Messages posted by: MBrockway

Pete wrote:This weekend marks the 73rd anniversary of the raid. The St Nazaire Society also recently launched their revamped website whichI have amended on the message above and repeated below.

http://www.saintnazairesociety.org/

Remembering all who lost their lives (click on this link) The Fallen, and also all those who sustained life changing injuries during the raid.

We shall remember them.

Remembering those who took part in Operation Chariot 73 years ago yesterday.

We shall remember them

Here also are shots of the commemorative plaque in the lobby of the Lycee Jean Marie to the French medical team who nursed the allied prisoners of war for the duration.

They must have been great comfort to Tom and the other wounded charioteers.

Mark

Another year passes and our thoughts are of Tom's passing 71 years ago today.

Attached is a picture of the wreath we laid at Tom's grave in Rennes last year - complete with Forbes tartan.

Also a picture of the Lycee Jean Mace, which was converted for use as an infirmary during the Occupation, and was where Tom died of his wounds on 11th April 1942.

Mark

MBrockway wrote:
... Bob Montgomery is slightly obscured unfortunately.

Here's a shot showing Bob ...

Cheers,
Mark

I have a lot of pictures, which I'll send to Geoff or Pete to make up an album on the Photo Gallery once I'm back on a 'proper' computer in the UK, but here's one with the charioteers to be getting on with. Bob Montgomery is slightly obscured unfortunately. It was a very moving occasion. Cheers, Mark (sent via mobile phone)

Excellent tour of St Nazaire yesterday including entering the bottom of the Form Ecluse and right to the bottom of the pumping house. Great to meet so many of the charioteers' families and friends. Not to mention the charioteers themselves. Also met with the party from Liverpool Scottish at the ceremony at the Escoublac CWGC cemetery to discover they had laid a wreath at Tom's grave in Rennes alongside ours, so Tom is well remembered. Mark

Had a very moving visit to Tom's grave in Rennes on Monday followed by a tour of the school which was used as a hospital during the second half of the war and where the charioteers were taken after initial casualty care at L'Hermitage at La Baule. All hosted by our friend Hubert Marie who has made a special study of Tom and the charioteers and their time in Rennes. I'll send in some pictures once we're back in the UK. Mark

Had a very moving visit to Tom's grave in Rennes on Monday followed by a tour of the school which was used as a hospital during the second half of the war and where the charioteers were taken after initial casualty care at L'Hermitage at La Baule. All hosted by our friend Hubert Marie who has made a special study of Tom and the charioteers and their time in Rennes. I'll send in some pictures once we're back in the UK. Mark

Folks,
Thought you'd all like to know that my mother laid a wreath at Spean Bridge commemorating Tom, Bill and Syd and the rest of the men on Operation Chariot last weekend.

She also placed three wooden poppy crosses in the garden of remembrance nearby.

Meanwhile in Liverpool I placed a commemoration and photo of Tom on the "Liverpool's VC Heroes" Noel Chavasse Memorial in Abercrombie Square. I know Tom wasn't decorated, but he certainly qualifies in my eyes and, as a Liverpool Scottish officer, I'm sure Chavasse would have approved!

Reason this is all a little early for the anniversary of the raid, is my mother, my sister, her two young sons and myself are all off to France this weekend for the 70th Anniversary Commemorations.

We're only loosely attached to the main CVA party as we're at Rennes on Monday to visit Tom's grave and the site of the German naval hospital, but we hope to see at least some of you in St Nazaire on the Tuesday and Wednesday. We'll be in our kilts in memory of 5 Troop!

We've also established contact with Syd Murdoch's widow and hope to meet face-to-face to show her the pictures from next week's Parade and Service over the summer.

Thanks again to all here who have helped us renew these connections and keep the men's memory alive!
Cheers,
Mark

Stephen Donnison wrote: ... with a double spread of the infamous photo of Tom McCormack left to suffer with his appalling head wound ...

It's a very powerful and moving photo, but still a shame to see it so often.

Cheers,
Mark

Pete wrote:I have recently discovered that my uncle Ken McAllister, not only knew Tom well, but was also great friends with him and all those named within this forum message and thanks to my cousin Stephen McAllister, Ken's son, we now have some excellent photos of the group together. We also have one of Ken and Josie McCormack (Tom's sister) taken in July 1942 after the raid. In this photo the two on the left are not known but I suspect may also be family.

So Mark your first message on here on behalf of your mother is now fully answered and you can show her these pictures.

Pete R.

Pete,
I'm absolutely lost for words. And my mother is so grateful too.

We have a photo in the family of Josie McCormack taken on the Malvern Hills during the war, but it has been temporarily misplaced

. It would be some time after mid 1942 as my grandfather was posted to Worcester just after St Nazaire.

They had already left Ayr in July 1942 when the photo of Ken & Josie was taken. This is probably why my grandfather's adress of Carwinshoch View is not mentioned in Pete's father's notebook of billet addresses.

I don't recognise either of the two unknowns in the photo with Ken & Josie.

I'll check the 5 Troop album now for the rest of the photos you mention.

Many many thanks Pete!
Cheers,
Mark

Stewart Dennett wrote:Hi Mark
Hope you do not mind the intrusion

<snip>

I think it is very important that I am able to impart to my own sons the vitality that once existed in some of the elder members of our society and the sacrifices they made.
Kind regards
Stewart Dennett

Stewart,
Wonderful to find another link with Bill, I'm just sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you.

Pete's given you the detail of Bill's part in Operation Chariot. I can't add more - my info has either come from Pete, or from the same sources as Pete, mainly Jim Dorrian and Dennis Reeves.

For info on Bill's experiences leading up to Operation Chariot, there is no better source than Dennis Reeves' excellent book Special Service of a Hazardous Nature - the story of the Liverpool Scottish involvement in Special Forces Operations during World War Two.

It covers the Norway operations and the founding of the Commandos. It will be perfect for giving the historical detail to your sons, though it's more of a source/reference book.

This link shows how to buy it ...
http://www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk/news6.htm#New Book

For a more readable narrative, but limited to Operation Chariot only, then Jim Dorrian's Storming St Nazaire is absolutely excellent. You should definitely get hold of a copy as it covers the aftermath of the raid as well, including what must have been the terrifying period hiding in small groups in cellars expecting to be captured and summarily executed momently, as well as some general information on the survivors move into PoW camps in Germany. It's recently been reissued so is still available new.

I've been speaking to my mother this morning and she would love to meet Sheila and Leslie in Porthmadoc. Although she's up in Argyll, I'm in Chester, so she can use me as a springboard!

She remembers Bill as the one who made them all laugh :D

We understand Syd's wife and adult children are in the Ruthin area, so we hope to meet them all soon.

Are you in the Merseyside area yourself?
Cheers,
Mark

Remembering today Tom McCormack who died of wounds sustained during Operation Chariot at St Nazaire on 11 April 1942.

Not forgotten.

Folks,
Thought it was time to give you all a progress update!

The big news is my mother has established contact with the brother of Syd Murdoch, who was billeted at my grandfather's in Ayr along with Tom McCormack and Bill Hughes.

It seems Syd passed away some time ago, but his wife is still alive and their two children.

They're all in the NW. My mother hopes to meet up with them during the summer and while in the area have a trip to see Dennis Reeves at the Liverpool Scottish Museum archive.

Syd's brother had no information on Bill Hughes.

My mother also made it Fort William in November and was pleased to meet up with some of you. She enjoyed the weekend, particularly the ceremony at the Spean Bridge Memorial.

I'll post another update soon.
Cheers,
Mark