Messages posted by: NIC

I was recently asked by the daughter of a No.5 commando if I could find any information on her maternal grandfather, whom, she'd recently found out, was in No.6 Cdo...
Not only did I find out information about her grandfather, but also his two brothers, her great uncles, who were both PoWs.
My friend's grandfather, Robert Harper, was sadly KIA on 7 June 44 and is buried in Ranville War Cemetery.
I looked in the Gallery for a photo of his headstone but there isn't one...

Knowing that many people make annual pilgrimages to Normandy and the War Cemeteries, on 1st January I put an appeal out on various Commando Facebook groups and almost immediately received promises of help from a number of French members...

One of these was Celia Godard who said she'd visit Ranville on Sunday (today), true to her word, early this afternoon, she sent me a number of photos of the headstone and general photos of the Cemetery...
Merci beaucoup Celia xx

Pete, Celia has given permission for her photos to be uploaded to the Ranville sub-album... Thanks.

Nick

annagriffin wrote:Great stuff - thanks so much!

Any ideas why his number doesn't come up on a 'forces war records' or ancestry.com search?

The answer is that despite their claims, they don't have access to WWII Service Records.
The MoD is the ONLY custodian of WWII Service Records and will remain so for a few years yet.
But, as family, you can apply to the MoD for a scan of his documents...

Nick

Mark, Pete,

Just to throw the spanner into the works, I have received this email

I am contacting you to help with the information being sought on George Berkley Wilcox. The photograph Mark is referring to is:

https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/1/4_TROOP_MARCH_1941_copy.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1

The photograph is incorrectly labelled, it is in fact 4 Troop, No.3 Commando, taken at the Gas Works, Largs, Scotland in March 1941.

The confusion relating to the mislabelling relates to where it was published. It appeared on page 42 of 'Allied Special Forces Insignia 1939-1948' by Peter Taylor.
On the opposite page to the photograph is a page relating to No.1 Commando insignia. I believe that this led to the assumption that the Lofoten Raid 4 Troop photograph related to 1 Commando.

I believe that Mark?s father served in Belgium and the retreat to Dunkirk in May 1940 with the 1st Battalion Queen?s Own Royal West Kent Regiment. When No.3 Commando were formed in June 1940 the majority of original volunteers came from 10th Brigade, 4th Division, a cohort from 1 R.W.K. formed the nucleus of ?F? Troop, later 4 Troop.

The officer in command seated in the centre is Captain ?Algy? Forrester, later killed on the Vaagso raid. There are several other men I have identified also from the 1 R.W.K, including ?Knocker? White, D.C.M. at Vaagso.

Wilcox was commissioned in the Indian Army in November and must have been attached to 3 Commando Brigade in 1945, an area of research you will be more familiar than I am?

The email comes from a very reliable researcher and source of information, so this needs investigating thoroughly...

Nick

Hi Ritchie

Ritchie wrote:
Then he would have been in Burma and India attached to 3 Commando Brigade which is part of No. 1 Commando? Am I understanding that correctly?

He was in No.1 Commando and they sailed to India, along with No.5 Commando, 42 RM Commando & 44 RM Commando, as part of 3 Special Service Brigade, in November 1943.
Enroute the convoy was attacked and the ship No.1 Cdo & 42 RM Cdo were in was damaged and put in to Alexandria for repair.
No.5 Cdo & 44 RM Cdo sailed on arriving in India in December 43 in time for Christmas.
Ship repaired, No1. Cdo & 42 RM Cdo arrived in India in January 44.

In December 44 the name 3 Special Service Brigade was changed to 3 Commando Brigade - not least because the commandos hated the abbreviation 'SS' and its connotations to the German SS...

So No.1 Cdo, No.5 Cdo, 42 RM Cdo & 44 RM Cdo were subordinate units within 3 Commando Brigade...

If you send me your email address - by PM or Email - I can send you a copy of the relevant Newsletter...

