Messages posted by: Pete

I thought I should add a little about Mrs Roderick MBE who provided the photos. Here is a small transcript of a letter that Eric Buckmaster sent me:
"When I joined 2 Commando mid 1942, Post St. Nazaire, the 5 Troop Commanding Officer was Captain Dickie Broome. He was married to the Lady whom I and possibly you know as Mrs Desiree Roderick. She has been the Secretary of the ? Commando Benevolent Fund ? for Many Years, and still works hard at the task, though these days with some help from Ronnie Youngman, well into her eighties.
She was then Mrs Desiree Broome. But he was killed in action at Salerno. After the War Desiree married Capt. Dr. John Roderick, who was wounded at St Nazaire, and a POW. John Roderick always wanted to be a Doctor. John was one of 4 Brothers & their Parents could not afford to send them all to College, and so did not think it fair to send only John.
So whilst he was a POW John Roderick got permission to work in the Hospital. He took his 1st M. B. Exams in Oflag 1XAH, and then was moved to Obermasfelt Prisoner of War Hospital where he worked as an Orderly.
After the war he went to St Marys Hospital to complete his studies and become a Doctor. He was until his death a very successful and well liked GP.
Desiree?s Brother, Capt. Houghton MC was one of the seven men captured after the Raid on the Heavy Water Plant at ? Glomfjord ? South of Narvik, in Norway. They were taken to Sachenhausen Concentration Camp, in Germany and Shot , on Hitlers orders. "

My thanks again to Mrs Roderick MBE. A picture of her brother is in the Operation Musketoon album in No.2 Commando Gallery with his fellow Commandos on that raid. I have also attached a copy here

All No.2 Commando.
New photos of the above have been sent to me from Mrs Roderick via Eric Buckmaster. I have posted them in the gallery but thought it would be good to see them here also. Richard Broome of 5 Troop was killed at Salerno, Philip Walton of 1 Troop was killed at St. Nazaire, John Roderick of 2 Troop was captured at St Nazaire. The one of Philip that we already had was poor quality so I was pleased to see this one and the others.
My thanks to Mrs Roderick and Eric Buckmaster

Was this not the motto of Combined Operations Command as can be seen here:

http://www.combinedops.com/

Hi Sam

As per our pm I look forward to posting your pictures of Fred Senior, and also your No.8 Cdo. training pictures on your return from Cincinatti. I am sure many of our members will be interested in seeing them.

Regards

This poem, which I know many of you will be familiar with, was written by Mrs Elizabeth (Betty) Boardman, wife of the late Arthur Boardman of No.2 Commando. I will hopefully be posting more information about Arthur in due course. Betty has been ill recently but is on the road to recovery. I spoke to Betty this morning, and her daughter Julia, and she has kindly given permission for me to post her poem on the CVA website. I know we all send our very best wishes to Betty.

I have placed the poem in the gallery in what i feel is an appropriate place. However if you feel there is somewhere on the site more appropriate please say:
http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/documents/A+Wife+Remembers.JPG.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1

Regards

Thanks to all involved for identifying these 2 Commandos. The picture has been updated accordingly. I have created a sub album for Harold Hughes with the 3 pictures that relate to him. The troop pictures are very good just as they are in No.2 Album ( not quite as good but then i am a bit biased towards No.2.) Thanks must go to Stephane in particular for his great photos of No.3 but also to all the family and friends who have posted or provided pictures in all the albums and make it a lasting and fine tribute to the Commandos . Keep the pictures coming...Heres the gallery No.3 Album link:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/

Hi Judi and welcome to the CVA. I do hope you get a reply from someone who may have known your father. I would just say that some members may be travelling to this weekends events at the National Arboretum in Alrewas for the Commando Summer Service so there may be a delay. I see you have posted a photo of your father on a separate message. I have reposted it here as its best to keep everything together. I have also sent you a private message.

