?With regard to Paddy Donovan, he was a delightful very Irish Irishman. He was of Medium Height, but very sturdily built. Physically strong but gentle & whimsical. When you spoke with him he always had a broad smile. Liked a pint. His counterpart in the Troop was Paddy Deighan who was by contrast very slim build.

I remember Paddy Donovan falling out with ( name removed ) who had kicked a dog which came into the camp, and Paddy Donovan was so indignant that they nearly came to Blows. We had to stop them .

My brother Stanley spoke with a natural London ( Cockney ) accent. Whereas I had worked in Offices and had " Poshed " up my voice, due to answering telephones. Paddy Donovan came to me one day and said " Hey Buckie, how come you and your Kid went to different Schools together ". ( We both went to the same School ).

I met Paddy Donovan only once after the War at a London Re-union, he was working in Security with Cyril Lima at Heathrow Airport

Regards, Eric.?

"Martin Joseph Gill was proud to be a Royal Marine. He was always up for a challenge, and unfortunately died doing what he had always wanted to do. He was the life and soul of every party, beloved and cherished by everyone. Martin will be deeply loved and missed forever. Rebecca, John-Daniel, and Lauren xxxxxx"

"Lance Corporal Martin Gill or 'Fish', as he was known by his mates, was a Marine of rare quality. Despite his mum dying only weeks before the start of the tour, he was exceptionally keen to deploy; this was the mark of the man: passionate and dedicated to his profession and utterly loyal to his friends and fellow Marines. Joining the Unit last September, he immediately stood out, impressing with his first class professional standards, innate leadership skills and unrivalled spirit and determination. As a result, he was promoted to Lance Corporal only three months later, a clear indication of his considerable ability and potential; he undoubtedly had a bright future ahead of him. His friends described him as 'morale in a box'. Only last week he made an Afghanistan Monopoly board to keep his colleagues entertained; he was quick-witted and a constant source of banter. A real team player, he was the first to volunteer for the most challenging tasks and was an immensely popular and characterful member of Kilo Company. The eulogies written by his friends more than bear this out - they looked up to him and loved him like a brother. A true hero, he died taking the fight to the enemy in the finest traditions of the Royal Marines: selfless, resolute, and courageous to the end, he now joins the distinguished list of Corps legends and will be sorely missed, but his sacrifice will be remembered for all time. The death of Lance Corporal Gill is an appalling tragedy and today is a truly sad day for 42 Commando. We have lost a brave young Marine and it has hit the Unit hard. However, our grief is nothing compared to that of his loved ones; at this most testing time our thoughts and prayers are with his brother, John-Daniel, sister, Rebecca, and girlfriend, Lauren; may they find the strength and courage to face the difficult days ahead.

"Lance Corporal Gill had been operating as a member of Kilo Company, 42 Commando Royal Marines, within the 1 RIFLES Battle Group in Nahr-e Saraj for just under two months. At the time of his death, he and his Multiple had already conducted some spectacular work, both partnering the Afghan Police and clearing out pockets of insurgents who were destroying the local community. His contribution as a commander was vital in these early successes, and his commitment, bravery and selflessness in making other people's lives better was second to none. His sacrifice will not go wasted, and, this evening, I witnessed the resolve of his close-knit team to step back out and continue the great strides of progress they had made together already. Lance Corporal Gill was quite evidently a remarkable commander, Royal Marine and friend to many. In this impossibly difficult time, our thoughts and prayers go to his loved ones and family who once again, in too short a period of time for any family to have to bear, have to deal with such enormous tragedy.

"Swift and Bold - we honour you and will never forget you."

"Lance Corporal 'Fish' Gill joined Kilo Company shortly after myself, and instantly I had an affinity with him as we were both the new boys in town. He quickly established himself as a Black Knight and displayed all of the exacting standards expected. In doing so, he was rapidly promoted to Lance Corporal. I enjoyed his dry humour, which never failed to raise a smile. My thoughts go out to his family during this difficult time."

"Once a Black Knight, always a Black Knight".

"Lance Corporal Gill, 'Fish', embodied the finest attributes of a Royal Marine Commando. He displayed selflessness, courage and loyalty throughout his time within Kilo Company. 'Fish' was a true family man who had endured so much over the last few months. He was always willing others to smile with his cheeky grin. The butt of many a joke and maker of more, he maintained a type of morale that hopefully we can sustain throughout the remainder of our tour. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this sad time. See you at the other side Royal."

"'Fish' was an outstanding Royal Marines Commando. He was the Troop Sharpshooter, not just because he was a good shot, but because of his thorough professionalism, diligence and focus on every task set. He was always the first to move to an overwatch position to keep the Troop protected, and always second in the patrol to keep the Vallon man protected. Selfless in his courage, a true 'Oppo' to everyone in the Troop and he will be sorely missed."

4347481 PTE. R.OLLERENSHAW, W.YORKS)
HI, some medals and pay book. to this chap.,i would love to know all about him,,and his service,in ww2,, if you could help, i would be gratefull . i will suply all the info i can,from his service book. if it will help. I do hope that some one will remember him, or at some point was with him.. i would love to find some of his family ,,all i know that he was from west yorkshire, huddersfield ?. will post a photo of ,the items .take a look please and ask .will do my best to repl

Hi, Welcome to the CVA.
I'm afraid I can't tell you much about Pte Ollerenshaw that you don't know already other than, judging by the signature on his Commando Service Certificate, he ended his Commando Service in November 1945 at the HOC (Holding Operational Commando) at Wrexham.

Although the photo of the documents are not particularly clear, the signature is quite distinctive and is known to me and I know that the officer concerned (A Captain) was at HOC at the time.

If you can provide scans of any documents and photos, we may be able to uncover further info.

Nick

thank you will try to get good scans of the book and of the small photo. and will post as soon as i can, thank you andy