L/Cpl Roy William Lewis, 2 S.S. Brigade Sgnl Troop

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 31/12/2012 17:33:30

Firstly may I congratulate the organisers of this site which should stand as a testament to the brave fighting men of the Commando.

5958740 Lance Corporal Roy William Lewis Special Service Brigade Sigl Troop

I am looking for information including any photos of my fathers activity during WWII. We know he was part of the Salerno assault in 1943 but do not have any information on what company he was with. My sister managed to get access to his army records but unfortunately the information is very limited.

Posted to Special Service Brigade Signal Troop 04 August 1942

Embarked UK for Sicily 15 August 1943

Disembarked UK 04 January 1944

Posted to Holding Operational Command 30 May 1944

Embarked UK for France 05 August 1944

Posted to Special Service Group Signals 07 August 1944

Embarked France for UK 07 September 1944

Embarked UK for East Africa 22 January 1945

Unfortunately my father passed away in 1982 when Iwas 18 years old and I didn't really get a chance to have a beer and understand what must have been an exciting and equally traumatic time.

We have been researching the subject on and off for the past few years and would love to find a photo of him with his colleagues. We have a small box of treasured momentos (ties, permanent pass, soldiers release book, badges and reunion photos) which serve as a reminder to us of which we are extremely proud.

I myself have fond memories of the Commando reunion parties at Baker Street London during the late 60s and 70s. As a small naughty and inquisitive child I did not understand the significance of the the men I was amongst at the time, but it was always a pleasure especially when the presents were handed out to us during the evening.

Keep up the good work.

Regards Vic Lewis

Dear Vic:

It was a pleasure to read your posting regarding your Dad's service with 2 S.S. Brigade Sgnl. Trp. My best recollection of that unit was when they were in support of No. 2 Commando at Salerno Sept. 9 - Sept. 17, 1943. At Salerno, your Dad would have been under the command of the Bde. Sgnl. Trp. C.O. who was Captain Clifford V. James, M.C. The only other name I have a record of is Signalman William A. Kirkhope, DCM.

My wife, Janet, is a historian of all things 'Commando' and she has amassed just about everything pertinent to the period 1940-45. Our copy of the 2 Commando Salerno War Diary indicates the number of the Bde. Sgnl. Trp. landed on Sept. 9, 1943 to be 43 O.R.s, but unfortunately it does not descend to particulars in naming the individuals. We also have the complete 91 page casualty list for all Commandos and as Capt. James and Sgnlm. Kirkhopes names are not listed, we presume that they both survived the war. It would be nice if you could contact these two (now) old gentlemen, assuming they are still alive.

Don't be too upset, Vic, regarding the brevity of your Dad's army records. Clerks who put such things together cannot reflect the admiration we had for the signal boys who performed their tasks so well under horrendous battlefield conditions. I, for one, salute their fidelity to duty which I witnessed, and share your pride in your Dad's memory.

Kindest personal regards.

Bob Bishop wrote:

Don't be too upset, Vic, regarding the brevity of your Dad's army records. Clerks who put such things together cannot reflect the admiration we had for the signal boys who performed their tasks so well under horrendous battlefield conditions. I, for one, salute their fidelity to duty which I witnessed, and share your pride in your Dad's memory.

Kindest personal regards. Bob

Welcome Vic,
Wow, what a great reply from Bob - you must be justifiably proud of your Dad.
Good luck with your search.
Nick

NIC wrote:

Bob Bishop wrote:

Don't be too upset, Vic, regarding the brevity of your Dad's army records. Clerks who put such things together cannot reflect the admiration we had for the signal boys who performed their tasks so well under horrendous battlefield conditions. I, for one, salute their fidelity to duty which I witnessed, and share your pride in your Dad's memory.

Kindest personal regards. Bob

Welcome Vic,
Wow, what a great reply from Bob - you must be justifiably proud of your Dad.
Good luck with your search.
Nick

Bob, NIC

Thanks for the prompt response and kind words, it is most welcome and very moving to read Bob's account of the Signal Troop.

I will stay in touch and update whenever possible and also notify my family of the site which will be of significant interest to them.

Regards Vic

Postcard from September 1944 below.

