help searching for information and a photo ? 44 cdo

Hi

I'm trying to search for as much information on my grandad/ his regiment? during the war. He served with 44cdo in burma apparently as part of a mortar squad. His name was Edward Redmond "ted". I know he served with a George Terrell who was injured at the battle of kankaw. If that helps anyone?

I'm also after a copy of a photo. I know this is a bit of a long shot but as a child i remember him showing me a picture of him guarding 2 Japanese prisoners, this was sent to him years after the war when his mate who served with him spotted it in a royal marine magazine ? My grandad at the time didn't even know anyone was taking a picture.

Does anybody have a copy of it or would they know what magazine it would be (a yearly one according to my dad?) and how to get in touch with them so i can ask if they still have it in there archives?

Thanks in advance
Nick

PS if anyone has any recommendations of any books i love to read them.

Hi Nick

A good book to read if you can find a copy might be 44 (R.M.) Commando: Achnacarry to the Arakan - A Diary of the Commando at War, August 1943 to March 1947 by Tony MacKenzie.

We have a few photos of B troop and others here: 44RM Commando

Some photos are available on the Imperial War Museum website via their online search facility. Just key in 44 Commando. Access it here:

CVA Links

regards

Pete

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 05/01/2014 19:50:41

Hi thanks for the reply

I've looked through the photos on the site and spent a good hour looking at the ones on the Imperial War Museum website and unfortunately i cant find the photo im after. Although some of the photos on that site are amazing so it wasn't a complete waste

I'll try and get a copy of that book as that is exactly the kind of thing im after thanks

Hi Nick

The RM magazine Globe & Laurel is presently issued bi-monthly but you could try them to see if they can help.

Good luck.
Sarah

Hi Nick,

Some of the IWM photos are listed under 3rd Commando Brigade rather than the individual units. These are two I know of that show Japanese prisoners:

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208360
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208362

Again, a long shot but you never know!

Julie

nar thats not him unfortunately. Its a picture of him standing guard with a rifle over 2 Japanese prisoners sat down. With i think a hut and a union jack in the background. Sent to him sometime in the 1970's according to my dad.

Im going to email the guys at globe and laurel see if they can help. I just hope i get someone who doesn't mind looking through there archives for a bit

thanks for the help so far guys i really appreciate it

So good news ive been speaking to my aunt and she has found a load of photos (my dad had no idea she had any). And it turns out my grandad was quite the amateur photographer/collector of photos as there are maybe 40-50 photos in his collection (and apparently even more back at my aunts house in another box). And i also have his service record and commando certificate.

If anyone is interested i would be more then happy to upload them, to add to the collection on the site ? just let me know.

thank you
nick

hi Nick,

Yes we certainly would be interested in your grandfather's collection of photos - as you will have seen our collection is quite unique in that it consists mainly of private shots rather than the 'official' photos.
We are justly proud that we have been chosen to be the custodians of these priceless photos.

Pete Rogers is our Gallery Archivist but is away on holiday this week, but, in his absence, I am also empowered to upload photos to the Gallery, so if you wish to email scans of the photos to me, I would be more than happy to upload them.

Whether you decide to send them to me or Pete (both our email addresses are on the Contact Us section of the Home page) please can you give as much details as you possible can - hopefully grandad wrote on the back of the photos or something similar, and don't forget to identify your grandfather, of course.

if you need help with deciphering the service record just drop me a line...

Nick

Hi i have emailed you the photos just let me know if there are any problems :)

I also have some pictures of my grandads service record the bits with the writing on (its a bit too big to scan and not in the best condition). If you could help fill in the gaps that would be great thanks

I also have a photo of S troop and i have noticed my grandad and a few of the other lads have something above their left shirt pockets does that mean anything ?

wow them pictures came out a little larger than expected sorry about that

hi Nick,

The photos came through ok - there are some excellent hi-resolution photos there, I will start uploading them soon.

As far as the Service records are concerned - again it looks like you've been fairly lucky as most RM records I've seen have been very sparse to say the least.

To answer the question about the photo first, what you can see above the left breast pockets are service ribbons or ribbon bars, - obviously it would be highly impractical to wear medals everyday so entitled persons can wear the ribbons of the medals they have been awarded in the form of a 'bar'.
As seen in the photo below, this consists of a strip covered with the appropriate medal ribbons (in this case there are five medal ribbons).

nick

Hi Nick,

Here is a transcript of the excerpts from your grandfather's records (in the order they appear),

Good Conduct Badge
19 Aug 45......1st......Granted.

Character & Efficiency

VG = Very Good......Sat = Satisfactory......(Mne) = Marine

Exams passed
8 Dec 42......Driver Mechanic ( Group D) Class II

19 Aug 45......War Service Increment......3 years
8 May 46......Payment of War Gratuity & PWG Authorised

Division ...... Company ...... Rank

HBL = Home Base Ledger (personnel within the UK)

HBL Deal ...... A ...... Marine
HBL RM Technical Training Depot Fort Cumberland
HBL RM Division
HBL RM Commando
Portsmouth Division ...... Released as Class A Reserve

Hope this helps - shout out if you need more!

Nick

Hi

So judging by the information in this thread http://forum.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/4229.page

Would it be safe to say my grandad was one of 2 driver/mechanics in the mortar section. Dumb question but when he wasn't driving or fixing jeeps would this job be to help set up the mortar sites and then defend them if they came under attack ?

Thanks for the info so far its been very interesting finding all this out

Hi Nick,

A Royal Marine Commando was organised along the War Establishment lines (as detailed in the Thread you linked to), conforming to those Commandos already raised by the Army.
This consisted of the Commando Headquarters, Signal Section, Administrative Section, five fighting troops (A, B, X,Y & Z) - named after the big gun turrets on capital ships - and a Heavy Weapons Troop (S.Troop).

According to the group photo, your grandfather was in S Troop.

A Heavy Weapons Troop was split into two Sections - the Mortar Section and the Machine Gun Section - both of which had Driver Mechanic Tradesmen.
Whichever section your grandfather was in, he was, first and foremost, a trained Commando and he would have filled any gaps should any of the non-tradesmen get injured or killed.

No questions are dumb if you don't know the answer - so never worry about asking questions...

Nick

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 12/03/2014 02:30:39

Thanks my dad and my auntie have confirmed he was in the mortar section. But i don't think they knew he was a driver/mechanic. But this makes sense considering after the war he got a job working in the local bus depot.

I'll try and get hold of the other photos my aunt has for the site, but it will probably be a few months at the earliest since she lives quite far away.

thanks nick