Messages posted by: Pete

Here is a Roll of Honour for those who died during these operations :

http://www.memorialgrove.org.uk/royalmarineboompatroldetachmentrollofhonour.htm

Here is a link to an article on the Burma Star site :

http://www.burmastar.org.uk/rafservicing.htm

and another - on this one there is a link on the left " servicing commandos" which is informative:

http://www.tswscdoassn.co.uk/

and another from the BBC :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/95/a2773695.shtml

Looks like an impressive painting. Here's one by the ex cricketer Jack Russell, commisioned by the St Nazaire Society, for the 50th anniversary of the raid.

I am not 100% sure but I believe you need a full member to sponsor you. I see your grandfathers details from a previous entry from Bill Harvey so I know he was in No.4 Commando .

"In the July 1990 list compiled of those in No4 who served at Dieppe your grandfather is listed as serving. 4469318 Pte. Richards T. Durham L. I "

I have no doubt Geoff Murray or someone else from the CVA will contact you. If associate members are allowed to sponsor people to join by all means use my name

Just looking on my fathers war service record he obviously had leave whilst they were in the uk from 1940..well one short period of home leave is shown. As from 13/4/1943, when he is shown embarking for Gibralter, then onto Sicily , Italy, Yugoslavia, Albania until 25/6/1945 when he is shown returning to UK, nothing about home leave is shown and I don't suppose it was possible to have rotational leave. Having heard my father speak about his breaks whilst abroad they often seemed to come after some raid or battle and usually needed for the replacement of casualties within the unit. Bob Bishop mentions a bit about being "rested" after Salerno in the history of No.2 on this site, but it was hardly leave as he goes onto say about the number of casualties they had " No. 2 Commando and 41RM Commando together had 367 killed wounded or missing out of the 738 who had landed at Salerno" . I am sure it was the same with other Commando units

I have created a sub album in the Gallery for No.2 Commando with information and pictures I have found about three of the No.2 Commandos who escaped to freedom after Musketoon.
They are L/Sgt Richard O'Brien DCM, MM and Pvt Fred Trigg MM.
and Gdsm. John Fairclough MM
Sadly Pvt Trigg was killed in action later in the war.

There is a transcript of how they escaped included in the album which I found in a book called the Commando Gallantry Awards of WW2 but I am not sure where they took it from

There are some excellent No. 3 Commando Pictures in this forum message which were not in the 3 cdo picture gallery. I have now added them and credited the ownership of the photos to Stephane and Paul Mills who posted them.

With the writer Dennis Reeves permission I have posted some photos of some of the Liverpool Scottish who joined the Commandos and in particular 5 troop No.2 (I have created an album for 5 troop due to the number of pics of individuals). Dennis says he will send me some of the original photos for me to use for which I am very grateful to him and the Liverpool Scottish Regimental Museum. He says there are now about 30 copies of the book left (Janet yours will be on way to Canada tomorrow). The book covers those who went initially to the Independent Companies and then onto either the Commandos or other Special Service units such as the SAS. Quite a few of the individuals whom I have posted were involved at St Nazaire , the anniversary of the raid being next month on the night of the 27th/28th March. Many of these individuals are also in the group photo of 5 troop taken in Dumfries in 1941 posted in the album including some of those killed in the action. I have now managed with Dennis Reeves help to put names to faces in that photo. It is my intention to post one or two more items regarding St Nazaire nearer the time and I have sent Geoff a transcript of a letter from L/Sgt Bill Gibson of 6 troop before he died at St Nazaire which again will be placed in a befitting place on the CVA site nearer the time.

