Messages posted by: NIC

Hi Nina,

His records are quite interesting - He enlisted to the GSC (General Service Corps) the role of the corps was to provide specialists - recruits were enlisted in the corps for their first six weeks so that their subsequent posting could take account of their skills and the Army's needs.
From here he was transferred to the Seaforths - it is now obvious that the cap badge he is wearing on his beret is that of the Seaforths...
From here he was posted to The Commando Depot (which has erroneously been entered as Fort George) then attached and, later, posted to HQ No.1 SS Brigade. [In 1943 the name SS (Special Service) was changed to Commando]
After his second trip to NWE (North West Europe) he was posted to the HOC (Holding Operational Commando) at Wrexham and temporary attached to HQ No.1 Commando Brigade.
He was then posted to HQ No.2 Commando Brigade.

Nick

Hi Roger,

Welcome to the Website & Forum - I am sure we're all very pleased to hear that you are indeed alive and well - Happy New Year.

I am sorry for reporting your early demise in a thread in January 2018 - I was acting on information received from Des Connelly, (ex-95 Cdo) who assured me that you were one of those tragically killed.

I have made a note on the thread in question http://forum.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/5752.page#21529

And I sincerely apologise if the news of your death has caused you any upset.

Nick

Hi Mike,
Welcome to the CVA Website and Forums.

Am I right in thinking that the information you have comes from his Pay Book - and that you don't have his Service Records?
If this is the case, are you aware that you can apply to the MoD - the only custodian of WWII service records - for his records?
These will probably fill in some of the gaps for you, although I'm not sure what is meant by 'previous destroyed...' - unless it refers to his previous pay book.

Nick

Hi Dennis,

The only custodians of Service Records is the MoD - see links below for the two forms that need to be completed and sent to the address on the form...

Subject to the payment of an administration fee of £30 per record and provision of a death certificate (except where death was in service), certain information can be provided from the records of service of service personnel on request under the publication scheme.

The administration fee of £30 will be waived for requests from those who were the spouse or civil partner of the subject at the time of death (or parent if there was no spouse or civil partner).

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/711157/request_for_service_details_rnrm_application_part2__1_.pdf

Hope this helps,

Nick

Hi Andrew,
Welcome to the CVA Website and Forums.

You don't mention which Service your grandfather was in - there were commandos in the Army, RN, RM and RAF - however, seeing as he was posted to Deal, I'm guessing he was a Royal Marine?
Do you have any other details - service number etc?

Nick

Di Robinson wrote:Happy Christmas and all the best for 2019 and thank you for all your hard work in making this the best site ever! 🎄🤶

If I can be of any help with typing etc please don?t hesitate to ask.

I will have a lot more 'free' time from 01 January 2019 - which, potentially, means more trips to The National Archives etc...
Which, in turn, means I'll have a lot of stuff that needs transcribing! )

Thanks for the praise re: the Website !

Nick

hi Pete,

Good to see that my theory about the Commando Wing at the 2nd Echelon, GHQ, Jhansi was probably right.
Spent a few long hours studying the 'Pith Helmet' and photos of Admiral Cowan last night and have reached the conclusion that it isn't 'Titch' Cowan in the pith helmet.

Hopefully we'll get some leads on the photo...

Nick

Good shout Pete,

Yes it certainly looks like him.
I was on night shift when I made my reply and was trying to think of Admiral Cowan's name...

But, my only reservation, is the amount of medal ribbons displayed.

Nick

The wording 'Commando Wing' is interesting and would lead me to think it may be the 3 Cdo Brigade Sub Section GHQ 2nd Echelon, Jhansi whose Telegragh address was SECECHELON CDOWING.

With the exception of the person in the pith helmet, the front row consists of a Warrant Officer, to the left of the pith helmet, several NCOs and the rear row all seem to be Marines.
The pith helmet gent - who seems to be wearing two pips ( Lieutenant) or a pip and a crown (Lt Colonel) - appears to be considerably older than the others and wearing four medal ribbons - which would point to him being a Lt Col rather than a Lt.

The pith helmet, medals and India might suggest Orde Wingate but he was a full Colonel when he arrived in the Far East in 1942, he died, an Acting Major General, in March 1944 - and the pith helmet that he favoured was a different design to that in the photo.

Nick

Hi Maes,

To further confirm that he did not spend all his time as a 'pen pusher,' as you know he was Mentioned in Dispatches in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Mediterranean Theatre.
We also have him in a photo, dated Jan 43, which records him serving in 4 Troop and the Heavy Weapons troop as a Lieutenant.

http://www.commandoveterans.org/RobertBavister2Commando

Nick

Hi Maes,

Welcome to the CVA Website and Forum.

