Messages posted by: NIC

School memorial close up

Dave Waite wrote:the next two photos are of our school's memorial...

Slightly different angle...

I'm delighted to say that the original poster, Dave Waite, has been back in touch with me and with John Lang's relatives in Australia with updates to this story.

Dave Waite wrote: In the first two photos, someone in Brigg has converted a flower bed into a model landing craft with the soldiers coming out into poppies. It seemed quite fitting for John's story...

Nick

Nettie has just sent me a newspaper clip which confirms Ernest Llewelyn Jones was in the Commandos and took part in both the Dieppe & St Nazaire raids.

Nick

Hi Nettie,

Have you received the Private Message I sent you?
(see top of page for PMs)

Nick

Hi Nettie,
Thank you for your email.
I have tried to reply but all three of my replies have been returned as 'unable to deliver'.
I have sent you a PM.

Nick

Please do keep in touch Nettie and if you or your friend have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask - either on this thread, or you can contact me by PM or Email (the buttons at the bottom of my posts are shortcuts).
With the help of a couple of friends I compiled comprehensive nominal rolls for all the Commando Units where previously there were none (that were known of)...
There are errors, duplication and omissions but we strive to update and correct these - and, once you have evidence of Ernest's commando service, he can be added to the relevant nominal roll.

Are there any photos of Ernest in uniform? These can often give us an idea of which unit he was in...

Nick

Just as a follow up, I would suggest that Ernest joined the Army and went abroad as part of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) then, following the Dunkirk evacuation, he would have volunteered for special service...

The letter from the War Office asking for 'Volunteers for Special Service' went out in June 1940. The letter stated that, "Officers and men who have been approved for the Force will be taken off strength of their units..."
However, the volunteers who became commandos were only 'on-loan' from their parent regiment and wore their regimental cap badge on their headdress which, in 1942, became the green beret...

I would say that it is likely that Ernest was in a Welsh regiment - maybe the South Wales Borderers or Royal Welch Fusiliers - and many men from the Welsh regiments were recruited into No.1 Commando - but that will be confirmed when your friend receives his service record...

Nick

hi Nettie,
Your friend doesn't need her grandfather's service number to apply to the MoD, the only custodian of WWII service records, for his service record as long as she knows his Date of Birth.

Here are the two forms she will need to apply, she will also need a copy of his Death Certificate - also available online from Gov.UK if she doesn't have one...

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/711147/20180524-request_service_details_NOK_part1_v6.2.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/545060/request_for_service_details_army_application_part2_1_.pdf

The MoD charges a one off payment of £30 but for that she'll receive a scan of his original, handwritten service record from enlistment to demob. It should include training, postings, promotion, demotions (if applicable), embarkations and dis-embarkations to overseas theatres, woundings and hospitalisations. It will also give his medal entitlement...

Nick

Pete wrote:There is absolutely no reason why people who can post on social media cannot visit this online archive and also post their photos and/or information on here. We need to encourage this.

I, more than anyone else, have always encouraged people to post on this Website & Forum - and still do - but it is a matter of choice! If people are reluctant, for whatever reason, to post on the forum, I'm afraid there is very little anyone can do to persuade them - goodness knows, I have tried!

Is my interpretation of your post correct and you're saying that if people continue to send me photos and information and I forward them to you, they will not be included in the Website?

Nick

It is a fact that for some years many people now prefer the social media to internet forums and even some, once popular, networking sites such as Facebook & Twitter are, in turn, losing their popularity to Whatsapp, Snapchat, Instagram and Pinterest etc...

This is not just impacting on the CVA Website Forum but across the Internet and on most website forums - on all topics...
However, I've said for many years that I believe the CA Facebook Group is a very useful tool for the CVA Website and both Website and Facebook Group should work together - sharing information and feeding each other...
I still strongly believe there is a place for a Forum on the CVA Website and will continue to support the CVA Website resolutely.

For quite some time now I have referred this Website to people posting on Twitter and on the various military/veteran Facebook Groups and Pages, and I invariably added a link(s), to the Website Forum and the Gallery, in the Facebook posts as part of my response to a query.
There have been days when I posted those links three, four, maybe, five times in one Group/Page...
I have also asked people on Facebook etc., if they would post photos on the Forum for inclusion in the Gallery but, in most cases, they asked me to post on their behalf... Having done so, I always post a link to the Gallery to show the poster his/her photos actually in the Website Gallery.
Unfortunately, circumstances have recently changed and I can no longer post these photos myself, but I still ask for them to be uploaded and then send the owner a link...

Nick

No.1 Cdo group

Nick

No.1 Cdo photos...

Nick

more photos of Cyril Pritchard and No.1 Cdo

Nick