Messages posted by: Pete

After seeing the man marked as ' 24 ' in the No.2 Commando reunion photo below:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/2+Cdo+vets/2+cdo+reunion+london+circa+63.jpg.html

and followed by discussions with Eric Buckmaster and confirmed by Ron Youngman, I have established that he is one and the same as the Lieutenant marked as ' 2 ' in the No.1 Commando photo shown here:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/1/training+1+Cdo/2-Copy+of+Jones+7+copy.jpg.html

As to how he went from a Lieutenant in No.1 Cdo to No.2 Cdo we do not know. His first initial was actually T. with his middle name Gordon but he preferred to use the middle name only. We have a couple of other photos of him. He was a Captain in No.2 Cdo and there is a photo of him on board a ship with others in our 3 troop album. Ron said he was a delightful chap, cricket mad, member of the MCC, and lived in a house called Wisden House. So obviously was indeed cricket mad !!

He died in 1992. Andy Maines added this comment to one of our photos of him

" 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."

In memory of Captain Thomas Gordon Hemming and his two men whom he always remembered:

Fusilier ELWYN EDWARDS
Royal Welch Fusiliers and No. 1, Commando
who died age 20 on 28 September 1941

Lance Corporal CYRIL DENMAN EVANS
1st Brecknockshire Bn., South Wales Borderers and No. 1, Commando
who died age 24 on 28 September 1941

All Remembered with honour at LUC-SUR-MER CHURCHYARD

The CVA gallery has a fault which has prevented any updates or additions being possible to the gallery for the last 3 weeks. I am aware that several people have sent me information identifying individuals within gallery photos, and I will update those photos as soon as all is back to normal. Don't think I am ignoring you !!

Pete

We have at least 4 pictures of Ted in our gallery which show him as he progressed from the Liverpool Scots to No.4 Independent Company
http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/Independent+Companies/No_4+Independent+Coy_.jpg.html
and then in No.2 Commando5 troop pre St Nazaire ,
http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/5+troop/2+cmdo+5+troop+dumfries+1941a.jpg.html
and after his escape back with No.2 Commando 5 troop whilst they were in Gibraltar as part of the CMF,
http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/5+troop/5+trp+gibraltar+copy.jpg.html

One I particularly like ( for purely personal reasons) is of Ted and my father which is shown below. Both were Liverpool Scots, then No.4 Ind. Coy., then 5 troop No.2 Commando. Both went to St Nazaire. Both got back albeit by different means. Both become Lance Sergeants in 5 troop and both, albeit at different places, were awarded the Military Medal (Ted for his gallantry during Operation Chariot and subsequent escape), my father for his gallantry during Operation Healing 11 in Albania.)

Gavin I would be interested to know where you got all of the photos of Ted from so that we could seek permission to use them in our gallery. Can you private message me with any information on this.

Hi and welcome to the CVA.

The photo you found of your Grandfather was one of many in the personal album of Major Bill Copland DSO who was 2nd '/c No.2 Commando up to and including Operation Chariot (St. Nazaire). He , and I suspect your Grandfather also, was in No.4 Independent Company prior to No.2 Commando. To give you an idea about how No.2 Commando came to be, you might wish to refer to the Independent Companies gallery which includes a brief history:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/Independent+Companies/

Major Copland's photos consist of those from his time in No.4 Independent Company, and also when the Independent Companies were formed into Special Service Battalions, and then No.2 Commando up until St Nazaire.

I think the "Budda" you mention may actually be Bodo, a large fishing port on the coast of Norway, off one of its Fjords. There were several raids on the Norwegian coastline in the early days, including the one you mention, however the one your grandfather referred to I suspect was a major operation codenamed Scissorforce. This was an earlier Operation to the one you mentioned. The Independent Companies were involved, along with troops from the Guards Regiments and others, aided by the Royal Navy and RAF, and Bodo was one of the target areas. It took place in May 1940.

I would like to know a bit more about your grandfather as we have little information. If you can provide more detail I can then update our gallery accordingly. Please feel free to contact me either here or on my email address below.

Regards

Pete R.

Ps. Some galleries to check are the one above for the Independent Companies, and also this one specifically of No.2 Commando Training:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/training/

Additionally this gallery of Commando Training in general:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/Commando+Training/

Finally all the group photos in the main No.2 Cdo. album that state they are "Courtesy of Peter Copland". He Is Major Copland's son.

Should you wish a high resolution copy of the one photo you have found of your grandfather please let me know and I can provide it.

Information from a previous post:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/2398.page#8453

I found this video link to the Lottery site where Fred Walker and John White and others are filmed and interviewed returning to NW Europe with the help of Lottery funding

http://nl-video.national-lottery.co.uk/videos/view/good-causes-wwii-veterans

nb. the video is good quality and will enlarge to full screen by placing the cursor over the video and clicking on the 'Go full screen' symbol on the menu bar that will appear

68 years ago on this day No.3 Commando were involved in the taking of the bridge at Punta dei Malati in Sicily. Montgomery later ordered the bridge to be known as '3 Commando Bridge' .

