Messages posted by: Stephen Unwin

Bootie Greg

Please find attached the Commando Dark Mile leaflet with photos to help you identify each location on the route.

Geoff,

so sorry to hear of such sad news, please pass on mine and Chris's heartfelt condolances, such a tragic loss of agreat man who was so popular, after having served for so long and been through so much it makes it all the more painful.

Steve & Chris

I have no idea of the author or of when it was written but thought that it may be of some comfort to the small community of RN Commandos and their families:

A Matelots Remembrance.

In ocean wastes no poppies blow,
No crosses stand in ordered row,
Their young hearts sleep... beneath the wave...
The spirited, the good, the brave,
But stars a constant vigil keep,
For them who lie beneath the deep.

'Tis true you cannot kneel in prayer
On certain spot and think. "He's there."
But you can to the ocean go...
See whitecaps marching row on row;
Know one for him will always ride...
In and out... with every tide.

And when your span of life is passed,
He'll meet you at the "Captain's Mast."
And they who mourn on distant shore
For sailors who'll come home no more,
Can dry their tears and pray for these
Who rest beneath the heaving seas...

For stars that shine and winds that blow
And whitecaps marching row on row.
And they can never lonely be
For when they lived... they chose the sea.

Jose, its legal to own rifles but very complicated, expensive and difficult. before you can apply for a firearms licence for a rifle you have to join a gun club. Then there are the police checks and the expense involved in purchasing and storing the weapon. its much easier in the USA plus I can buy the bullets when I go shopping at Walmart!

We went to a gun show in Palmetto and bought some modern 303 ammunition and a new magazine.

When we went to the range the new magazine ejected all the rounds out of the bottom after the first round so its back to the original WWII version. The new ammunition is slightly shorter that the 1949 batch so caused no end of jams and wouldn't load with the speed loader.

The recoil difference between the two types of ammunition is really noticible with the new batch hardly producing any at all.

Todays shooting went really well and all in all it was a good day, the range safety officer had not seen a 303 before and was impressed with its perfomance and balance, he favours an FN 308 (SLR) but as he said the weapon is only as good as the person pulling the trigger. Over 100yrds on iron sights I managed to maintain a 12" group with a few good 10 round groups at around 6" spread.

Given that I haven't fired a full bore weapon for two years and 14 years before that I was quite pleased. Pity my pistol shooting was not as good ( I have a 9mm Glock 17), but I have the problem of not being able to see the foresight if I can see the target without my reaing glasses and not being able to see the target but can see the foresight with them on! Still I managed to get most of the pistol rounds on target but more of a shotgun splatter than good grouping.

Thats my last shooting until 2012 when we come back over

I thought I would post the photo's of my Christmas present. A 1943 Lee Enfiled 303, naval version. The rifle is in Florida at my brothers house so unlike the UK is a fully operational firearm.

WE have 100 rounds of 303 military load ammunition which was produced and packaged in 1949. The rounds looked a bit suspect so we took one round from each five round clip to the public range close to where he lives.

The most dodgey looking two went first and I managed to get two in the bullseye, a relaod with a further three and we had three in th outer as reloading the magazine had changed my shooting position.

The recoil from the 303 is greater than the SLR we had with us. The bolt action was a bit stiff and the feed from the magazine was suspect as it was jamming every third round so it looks like a new spring is required. The 303 itself has not been fired for at least 20 years so we expected a few problems with it and also the odd dud round as the ammunition is over 60 years old. We where both really suprised and impressed with the 303's performance and tonight will be spent giving it a really good clean, prior to the full on shooting at the range tomorrow.

the only down side if any, was that the previous owner who was a British weapons collector had varnished the woodwork which makes it a very sticky weapon to handle in the Florida sunshine so the next project will be to fully restore the furniture to its original condition and patternation.

This weekend we had a family get together, my nephew Daniel also brought with him his art submission for his GCSE which I thought I would share with you all.

He has also completed the Commando Speed March, which he did last November with Commando D.

NIC wrote:Hi Stephen,
Just a couple of points that, hopefully, will make your father's records a little clearer!

TOS = Taken ON Strength
SOS = Struck OFF Strength

The X (iv) List does not stand for No4 Cdo -
Here is a brief explanation of X Lists:

Nic, Thanks for that it clears up a lot of questions, especially the bit that mentions being lost! that would explain the missing 6 months!!!

And yes, I couldn't sleep either!!

Hi chaps and chapesse's!

At long last I have received my late fathers service record. He transferred to the Commandos from the Middlesex Rgt being Taken Off Strength on 03/01/44. He is then transferred to Holding Commando on 28/01/44 which was at Wrexham.

Was it the practice to transfer men permenantly only on successful completion of commando training, if so this answers a few of the many questions we have!

We are certain he took part in D day as he was wounded and he received a disabled servicemans pension because of it.

However on his record the next entry after transfer to Commandos is posted to X (IV) list on 02/07/44 which I presume is 4 Commando, can anyone confirm whether this is correct.

He then has entries embarking for France on 02/07/44, which ties in with the return of minor wounded to active service and replacements from HOC.

What happened to the period between 28/01/44 and July!? there are no entries except one which appears to have been written in pencil and has a middlesex regt stamp over it.

Mind you he was also discharged fully fit! in 1947

Any suggestions would be most welcome, I am also aware that a lot of records have no mention of quite a lot of seervice. My Uncle took part in most actions from D Day to the liberation of concetration camps and officially never left England according to the War office at the time as no one had bothered to write up his docs!

:D

http://cid-62e61c3b65d0aa8b.spaces.live.com/?_c11_BlogPart_BlogPart=blogview&_c=BlogPart

Please read Little Teds updated Blog

£140 so far with gift aid just short of £170

I have been informed that Little Ted arrived safely in Bahrain today!

http://www.justgiving.com/little_teds_adventure

he now has his own facebook page!

http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?oid=98993337244&view=user#/group.php?gid=98993337244

You dont need a facebook account to view it

NIC wrote:Steve,
I should be able to get him signed on to some UK RAF Camps and maybe some less savoury places...

Nick

Nick, the less savoury, the better! After all he wants adventure so lets give it to him!!

PM to you

Thanks geoff, very much appreciated, Teddy is currently somewhere between Mill Hill and a ship on anti piracy patrols in the Gulf!

Just a quick note to avid followers, because Teddy is being sent from one deployed unit to another via BFPO and is under 2kg most of the time the postage will be free!

Teddy is on his way to a secret location in the Gulf and he has raised nearly £90 in one day, cant wait to see how much is there at the end of six months!

I have a small furry friend who is embarking on a big adventure travelling the world, his intention is to visit as many naval, military and airforce units he can in the next six months. His aim is to raise as much money as he can for Help for Heros.

I hope that site members won't take any offence by my posting this link to the just giving web page.

I would welcome PMs or emails from any serving personnel who want to have their unit take part in the photographic operation, all that is required is an in situ photo which I will post on a flickr or similar site as evidence to support his trip.

Thanks

Steve

http://www.justgiving.com/little_teds_adventure