Regards

I stand here humbly corrected. Nick is right as usual. I have just re read the abbreviation sheet, with my glasses on this time, that both Nick and I have.

:(

Hi there Di

Nice and simple answer to the "W" prefix before his rank especially on seeing your surname. The Royal Artillery sometimes used "W" to denote a Welshman. Now don't ask me why.....

HAA is another Royal Artillery one - Heavy Anti Aircraft.

So put down Bombardier, Royal Artillery, Heavy Anti Aircraft Regt., and No.2 Commando, and that should do the trick. Show the lot and they can work it out...thats what i did.

Regards

Pete

Can I just ask those who may be attending the Commando Summer Service at Alrewas to take their cameras with them. It would be great to have some photos of the event for the CVA Events Gallery. Also anyone with photos of any of the recent D Day ceremonies involving Commando Veterans please post them. If you are unsure how to add to the gallery just post them as a reply to this message with as much detail about each photo as you know and I will add them to the gallery in an appropriate album on yr behalf. I know there are some good photographers out there !!

There is an enhanced quality copy of this photo in the gallery for No.4 Cdo on this link:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/4/4Cdo+BTroop.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1&&g2_fromNavId=x721ced03&g2_navId=x426e5373&g2_GALLERYSID=11540b5c370cb4e68e429f1a0c896ce4

Mark... I have placed yr grandfathers name on the original and will amend the other;
Stephane... I will place your copy with the names on next to the one already in the gallery. I believe that the Capt is Capt Carr MC rather than Karr. please correct me if I am wrong.

I have added Stephane's photo to a sub- album I have created for Bill in the Operation Overlord Album of the World War 2 gallery. Here is the link to it:
http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/invasion+of+NW+Europ/Bill+Millin/

If anyone has any other photos of Bill please add them.

Hi Joe

Check this link to the Combined Operations website for a list of WW2 Training Establishments:

http://www.combinedops.com/Training%20EST%20UK.htm

My father did demolitions training early on before the St Nazaire raid. They practised dockyard demolition in Burntisland and Cardiff. In a questionnaire he filled in my father states he also practised laying charges on the Forth Rail Bridge, and Boilerhouse and Power Station in the Old Town - which might refer to the Leith area of Edinburgh by the docks.

Hi Kirsty
The cloth patch you have with the SS and the dagger is in fact an upper arm or shoulder patch for all No.2, which officers just stuck on their berets, so Ted is right . I have seen some metal SS badges with dagger pointing downwards, without the word Commando on, supposed to have been issued but i do not know if or when . From what the forum message that I quoted previously states " Officers simply put one of the S.S. initials and knife shoulder patches onto their headgear. This was made from silver wire thread on black felt cloth. All ranks had to purchase this insignia themselves from unit H.Q" So everyone had the shoulder patch but the officers placed it on their headgear. A further entry from someone else states the metal SS Badge with the dagger and the word Commando above may have been issued by the Commando Association in the 60s and became the popular badge for No.2 Veterans to wear to Remembrance Services. This I cannot confirm. I have seen reports on sites selling these badges with Commando on that they were officers badges but the pictures prove otherwise.

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/Z430-Men+of+No2+Commando.jpg.html
Above link is another picture of one of the Commanding Officers of No.2 and he can clearly be seen wearing the cloth badge as seen in the picture below. The other two seem to have a slightly shinier badge but again no Commando above.

Hi Kirsty glad to hear Ted could help out. Here is the link to the excellent panorama picture of No.2 Cdo taken in 1945. When zoomed you can see the difference in the cap badges between the OR's and Officers

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/2__Commando+panorama.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1

There is debate about the badge with the word Commando across the top. A former No.2 Cdo Veteran Bob Bishop who sadly is no longer with us provided this information on a previous message debating the badge:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/36.page

also : http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/Commando+Badges+and+Memorabilia/2+Cdo/T7-Extract+from+Allied+Special+Forces+Insignia+1939+1948-chapter+1+pages+46+_amp_+47_.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1