The Fallen are remembered with honour at Syracuse and Catania War Cemteries as well as on the Cassino Memorial

https://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/Commando+War+Graves+Memorials+and+Plaques/graves/War+Graves+Italy/syracuse/

https://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/Commando+War+Graves+Memorials+and+Plaques/graves/War+Graves+Italy/catania/

https://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/Commando+War+Graves+Memorials+and+Plaques/graves/War+Graves+Italy/Cassino+memorial/

We also remember them here

I have recently added a gallery for the SSRF which can be seen here courtesy of Chris Rooney. He has also sent me some documents which I have yet to post but they do not cover the Dieppe Raid:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/SSRF/

I have now created a personal album for Commander Goulding DSO RNR and included it within our Commando Training gallery. It can be viewed here. My thanks to Jill for providing the documents and photos:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/Commando+Training/goulding/

Newspaper articles about a Memorial at St Paul's Cathedral dedicated to those killed in Malaya, Borneo, Singapore and Brunei from World War II until the 1960s. Major General Corran Purdon MC has a mention in one of the reports. In WW2 he was attached to No.12 Commando and taken POW at St Nazaire. He commanded the Ulster Rifles in Borneo

http://www.nmbva.co.uk/memorial_to_asia_wars_is_unveile.htm

Hi Steve

I have created a new album for Graves of Commandos post WW2 and placed an entry for Kranji Military Cemetery which is adjacent to the War Cemetery as you know.

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/Commando+War+Graves+Memorials+and+Plaques/post+ww2/Kranji/

Hi Steve

Thanks for the pictures which I will post soon. We have a photo of one of the RM Commandos whose grave you photographed - Mne. Gerald Kierans

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/laterday/RM+Commandos/In+Remembrance/Mne+Gerald+Kierans+42+Cdo+kia+.jpg.html

He was one of five from ? L? Company, 42 Royal Marine Commando killed in action on the 12th December 1962 during the assault on the town of Limbang in Borneo to free hostages held by rebels.

Their is a post WW2 Roll of Honour at the Royal Marines Online site. Here is a link to Page 10 where you will note there are one or two you missed:

http://www.royalmarinesonline.com/Roll-of-Honour-Royal-Marines-to-date-Page-10-Limbang-and-Indonesia1962-66.php

Whilst updating another forum message, I posted some links to the London Gazettes entry on the Dieppe Raid. Interestingly enough Lieutenant Commander Harold Wilkinson-Goulding DSO RNVR is mentioned in that Gazettes entry. One reference being on this page :

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/38045/supplements/3826/page.pdf

For the full list of pages please go to the forum message I mentioned:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/2926.page

It is very evident the more I find out about Lieut. Commander Goulding just how important he was to the role of Combined Operations. He appears to have been pivotal in the training of Commandos and others involved in the early raids, and now we know what he looks like thanks to his Granddaughter Jill, he has been identified in several of our photos of specific units like the SRRF, SBS and others.

2SBS

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/sbs/2+sbs+hillhead+1943.jpg.html

SSRF

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/SSRF/Further+training+with+Grapnells+_amp_+Dory.jpg.html

I know Jill has more information and has had some difficulty in logging into the forum. I hope that can be resolved soon so we can find out more about her grandfather.

Hi Johnny and welcome to the CVA

What a great find in the shed of all places! The Dieppe raid, scheduled for the 4th July, was cancelled after bad weather, and then resurrected with a considerable change in the plans, for a later date in August as mentioned. However even earlier there had been a June date for the operation but that in itself was postponed.

The raid on Dieppe is well documented. The incident where the CO of 'A' Commando, of which I believe your father in law's 'X' Company, or 'X' Troop as it became known was a part, is described in the book "By Sea and Land - The Story of the Royal Marines Commandos by Robin Neillands". The CO was Lt. Col. Picton-Phillips and he was killed as he tried to signal the other craft to turn back .

Here is an account posted in the London Gazettes about the raid. It is 1 report on 6 pages. HMS Locust and HMS Calpe are mentioned primarily from page 3826 onwards:

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/38045/supplements/3823/page.pdf

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/38045/supplements/3824/page.pdf

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/38045/supplements/3825/page.pdf

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/38045/supplements/3826/page.pdf

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/38045/supplements/3827/page.pdf

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/38045/supplements/3828/page.pdf

I would be interested to know more about your father in law and the documents you have found. We only have a few pictures of those who served in 'A' Commando, which after Dieppe became 40 RM Commando, and if you have a picture of Ernest, or any of his comrades, I would be interested in adding them to our gallery should you wish to share them with us. You can contact me either on here or by email on my email address shown below.

Pete Rogers

Hi Rick

If you contact John Robertson, the administrator of the Special Forces Roll of Honour site, he will add your photo to the entry they already have for Pte Ellingford in their section on the Paras which can be seen on this link:

http://www.specialforcesroh.com/roll-10748.html

You will have to register on their forum to do this