The Green Beret Lads and Flyers in Blue
By
Peter Rogers
_________________________________

Twas our darkest hour
A nation in need
The small ships of Dunkirk
Great bravery indeed

Our army back home
In no state to fight
Great Britain on its knees
A sorrowful sight

Who would come to our aid
This island so proud
Would they be here in time
Peoples fears spoken loud

There was no time to wait
An invasion was near
So brave men came forward
Full of courage yet fear

In the skies they wore blue
And in planes they would fight
On the ground twas green berets
Against Hitlers might

The enemy flew to us
A decision they would rue
With Spitfires and Hurricanes
They were beaten by the ?few?

Whilst the Army recovered
With victory in the air
It was now the green berets
We?d see how they?d fair

Their hearts full of courage
At the end of the day
They fought against great odds
Impossible some would say

Though many would die
Their valour stood tall
Those green beret lads
Would fight and they?d fall

From Norway to the Far East
France and Italy too
Across the world they would battle
To bring freedom for you

The Army now strong
Our allies over here
The nation was saved
From the enemy and fear

So many were lost
A great debt is due
To those green beret lads
And the flyers in blue

____________________________

A poem dedicated
to all the
Commandos
and
Fighter Pilots
who lost their lives in WW2

Sadly John Power of No.4 Commando has died. John, a proud Commando and friend of my late father, was a regular attendee of the Edinburgh Commando Association meetings until the association stood down. His funeral is tomorrow Monday 23rd February at 2pm at Warriston Road Crematorium in Edinburgh

A book which has been put together by Dennis Reeves over many years of speaking to Commandos who joined from the Liverpool Scottish, Queens Own Cameron Highlanders. Dennis is the curator of the Liverpool Scottish Museum Trust. The book contains so many names from No. 2 Commando that I recognise especially 5 troop and these individual Commandos thoughts on the various raids they were part of. The entire book is a compilation of quotes from them. The book can be purchased by contacting Dennis on 0151 645 5717.
The book is not widely distributed and there are only 40 copies left.
All monies for the book go to the upkeep of the museum.

Special Service of a Hazardous Nature

The Story of the Involvement of the Liverpool Scottish, Queen?s Own Cameron Highlanders (TA), in Special Forces Operations in World War Two, 1939 ? 1945
Compiled by Dennis Reeves
£9.99 plus £2.50 p&p: Total by post (UK) £12.49

Thanks guys. With regards to the knife sadly no it is not my fathers. Many years ago our local catholic priest asked my father if he could borrow his commando dagger to show some friends. Sadly it was never returned and my father being the guy he was, never asked for it back. A true story I assure you.

Just had a private message from Andy that Terry Reardon is joining the CVA at the age of 90. May I be one of the first to welcome him.

Harry Lumm of 4 Troop No 2 is also remembered by Eric. Roy Evans, who is Harrys nephew, had asked me to remember Harry to him, Eric replies
" I can Remember Harry Lumm quite well. He was the Unit Heavy Weight Boxer, though he was not in 5 Troop and I cannot remember which Troop he was in. Jack Payne was the Light Heavy Weight as it was expressed in those Days."

Harry was in 4 Troop. After the war Eric and his brother Stanley started boxing. Here he mentions about that:

" After the War Jack Payne, my Brother Stanley & I all enlisted in the London (TA) 10th Battalion Parachute Regiment. We were in number 3 Company, Based at Dagenham Essex. Jack Payne persuaded us to make up a Company Boxing Team, and we won the Inter Company Trophy, 5 years running, so they gave it to us and set up another Trophy."

Tough bunch those Commandos

Just thought I'd post a quote from an email from Eric. I had asked him about Fred and Ernie Mather

"With regard to the Mathers, when I joined the unit they had transferred to the ?Heavy Weapons Troop ?, and Ernie, Fred, and another lad Andy Andrews, were a very Humorous 3? Mortar Team.
They had to carry Barrels, Tripods & Baseplates plus the 3?Mortar Bombs, that they had to fire, on and off Boats and into Battle. We always thought we were loaded, but the gear they had to tote about was much heavier. The Vickers Machine Guns and 3 ? Mortars were usually the only Heavy Weapon Support that we had. "