Messages posted by: Pete

Remembering all the Fallen and those who received life changing injuries in and around Salerno, Italy.

The Commando Roll of Honour from 9 to 20 September 1943
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More about some of the Commandos who were involved including many wounded:
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We will remember them

Scotty I have attached a slightly better copy here. The London Gazette does show where he was serving. For bravery, resource and devotion to duty under dangerous conditions during operations in the Adriatic. H.M. Indefatigable only refers to the officer immediately below. They then move on to the Adriatic.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36979/supplement/1386

Not all Royal Marines were Commandos in WW2 but of those who were Nos. 40 and 43RM Commandos were operating in the Adriatic as part of the 2nd Special Service (Commando) Brigade. Do you have any photos of your grandfather in uniform at all ?

Hi Scotty, Is this your grandfather?

Hi Terence

The answer to your question is yes it is possible. However it should be noted that not all who were in No.2 Commando at the time went on the St. Nazaire raid. My father did, my uncle did not. Some of those who went did get back but not many. There was also a detachment from No.2 Commando who were overseas at the time of the raid. A tremendous amount of research has been undertaken over the years by numerous people not least of whom was the author James Dorrian who is still a member of the St. Nazaire Society. Those commandos whom we definitely know went on the raid are listed here and all are sourced with evidence of being there:

https://www.commandoveterans.org/operation_chariot

In respect of your Father's wounding.
All of No.2 Commando embarked for Gibraltar and there followed subsequent deployments to Sicily, Salerno and other parts of Italy, Albania, Vis, etc., ending at Argenta and Lake Comacchio. Casualty Lists only show your father wounded on the 9th October 1944 which was the date of Operation Mercerised at Sarande, Albania. The No.2 Commando War Diary for 9 October indicates 3 Troop and others took several casualties at Sarande. I am aware that there are cases where some who were wounded seem not to appear on the Casualty Lists, or perhaps more accurately to say not yet found on Casualty Lists . Anyhow here is the current entry for your father in our main archive which is in addition to those photos already in the galley. If you provide his dates and places of birth and death I can add those to it.

https://www.commandoveterans.org/WilliamAsquith2Commando

Pete

Reference your uncle: https://www.commandoveterans.org/JamesSmith1Commando

The answer is yes but principally on official Service Records which are not available online. Additionally it is if they have received an award, or officer promotion or commission, or or something meriting inclusion in the London Gazettes or War Office / other files. Or if they have been mentioned in a Unit War Diary , or were a casualty, ie. killed, wounded, missing, or prisoner of war. Finally some regimental personnel cards or records are now available online. I personally cannot find anything on those numbers but I do not have access to everything. The numbers you gave were in batches issued to the following Regiments/Corps.

6844557 - King's Royal Rifle Corps.
3970799 - Welch Regiment
T/195982 - Royal Army Service Corps.

Hi Bill

There was a big push to get the last ones out before Ron became too ill. And Ron only ever had those that had not already been issued directly to members who were on the raid. Additionally quite a few could not be issued as they had errors. Basically there are no more.

Pete

Hi Ian now amended. Thanks

Hi Ian

Thank you for identifying your Grandfather. Do you have a good resolution image of him on his own either in uniform or in civvies for me to add to the Archive. I can also add his commando service certificate if you take a photo of it. Also if you provide his dates and places of birth and death I will add those.

Pete

I will endeavour to find this out Bill

Anne Ammundsen is looking for Jim Asquith

Hi, is anyone able to help me track down Jim Asquith who I met on the troopship the Oxfordshire in September 1962? A group of us, who last met up with Jim in London in 1965, are having a reunion in London in October this year and it would be lovely to find him in time for him to join us. He was with 145 Maiwand Battery. The Battery was part of 29 Commando, Royal Artillery working in the Commando Brigade in Singapore. I think he was attached to Commando (40) over the causeway in Malaya at a place I think was called Ulu Tiram. Each Commando was supported by a RA Battery. Jim knew me as Anne Newton, but I am now Anne Ammundsen. Your help would be very much appreciated, many thanks.

Our archive entry is here: https://www.commandoveterans.org/HarryJohnson_3Commando

Across the country today, commemorations are being held to remember the sacrifice of British personnel who fought and died in the Korean War to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended military conflict. More than 1,000 were killed in action. Read the full press release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-remembers-the-sacrifice-of-the-armed-forces-in-the-korean-war

View the Commando Veterans Archive - Korea https://www.commandoveterans.org/korean_war_archive.

We will remember them.

All this is done in the background. No one will notice any difference to the Commando Veterans Archive website which I will continue to add to and update as and when.

Hi Mike

Most of these websites, like our own, are still in operation. However there have been cases where some websites have disappeared and the content lost hence the British Library Website Archive project. This is the reply you get for most photographic websites such as our gallery and forum that are being regularly captured. However our main archive with rolls of honour etc can be viewed direct in their archive but it loads slow if viewing at home. I am making some adjustments, but the good thing is that it is all being preserved.

Available in Legal Deposit Library Reading Rooms only
This Legal Deposit resource can only be accessed on site in a Legal Deposit Library reading room.

Next steps
If you are in a Legal Deposit Library Reading Room, you should be able to access this resource using a library computer, via the appropriate secure access gateway:

via the British Library's Secure Gateway
via the National Library of Wales' Secure Gateway
via the National Library of Scotland's Secure Gateway
via the Cambridge University Library's Secure Gateway
via the Trinity College Library's Secure Gateway
via the Bodleian Libraries' Secure Gateway
You may also wish to try:

Visiting the current, live site
Seeing if other web archives hold copies of this URL

I am pleased to advise that John Mewett, his son Dan, and myself, have now arranged for the Commando Veterans Archive website to be included in the British Library Website Archive with regular captures of all of its content already being processed by the British Library for posterity. This secures the content for all time which I know has been a concern of some in the past.