Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 20:52:57 BST
Other souvenirs here are a Japanese Officers’ pistol and sword (Katana)
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 20:47:08 BST
There is a bit of a mix here, he appears to be wearing a US Steel helmet, holding a Japanese Officers’ sword (Katana) and has a .303” Bren at his feet with magazine fitted.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 20:43:00 BST
Trooper Redman may have joined the Army as the War drew to a close as he does not wear Campaign Medals from that Conflict. He soldiered for quite a few years afterwards. He has the General Service Medal (GSM) with two Clasps and he fought in the Korean War earning both the British and UN Medals awarded.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 20:36:38 BST
When a Royal Marines Squad is formally presented with Green Berets on the Parade Ground a dustbin is placed into which they throw their defunct dark blue berets for disposal. When the area was prepared for these men that dustbin was placed out as a norm. On changing Berets each man carefully placed his Maroon Airborne Beret inside his Dennison Smock! To them that Beret is Sacred! In an Airborne Unit any man who jumps at least twice with a Foreign Para Unit is awarded their “wings” which are stitched onto his Smock. I do not know if that practice was continued but as they were now Commando Forces they could still attend a Reserve Forces Para Course to earn the badge and to keep practising that skill.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 18:18:44 BST
Trooper Burgess was either an Officer or WO in the Royal Army Ordnance
Corps judging by the hand embroidered Cap Bsdge worn.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 18:01:21 BST
Trooper Mason wears the Durham Light Infantry Cap Barge.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 17:59:04 BST
Trooper Roderick wears the cap badge of his home Regiment, The Highland Light Infantry. He wears a Commando Dagger lapel badge.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 17:57:55 BST
This is a clear image of his original issue Cap Badge as it has a Kings’ Crown and is well worn. The Hunting Horn shown appears on all Light Infantry Cap Badges.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 17:55:28 BST
Trooper Moore’s Regiment before joining the Commandos was probably The Kings Royal Rifle Corps a Light Infantry Unit.,
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 17:52:24 BST
I believe this photo was taken at RM Exton Camp (ITCRM/CTCRM) as these Marines are stood in front of a Mansard Hut made with Asbestos sheeting over a simple scaffolding frame and identical to a hit I lived in between 1961-1964. These housed 8 Marines and were heated by a single central coke fired stove. If I am right these young men may be amongst the first ‘Hostilities Only’ Marines drafted into the Corps. The term Mansard refers to the double-pitched roof design.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 17:36:31 BST
The Sangar is a Pashto word for fortification made using local Stone and similar immediately to hand. Dhala Camp was surrounded by a 5 foot, dry stone wall and barbed wire entanglements. There were two Sanger’s, Mortar and Machine Gun plus three Sentry Posts in early days but much improved latterly as the situation and threat changed. One thing that is not local are the sandbags forming part of this position.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 17:10:19 BST
The face of the right hand man in the front rank wearing a Green Beret has been blanked out may indicate a Royal Marine serving in SF (SBS?)
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 16:58:15 BST
AB Oakley wears seven Medals. He may have a bronze Oak Leaf which
means ‘Mentioned in Despatches ‘ (MiD) on the sixth Medal, if so it would indicate Bravery of some Order on Active a Service.
,
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 16:49:20 BST
AB Oakley wears the Cap Tally for HMS ‘Drake’. a Stone Frigate (Shore
Base) in Plymouth (Guz) still in use in 2020.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 16:44:53 BST
Trooper Wells is wearing a very unusual shoulder title apparently reading “Special Service” which may have been used prior to the adoption of the Boer word and title “Commando” chosen by a Churchill.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 16:34:27 BST
The Censor has blanked the Thompson Sub-Machine Guns held by the leading three Troopers and some-one off-camera but has left the one held by the right hand grinning man, who has had his Bren blanked instead. The guy second from left has his gas cape on. The men are donning life-belts and are all wearing brown Army pumps/daps issued for PT. Considering what they have been through these guys look remarkably chipper and up for it!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 16:24:42 BST
Notice depth of monsoon storm ditch!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 13:18:14 BST
It is still North to South here with Exouth to,the right (West) of the Firing
Point.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 13:12:45 BST
Photo taken on Parade Ground at CTCRM with Officers’ Mess in background.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 12:48:14 BST
Troopers serving in Support Troops would often be issued revolvers for personal protection in the event that their firing position was attacked.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 17 Sep 2020 09:58:56 BST
Henry Loudon
Number five, top row , is my Grandfather Henry Loudon. Also confirmed by my Mum.Amazed to find this as, apart from knowing where he served, we had very little information on his particular unit. Just new that he was a very proud Royal Marine. He lived in Alva, Scotland and passed away in 1984.
Posted by Pam on Thu 17 Sep 2020 09:11:25 BST
We would patrol the plateau at the top of the Jebel Jihaf Massif visiting 4 local militia Forts. The Forts were Shima, As-arir Hiab and Khana. In1958 rebels besieged the Fort at As-arir trapping the the British Political Officer (Advisor to the local Emir) they had come across from The Yemen for that purpose. Major Bill Boucher-Myers of the East Lancs seconded to the Aden Protectorate Levies led a fighting patrol up the Jebel (Mountain) taking four hours hammered the rebels and saved the day! He was a Commando Officer in WW2 under Lord Lovat getting a MiD after Dieppe. He was awarded an immediate DSO for this action!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Wed 16 Sep 2020 22:37:47 BST
The bolt is drawn brawn back, you stick the thumb in front of the breech and light is reflected up the barrel, simple!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Wed 16 Sep 2020 22:12:54 BST
On Exercise in Sardinia with 41 Commando RM leading a patrol back to base I spotted a USMC Helicopter base and thought, “Why not?” So I led my men in and asked. The USMC General running it called one of these from an off-shore Carrier and it flew us back, it was only 8 kilometres! The base was in air-conditioned Port-a-Cabins which had power, running water and Coca Cola Machines all lifted ashore, you could not make it up! You can drive Humvees into choppers.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Wed 16 Sep 2020 22:09:51 BST
