'Anyone' from 6 Commando

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 28/10/2011 22:19:25

Hi,
I am currently looking for any War Diaries or accounts of action May 2-3 1945 in the Neustadt in Holstein/Ploen and Eutin area.

From other web sources it would appear 6 Commando were in the area on the date mentioned above, when mention has been made of the rescue of refugees from the SS Cap Arcona in the Bay of Luebeck.

A group of British soldiers were involved on 2-3 May, in rescuing women refugees who were, shot up by British planes as they were travelling by train near Eutin.

The soldiers commandered German vehicles and took the injured women to a German military hospital, Eutin and ordered that they be treated. The soldiers then guarded the hospital, (not sure of the unit that carried out guard duty!).

One person who was involved, which may have been later, was an attached British soldier with the unit, a German Jew, who did the translating and helping the injured women.

Was this rescue carried out by 6 Commando? The name of the attached Interpreter is known, as he stayed on in the refugee camp for another 2 years. Can anyone throw any light on this rescue action?

Thanks
Alan

Hi Alan,
I would suggest that you contact Peter Bowe on the 6 Commando website - he may have more idea about this.

http://www.6commando.com/

Nick

Thanks for the info, I will try the site..

Alan

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 29/10/2011 11:04:50

Hi Alan,
I have done a bit of searching but didn't haven't come up with anything new as yet and couldn't help but notice that you have carried out extensive searching on this subject yourself so I'm obviously treading the same paths as you...

I have to say that I have found nothing to suggest that 'Ernest Finch' was a member of 3 Troop, No10 (IA) Commando - members of 3 Troop were usually 'attached' to other Commando Units to act as Interpreters and for Interrogation purposes.

I'll continue to search and hope that I can come up with some new info for you.

Nick

Alan,
I think you've traced Ernest to Ontario?
I did find a Lena Murphy that married an Ernest Finch in Ontario - don't know if there's any connection.

Nick

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 29/10/2011 12:47:59

Nic,
Ernst did infact go to Ontario. I now have Ernst's orbituary notice from a San-Diego newspaper dated 1972. This was triggered by a much later orbit for his wife, who died at 92 yrs of age.

Contact with Ernst's extended family has not, at this moment in time, brought up any information about him apart from a few photos. Much is not known of his military service, mainly because there were no children born to the couple.

I suppose I could request Ernst's Service Record, as the period has been exceeded for non family requests. Unfortunately, no one wants to pay the request fee. As I am helping out 'for free.' My charity doesn't extend that far!

Ernst's Regiment badge show him wearing Royal Artillery Badges and 8th Corp Charging Knight cloth badge. His rank was WOII. I know 8th Corp were in the area at the time. I am not sure they were that far forward on the 2-3 May 1945.

Alan

PS. Ernst married in UK before emmigrating .

Alan,
Again it's probably something you already have but here is link to London Gazette showing date of his becoming a British National:
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/37995/pages/2865

nick

Yes Nick,

I had noted that. I also have notes about some of his service with Pioneer Corp and War Diary for his Coy. The trail goes cold after many of the unit are posted to Interpreter School.

Alan

Alan,

alan8376 wrote:I also have notes about some of his service with Pioneer Corp and War Diary for his Coy. The trail goes cold after many of the unit are posted to Interpreter School.

Those are the problems we have when researching the commandos of 3 Troop, No10 (IA) Commando. They were virtually all German speaking Jewish refugees mainly from Germany and Austria (but also some from Czechoslovakia, Hungary and other European countries).

The men had to take English "Nommes de Guerre" and new identities, false personal histories, regiments, next of kin, and so on (most chose to keep the same initials, though) to at least have a chance of not being found out if captured by the Nazis, as, being Jews, they faced inevitable death sentence if captured - not to mention the danger to any of their suriving relatives in Nazi Europe.
Many details of the men were known to the Gestapo and reprisals would have been immediate.
The casualty officer at the War Office (a senior Civil Servant by the name Dawkins) was one of very few who knew their real and assumed identities and kept parallel lists of the names of 3 Troop.

Nick

Nick,

I have found little or no mention of 1st Commando Brigade. Can you enlighten me please where they were during April-May 1945?

Thanks
Alan

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 31/10/2011 19:27:33

Here is a list of Barracks and units based there in 1945 in the area you mention:

http://bfg-locations.editboard.com/t431-barracks-in-schleswig-holstein

Note that it mentions May and June 1945 for 1 Commando Brigade:

NEUSTADT (HOLSTEIN)
Headquarters 1 Commando Brigade RM (with 45 and 46 Commando RM under command) were based in the area in May/June 1945 to provide the Guard Force and to carry out other security duties along the Baltic coast

Also note RM Commando not Army Commando is mentioned.

Hope this is of some help

Pete

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 31/10/2011 19:42:12

1 Commando Brigade was basically Nos.3 and 6 Army Commandos and 45 and 46 RM Commandos. Their last action before the end of the war in Europe was at Lauenburg and the crossing of the River Elbe

Also Stan Scott of 3 Commando mentions the Arcona in his book and a concentration camp in the area. I believe 3 Commando returned fairly quickly to the UK afterwards arriving at Tilbury.

Thanks Pete,

I think the guys who typed the lists (both ex military). May have lapsed into the term RM from their own days service days? It is easily done. As I in my head often think of 'Royal Marine Commandos', when it should be Commandos.

Thanks for the info though.

Alan

Perhaps not if the Brigade had split and the Army Commandos returned to the UK in preparation for the invasion of Japan leaving the RM Commandos there. Worth checking