10 Platoon, ‘X‘ Company, the RM Commando, July 1942, Sandown
The first Royal Marine Commando raised in 1942 was titled simply as the "Royal Marine Commando, Royal Marines ". Later when a second was raised they were each retitled as RM Commando ‘A’ and ‘B’. By November 1942 it's title had changed to No.40 Royal Marine Commando, Royal Marines. This photo of 10 Platoon with Lt H.O Huntington-Whiteley is interesting when you read it in the context of the information about the history of what became known as 30 Commando here https://www.commandoveterans.org/30Commando
Front row: 2nd right (with Bren): Mne Leslie Bradshaw, MM.
2nd row (seated): 5th left: Sgt John Kruthoffer, Platoon Sgt; 6th left: Lt H O Huntington-Whiteley, Platoon Commander.
3rd row: 5th left: George Sadler.
Marines known to be in 10 Platoon at the time of the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942):
Lt H O 'Peter' Huntington-Whiteley, KIA 12/9/44
Lt. I.C. McKellar (A&SH)
CH/X 10018 Sgt John F Kruthoffer,
Cpl Leslie 'Lofty' Whyman,
PLY/X 100026 Cpl George Sadler,
Paul McGrath,
Harry Gosling,
Jock Farmer,
EX/3726 Joseph 'killer' Kilbride, KIA, 12/7/43,
Leslie 'Brad' Bradshaw, MM, - Bren Gun,
PO/X 4237 Mne John Moir Alexander - Bren Gun, KIA 19/8/42,
'Pusser' Hill - Bren Gun,
Ken 'Jock' Finlayson,
Jack 'Spike' Watson,
Mne Ronald Simmons,
Mne Rutter,
PO/X 101038 Mne Samuel B 'ginger' Northern, KIA 19/8/42,
Mne Thurman.
* Cpl George N Sadler was captured on the Dieppe Raid and spent the next 4 years as a POW (POW No: 794) at Marlag & Milag Nord.
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Recent comments
In this photo the Regimental Numbers of some of the Royal Marines is shown and anyone studying may wonder what the odd sequence means. Back in the day there were three Grand Divisions of the Royal Navy which are Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth. A RM...
In this photo the Regimental Numbers of some of the Royal Marines is shown and anyone studying may wonder what the odd sequence means. Back in the day there were three Grand Divisions of the Royal Navy which are Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth. A RM posted to those would be issued with his Regimental Number denoting which Division he was in, ie: Ch/X (Chatham), Po/X (Portsmouth) and Ply/X (Plymouth) the odd one out In this is Ex/ denoting that the man had joined the Corps at Exton probably as a Hostility Only Rating (HO). Surprisingly perhaps is that the Corps maintained the training of Regular Recruits throughout, at a time when there were RM Detachments on all ‘Big Ships’ including a Band. The Band manned the Magazines supplying RM manned Guns and once at Action Station were locked in. This accounts for the massive casualties suffered by the RM Band Service, if there was a fire in a Magazine it was flooded with no chance of escape, hard times! Exton Camp is now the Commando Training Centre RM at Lympstone, Devon, near Exmouth where all RM Basic Training is concentrated together with most Specialist Infantry
Skills.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 10 Sep 2020 09:01:08 EDT
my father Marine Ronald Simmons is in this photo he is on the front row far left kneeling down with his arms crossed and his hat tilted to the right
Posted by matthew simmons on Tue 12 May 2020 11:00:43 EDT