Messages posted by: markh

My late grandfather George Norton Barnes of 5 Commando, seen here http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/5/India+or+Burma+2.jpg.html was in HongKong from August 1945 to sometime in 1946 - his demob was Oct. 1946 in Derby

What little he told me over the years about his time in the Commandos the most detailed part was about the period from HongKong from August 1945 to demob in approximately October 1946. From my notes, some made in Jan 2012 :

1. Parachuted as 4 man unit -King is the only surname from that group he possibly remembered - onto Kowloon near near old Kai Tak airport in the afternoon. They crossed on the star ferry to Hong Kong island. Eventually they reached in the far south of HongKong island, Stanley Internment Camp, finding the european inmates in a terrible condition. The armed Japanese guards were still there, some holed up in a cave. One of the unit was killed, but how and when, nor what their mission this was never explained by George. I could never get an explanation of why the 4 of them were there, but he often mentioned 'cannon fodder' and that they 'had a look around' Probably Britain wanted her colony back, so this was part of the process.

2. Chinese salt smuggling and stealing trucks, and Commandos trying to stop them. So I guess that was a policing role mentioned.

3. Commandos helped repair electricity grid. George got a nasty electric shock, but lived until 89 years old.

4. Went to Shanghai by sea with "very tall Japanese" prisoners whom he thought were actually Koreans.

5. The japanese were still armed to keep the peace.

6. Commandos surprised to see Hong Kong had lots of tinned food, were told that they were starving.

7. Billeted in houses in new territories served by "Chinese maids"

8. Had option to stay on in Hong Kong after the war. I got the sense maybe he regretted not having stayed, as he seemed to enjoy his time after the war very much.

9. Lots of whiskey drinking, trip to races and on the Star ferry.

10. Returned home to UK via Singapore, India, and suez canal on the SS Highland Chieftain a refrigerated ship. A near mutiny in an Indian port as the ship was so hot with the refrigeration off. It was switched back on, but they were threatened with being shot !

http://www.britisharmedforces.org/pages/nat_troopships.htm

11. At war's end, were billeted in Motherwell, near Glasgow, Scotland. groups of us stayed in civillian loggings in houses for 4 or 5 weeks, maybe longer. We wore civilian clothes and had nothing to do. The local people were very good to us, people would buy us drinks, let us get into cinema for free. Very welcomed.

12 Then down to the city of derby where they were demobbed around October 1946 according to George's commando certificate. At Derby they were given a suite, shirt and £75 back pay for 6 years. On the train south, not sure of the exact destination, he and some fellow ex commandos threw hats off train as they were so bad

13 After being Demobbed, George moved back to Bristol from where he had started his 6 years earlier by Joining the Royal marines. He went back to live with his Aunt SilverLock, in a shop in Acacia Road, Soundwell, Bristol. The shops still stand to this day. George lent money to auntie Silverlock, she paid it back bit by bit.