Messages posted by: B Wraith

Hello Stéphane, please take a look at this forum topic :

http://forum.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/6439.page

Pete only has 50 photos of Commando graves at Ranville out of the 166 buried there.

Can you help out with the missing photos ?

Hello Pete, Kevin,
On Thursday the 6th June 2019 I met with Stéphane Saint-Martin at Ranville cemetery and mentioned your need for photos. He already has taken photos of all the Commando graves there and if he can find this thread he will be happy to pass them on to you (or maybe you could contact him).

Gillian,
If you want to know what your Grandfather was up to 70 years ago you can read through N°6 war diary which is also posted on-line
http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/war_6cdo.htm

Hello Gillian,
On the N°6 Commando web-site your Grandfather is listed, although it doesn't give any details,
http://www.6commando.com/Pages/Other%20Ranks/OR%20Pages/M/McDougal%20H/OR%20McDougal%20H.html

The same site has several photos that you should look through in case you can recognise him.
http://www.6commando.com/

This web-site also has some photos that you should also look through:
http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/6/

There is an old book specifically about N°6 Commando called "Clash by Night" written by "Brigadier Derek Mills-Roberts" that occasionally comes up for sale on ebay or amazon that you should try to get a copy of as it includes the Africa and European campagnes.

If you have any photos or documents relating to your Grandfather could you consider posting them on here to help others remember his service?

Just to add onto Stéph's posting concerning the 6 June. Due to all the Heads of State being gathered in one spot, as you can imagine the security will be very high. If you haven't obtained an official pass then you and your car will not be allowed within the security perimeter. They have suggested that as the officials move so the security cordon will also move. All HGV's are diverted, the afternoon car ferry is cancelled. Every French citizen from any village within the cordon will have to obtain a pass from their local town hall. It looks as though it is going to be chaos, so maybe it would be good advice to suggest that people stay put and watch the Official Ceremony on the TV.

The Heads of State will have a light lunch at the Bénouville "castle" which is on the Orne river so that could block off Pegasus bridge. They will then move to Ouistreham to where the "stadium" is already being erected on the beach between the casino and the ferry port. There will be an Official diner in Paris that evening.

Ranville has produced it's own brochure with known timings :

Thursday 5 June :
14h30 Ranville town hall gardens - inauguration of a bust of J. Watson
15h30 200-400 military parachute drop somewhere in Ranville village

Friday 6 June
9h30 Ranville crossroads "carrefour du 6 juin" - ceremony with veterans
10h00 Ranville - Religous ceremony
10h45 Ranville - ceremony at the French and Belgian monuments
11h00 Ranville War Cemetary - remembrance service with Ranville school children. Ceremony to German unknown soldier.
12h30 Ranville village hall "Henri Robin" - welcome drinks
18h00 Ranville - musical concert with German band and Yorkshire Police band.

Saturday 7 June
10h30 Route du Parc, Hamlet of Longueval - ceremony to fallen British soldier

I don't have any information as yet for Amfreville

http://www.ranville.fr/v2/pdf/depliant6juin2014versov4.3.pdf

Hello BillP,
I have sent you a PM concerning the citation of my father's MM.
Ragards

Just for information : As reported in the local Ouest France newspaper the Pegasus museum are having an exhibition of cameras that were used during the D-Day landings. The exhibition is in hommage to the photographers Norman Clague who landed with N°6 Commando at Sword beach and to William Christie who parchuted in with 6 Division.

http://www.ouest-france.fr/une-collection-unique-dappareils-photos-2164739

Again another big thankyou to Danny Struthers who has sent to me copies from his original photo. For someone like me who has very few personal photos, this means such alot. :D

You might be interested in reading the obituary published in The Telegraph to Capt. Arnold Wheeldon N°6 Commando:
"In the weeks after D-Day, Wheeldon produced a news-sheet, The Slit-Trench Sentinel, which gave the latest information about the progress of the landings on the other beaches."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9688908/Capt-Arnold-Wheeldon.html

and a little more about Arnold Wheeldon from the 6 commando web-site

http://www.6commando.com/Pages/Other%20Ranks/OR%20Pages/W/Wheeldon%20CA/OR%20Wheeldon%20CA.html

On the facebook page, just above left of the film if you click on "Back to Album" there are a total of 23 very short film clips taken around D-Day, mainly of N°4 but also includes N°6, the 10 minute film "By Sea and Land" is of RM Commandos. I think that they are all IWM copies.

