Brig. General Lucian King Truscott Jr. accompanied by Lt Colonel Charles Vaughan and Capt. Joy, inspects the CBTC Instructors
Date: 01/06/2019
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Owner: Nick Collins
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Named in photograph
Third from the left with moustache is Derek Gordon Page. Subsequently transferred units and went to India with the Gurkhas, through Burma and onto Indonesia. Retired as a Captain. Deceased 23 February 1979 in a car accident.
Posted by Richard Page on Sun 07 Jul 2019 14:08:23 EDT
Photo updated
Details and link added
Posted by Pete Rogers (Admin) on Tue 22 Sep 2015 14:07:23 EDT
firing a mortar
the commando firing the mortar is my father Laurence Murphy 5338001 of number 2 commandos. he is 98 next month and still living on his own. When we visited Vaagso, my father remembered exactly where he fired the mortar from. The Norwegian people invited us into their homes showing us, with great pride, the bullet holes in their walls from the attack. They were and still are grateful for this raid which is taught to every Norwegian soldier as the best example of a co-ordinated attack by the three services.
Posted by john murphy on Thu 14 May 2015 09:02:09 EDT
Photo updated
Albert O'Hare identified by his niece Christina Orr
Posted by Pete Rogers (Admin) on Thu 23 Jan 2014 12:32:20 EST
Thanks Nick for posting my notes. Can I add that I was on a flight from Vienna to London seated next to the Queen's Messenger and started to chat. It turned out that he served under Brigadier O'Flaherty. Unfortunately, he also informed me that the Brigadier had died a couple of years earlier. A pity as I would have liked to have met the Brigadier.
Adding to the information about the raid: My father said the landing craft stopped and discharged him into water that was above his head! He had to run fast underwater to get onto the beach. They were pinned down by the enemy losing men. At one point a mortar landed beside hm throwing him in the air and down the beach. He could not feel his leg and feeling down with his hand it was sopping wet. He thought he had lost his leg. And if so he knew he would have to shoot himself rather than suffer or be taken by the enemy. Forcing himself to look was the hardest thing ever but when he did he saw his leg was intact. It was his water bottle that had been ...
Thanks Nick for posting my notes. Can I add that I was on a flight from Vienna to London seated next to the Queen's Messenger and started to chat. It turned out that he served under Brigadier O'Flaherty. Unfortunately, he also informed me that the Brigadier had died a couple of years earlier. A pity as I would have liked to have met the Brigadier.
Adding to the information about the raid: My father said the landing craft stopped and discharged him into water that was above his head! He had to run fast underwater to get onto the beach. They were pinned down by the enemy losing men. At one point a mortar landed beside hm throwing him in the air and down the beach. He could not feel his leg and feeling down with his hand it was sopping wet. He thought he had lost his leg. And if so he knew he would have to shoot himself rather than suffer or be taken by the enemy. Forcing himself to look was the hardest thing ever but when he did he saw his leg was intact. It was his water bottle that had been blown apart by shrapnel.
Posted by Richard Page on Sat 25 Feb 2012 05:46:00 EST
The officer on the right with the bayonet is Derek Gordon Page. He was my father and recounted details of the raid to me. His landing craft stopped too early and when he disembarked he found himself submerged and running for his life underwater to get to the beach! They were pinned down on the beach by enemy fire. At one point during the raid while still on the beach a mortar went off beside him throwing him up in the air and down the beach. He thought he had lost his leg as he could not feel it. He agonisingly felt down his leg and it was sopping wet thinking and fearing the worst and that he would have to shoot himself if he had lost his leg rather than be taken by the enemy. He said it was the hardest thing to look down. When he did he saw his leg was intact and it was his water bottle that had shattered. He said it was a fantastic relief to find that out.
Postscript: I was on a flight back from Vienna when I was seated next to the Queen's Messenger returning from Istanbul. We started...
The officer on the right with the bayonet is Derek Gordon Page. He was my father and recounted details of the raid to me. His landing craft stopped too early and when he disembarked he found himself submerged and running for his life underwater to get to the beach! They were pinned down on the beach by enemy fire. At one point during the raid while still on the beach a mortar went off beside him throwing him up in the air and down the beach. He thought he had lost his leg as he could not feel it. He agonisingly felt down his leg and it was sopping wet thinking and fearing the worst and that he would have to shoot himself if he had lost his leg rather than be taken by the enemy. He said it was the hardest thing to look down. When he did he saw his leg was intact and it was his water bottle that had shattered. He said it was a fantastic relief to find that out.
Postscript: I was on a flight back from Vienna when I was seated next to the Queen's Messenger returning from Istanbul. We started chatting. It turned out he knew Captain O'Flaherty who had been his commanding officer. He informed me he had risen to the rank of Brigadier and wore an eyepatch as he had lost one eye in the raid (My Dad said Capt O'Flaherty was hit in both eyes). I learned that Brigadier O'Flaherty had died a couple of years back - which was a pity as it would have been great if I could have met and spoken with him.
Posted by Richard Page on Sat 25 Feb 2012 05:33:46 EST
A wounded British officer being helped to a dressing station. (Operation Archery) The officer is (was) Captain O'Flaherty. He remained in the army and eventually became a Brigadier. He had been shot by a German sniper in both eyes. He lost one eye and wore a black eye patch thereafter.
The soldier on the right is Derek Gordon Page - a commando. He subsequently left the commandos and served with the Gurkas in India fighting in Burma and eventually ending the war in Indonesia where he met a Dutch prisoner of war who he subsequently married. He left the army with the rank of Captain.
Posted by Nick Collins on Thu 16 Apr 2009 18:11:28 EDT
A wounded British officer being helped to a dressing station. (Operation Archery) The officer is (was) Captain O'Flaherty. He remained in the army and eventually became a Brigadier. He had been shot by a German sniper in both eyes. He lost one eye and wore a black eye patch thereafter.
The soldier on the right is Derek Gordon Page - a commando. He subsequently left the commandos and served with the Gurkas in India fighting in Burma and eventually ending the war in Indonesia where he met a Dutch prisoner of war who he subsequently married. He left the army with the rank of Captain.
Posted by Nick Collins on Tue 10 Feb 2009 10:10:05 EST
Named in photograph
Third from the left with moustache is Derek Gordon Page. Subsequently transferred units and went to India with the Gurkhas, through Burma and onto Indonesia. Retired as a Captain. Deceased 23 February 1979 in a car accident.
Posted by Richard Page on Sun 07 Jul 2019 14:08:23 EDT