Messages posted by: Pete

Hi Paul and welcome to the CVA.

One of the first questions I always ask is can you let us know what, if any, your connection is to Richard Branigan ( eg. relative, friend, researcher, memorabilia collector, etc). You say you are told that this is a picture of him so indeed that person who told you must have some knowledge of Richard Branigan . Whilst I have no personal knowledge of him I would like to know more about the reason behind your request.

Regards

Pete R.

This video may be of interest, especially the second half:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewAn0BqG3xk&feature=related

Pete R.

Hi Simon and welcome to the CVA

To take your point about No.2 Commando being primarily made up of OR's from Scotland, this is incorrect. In fact No.2 Commando OR's were from all corners of the UK. There were of course many Scots in No.2 just as in other Commando units. At the formation of No.2 Commando 5 troop was known as the Liverpool Scottish troop. However after Operation Chariot that changed as new volunteers arrived to replace all those lost or taken POW. No.11 Commando was known as the Scottish Commando however 11 Commando was relatively short lived as a unit and was disbanded after Operation Flipper. After the war finished all Army Commandos were disbanded leaving initially only the RM Commandos. Since 1961 Army Commandos in 29 and 95 Commandos RA have been deployed along with other newly formed Army Commando Units, such as Engineers/Logistics, in several conflicts, alongside RM Commandos, and still do to the present day, although some units have merged. There was also an Independent Commando, 41 Ind. Commando, that saw action in Korea.

Regards

Pete

66 years ago today Private Patrick Wells of No.4 Commando died. We have no information about this man other than the record of his death so if anyone can assist even with the smallest detail that relates to him please post it here.

In Memory of Private 5958490 Patrick Anthony Wells
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and No. 4, Commando
who died age 23 on 28 April 1945
Son of Albert James Wells and Sheila Wells; husband of Margaret Wells, of Troon, Ayrshire.
Remembered with honour at Schoonselhof Cemetery

We will remember them

In memory of the men who died or were executed after this raid which took place 68 years ago on the 28th April 1943:

https://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/Operation+Checkmate/

We will remember them

John White has recognised his father Jack White and Charlie Goff, both of 6 troop, in some of the photos that Graham supplied including this one where John Mavin is on the left, unknown in the middle, and Jack White on the right

It is right we should always remember the sacrifices made by all of our Armed Forces, and Chris Rooney reminds me that today is marked as a day of Remembrance for Australia and New Zealand. The sacrifices made by British and their Commonwealth Forces (Anzacs, the Indian Army, Sikhs, Gurkhas, to name but a few), and the French, at Gallipoli should never be forgotten. It was meant to be the war to end all wars with the horrors of the Somme, Ypres, Verdun, and Passchendaele to name just a few. Sadly that was not to be.

An account of the Gallipoli campaign can be read online here:

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/the-gallipoli-campaign/introduction

A brief resume from the Imperial War Museum:

In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers, the ANZACs, formed part of the Allied expedition to capture the Gallipoli peninsula which was supposed to knock Turkey out of the war. Rather than the intended knockout blow, the campaign became one of the war's great, if heroic, defeats. Turkish forces put up unexpectedly stiff resistance and a costly slog followed, ending in the evacuation of Allied troops eight months later. Both sides had suffered heavy casualties, with British forces losing 30,000 killed, French 10,000, Indian 1,500, Over 11,000 ANZACs also died.

In memory of all those who gave their lives including:

Lieut. Bruno Martin Rooney 9th Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers. Killed in Action 28 June 1915 Gallipoli;

Private Tasman Blacker Von Stieglitz , 8th Australian Infantry Battalion Killed in Action The Second Battle of Krithia, 6th-8th May 1915;

Private Herewini Aramataku, 1st Maori Contingent. Killed in Action 6 August 1915 Gallipoli

It should be noted that many of the British and ANZACS, like the Army Commandos of WW2, were volunteers.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Dave Tudor. Secretary, Newcastle Branch, Commando Veterans Association, notifies us of the death this week of Albert Boyack:

It is with very deep sadness that I have to inform you of the passing away of our friend and comrade, Albert Boyack, 85 years, on Wednesday 20th April 2011. Albert's funeral will be held at 1245hrs Thursday 28th Apriil 2011 at Tynemouth Crematorium. Albert served as a Sergeant with No.1 Commando 5 troop, and saw active service in the Far East, most notably at the Battle of Kangaw. He was a most brave man and will be missed I am sure by many.

