Messages posted by: Julie W

2nd article

I recently bought a copy of Tag Barnes' Commando Diary and inside the book were a couple of newspaper clippings. Unfortunately I don't know which newspaper(s) they come from.

Julie

Hi Nick,

Some of the IWM photos are listed under 3rd Commando Brigade rather than the individual units. These are two I know of that show Japanese prisoners:

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208360
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208362

Again, a long shot but you never know!

Julie

Hello Vicki,

It's great that you found this thread about your grandfather.

I've just sent you a private message.

Kind regards,

Julie

I was looking through the King's College online collections today and their WWII Memorial list gives information about 3 men who served as Commandos and details of where they are commemorated:

Brian Dear Butler of 3 Commando:
http://www.kingscollections.org/warmemorials/kings-college/memorials/butler-brian-dear

Howell Charles Morris of 9 Commando:
http://www.kingscollections.org/warmemorials/guys-hospital/memorials/morris-howell-charles

John Whatley of 4 Commando:
http://www.kingscollections.org/warmemorials/guys-hospital/memorials/whatley-john

Julie

I think I may have identified the location of the photo I mentioned above.

One of my Greek friends shared a link on Facebook today with information and photos of a walk that took place in Athens last weekend to commemorate the anniversary of the withdrawal of occupying German troops from the city:
http://atenistas.org/2013/10/14/katoxi/
Amongst the photos are a couple of pictures of the building I think is the backdrop of Midge's photo - The Bank of Greece in Panepistimiou Street

This is the best modern day photo I can find of it for comparison:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pineloth/6334201674/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Julie

The building in the photo which is annotated '4 Troop at its best' http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/main.php?g2_view=dynamicalbum.UpdatesAlbum&g2_itemId=33054&g2_imageViewsIndex=1 looks familiar to me & I'm sure it's taken in Athens - either in Panepistimiou or Stadiou Street - but unfortunately there is no Google Street View for Athens to enable me to find out for sure! If you're happy for me to do so Midge, I could post the photo in my Facebook stream to see if any of my Athenian friends recognise it?

Julie

Hi Ian,

I've searched findmypast.co.uk and there is a birth for a William H Jackson in India in 1907 in the 'British nationals armed forces births, 1761-2005' database (I'm not sure if this link will work):
http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/armed-forces/results?event=B&recordType=ARMED_FORCES&route=&recordCount=-1&forenames=william+henry&includeForenamesVariants=true&_includeForenamesVariants=on&surname=jackson&includeSurnameVariants=true&_includeSurnameVariants=on&fromYear=1907&toYear=1909®ion=&mothersMaidenName=&_useMothersMaidenNameAsSurname=on&sortOrder=RK%3Atrue&_performExactSearch=on
You may be able to get the exact date of birth from there or if not you should be able to use the information to get a copy of his birth certificate from the GRO:
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/default.asp

Julie

I don't know if this will be of any help to Shaun but I've just come across a book review on the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh's website which includes the following:

"Of special interest are the two assaults that have been written up by a Fellow of this College, Professor John Forfar. Captain John Forfar was the Medical Officer of 47 Royal Marine Commando and won a Military Cross during the Assault on Walcheren in 1944." It also mentions "Forfar's own book From Omaha to the Scheldt - the story of 47 Royal Marine Commando."
http://www.rcpe.ac.uk/journal/issue/journal_37_3/amphibious%20assault_abbrev.pdf

Julie

Commando Cliff Assault Wing possibly?

Something I've come across today and thought others may also find interesting:

The photograph of Major General Houghton with The Times obituary is captioned, 'Houghton in 1947 at Stanley Fort, Hong Kong, wearing his green beret which the locals interpreted as a sign of infidelity.' http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article2880923.ece

The full text is given on ww2talk.com and states, "Hong Kong... was a somewhat fluid and turbulent place in 1946 and the garrison included a whole Royal Marines brigade. Their green berets were novel to the Chinese who subscribed to a belief that a man wearing a green hat has an unfaithful wife."

I've just come across some photographs and a transcription of an interview with Geoffrey A Knowles who must have served with either 42 or 44 RM Commando.

They are available on the Canadian Memory Project website in English and in French: http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/578:geoffrey-a-knowles/

Julie

Hi Steve,

I've read elsewhere that the graves described actual incidents but I'm not sure the number of graves corresponded to the total number of fatalities.

You can see them in the film 'Commando - The Story of the Green Beret' between points 15:16 and 15:36
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEbkxgDIGH0

Regards,

Julie

The No. 5 signature about halfway down on the right hand side could be E J Plumridge?

I've just found mention of Gerry Brereton in another article which says that he lost his sight during a raid on Sicily in 1943 so I guess that would make him 3 Commando?

I've also come across an article about the comedian, actor and musician, Stan Stennett, which describes him nearly breaking his neck after a fall from Blackpool's North Pier Pavilion during a Commando exercise called 'Storming of the North Pier' in 1943. The Commando chief apparently ruled "this is a toughening course, not a softener" and so Stan had to convalesce in his billet near the Gas Works rather than returning home!