Voxter Camp, Shetlands

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 03/12/2012 23:12:20

Hi All

My time to ask for help. Alison Bond has sent some photos to us of her father's time in the Gordons and the Commandos. I have established that her father, Pte Hugh MacKenzie, was in No.1 Commando, his death being reported in the No.1 Commando Winchester Reunion Programme 12/13th September 1995:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/nominal+rolls/1+cdo+nom+role/No+1+Cdo/

I will be adding the photos to our gallery soon, but wondered whether anyone had specific Commando related information about Voxter Camp. Attached are two of the photos annotated as being there.

Photos of Pte Hugh 'Blake' MacKenzie can be viewed here: http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/1/Hugh+MacKenzie/

I believe there was a Battle School established at Voxter but have nothing specific to Cdos.

Nick

Thanks Nick

Additionally does anyone have specific records detailing, or documents mentioning, No.1 Commando training in the Shetlands between March and April 1943

Regards

Pete

Hello Pete

Before my Dads time in No 1.......but I have some old printed documents from Henry Brown I'll check them..........if I can find them :)

regards

john M

Hello Pete

I've found the documents HB gave to me.

They are No 1 Commando newsletters .......these predate the 3rd Jungle Book.
the first id dated 29th January 1943 ..........a Camp in India ? which cant be correct it must be 1944....it just shows you how mistakes can happen........... they didn't leave for the Far East until Nov 1943!!

I've got five of them all different dates.............but still to late for your enquirey Sorry!!

Have we got these on site by the way Pete?

regs
John

Hi John

Thanks for trying. I have sent off an enquiry to Ron Y. to see if he has anything. I will be posting the above photos and a few others in the gallery soon and will update here when done

Pete

With regard to the above photo of the two men on the rope crossing. The man on the left is Hugh 'Blake' MacKenzie No.1 Commando. I now know the man on the right is Will Jones. Now in our gallery we have a photo from Idris Jones showing himself and two others with the same surname Jones who were in No.1 Commando. One is William Jones. I will send a pm to Andy Maines who is in contact with Idris.

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/1/jones+22.jpg.html

I think I have found a clue to Commandos being at Voxter camp in the Shetlands which Nick rightly says was a Battle School. I knew of a few from No.12 Commando who went onto No.1 Commando. So having checked the diary of Lesley Mullett, No.12 and 1 Commando which can be seen below, I found this entry :

04.11.42 Disem and arrived at SHET.B.S bleak dreary raining moved into old house. Filthy condition. Remainder of day cleaning up.

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/documents/Letters/leslie+mullett/dads_diary.pdf.html

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 09/12/2012 22:13:25

I have now discovered thanks to Ron Youngman that Hugh MacKenzie served in No 12 and No.1 Commando, and finally in the HOC. This makes sense with the fact that No.12 Commando did training at Voxter Camp. As a result I have posted the Voxter Camp photos in the 12 Commando gallery here:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/12/

A link to Hugh's personal album here:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/1/Hugh+MacKenzie/

and one photo which I believe may be No.1 Commando. Is that a patch of No.1 Cdo on the Commando on the extreme right's arm:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/12/blake+1st+on+left+copy.jpg.html

Hi All
Its great to see these photos particularly the No 12 Commando ones. My father was in No 12 and No 1 also and not many photos of No 12 have emerged so far. And what great quality photos they are too.

Thanks a lot

regards

John M

Pete
Replying to posting of 8/12/2012 - 21.50.05 hrs and your question relating to the patch on the arm of the soldier to the extreme right. The patch is in three parts Top, Middle, Bottom (unlike the early No1 Cdo salamander often seen on its own, sometimes with Green on Khaki 1/COMMANDO above and very occasionally variations of this (as per the images in our CVA gallery)).
The middle part of the set of titles in the posting actually looks more like a Pegasus of the Airborne Formations. I believe Pegasus insignia - actually Bellerophon astride Pegasus - was adopted by Airborne formations in Light Blue on Maroon during 1941. The configuration of titles worn in conjunction with it varied over time. But three part combinations in this format are often found. I hope this adds up and does not just add to the confusion.
Regards
Mike
PS - It is always interesting to see images of insignia being worn - it is a great aid to chronology where dates of images are known.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 09/12/2012 20:52:01

Hi Mike

You are absolutely right. I have attached here a slightly higher res copy of the photo in the gallery, and also a link to a Canadian Airborne website where there is a very good example of the 3 patches. Here is the link:

http://www.1canpara.com/wartime_photographs.htm

So perhaps he was early Airborne from the UK? Which means that the group in the photo may well still be 12 Commando.

The Brigadier in the photo on the Canadian Para website is British I believe, and is named as Brigadier James Hill. If it is this man he was known as Speedy Hill and was awarded the DSO (and 2 bars) ,and an MC, and whose obituaryis here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1513268/Brigadier-Speedy-Hill.html#

More questions :)

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 09/12/2012 21:18:46

I have also now found reference in Sgt. John Huntington's History of No. 12 Cdo to some of No.12 Commando doing Parachute training in the Spring of 1943.

In the spring of 1943 we went on a parachute course, first we went to a place called Abbingdon near Oxford and there we did a three week physical training course, and then went to Ringway Airport in Manchester. We did three parachute jumps, one was from a static balloon, one day jump and one night jump. At Ringway there was an old aircraft fitted with scaffolding which we had to practice falling and landing in a parachute harness.....

May I be bold enough to say that some do look a little apprehensive, with a couple of others still on the lorry finding something amusing.

It was later in Sept 1943 that many from No.12 Cdo went to No.1 Cdo.

Hi again

Yes my dads (Bob Mewett 12 Cdo) pay book does have a reference to 'Parachute school' Feb 1943:
On site here
http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/3533.page
Regards

John M

Hello Pete and John
This is beginning to add up. You will already know that para trained Commandos just wore titles and wings without Pegasus badge (Pegasus denoting Airborne Troops rather than Commandos) But as you say - highly likely that they encountered soldiers wearing such insignia when under going para training. Does this place the Commandos concerned at Ringway or Abbingdon do you think? - their reticence understandable as they undertake their parachute training or preparation.
Thanks again
Mike
The additional images/obituary and pay book details are very interesting.