Messages posted by: BillP

Hi I have just seen the pictures added to the gallery by the family of Mne Edward Ted Murphy, I can identify my Father on 2 of the pics which is great because I only have 3 pics of him in uniform. My question i s on one of the pics there is a board showing 3 Troop RM Eng Commando 49, what does the 49 denote? 49 is mentioned in The Third Jungle Book issue 9 and I've just seen a wartime BSA M20 restored with the same 49 badge on the tank with the blue background and white numbers purporting to be from a Royal Marine unit.

The picture with the caption board has my father standing 1st left on the second row. I cannot be certain but I would suggest that this was taken at Kowloon possibly at the same time as the the picture of my father sat at a desk in the same 3 Troop section of the gallery where he is wearing a Brass Carbuncle in both pics.
Regards
Bill

Hi Lucy
Wishing you all the best with your project. Just want to put a word in for 3 Troop Royal Marine Engineer Commando.
Regards
Bill

Hi Nick
Thanks for the info, RBL have confirmed the same protocol. Ive been allocated a seat in the Blue seating area if any other CVA members are going.

Hi all

Advice required please. I`m attending the RBL VJ Commemoration at the NMA in memory of my Dad. As I have never been in the military or in the words of my Dad "Never seen an angry man" would it be OK for me to wear his regimental tie as a sign of respect on the day? By the way I will be wearing other clothes !

Sorry for the smiley faces they were supposed to be the end of brackets!

Looking at Dads service record ( which runs from 1935 - 1947 ) he was with RM Commandos from October 1943 till end of service. Between the dates of Nov 1940 to Aug 41 he was with the RMDE ( RM Divisional Engineers ) and he was taught bomb disposal techniques and combat engineering. I remembering him saying that he worked, with others, along with Donald Bailey building the bridges. However he also said that he was in Haywards Heath. All I can find with regard to Donald Bailey is the Military Engineering Establishment at Christchurch. Therefore my appeal is to anyone who may have knowledge of cross service training undertaken by the Royal Engineers, does Haywards Heath as a training base ring any bells and also on the Donald Bailey link?
Regards
Bill

Just had a tot of whiskey to the memory my Dad and his fellow comrades in 3 Commando Brigade on the 75th anniversary of the landings at Akyab Island, starting the pushback in the Arakan campaign. Lest we forget.

Hi Julie
You could also try ADM 202/30 - Report on Operations at Akyab, Myebon and Kangaw period 3rd Jan - 2nd Feb 1945. I have a partial copy which I keep meaning to re-type and post. If you are looking for any specific information you could pm me and i`ll have a look.
Regards
Bill

Hi all
I am looking for any information for the above individual. Lance Corporal Newbert served in 3 Troop Royal Marine Engineer Cdo when it was part of 3 Commando Brigade during the Arakan campaign of January 1945. I know that he landed at Myebon on the 12th and received a Mention in Dispatches, and I believe that I have a photo of him which I purchased from the Royal Marines Museum. I could post it but not to sure about copyright issues, even though the copy that I purchased from the Museum appears to be a copy of a SEAC original photograph. I wondered if any one out there has any further info.
Cheers
Bill

Hi Carolyn
Nick is dead right, i`ve been tripped up a couple of times during my digging but got there in the end. Dad`s medal is stamped but has got the wrong service number on it. Whilst I was checking earlier on the Recommendations for Awards on the National Archive site I came across notification of an award of a Distinguished Service Order to a Campbell Richard Hardy whose rank is listed as Serjeant Major not Brigadier. Keep on going Carolyn.
Cheers
Bill

Hi Carolyn
In your first post you you say that you have the MM in your Grandfathers items. The medal should be engraved around the edge with his Name, Rank, Serial No and Regiment is there anything there? I have looked in the George A Brown book Commando Gallantry Awards of World War 11 but the only Roberts showing is the award of a DCM to a Royal Marine Sgt. Good Luck in your search.
Cheers
Bill

Hi All
Saw this quote below in a previous post on this thread.

"My Grandad saw the M1 Garand and he remembers it being a little lighter when he was in Burma! He said they used the Enfield rifle but were issued the Garand as it was more robust and could be still fired after a soaking."

My Dad`s re-collections were exactly the opposite, that the Enfield was the more robust and was used during landings and then changed for the Garand can anyone please advise
Regards
Bill

Julie
Thanks for the information on numbers, it`s pretty much confirmed what I thought. With regard to the link to the Wrens being on board it just proves the more you look into it the more comes to light.
Many thanks
Bill

Graham
Thanks for the reply. I have the following figures, that I am trying to confirm for Convoy KMF 26 of 3542 troops on HMT Ranchi (No 1 Cdo, 42 RM Cdo & 3 Commando Brigade HQ) and 3046 troops for HMT Reina del Pacifico ( No 5 Cdo & 44 RM Cdo). It was a large convoy of about 17,000 troops I am trying to get the total for 3 Commando Brigade when it sailed for India. If I work on the figure of about 500 per Commando then there must have been other troops on the ships that, as yet, I cannot identify.
Regards
Bill

Hi all
I would like to know the nominal manpower strength of both No 1 & No 5 Commando when they left for India in November 1943, could anybody help please?
Regards
Bill