Achnacarry Commando Officers and Instructors

Commando Officers and Instructors at Achnacarry 1944 - Photo credit T.H. Everitt.

Surnames added to enable result in gallery search facility: allen, symondson, kaye, joye, komrower, vaughan, cotton minchin, carlos, benwell, dunning, sharples, balchin, myers, parkinson cumine, keen, blandford, ferguson, blanch, paine, ellis, nash, wilkie, milne, keigwin, crowther, colman, tunstall, drayton, udy

In 1945 Captain Douglas Cotton Minchin, pictured here, was attached to 43 RM Commando. A few weeks later on the 15th March 1945 he was killed in action on operations prior to Operation Roast at Lake Commachio. Found on forum posted by Bob and Janet

In Memory of Captain Douglas James Maurice Cotton Minchin
77634, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)and No. 43 R.M. Commando., Royal Marines
who died age 26 on 15 March 1945
Remembered with honour at CASSINO MEMORIAL


Also pictured here is Lt.Ralph Parkinson-Cumine. He became a Troop Commander of 43 RM Commando, was wounded at Argenta, and later, whilst a Captain with 29 Commando and 41 Ind. RM Cdo. was killed in action in Korea. His body was never found and he was pronounced "Missing presumed killed".

In Memory of Captain Ralph Nicholas Parkinson-Cumine, MC
41 Independent Commando RM.
Missing in action presumed killed 29th November 1950 Korea.
Remembered with honour at a Memorial at St. Annes Church, Killough, Down

20/2/10 : Photo updated and above details entered by Pete R. It is also in the book Castle Commando by Donald Gilchrist.

9/4/10. Update by pete R. "This photo is also in the Spean Bridge Hotel Museum and we have been given permission to display it in the CVA gallery by Margaret Short, owner of the Spean Bridge Hotel."

5/10/10 update from Giles Udy "Lt David Udy was my father. He was badly injured when a mortar misfired during training on the moors near Achnacarry some time before this photo was taken. It was suggested that the premature explosion of the mortar shell may have been a result of the IRA sabotage campaign in British munitions factories. Note the disfigurement to his forehead above the left eye, damaged by shrapnel. He remained significantly affected by the injury until his death a few years ago."

Update 12/5/12 by Pete R. Capt K.G. Allen is shown in CA newsletter 16 as also serving in 2 Cdo and post war as a Major in 46 Para Bde. TA, Liverpool