Messages posted by: si73

Pete wrote:I have now added the image of LCpl Dickinson with some detail to the No. 6 Commando gallery and it is currently located on page 1 of that gallery. Here is a direct link to the image.

Gallery entry for George William Dickinson.

Would you be able to provide me with the following information so as I could add it to the detail:

1. Your full name for the credit.
2. The dates of birth and death of your Grandfather.

Thanks

In relation to the date of his wounding - two days before, on the 4th January 1943, Operations commenced in the Djebel Azzag (Sedjenane) area involving No 6 Commando and other units.

Thank you so much. My father would have been over the moon to see his dad recognised like this. I'm definately sending off for his service documents now. His date of birth was 21.07.1920 in Sunderland, Co.Durham. I have his death certificate at home and will forward that information to you asap.

NIC wrote:
Hi,
Great photo, have you sent away for your grandfather's service records yet?
I would recommend that you do - they will tell you loads about his service ...

Nick

Think I'll do that this week. Been busy being a dad again. :shock:

Would it be too much to ask for this picture to be added to the No.6 Commando gallery please?

Picture of the man himself in his East Yorks Rifles uniform. I presume he'd have been called Geordie given his upbringing in the North East.

The code hasn't transferred properly. 21 is below A, S below B and so on up to 42 below -. I'll grab images to post for all of these.

The code in the back of the Association book reads;

A B C D E F G H I -
21 S 23 T 24 U 25 U V 42

J K L M N O P Q R -
31 X 32 Y 34 Z 45 46 47 48

It is Old Comrades Association of the Army Commandos.

Here is the service doc I have. I will try and get a scan of the Ben Nevis picture tonight or tomorrow as my sister has the original. I'll also take try and add other images as and when.

Thank you so much for the information so far provided. Blown away by this.

I have heard apocryphal stories from my father regarding my grandfather?s service including one that stood out.
Apparently when he was in N.Africa the position his unit was occupying was under daily attack from dive bombers despite camouflage and moving positions regularly. The O.C sent out a patrol to one of the high points nearby (a djebel?) including my grandfather. From there they could see that a local Arab farmer was putting stones in a field that was giving away their position. When they went to the farmhouse the farmer fired on them and they returned fire, killing him. When they searched him and his house they found a large amount of money/gold and a very fine pistol, either with a pearl handle or engraving on it, which my grandfather 'liberated'. Unfortunately a few days later one of the officers had heard about my grandfathers 'find' and made him hand the pistol over, something which he wasn't pleased about, as the officer kept the weapon as his own sidearm. As I say it seems a very memorable story so hoped it might ring bells.

Ben Nevis Mar 1942 on back of original.

I'm looking for help to find out any information I can about my grandfather George William Dickinson, who I believe served with No.6 Commando having checked the nominal role. He enlisted into the Army at 17 in 1937 but his service record in the book I have matches that of the regiment he was originally in and appears to make no reference to service with the Army Commandos.

I have an image of him, and others, which shows him on the top of Ben Nevis in March 1942 during his training. I have service books in my possession including an old comrades association one which gives his number as 7520 dated 1947 and has on the back page some sort of code.

It seems that he may have been wounded in France sometime in 1944 but this isn't clear.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.