Messages posted by: Peter V

Charles Messenger, The Commando's... page 26. Messenger is normaly very accurate but in this case it has to be 27th of May,

The London Gazet of 28th May 1940 mentioned : Gen.Sir John Dill, etc etc, from VCIGS to be CIGS 27th May 1940...

THanks guys for solving this, so Clarke was indeed speaking to Dill then

Thanks Pete, strangly when I tried to find his name on the CWGC webpage for some reason his name did not turn up... I must have been making a mistake...
Is there any information if he was killed when still at sea or while landing or after that

Will's information indicates that it was while or after landing.

Dudley Clark mentioned in his official report which he wrote on 30-10-1942 that he suggested the name 'Commando's' from the very start.
He says he suggested this to General Dill... (see also Charles Messenger, The Commando's 40-46)
Dudley Clark is well mentioned as 'the men' who named the term "Commando" at that time... That is ofcourse if this is true, Because

Dill became his CIGS on the 10th of june 1940....

In the letters send on 9th of june to all commands for volunteers in the Uk there is already mention of the word 'Commando'.

So how is it the possible that Clark suggested the word Commando to Dill and was approved (with in mind that Dill arrived on the 10th) when the letters send to all command for vulunteers had already been send a day before....

And Dewings account is from 13-6-1940 and was more or less a more detailed explanation to the letters send out on the 9th...

Is Clark making a mistake and does he mean General Ironside instead of Dill?????

It also seems that there was a meeting on the 6th of June of the Ciefs of Staff talking about stiking Coy's.
Can any one help me out with this account of the 6th???

Private C E Barratt, 5388318O.B.L.E. did take part and was firstly reported as missing, but later reported as killed (see below)
He is not on the CWWG webpage (but that is not 100% accurate).... Possible he survived... (or maybe not)

Craggs

Thanks Geoff,

I do not call myself an expert Geoff, just someone who is researching WW2 as a hobby. My main interest in the past 20 years has been the training and formation of No.2 Commando/11 SAS/1 Para (incl Arnhem) . Have lots of documenst copied at the PRO during the visits I made during the years.
What I wrote on the forum is based on documents from the PRO about the formation of the Commandos. Must say that in most books I have read there are a lot of mistakes and I always will go for original documents first. I can assure you there was never a intention to train No.1 Commando for parachutists. D-S has that wrong ! Anyway he was a great soldier !
I do not have much about 3 Commando, but my intention is to make some visits at the PRO for wardiary's and other document etc and maybe I can work out a small webpage.
I am also doing a bit of reenactment (Fallschirmjäger) but want to do something 'new' and I am now sorthing out a uniform for a 'early war' commando presentation.
Thanks about the info on the shoulder titles.

Peter

Geoff, maybe I do not understand you correct but No.2 and No.3 Commando were formed at the same time... On the same day the CO of No.2 Commando (that later became 11 SAS and after that 1 Para - infact they were also the first SAS unit to be formed, and they were not an invention of Stirling!) was apointed also Durnford Slater was appointed.
So No. 3 Commando was not the only and first Commando formed, but they were the first combat ready...
There was also no intention to raise No.1 Commando as a parachute Commando. It was planned to reorganize the Indep Coy's and from organize from them No.1 Commando.

By the way... when Durnford-Slater was appointed to command 3 Commando he still had the rank of Captain...

THANKS Andy! I also had a look in my books and Brian L Davis does mention in British Uniforms & Insignia of WW2 that the shoulder titles with blue backing came into being in 1943 (so I presume after Sicily???)

Small eror in the text of the book is that 3 Commando was the foirst to be raised. Infact 2 (Parachute) Commando and 3 Commando were raised at the same time but because of the training difficulties for parachuting 3 Commando was the firts ready for combat...

Thanks for the photo. very clear

Peter

Hallo guys, hope someone can help me out...

Till about when did 3 Commando use the shoulder titles with the black backing and did these 'early' shoulder titles always mention the Troop number ?