Nick

Hi Anna,

Your first step would be to apply to the MoD for your grandfather-in-law's service record. The MoD is the ONLY custodian of WWII service Records...

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/request-records-of-deceased-service-personnel

Please shout out if you need any advice or assistance...

Nick

Hi Mark,
Thank you for pointing this error out - it would appear there is a very simple explanation...

Your father was in No.1 Commando.
However, No.1 Commando was part of 3 Commando Brigade out in India/Burma.

His details were found in a Commando Association Newsletter, Issue No.9, dated September 1949 (see below & attached)

Cpl. (now Lieut.) B. G. Wilcox (3 Cdo) in a recent letter to O.C.A. Head Office writes: Please inform any old members of 3 Cdo Bde who served in Burma, that my ex-Regt., the 19th Hyderabad Regt., is very proud of the Commando Beret which was presented to the 8/ 19th En. Hyderabad Regt. for operations with 3 Bde on the Arakan front.
The Beret in question lies in a glass case in the Officers' Mess at Almora Kumaon in India.

You will see that the Newsletter has 'B.G. Wilcox (3 Cdo)' and then goes on to talk about Burma - it should have read 'B. G.Wilcox (3 Cdo Bde)' because No.3 Commando did not serve in Burma or the Far East.
When the Nominal Rolls were compiled, this error was not spotted.

You can obtain more information about his Army Service by applying to the MoD, the ONLY custodian of WWII Service Records...

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/request-records-of-deceased-service-personnel

Nick

Capt Alan Davies was posted from No.1 Cdo to No.5 Cdo where he was the Intelligence Officer in the HQ Troop for some time...

https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/alan-davies/

Rest in Peace,

Nick

Hi Clive,

The source of our information regarding your father's BEM was one of the Commando Association's Newsletters - Issue 103, September 1996.
The information was from the Obituary Column in the Newsletter - see below...

Nick

Hi Martin,

I see you have viewed the photos, but did you realise that you can see an enlargement of the panorama of the group photo?
Once you have opened the link t6o the photo, CLICK on the photo again to see a much enlarged photo - then scroll left to right etc...

Nick

Hi Phil,
I don't know where you got that from, but the criteria for the 39-45 Star (as published on the Gov.UK Website) is:

The 1939 to 1945 Star is awarded to personnel who completed operational service overseas between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945 (2 Sept 1945 in Far East).

To apply for the 1939 to 1945 Star, you must have:

180 days operational service in the army in the above qualifying areas
180 days operational service as ground crew in the RAF in the above qualifying areas
60 days operational service as aircrew in the RAF in the above qualifying areas
180 days service afloat in operational areas in the Royal Navy in the above qualifying areas
The colours of the ribbon represent the 3 services. The star is worn with the dark blue stripe furthest from the left shoulder.

By virtue of the fact he qualified for the France Germany Star, I think he must also have qualified for the 39 - 45 Star.

Nick

Hi Phil,
Fantastic - now I'd better get my finger out!

I am intrigued that there is no 1939 - 1945 Star...
You need to check that - below is a France Germany Star grouping (which includes the 39-45 Star) which shows the order of precedence in case you're thinking of mounting them, or wearing them (on the right breast) to honour your father...

Nick

Hi Martin,

The Colley I have a record of was Pte S. A Colley so it's possible this is Sydney/Sidney - if he was named after his father...

I don't suppose you know his peace time occupation or his parent regiment (all commandos were on loan from their parent regiment whilst they were in The Commandos).

Nick

Hi Martin,

Did your Grandad's cousin [I think that makes him your First Cousin Once Removed] have a middle name?

I have a record of someone with the surname 'Colley' serving in No.6 Cdo & No.12 Cdo...

Nick

Hi Lynda,

I will try and find out as much about your father as possible, but as Pete says this Archive does not have access to official documents. You need to start your research by applying to the MoD for a scan of his service record - I have sent you the appropriate forms...

Nick

From the CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) records

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2343447/ERNST%20NATHAN/
Nick