Messages posted by: Jack Bakker

I know that No 2 Dutch Troop had a newsletter of some sort which contained Troop news etc. We have some of those in the archive of our Commando museum. Might be an idea to put them in the photo gallery.

From the Netherlands: Prettige kerstdagen en een gelukkig nieuwjaar voor iedereen binnen de CVA!

Or: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everybody within the CVA.

Jack and Ria

Nick,

I am very interested to know where that someone says the photos come from. I have made a quick scan of the photos in our archive. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that most of come from our archive. Interesting to know were that someone got them from. If that someone has put them on facebook in the first place of course. I will have a further look in our archive tomorrow.

Jack

Scotty was in 3 Commando. Perhaps he knows about it.

Nick,

That must be him. As far as I know this photo was taken in Porthmadog. I will look into it tomorrow and report back.

Kevin,

I have noted the things you mention in your post and will look for more info on Bill Timmer in our archive. If I find something (or nothing!) I will let you now.

Pete,

Regarding your message with the question if I have had any contact with Rene Swankhuisen. The answer is no, but I will try to get in contact with him.
I have had contact with a friend who knew the site Soldaten van Oranje as well. He also finds it strange that these photos are now on facebook and also wonders where they now come from.
I will try to find out which photos we have in our archive. We do have a lot of them, I am sure of that. After that I think it won't be much of a problem to give permission to put them in the gallery.
I will keep you informed.

Kevin,

I will have a look in our archive and see if I can find something about him. Was he a wartime commando as far as you know?

Now that is strange! Not so long ago there was a site called Soldaten van Oranje which was run by a man called Rene Swankhuisen. On it most of these photos could be found. The photos were made useless by a banner which was all across the photos. This seems not to be the case now.
I told a son of a wartime Dutch Commando and the granddaughter of a Dutch Commando that photos of the father and grandfather could be found on that site. Suddenly the site was off the air. The mentioned son did some investigations and it appeared that the site was not paid for anymore. And now they are on facebook!

Quite a few of the photos are known to me as they come from photo albums which belonged to Dutch Commandos. These photo albums are in the archive of the Dutch Commando Museum. How they came on the mentioned site I do not know. There are also photos which are not known to me but they are of No 2 Dutch Troop and of what was called Stormschool Bloemendaal, where assault courses were given to troops which were sent to the then Dutch East Indies, later Indonesia.

As the photos can be downloaded, could it be an idea to put them on the Gallery? And I will get in touch with some people about these photos.

Just saw in my radio and tv guide that tomorrow (Sunday 5th of December), BBC 2 will broadcast Jeremy Clarksons film on the raid at St. Nazaire at 20.00 hours UK time. After that a documentry on Operation Mincemeat. And before all this: Dad's Army at 18.30 hours. So Sunday evening will be well spent!

Paul,

The concrete platform is indeed quite close to the first gates and on the right side of the road. I guess it must be completely overgrown by moss and covered by leaves. There is a flat piece of earth there and I searched that but it wasn't the spot I was looking for.

Good idea of approaching the Lochiel! Won't be much work cleaning the spot and putting up a display plaque I guess. Perhaps a small path could be made towards it? Same could be done with the location of the concrete gun emplacement(s) perhaps. Come to think of it: a display plaque at the site of the former harbour where the boat house still is, could be a possibilty as well perhaps.

Last year, as well as this year, I made a trip to Scotland with a group of Dutch Commandos. During the preparations for that trip last year, I met Emma Pearce who works at the Outward Bound School at Loch Eil. The school is housed in Achadalieu Lodge, which was used as a Special Training Centre during the war. Emma lives in Rose Cottage which is at Bunarkaig. Talking about the things that happened there during the time the CBTC was there and the fact that the opposed landing site was directly in front of her house, she asked her partner about it who knows a lot about it. This was the answer I received by mail last year:

?Our house was there and the house by the river. The landings set off from the old pier near the river and then attacked our beach (beach in front of our house, Rose Cottage)!! The assault course was along the river near where I go fishing (between where the river meets Loch Lochy and the castle) and live ammunition was used. The concrete platform for the gunning placement is just before Bunarkaig Bay on the right hand side/loch side/north side of the road."

I have been looking for the concrete platform but couldn't find it despite the discription of the spot. Years ago when I was there with Nial Thomson as guide, he showed me a concrete platform in the shape of an assault landingcraft. From it they practised the landing procedures before doing it with real boats. I have been looking for that as well, but couldn't find it anymore.

So there are some relics of those days left that are worth finding and restoring I believe.

Still to be publised, but perhaps two other books to add to the list:

http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=2822

http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=2947

In his book The Fighting Fourth, on page 178, James Dunning is also referring to the book of Murdoch McDougall and he also describes how Lt Nick Barras was killed, as well as Pte Donkin. Some time ago I visited the cemetry in Bergen op Zoom (some 14 kilometers from my front door) and found the graves of both these men. Having read how they both were killed, it was somehow special to be standing at their graves.

A friend of mine told me of the link below. The first part is about the raid on Vaagso/Maaloy. Perhaps it is already known, but it is nevertheless worth looking at.

http://www.archive.org/details/gov.fdr.228