Messages posted by: Pete

Here is a link to an obituary to Geoffrey Rees Jones of No.5 Commando who was one of the original instructors. It gives the location of where the first course was run from before the actual School came into use. Although it may not answer your question it may be of interest:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1473259/Geoffrey-Rees-Jones.html

I have seen a mention of Commando Training in the Glen Clunie area of Braemar but that was all it said.

Hi Nick

Most ebay sellers are computer literate and would quickly do a check on the name to discover who he was. Then this would not be selling on ebay but in an auction house. Also any genuine item of this nature would have certification with it. I agree with John. I know he got the DSO and MC and 2 bars. Its a typical ebay item hence the cautious wording of the seller to avoid US laws. Having said all that his rating on ebay feedback is 100% over many sales which is usually a very good sign!! Maybe that says something about the US ebay market.

Peter Young's medals can be clearly seen on his photo in the CVA gallery
http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/3+Commando+post+war/Brig+Peter+Young+Dieppe+1982.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1

as an update to this : he also has the CB and CBE. Is the first ribbon bar on the above photo the CB and the last the CBE ??

Hi Andy ...thanks - it is my eyesight...I can see the numbers now. So that answers the badge element. Do you know why some troops were titled with letters and others numbered? I know there were some foreigners at some stage in No.4. Were they numbered?

I have seen this picture which states it is 8 Troop of No.4 Commando. I have seen pictures of troops of No.4 with letters attached such as A, B, C, etc., and even some with low nos such as 1, 2 etc. What was the difference? The picture is a bit blurred but they seem to have more badges on than normal or is it my eyesight ??

Regards

Just found this set of links to a video about the raid which may be of interest to some. The first has the build up and reasons for the raid but also contains some film footage of the Lofoten Islands Raid. The others contain film footage, and includes various interviews from people who took part:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4wji2_target-st-nazaire-1_people

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4wjwd_target-st-nazaire-2_people

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4wk5e_target-st-nazaire-3_people

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4wkai_target-st-nazaire-4_people

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4wkgo_target-st-nazaire-5_people

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4wkm5_target-st-nazaire-6_people

You can either click on Nicks links above to go direct to Laycocks papers or for a full search go to their website home page :

www.kcl.ac.uk

on the left hand column click " Information Services and Systems"
when there, on the left hand column click " Archives "
when there, on the left hand column click " Catalogues"
Now you will see the 2 Reference sites to search on.
Search on key words such as " Torch"

If you want copies sent to you it is best to email them when you have found what you want in the searches. Their email address is :

[email protected]

Good luck

Here is a pic I found of No.3 Unit COBU C troop. Can anyone read what the sign says that one of them is holding?

Today is the 67th anniversary of the raid. Attached is one list of the Commandos who took part. Such lists can be found in books like St Nazaire Commando by Stuart Chant-Sempill. It should be remembered that almost twice as many Navy personnel took part. Of the 611 Commandos and Sailors who took part in Operation Chariot, 169 were killed and 200, most of whom were wounded, were taken prisoner. Only 242 returned immediately to British shores ( figures from the St Nazaire Society)

Harold "Aggs" Roberts of 5 Troop No.2 Commando was taken prisoner at St Nazaire. He was part of Donald Roy's section who sailed on the Campbeltown; Donald Roy and most of his men being from the 1st and 2nd Liverpool Scots Bns./ Queens Own Cameron Highlanders before joining the Independent Companies and then 5 Troop. Several of them chose to wear their kilts during the raid. Aggs was wounded in the legs but made a full recovery and ended up after the war playing football for Chesterfied FC. Harold died in 2007 aged 87.

Sadly I don't have a good picture of "Aggs" just this blurred one, but Chesterfield FC have given me permission to display one they had of him.

Found an old photo of my Dad's today which I have forwarded to Steve as it is of both of our Dad's together somewhere.

All the pictures taken at St Nazaire were taken by German Army Photographic Units, the intention being to use them for propaganda purposes. As you can imagine after HMS Campbeltown exploded, the photos with the German Officers on board were consigned to the archives for storage rather than publication.

Some links to the German Archives and also the history of HMS Campbeltown :

http://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/cross-search/search/_1364376275/

and

http://navalwarfare.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/uss-buchanan-dd-131hms-campbeltown.html

and

http://www.patriotfiles.com/archive/navalhistory/xGM-Chrono-11US-Campbeltown.htm

Here is some information and pictures concerning the Fairmile 'B' Ml's used during the raid. In the following article there is a good picture of a typical Fairmile B (not used on the raid) showing crew at the guns. Despite the extra armament fitted, the fact remains they were wooden hulled, fuelled by petrol and for the raid carried extra fuel tanks on deck-somewhat of a fire risk you might think. Normally they had a crew of 16 however on the raid this was effectively doubled with the extra Commandos.

http://jproc.ca/rrp/fairmile.html

The pictures below are not any that were used on the raid but typical Fairmile 'B' ML's

One noteworthy fact about Lt. John Roderick MC, Chevalier de Legion d?Honneur, 3 Troop No.2 Commando pictured above is that he took his first steps to becoming a Doctor while a prisoner of war in Germany after the Commando Raid on St Nazaire; he gained valuable practical experience by working as an orderly at Obermasfeld Prisoner of War Hospital before being repatriated in 1945 to start his medical course at St Mary?s. Sadly John died on 14th Feb.2006.
In addition I quote from last years CVA daily orders regarding John's wife:
4 July 08 - The London Branch held their summer buffet and draw and were delighted to present our honoured guest Mrs Desiree Roderick with a certificate of thanks for her selfless commitment and dedication in support of the wartime Commandos and their dependents as Secretary of the Commando Benevolent Fund. We thank her again for her service beyond the call of duty and congratulate her on the recent news of her award of the MBE.
Finally 2 more pictures I found regarding St Nazaire- both from German archives, and one some of you may be more familiar with

In addition to the Rolls of Honour previously stated where Victor John Cox , known as Jack , is remembered, he is also mentioned on Page 34 of the Commando Association Commemorative Souvenir Booklet of the 18th September 2005 which Eric Buckmaster has kindly given to me. It refers to a memorial at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp for the men of No.2 who were executed there. I quote " No.12 Commando. Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Germany. On the memorial mentioned under No.2 above, there is also the name of Sgt J. Cox of No.12 Commando, a member of a raiding party on shipping at Haugesund in Norway on 29th April 1943; he was captured and brought to this camp where he was shot. There is no trace of other members of this raiding party."