Messages posted by: Alan Orton

The Cap Badge looks like Grenadier Guards, if he was POW Burma, it's just possible, he was part of Mission 204 but you are right there no records i can find for Frederick Arthur Sillett.

Charles Messenger - Commandos. Page 56 -58.

It was a recon and also to get a prisoner if possible. Initially postponed from the previous night due to weather conditions, two ALC's were towed by ML 104. Pinkney and ten were to land whilst the rest of the party remained as a beach party on one of the ALC's the other remained offshore as a spare. They were spotted before they actually landed but continued. They headed across the beach before climbing a mud cliff where they found wire on top as they investigated a star shell was fired and the ALC was fired upon, Pinkney withdrew his men and silenced one machine gun with a grenade but there was still under flanking fire from two other machine guns, MG 34's. The engine of the ALC was damaged but they were still able to re-embark and return to Dover. There were two fatalities Congreve who received a bullet wound to his back and also a Royal Naval stoker. All in all, it was not a success, no recon as such or prisoner taken.

On Cyprus 7 Troop spent the first two weeks of May at Kondea (a village west of Famagusta) and then moved to Akhyritou (also west of Famagusta and also Salamis) for five weeks before going on Operation Exporter. 7 Troop were part of Y Party (centre) and was in the centre of the three troops taking part here (1,7 & 8). 7 Troop was commanded by 2/Lt. R.B. Mayne (RUR attached Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)). A lot of A&S Highlanders were in 9 Troop, 7 Troop seems to be predominately Cameronians.

I sent an email.

The epaulettes came with the shirt, the one in your picture is nothing like what he would have worn. There was no specific lanyard for Commandos. As I said previously correct uniforms for the period can be seen ob the Soldier of fortune website, www.softmilitary.co.uk

Alan.

Might be of some interest.

One of the chaps in the image of 4 from 11 Commando is Mark Jennings, 328361 3rd Cavalry Training Regt. and served in 2 Troop, Keyes Cavaliers. He left the Commando on 20/10/41 for HQ XXX Corps.
I have seen a picture with names of some of 2 Troop from a newspaper cutting and there is a Dowie, another Smith and possibly another Warburton, but he may be Kenneth of the Seaforths but i do not know.

Well the hats okay, the epaulettes would have been plane, any chevrons if rank would be on the arm but he was a gunner so no chevrons. The shirt is not correct, they wore a shirt with 2 pleated chest pockets and 4 buttons, it was one you had to pull on over your head like a jumper. The epaulettes would have been of the same colour. If you go to Soldier of Fortune website it will show you the uniform type he would have worn. If you want copies of his WO 417 files and his record if attestation let me know and I will send them to you.

Alan.

The epaulettes were detachable fed through the loop where the shirts arm joins the body. They were if the overhead type with a 4 button placket and a double pleat at the back, the lanyards would be of their corps in the case of the RA it was white. You could also add if you wished a pair of RA cloth shoulder titles which slipped over the epaulettes, as he was a trained RA signaller he may have had the crossed flags badge of course this would have been pre Commandos. As long as the Tam looks like a cowpat in size you will be okay, the size has been severely reduced over the years. No pips as such. There kit would have been KD shirt and shorts, short putties with attached tapes, short socks and hosetops with garter, the tam and a khaki v neck pullover, along with a cap comforter, 37 Pattern webbing, the shirts had a double buckle fastening, two side pockets, one dressing pocket on the right front and 3 belt loops, the 1 at the back was off centre to the right, B5 Ammuntion boots with 25 studs, heel and toe irons.

Alan.

This is one of the 63 Spaniards who were recruited into 50 Commando, he later served in the MEC, 1SSR and then left Special Forces. He wears the Tam o Shanter with Black Hackle which was adopted by MEC and shoulder titles also on hat is his brass 'fanny' badge.

No, Comb. Ops badge was 1942, they never had them at all, the ME Comm badge was most likely for 50/51/52 Commando. The brass badge was also originally for 5051 and 52 but I have seen pictures of s chap from 8 Commando wearing one on his FS cap. No badges were worn.

Alan.

Combined Ops badges didn't come out until summer 42 well past the date of Layforces disbandment, they had no Commando insignia. Shoulder titles and patches or badges came later. There are images of 11 on this site, go to main menu head for gallery look into Commandos WW2 and 11 are on there. As far as I know shoulder titles in 1940 were discouraged for security reasons but some did wear them, for a tombstone a Black Hackle would be appropriate.
Alan.

Nothing at all, they would have been wearing the KD shirt so all one would have on them were rank chevrons.
Alan.

11 (Scottish) Commando wore no insignia, badges or flashes on their uniform all they had was a Black Hackle on the Tam o Shanters.

SA Abbott Gnr 970064.

A Holden Gnr (Possibly TT Holden 970131).

JF Kearney Gnr 970050 - POW - Operation Flipper.

JA Reynolds Gnr 970558.

MRN Wood Gnr 970158.

Their RA Attestations can be found on Find my Past apart from Holden. Their RA Unit was 57th (Newfoundland) Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery.

In 11 (Scottish) Commando they all served in 1 Troop, i believe around 20 volunteered but only 5 made the grade.

In Cyprus they were stationed with 6 Troop at Larnaca and moved to Salamis with 10 Troop after 6 weeks ( May and June) 1941.

1 Troop were part of Y Party and were the right hand troop when landing on C Beach in Syria during Operation Exporter and were with HQ Troop, their officers were Gerald Bryan A Section and B Section were led by Alistair Coode, they saw quite a bit of fighting there.

Kearney was the only one of the above on Operation Flipper the rest were returned to the UK on Layforces disbandment and as far as i know all survived the war. Kearney was part of 1 Detachment and they were to go to the supposed HQ, he was part of the covering party along with Varney, Hughes and Heavysides, oncde they withdrew to the beach and Laycock gave the order to make their own way out he along with Bogle, Brodie, Coultread, Dunn, Heavysides and Murray headed south towards Mekili where courtesy of some previous action with the LRDG they were alert and ended up in the bag.

Whats interesting is that Laycock reported that there were no signallers in the party which was not strictly true, there were two and also Kearney himself was a trained RA signaller.

Hope this wil be of some use.

Alan.