What was your father's rank & name?
As Admin Officer he would have been in the HQ Troop, but it is likely that he was only in that role for a period of time and then would have swapped roles with another of the same rank.
All members of a Commando Unit were expected to be fighting commandos first and foremost, any other 'appointments' were secondary to their primary role - commando!

Nick

Great documentary Phil.
Good to see historian and author James Owen was involved too.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Nick

Hi Paul,

I have received your email and a quick glance at the service records tells me that on 1st January 1943 he was admitted to 18 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station) and was diagnosed as suffering Otitis Media Suppurative [Chronic suppurative otitis media].

A Casualty Clearing Station is a military medical facility behind the front lines used to treat wounded soldiers.
A CCS would usually be located just beyond the range of enemy artillery and often near transportation facilities (e.g., a railway). The CCS receives battlefield casualties from Regimental First Aid Posts located in the combat zone.
Casualties that cannot be adequately treated in the CCS are stabilized there before being transported to a Field Hospital or Military Hospital.

On 2nd January '43 he was transferred to 8 CCS and posted to the X(ii) List.

THE X (ii) LIST comprises all ranks evacuated on medical grounds beyond Regimental First Aid Post.
Personnel so evacuated cease to be on the effective strength of their units. Temporary or acting rank will be relinquished 28 days after being so transferred to X (ii) list.
Personnel remain in X (ii) list until they are classified as fit for posting when they are transferred to the X (iv) list of their Corps and marched out to the appropriate training depot, or until discharged by a medical unit
direct to their original units.

On 6th January '43 he was transferred to 95 General Hospital.

95 British General Hospital was located at Beni Aknoun (Africa) from December 1942 until September 1944

On 18 February '43 he was evacuated to the UK and SOS (Struck Off Strength) of his unit.
On 7th August '43 he was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital Netley - an enormous military hospital in Netley, near Southampton. He was discharged from here 25th August '43.

As you know, he was posted to the Holding Operational Commando (HOC) at Wrexham - The HOC had a few functions
1. To toughen up new recruits for the Commandos prior to them being sent to the CBTC ( Commando Basic Training Centre) Achnacarry, Scotland.
2. To hold newly qualified commandos awaiting postings to their new Commando Units - they would continue to hone their newly acquired skills and learn new skills whilst here...
3. As a Rehabilitation Centre for injured commandos to recover and recuperate from injuries and become fit enough to be posted back to a Commando Unit

Whilst at HOC, he was admitted to EMS Hospital Wrexham on two occasions - I believe the EMS Hospital was located at Iscoyd Park a large Georgian Manor house, which, in 1942 was requisitioned for use as a 1,500-bed hospital for the US Army but also for the treatment of other Allied casualties.

His first visit to EMS Wrexham was just for one day 20 June '44 - 21 June '44...
However on 15th August 44, he "received injuries of moderate severity" and was admitted until 26 August '44. These injuries must have resulted in his subsquent discharge on 1st October '44.

These injuries must have been the result of an accident or similar, whilst at HOC. I had hoped that there may be something in the HOC War Diaries which may throw light on the incident but there is nothing other than on 19 August the CO addressed all personnel and reminded them of "the necessity for good discipline outside the Barracks as well as inside. This was necessary as there was a tendency, on part of a few, to forget the rules."

I have no idea whether this related to any specific incident or, if it did, whether it involved your father...

Nick

Hi Paul,

Do his service records tell you which hospital(s) he was in?
There should be something like 87 GBH/ 51 BGH or EMS or anything along those lines?

Nick

Hi Paul,
Welcome to the CVA Website & Forums. I apologise for not replying to your post sooner but I hope that we can help you with your quest.
My first advice would be for you to apply to the MoD for a scan of your father's original handwritten service records. I have seen the documents you have uploaded in your post and these are a brief synopsis of his record and don't have the depth of information his actual records will show.

The MoD are the sole custodians of these records - don't be fooled by any false claims by any online genealogy sites such as Forces War Records or Ancestry etc.

The MoD charge a one off fee of £30 - unless your mother is still with us and signs the consent form, in which case the fee is waived...
You will need to complete the two forms attached (see links)

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

You will also need a copy of your father's death certificate - if you don't have this you can get a copy of it - also from the Gov-UK website

https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate

Once you have a copy of the service records you will be on the road to finding out a lot more about your father...

I note that you have seen the photos in our Gallery, in which your father appears, if you have any other photos of him that you are prepared to share with us, I'd be homoured to upload them to the appropriate album in the Gallery.

Nick