Lt. Thomas Grenville Pitt Peyton

This message was edited 7 times. Last update was at 05/04/2013 17:44:31

Tom Peyton attended Eton College from 1934 - 1939. His original regiment was the Kings Royal Rifle Corps before volunteering for No.5 Independent Company and subsequently No.2 Commando. On 28th March 1942 Tom was a Lieutenant in 6 Troop of 2 Cdo. and went with them as section leader of an assault party under Capt. Micky Burn MC on board no.1 boat ML 192. Their task was to assault the old entrance however their boat was hit by a large shell causing an explosion. All but 5 of the Commandos including Tom, aged just 20, were lost.
I contacted Eton College and they were most helpful. My thanks to Jackie Tarrant-Barton and Christine Vickers for the photo of Tom in his last year at the College, and also the photo of their Bronze Memorial with the Roll of Honour for those killed during WW2. There are 748 names from Eton College on that Roll of Honour.
They were also kind enough to put me in touch with Tom's nephew (also called Tom). He hopes to have something for us to add to the gallery by the end of November. I have seen another picture of Tom in uniform and I am at present seeking permission to use this in our gallery.

Here is the link to the entry about Tom in our No.2 Cdo gallery: http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/In+Remembrance/Lt_+Peyton.jpg.html

In the CVA History section for No.2 Cdo. Tom is mentioned as being the youngest officer from No.2 Commando to fall in battle.

Micky Burn has a photo of Tom Peyton reading his orders before the raid in his book Turned Towards The Sun. He saw his body later floating in the water