Rest in peace Albert

Hi Graham

Credit for the CVA history of No.2 Commando must go to the late Bob Bishop MC formerly of No. 2 Commando. We do miss him.

I have added a few more bits of information onto the 6 troop Gibraltar photo:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/6+troop/Group+photo+1+-+No+inscription+copy.jpg.html

Regards

Pete

Graham, most but not all the photos have now been posted in the No.2 Commando Gallery. Rest will follow:

John Mavin photos:
http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/6+troop/mavin/

2 Cdo 6 troop photos :

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/6+troop/Group+photo+1+-+No+inscription+copy.jpg.html

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/6+troop/6+troop+Sicily+1943.JPG.html

Regards

Pete

Hi Al

Welcome to the CVA and thanks very much for posting the excellent photographs of your grandfather and some of his No.9 Commando comrades which I will transfer to the gallery in due course. As regards the history of the unit No.9 Commando have you checked our history section and in particular at the end of that section the PDF document on the overseas history. It can be found on this link:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/site/mambots/editors/fckeditor/editor/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=

Also have a read through this forum topic relating to the late Ken Young of No.9 Commando:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/1093.page

If I can be of any assistance to you please feel free to message here or send me an email at my address below

Pete

Hi Graham

I am replying to your email to me on here for the benefit of other members and so there is a record of what is said. Thank you for all the photos which I am working on at the moment. From the photos you have sent I can see that certainly at some stage John was in 6 Troop of No.2 Commando. The troop photo is definitely 6 troop as there are faces that I recognise and can put names to. There was a reorganisation of troops within the Commando around 1943 with a Heavy Weapons Troops being formed ( the Mather brothers for instance went from 4 troop into the Heavy Weapons Troop). I am not sure whether you spotted in the No.2 Cdo gallery some details I put in from the 2 Cdo Official War Diary. It states ?

An entry in the No.2 Commando War Diary dated 4/12/43 at Molfetta states that Troop Commanders were informed that the Commando would be changing over to new establishment and that 6 Troop would be disbanded and its men amalgamated into 4 Troop ?

. This would make sense with the formation of a Heavy Weapons Troop. I spoke with Eric Buckmaster who was in 5 troop and sadly although he knows the name , he did not know your great uncle. Eric has told me in the past that the troops never really got to know the individuals in other troops to their own. Eric does add that in the photo above of John and the Mather brothers:

The Tam - O - Shanter's and shoulder flashes confirm 1941 /42 membership of 2 Commando

As soon as I can I will post the photos you sent me in the No.2 Commando gallery and post a message here to let you and others know.

Pete R.

Danny

May I suggest you send a pm to Steve ( segeorge70 ) who sent me copies of his original photos for posting. He may be able to scan any relevant ones at a higher resolution thereby getting a much clearer result for you. Worth trying.

Pete R

Hi Graham

I have a note that Fred and his brother Ernie Mather and your uncle John were all in the Border Regiment before volunteering for the Commandos, so you may well be right about them knowing each other before the Commandos. I'll let you know if I get any positive replies from a couple of enquiries I am making about your great uncle.

Regards

Pete

Hi Graham and welcome to the CVA

The photo you are referring to is indeed an excellent one and certainly shows the friendship between your great uncle and Fred and his brother Ernie. Sadly Fred passed away last year
( http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/1683.page )

I think you should apply for his service records. You may have read there is a lengthy period between application and receipt now - 9 months or so. In the meantime I will ask Eric Buckmaster who was in 5 troop if he knew of your uncle. I note what you say about when John died and finding nothing relating to his time in the Commandos, so the fact we have a couple of pictures already is even more important. I can add a few words about him should you wish to the photo we already have, or if you have any photo of him at all (pre or post war) that you would like included please feel free to contact me with a view to having it posted in the gallery.

Regards

Pete Rogers