Photo of Ted Salthouse & Jim Bailey--Sword Beach- Also group photo of 45 R.M.Commando. maybe of use to you. Good Luck

Tks anonymous,

My father may have served alongside the men in the top photo as he was attached to 45RM during Sept 44. The lower photo is very interesting, I am assuming they are water cooled Vickers machine guns in the foreground.

Regards Vic

Bob Bishop wrote:Dear Vic:

It was a pleasure to read your posting regarding your Dad's service with 2 S.S. Brigade Sgnl. Trp. My best recollection of that unit was when they were in support of No. 2 Commando at Salerno Sept. 9 - Sept. 17, 1943. At Salerno, your Dad would have been under the command of the Bde. Sgnl. Trp. C.O. who was Captain Clifford V. James, M.C. The only other name I have a record of is Signalman William A. Kirkhope, DCM.

Unfortunately it appears Clifford V James passed away in 2000. I found this obituary which includes brief details of his MC award. The part of particular interest to me is the 3 Signallers who were involved in the action described. Is there anyway of finding their names. I now remember once my father told me that he was directly involved in action that resulted in a higher ranking person being awarded although the details in my mind are so sktechy, I think I was about 11 years old at the time and cannot remember whether it was related to this as I think he mentioned a Sergeant and not a Captain. Like some other children of former Commandos, their fathers didn't really talk too openly about their experiences, it wasn't until I was 18 years old and a month before my father died that he started telling me specific stories, I guess he felt I was probably to young and wouldn't be able to understand the full imapct of those encounters.

Clifford James, who has died aged 84, was awarded an immediate MC in Italy in 1943.

During the Salerno landings, James, a temporary captain, was brigade signals officer of No 2 Commando Brigade. Having landed at the fishing village of Marina, on the left of 46 Division, they made their first objective to knock out the enemy battery on the cliff above.

That done, they pressed on for Vietri, a village on the south side of the mountain pass through which the Salerno road ran towards the plain of Naples. The pass was spanned by a viaduct carrying the coastal road. The Germans had a clear view of this viaduct from their positions higher up.

Using the viaduct to cross and recross the valley, the Commandos came under constant machinegun and mortar fire. At a critical stage in the action James was laying a cable across the viaduct from a jeep when it broke down at the midway point, attracting a heavy bombardment.

Rather than abandon his mission temporarily and return for another jeep, James and the three signallers with him calmly unloaded the cable drums from the disabled vehicle and, as mortar bombs burst on the viaduct parapet, continued to lay the line on foot.

After Vietri, James took part in a successful operation to clear the enemy from a valley south of Salerno, up to the village of Pigoletti, constantly visiting those of his operators who were up with the forward fighting troops.

Throughout the actions of Marina, Vietri and Pigoletti, James displayed, as his citation declared, "untiring energy and technical skill and a devotion to duty worthy of the highest praise". Neither the hazards of battle or physical fatigue prevented James from maintaining the best possible communications.

Clifford Vizetelly James was born on July 21 1916 and educated at Rutlish School, where he developed into a first-class rugby forward.

On leaving school he joined the National Provincial Bank, and also the RAFVR - making a brief and unsuccessful attempt at learning to fly. A keen oarsman, he competed at Henley, winning several cups.

With the outbreak of war, James joined the Royal Corps of Signals. He was then commissioned and posted on attachment to No 2 Commando Brigade.

After training in Scotland, James's first taste of action came with the Sicily landings in 1943, and then with the landings at Salerno. Following the operations which led to the award of his MC, 2 Commando became part of Force 133, under the direction of the Special Operations Executive.

They took part in the landings at Anzio and then in operations in the Adriatic and Yugoslavia in support of Tito's partisans. In the course of this, they established a permanent base on the island of Vis, from where they gave support to operations on neighbouring islands and on the mainland.[i][/i]

Hopefully someone can shed some light on the other Signallers involved.

Regards Vic

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 03/11/2014 21:56:26

Vic has sent some photos and I have included these in a personal album for his father in our Commandos in WW2 Gallery, the album for SS Bde HQ and Signals Troops:

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/HQ+and+Sigs/Signals+troops/lewis/

There are also 2 reunion photos which will for the time being be posted in the SS Bde HQ and Signals troops album

Thanks for the photos Vic