Norman Simpson No.3 Commando

I am looking for information on my 2nd Great Uncle Norman Simpson born 1920 in Northumberland. My Granddads Uncle. I have found him on the Nominal Roll for No. 3 Commando. He is is listed as a trooper however my Grandad says he was in the Border Regiment at the beginning of the war and went to visit him there. The other story I have been told is that he was present at the invasion of Sicily. I am hoping if anyone knows about him or even knows his service number.
Thanks

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 23/10/2020 16:58:25

Hi Andrew,

On completion of Basic Training, all new soldiers start as Privates - although the title may be Trooper, Gunner, Signaller, Sapper, Guardsman, Rifleman or even Kingsman depending on the Corps of Regiment in which they are serving...

It was No.3 Cdo's Commanding Officer, Lt Col Durnford-Slater decision to refer to all his Privates as Trooper, irrespective of which regiment they came from!

No.3 Cdo were certainly heavily involved at Sicily.

I would strongly advise that you apply to the MoD for his service records - The MoD is the only custodian of WWII service records and, for a one off fee of £30, you will get a record from enlistment to demob.
If Norman's widow is still with us and can sign the Next of Kin form, the MoD will waive the £30...

You will need a copy of his Death Certificate ( available online from Gov.UK) and, seeing as you don't have his service number, his Date of Birth

http://forum.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/179.page

Nick

Thanks for your help. I did wonder why if he hadn?t come from a cavalry regiment he had the rank as trooper. Now I know. I will be sending of for his records.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 23/10/2020 19:43:47

Andrew, was your great uncle taken prisoner of war ? I have found some documents that I believe relate to Norman and have outlined them in an entry I have created in our archive here:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/N_Simpson_3Commando

He was a member of the Tyneside branch of the original Commando Association which stood down in 2005.

How very interesting.

Dad joined the Border Regiment (6th Battalion I think) before the Commandos. I know he went to at least one of the Tyneside meetings. He would have been living in Blyth at the time.

I was wondering if any photos exist from those meetings. Dad died in 1992 and it would have been the late 80s when he attended.

Hi Pete thanks for finding that. I had forgotten he became a P.O.W . Apparently the story goes they completed there task and got back to the boats to withdraw to then find out the Americans needed help.
I?ve also been told that before they were captured they reverted to there orgional insignia.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 24/10/2020 10:09:10

Hi Andrew,

Here's an entry from a file held in the National Archives of all British Army PoWs held in Germany.

18A is the Camp - Wolfsberg
7237 - his PoW number
3603092 - is his service number
18 was the Borders Record Office in Lune Street, Preston

Nick

Andrew if you have a photo of Norman, either in uniform or civvies, please post it here as an attachment and I will add it to our archive. Any difficulties in doing so just contact me direct on my email below. Also if you include his date of death I will add that.

I Pete I don?t currently have one but I?m sure my granddad will have a photo of him somewhere. He died in January 1993.