It was by chance that I came across this short film (42 sec) of Commandos. The film is stamped IWM but published on a French site:

N°6 Commando in trenches at the Saulnier farm (Amfreville, France)
Syd Dann of N°6 Commando in position at the entrance to the Saulnier farm.
http://www.6commando.com/Pages/Other%20Ranks/OR%20Pages/D/Dann%20SJ/OR%20Dann%20SJ.html
Lt-Col Mills- Roberts with a para officer.
Lord Lovat in front of the Saulnier farm.

Enjoy
https://en-gb.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151628363754691&set=vb.520259744656345&type=2&theater

Hello Lynda,
You can read the on-line war diaries for D-Day for N°6 Commando on the Pegasus Archice web site:
http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/frames.htm
LH column click on "War Diaries"
Scroll down and under "1st Special Service Brigade" click on "N°6 Commando"
Enjoy

Do you have any photos of your father that you could share with us on this site.

Firstly a big thankyou to Danny Struthers who has supplied personal photos belonging to his Grandfather Sgt Robert (Bob) "Tiny" Struthers who had served in N°6 Commando :D
http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/4119.page#15288

Secondly a further thankyou to Pete Rogers for posting those photos in the N°6 Commando gallery :-)
http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/6/

Now the exciting news for me is that my father is shown in the photo entitled "Lt Terence Hugo and others"; he is pictured 2nd from the right fully facing the camera; the "unusual" berry position is identical to that shown in other photos :shock:
http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/6/6.jpg.html

Unfortunately my father died 5 January 1960 when I was only 7 years old. I have non of his possessions and only a few memories of him; so a photo of his Commando service is something that I will treasure. I have printed off a copy of the photo but it gives a poor quality impression. Is there any way that either Danny or Pete could supply a proper photo copied from the original?

Back to that photo : has anyone got any further information as to when and where it was taken? :?:

I cross referenced the information given about Lt Terence Hugo on the 6Commando website and discovered that he commanded N°1 Troop when he was KIA on 30 January 1945 and is now laid to rest in Nederweert cemetery. The same site says that my father was at that time a Lance Sergeant in "A" sub section also of N°1 Troop. Although by 3 September 1945 he was a Sergeant in N°2 Troop.

My father's sparse Military records show:
27/01/1943 - Admitted to MDS 152 Field Ambulance & posted X(ii) List (which I believe to be the 1st Time he was wounded)
05/07/1944 - Wounded in Action in NW Europe, Transferred to St Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth (2nd time wounded, later awarded MM)
30/01/1945 - Wounded in Action (remains at duty) (3rd time wounded at the same time that Lt Hugo was KIA)

During my own Military service I served in Brunssum, Holland which is only 32km from Maasbracht where this assault appears to have take place on the 30 January 1945. I didn't know this at that time and never visited that location or the cemetery at Nederweert. Does anyone know if the details of this assault are available either on-line or in a book. :?:

Thanyou in advance for any help that you are able to offer.

Hello Danny,
In the gallery of photos of N°6 Commando there is a panorama view taken in July 1943.
As far as I know your Grandfather is right in the middle : 4th row up from the bottom the first line of men standing : 17th from the Left hand side : you can see his Sgts stripes.
http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/6/No+6+Cdo+July+1943+copy.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1

There is a web site where you can read the war diaries for D-Day which you should find interesting. Its found under "war diaries", then "1st Special Service Brigade", then select N°6 Commando
http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/frames.htm

Sorry but I don't have any further information, but I hope that this helps.

Hello Sharon,
Pete has mentioned N°6 Commando War Diaries, you can read them on the following site :
http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/frames.htm

Your Grandfather has a brief mention on the N°6 Commando website, it gives his service number which you will need if you want to apply for his service record :
http://www.6commando.com/Pages/Other%20Ranks/OR%20Pages/M/Moore%20H/OR%20Moore%20H.html

Be assured that his grave is well maintained in the Ranville War Cemetery

regards