Messages posted by: B Wraith

Beautiful

Hello Stephanie,
I hope that I have not confused you.
Your Grandfather looks to have been in N°5 Troop of N°6 Commando.

The photo taken in 1943 gives his rank as Driver which will indicate the Unit he originally joined before being transfered to N°6 Commando.
It might be that he originally joined the Royal Army Service Corps which used Driver as a rank (might have to be corrected on this though)
If he was in the RASC his cap badge would have looked like this
http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/british-militaria/corps-arms-and-services/royal-army-service-corps-cap-505517.html

:shock:

Hello Stephanie,

I think that there is another photo of your Grandfather on this site.
On the LH of this page click on Photo Gallery
Click on Album Commandos in WW2
Click on Album 6 Commando
Click on Panorama July 1943
Now click in the middle of the photo to enlarge it

It is possible that your Grandfather is sat cross legged on the front row. I think that it could be him 11th from the right front row.
I have a list of names for this photo. This person is listed as Dvr. Womersley.
Dvr. is an abreviation for Driver which is the same rank as a private. If he was a driver it ties up with your photo showing him carrying out his routine maintenance checks on a vehicle (the windows on the house behind me look similar to those you would expect to find in either Holland or Germany).
My own father is in the same photo; kneeling 2nd row 1st right. Perhaps they knew each other.

There is also a brief mention of Cpl. Douglas B. Womersley on the 6 Commando web site showing that he belonged to N°5 Troop
http://www.6commando.com/Pages/Other%20Ranks/OR%20Pages/W/Womersley%20DB/OR%20Womersley%20DB.html

Do you think that this is your Grandfather :?:

The Greatest Raid is in 6 parts and posted on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgF0R4dhUqk

Such brave men

There is something very touching about seeing this sort of documentary

.
Things were obviously deperate in 1942 but 6 canvas canoes & 12 paddles to get up 70 miles of tidal estuary :shock: .
Such brave men

Hello Alex,
The War Diary for 6 June will be of general interest to you.
It is a little difficult to find but make a start with this link
http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/

Centre click Enter
LH side click on War Diaries
Scroll 2/3rds way down, under 1st Special Service Brigade click on N°4 Commando

Hope that this helps

I have just been reading in my local French newspaper that a fictional film about the St Nazaire raid will be released in 2012.
The text reads:
Le cinéaste anglais David Yates, réalisateur des quatre derniers épisodes de Harry Potter, travaille à un film de guerre sur l?Opération Chariot. C?est la toute première fiction tirée de ce raid héroïque des commandos britanniques contre les nazis, le 28 mars 1942. Il avait consisté, pour 611 marins et commandos britanniques, à bord d?une flottille emmenée par le destroyer Campbeltown, à détruire la forme Joubert dans le port de Saint-Nazaire. La sortie du film est prévue en 2012.

The English film maker David Yates, maker of the last 4 Harry Potter films, is working on a war film about Operation Chariot. It will be the first fictional film made based on the heroic action carried out by British Commandos against the nazis on 28 March 1942. It consisted of 611 British sailors and Commandos in a small flottila lead by the destroyer Campbeltown, to destroy the Joubert dock situated in the port at St Nazaire. The film is due to be released in 2012.

http://www.ouest-france.fr/actu/actuDet_-Le-realisateur-d-Harry-Potter-tourne-Saint-Nazaire-_40829-1990532_actu.Htm
:shock:

Sorry about the delay, but thankyou Nick for the information.

Would it be possible to post a photo of the roof slate on this site?
I am sure that it would be of interest to many.

Is it possible that the book was called "Clash by Night" by Brig. Derek Mills-Roberts.
Opposite page 192 is a photo called "Defence positions - Wesel, Rhine Crossing". The photo shows 2 gun groups of 2 men each (gunner & observer)

Hope that you can find the original book as they are almost impossible to replace.

Hello Peter,
Thats an interesting piece of information.
Can you say where you sourced that information?

Hello,
Whilst searching for information concerning my own father's service with N°6 Commando I came across a web site where they have published some of the War Diaries for June, July, August & September 1944.
The published Diaries include N°3 Commando and 5 Troop is mentioned.

http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/frames.htm

Left Hand side click on War Diaries
Scroll down to 1st Special Service Brigade
Select N°3 Commando
Centre top you can select which month you want to read.

The entry for 5th July 1944 mentions my own father who was later awarded the MM for his actions that night. :shock:

Enjoy the reading and I hope that this helps your research.