No 6 commando in Italy 1946?

My aunt gave me a photograph of my dad, Bob Cook, No6 commando and another commando. On the back it was Bassano Italy 1946. My dad served with No6 from 1943 until disbanded. from the Normandy landings, Pegasus Bridge through to Germany. I know nothing of why No6 was in Italy in 1946. I recall as a kid he said he was on peace keeping duties in Italy ,Any information?
Regards
Dennis Cook

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 10/08/2023 14:39:10

Hi Dennis,

Welcome to the CVA Website and Forums.

No.6 Commando was officially disbanded on the 19th November 1945 (according to the No.6 Cdo official War Diary), so your father wouldn't have been in Italy with No.6 Commando in 1946.
The Commando Units were unformed/ irregular units and were only formed for the duration of the War.
These irregular units were formed by individual volunteers from all the regiments & Corps of the British Army - on loan from their parent regiments. When the Commandos were disbanded these soldiers generally returned to their parent regiments to serve out their time - although some found the thought of returning to a 'regimental' life of parade squares and drill a bit tedious so volunteered for other special units , such as the Paras.

Your dad probably returned to his regiment and was then sent out to Italy as part of the Central Mediterranean Force (CMF) on peace keeping duties.

This was also the case with my father who enlisted into the King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC), volunteered for Special Service, became a commando and was posted to No.5 Commando, serving in India and Burma. After the War finished he returned to the KRRC and was posted to Italy - patrolling the border between Italy & Yugoslavia.

Although we have your father listed in the nominal roll for No.6 Cdo, we don't have his service number or his regiment - could you let us have these details so I can amend the Nominal Roll please?
Neither, it seems, do we have any photos of your father - do you have any that you'd be willing to share with us and that I can upload to the No.6 Cdo Album in our unique Gallery ( see the link below)

https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/6/

Nick

Hello Nick
Thanks for your reply. Not sure if my dad was in another regiment before the commandos, I thought he joined the commandos as a civilian. I will check with my older brothers and sisters His Commando Service Certificate reads 14529920 L/Sgt Cook R R.A/L.A.A. From 10-7-1943 Served in No. 6 Commando from the above date until disbanded 15-11-1945.
I have some photos and will get them uploaded when I have time. There is one photo already in the archives the group photo of No 6 in in 1945. the other photos I do not have names of his comrades but some sons and daughters might recognise their dads in the photographs.
Regards
Dennis

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 09/05/2019 22:41:35

Hi Dennis,

Your father had to have been in a regiment or Corps before becoming a commando.
And, from what his Commando Service Certificate tells us is that he joined up into the General Service Corps - shown by his service number which is an eight digit number in the 14200001 - 15000000 series, but then transferred into the RA (Royal Artillery) and served in the LAA (Light Anti-Aircraft) - an air defence unit of the RA - before volunteering to be a commando...

There are two group photos of No.6 Cdo in 1945 - one taken in January, the other in August - if you can identify which photo your father is in and who you father is, I can annotate the photo accordingly ( and probably confirm his regiment by his cap badge)...

His Commando Service Certificate bears out what I said about No.6 Cdo being disbanded in November 1945; therefore, by 1946, he probably would have returned to the RA - unless he volunteered for another regiment or corps...

Nick

Hi Nick,
I am Dennis Cooks nephew, Ian (Hi Dennis!). I stumbled across this old forum post when looking on the forums for posts about No.6 commando.
My Grandad Robert (Bobby) Cook is in the photo from Jan 1945.
I have attached a photo indicating who he is. He?s in the third row down, the last person before the slightly separate group of three on the far right of the photo.
Kind regards,
Ian

Hi Ian

Thank you for identifying your Grandfather. Do you have a good resolution image of him on his own either in uniform or in civvies for me to add to the Archive. I can also add his commando service certificate if you take a photo of it. Also if you provide his dates and places of birth and death I will add those.

Pete

Hi Pete,
I see you have annotated the photo but have put row 2. I think it should read row 3?
I will try and get the other info you mentioned and another photo.
Regards,
Ian

Hi Ian now amended. Thanks