Messages posted by: Alan Orton

Hi Mike,
the source is 'Memorandum on Layforce' by Evelyn Waugh which can be found in his Diaries. The dates can only be very late may to early June of 1941. I have been trying to piece together the life of Layforce and 7,8,11 and 50/52 Commando which is now pretty much completed this bit was the last that i came across.
Alan.

I have found a reference to 12 volunteers from 7 Commando who were sent to Cyprus as 'The Pencil Party'.
With the fear of imminent invasion their role was to conceal themseves around Nicosia and to destroy as many many enemy aircraft as they could if the Germans effected a landing before making if possible their own escape.
By the time they arrived on the island 11 (Scottish) Commando had just returned from Operation Exporter and retook up their garrison duties leaving the men from 7 Commando no longer required. They were though retained on the island, could these then be some of the men who helped to train the Cyprus Commando'?
Alan.

I believe the service No. 5127217 was part of the block of numbers allocated to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
Alan.

Although not strictly a Commando issue i was asked to have a look at the service record of a chap who appears to have served at one time with 2 SAS, on his record is an entry that i can't weigh up it reads,
31 Jan. 1943 F Bty (?) R.E.A.G.W.
There is another entry,
5-6-45 Draft R.P.H.C.O.
Does anyone know what they both mean?
Regards,
Alan.

I've dug out the War Diary for No.11 again and found a reference dated 24th of June 1941 stating that the 'C' Company Commander (by this time they had adopted a Company basis ) Captain Ian Glennie of the Gordons (8 Troop) being sent to the Cyprus Regiment Training Depot to dig defences on the Gata Peninsula as part of 7th Divisions plan for the defence of the island. Glennie did though return and was down to take part in Keye's Operation Flipper in November 1941.
Alan.

The ship carrying No.11 (Scottish) Commando to Cyprus docked at 15.00 on the 30 - 04 - 1941.
At 02.30 on the 06 - 08 - 1941 the main party left for Alexandria they docked at 19.30 just as the baggage party left Cyprus, the rear party final joined them on the 31 - 08 - 1941.
There is no mention of any of their number joining any other units in the war diary apart from those officers and men who joined L Detachment (2 and 12 respectively) and 4 who went to the R.C.S.
Alan.

Has anyone ever come across the following individuals?
Pte. I. Kaufman (Queens).
Pte. E. Malone.
Both i think served in No.7 Commando. I have found their names in Nominal Rolls for L Detachment and i think also i have found POW records for them.
Alan.

Has anyone ever come across the following individuals Pte.I Kaufman (Queens) and Private E. Malone (R.U.R.) ?
Both i believe served in No.7 Commando.
Both have appeared in Nominal Rolls for L Detachment and i think i have found POW records for them.
Alan.

There is a picture of Jim Almonds in his daughters book 'Gentleman Jim' showing this type of cap badge on his field service cap. He was in 8 (Guards) Commando.
Alan.

Was he a P.O.W. ? It could be that he was captured in Crete in May 1941.
Alan.

I say mine host what's Stevie playing apart from Ab (G+Capo on first fret =Ab) 'Down at the old Butcher and Bolt la la la la la'? I hope he's in the M.U. if he's playing live gig's!
Thanks for sharing the pictures it brightened up my mundane morning no end!
Can i open a tab?
Alan.

Hi Nick,
i agree that the 'Laycock's Papers' do appear to be very well catalogued and my final impression was that the researcher would have been happier to have dealt with more than my request on his visit to make his time more worth while, sadly he never replied to my last enquiry via email so i gave up on it.
The picture that you have enhanced certainly does appear to show a Lance Corporals tape and having compared it with 2 other pictures from the time it has close similarities to my dad ie; length of face, cheek bones, ear and smile and although i would love to be able to say it is him but without conclussive proof i can't say yes it is him, it would be great though to be able to see someone say it was as i only have two pictures of him from this period although i am pretty sure i saw him on the L Detachment film taken during the demonstration for General Auchinlek pre Operation Squatter in the aircraft with Jock Lewes, by isolating one of the frames and zooming in i was pretty much convinced it was him but we do see at times what we want to see.
Grand job done on the picture though and many thanks.
Alan.

My copy of No.11's War Diary runs from April 1st 1941 to August 31st 1941 (March to October is available in the archives) and as far as i can see although some O/R's are named D.Martin isn't.
Would the files available in 'Laycock's Papers' hold any clues? I think though this would be doubtful in regard to who was in what troop, i did some years ago make enquires regarding my dad to the College who hold them and filled in all the relevant paperwork naming my Researcher etc. who in turn said that he would be making a visit by the end of that year but stated that the file was a bit of a minefield and i got the impression he was not to keen on the project and in the end it came to nothing. if i remember correctly the cost on completion would have been £100.
There is a Nominal Roll for those who took part in Operation Flipper within the pages of 'Get Rommel' but does not include those on backup.
The picture is interesting as some of the men look familiar to some those in 10 Troop (F.Judge and N.G.Sproule) and also a couple from 6 Troop, the tall chap in the centre of the back row through my eyes looks a bit like my dad but he hasn't got a L/Cpl's tape so i think that pretty much discount's that theory.
Alan.

If you consider L Detachment as Commando troops then there are pictures available of Edward McDonald who previously served with No.11 wearing a full beard, one of them being with David Stirling prior to setting out on an operation. Blair Mayne is seen sporting one in a picture which appears to be taken possiblily in camp and out of the line so to speak.
Alan Denniff of the L.R.D.G. can be seen in David Lloyd Owen's book wearing what appears to be moustache that seems to go beyond his top lip in a fashion like a partial handle bar, this picture was taken on a training exercise in the Lebanon with him carrying a dog in his haversack. There are various other shots in Siwa and Kufra showing full beards.
I have a picture from 1980 of a Pioneer Sergeant from the Queen's Own Highlanders wearing a full beard.
Up to 1916 i believe soldiers were forbidden to shave their upper lip and i'm sure that i read that it was regulations for an officer to wear a moustache up until the order was recinded in 1916, i have seen in a book about the Great War that the C.O. of one particular battalion sent one of his officers home as he had shaved his upper lip and was not to return until it had regrown.
Alan.

The War Diary for No.11 (Scottish) Commando mentions him several times but as Major B.C.A. Napier of the Gordon Highlanders.He remained in Cyprus commanding parts of H.Q.and 5 Troop while Operation Exporter went ahead, a previous mention states that he received the Operation and Admin orders after the Bardia raid was cancelled on the 17th of April. In July he was granted 9 days sick leave. Further entries for July show him to be at meetings at 7th Div. H.Q. with his C.O. and finally he was in charge of the rear party when No.11 left Cyprus for Egypt in August of 1941. This is where my copy of the Diary ends and so i would assume that he was part of H.Q. Company.
Alan.