for China - again, not the actions of a private drafted in 1940?

I can scent 142 Commando Company, hence my interest, and he was captured the same day as a friends grandfather, so we've been trying to establish a connection, but as with all things, not easy.

Thanks for your help.

Pete

His first name was William, so maybe Bill?

Checked the roll for 2 Commando but not there.

Pete

Hello all,

Bit of a mystery regarding a South Lancs Regt guy - believe he went to Norway with 4 IC in 1940, he then next appears as a Chindit in 1943, dying as a pow in 1944 !

My ex-S.Lancs and 5 Commando chap seems to think this chap may have been recruited to 4 Troop, 2 Commando, and then volunteered for the China mission, this may be how he ended up with the Chindits.

Can I ask that a check against any lists that have been compiled be made for the surname, it would at least give me a starting point - his service history has a 3 year gap in it - showing only that his regiment was 13th Kings Liverpool Regt (who were Chindits), but it doesnt quite add up.

Pete.

I know its a few years old now, but i enjoyed watching it again.

Would be good if they re-ran World at War again as well!

Pete