Geoffrey "Geoff" Richard Yeomans

Hello,
Looking for any additional information or photos on Geoffrey Yeomans to help with my Family History research.
He was my Grandad's cousin and I would be interested to know anything about him and his service during WW2.

30.07.1944 - 01.1945 HMS Copra (Combined Operations accounting base) (for landing craft duty)
01.1945 - (04.)1945 RM Holding Commando
1945 - (07.)1945 3rd Commando Brigade HQ (waiting disposal)
1945 - 24.08.1945 42 RM Commando (died from injuries in jeep accident, Deolali)
Buried Kirkee War Cemetery, India, 1.B.15

What would "Landing Craft Duty" be? Is this his initial training? He would have been 18.
What would "RM Holding Commando" mean?
What would "Waiting Disposal" mean?
Would there be any more information about the accident that killed him? The date suggests a few days after the war.
Is there somewhere I can request his official war records?

Sorry for so many questions, this is a very interesting website and I look forward to any information that might be able to be provided.

Thanks very much
Adam

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 22/08/2016 13:31:13

Hi Adam,

a warm welcome to the forums, and the more questions the better Adam.

You can apply for your relative's Royal Marine service records from the Navy. As you are not the next of kin, I'm not sure exactly what records they will provide you with.
Somebody more knowledgable than I will surely reply to your query.

http://forum.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/179.page

For the record, I found on the CWGC website the grave of Lieutenant YEOMANS, GEOFFREY RICHARD, and noted that sadly

His brother Bernard George, also died on service.

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2191352/YEOMANS,%20GEOFFREY%20RICHARD

Geoffrey is buried at

Khadki Martyr Cemetery
Elphinston Rd
Khadki
Pune, Maharashtra 411003
India

Have a look at the "earth view"
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Khadki+Martyr+Cemetery,+Elphinston+Rd,+Khadki,+Pune,+Maharashtra+411003,+India/@18.5519499,73.8546145,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x3bc2c09633a87d21:0x2d140660611a3f49!8m2!3d18.5519916!4d73.8567924

His Brother BERNARD GEORGE YEOMANS is buried in Tunis, at the MASSICAULT WAR CEMETERY

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2197301/YEOMANS,%20BERNARD%20GEORGE

RIP Geoffrey and Bernard.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 25/08/2016 14:30:01

Hi Adam

Mark has explained how to apply for the Service. It would be better if the immediate next of kin applied, or you applied on their behalf, as you will get a full photocopy of the record. Otherwise a typed transcript with limited detail only will be supplied.

As for what do the phrases mean:

Landing Craft Duty would have been after his initial training. It would be to man the small crew of landing craft/and their guns, that were used in landing troops ashore.

In 1945 the RM Holding Commando was a unit of trained RM Commandos ready to provide replacements to reinforce RM Commando units already deployed. He is shown there from Jan - Apr 1945.

Waiting Disposal is that he was as is shown located at 3 Commando Bde HQ July 1945 awaiting allocation to a specific Commando Unit within that Brigade. As his accident is shown in August with 42 RM Commando he will have been posted to them within the last month since the date shown waiting disposal.

Hopefully the full record may give more detail regarding the accident but that is not guaranteed. It may give reference to any inquiry into the accident.

Lt Yeomans is already on our 42RM Commando ROH here http://www.commandoveterans.org/42RMCdoROH

Pete

I should just add to the above that although there was a RM Holding Commando in the UK, the author Andrew Hargreaves in his book special Operations in WW2 adds that by the end of the war 3 Commando Brigade HQ based in India had developed auxiliary sections including their own Holding Commando.

Thank you for all of your information and help.