Info on WW2 Commando - Tom Kearney

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 07/08/2015 18:09:03

All-

I am looking for any information on my uncle Thomas M. Kearney, 2720130, who served with the Commandos in WW2. Tom passed away in the 90s and I did not have an opportunity to interveiw him in depth prior to his passing (he refused to talk about the war - only did a bit to me via phone after my return from DESERT STORM - I'm a US veteran of DS, OEF, OIF). Information I have from my mother is as follows:

Tom enlisted in the Irish Guards in '39, transferred to 5 Troop, No. 8 Commando in '40; participated in raids into Holland (rescuing the Dutch royal family, he was not happy how that turned out), Norway (heavy water facility? talked about going into fjords and Germans firing down from cliffs), Crete, Tobruk, and other locations in North Africa. He did not have a good opinion of many of the officers in No. 8 Commando (probably because many were Guard officers from the aristocracy - use to give grief to his younger brother who as an officer in the Paras).

After No. 8 Commando disbanded, Tom was transferred into another Commando (not sure of which), but he sailed from the Med aboard to SS Nieuw Amsterdam to Burma (DEC '42?) to participate in operations with Wingate's Chindits (letter to his parents listed his return address as 70th Infantry Division, Provost. Co, India Command - assume psuedo address for Commando troop assigned) where he participated in raids against the Japanese. He did rail against his higher leadership who were directing operations from New Dehli and had no idea of the difficulties they faced to include the monsoon season and subsequent river flooding (he said they had to get assistance from US units for rope bridge crossings of the flooded rivers). His troop was behind the Japanese lines for 6 months and had extremely heavy losses - all he would say is that the Japanese weren't human and deserved to be killed on sight during the war (he refused to even ride in a Japanese made car for the rest of his life). He returned to the UK in APR/MAY of '44 only to learn that two of his brothers were KIA during his deployment - undoubtedly events that added to his decision never to discuss the war in later life.

If anyone has any information on Tom Kearney or his units, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance - Shane Burkhart

Hi Shane,

I don't have him listed in the commandos that went into Burma on Operation Longcloth with Wingate in mid Feb 1943. The fact he arrived in India in Dec 42 makes it unlikely he was with them but I could be wrong. Others here will be able to help you but I would also go to the site Chasing Chindits, Operation Longcloth 1943.

Best of Luck.

Thanks much - found some info on the 142 Commando on this forum (http://forum.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/662.page) - seems some instructors were transferred from ME - possibly No. 8 Commando - in late '42, early '43 which would align with Tom's timeline. I'll research a bit more and try and contact Tom's surviving daughter to see if see has any more data.