Warrant Officer Class 1 Alan Moss on board the Ulster Monarch June 1941

Photo from the collection of L/Cpl. John 'Ken' Emmerson SS Bde HQ (formerly No.2 and 12 Cdo)courtesy of his son John. Posted by Pete Rogers who adds the following:

Alan Moss was Liverpool Scots QOCH TA, then No.4 Independent Company and finally No. 2 Commando. He was a Sgt. in No.4 Ind. Coy. He was the first RSM of No.2 Commando when it was formed. On the 28th March 1942 along with almost all of No. 2 Commando he took part in Operation Chariot, the raid on St Nazaire. He was on board Motor Launch (ML) 267. His squad was to be a small HQ reserve for Lt. Col. Newman. However in the chaos of the action as the ML's tried to land their Commandos, ML267 came under heavy fire and the ML began to burn. They were ordered to abandon ship which they did. There is an account on Page 186 of the book Storming St Nazaire by James Dorrian which details how he died. He and others had managed to get out of the water onto a carley float ( a liferaft). However on seeing a young Pte Diamond from 4 troop struggling in the water he gave up his place in the raft for him and slid into the water. Whilst helping to negotiate the liferaft towards the harbour wall he was then shot and killed. Out of the 11 Commandos on his launch 8 were killed, including Pte Diamond. RSM Moss received a posthumous Mentioned in Dispatches.

There are additional pictures of RSM Moss in the main gallery.

The following words were written by my father Joe Rogers MM who was in No.4 Ind Coy and No.2 Cdo. along with Alan Moss. Against a photo of him he writes the whole line below placing the emphasis on the 2 words at the end:

RSM Alan Moss 2 Commando "The Best"

In another type written document listing the names of the Liverpool Scots who were in No.4 Ind. Coy. and who later joined 5 troop No.2 Cdo, against the name of Alan Moss, my father adds:

"4 Ind. Coy in Norway; became the first RSM of 2 Cdo; was killed at St Nazaire and would most certainly have been highly decorated if he had lived. MiD St Nazaire."

In Memory of 2930992 Warrant Officer Class 1 Alan Moss
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and No. 2 Commando
who died on 29 March 1942 at St Nazaire age 32
Remembered with honour at Escoublac-La-Baule War Cemetery

and the young Commando he had helped out of the water giving up his place on the carley float for him:

3779240 Private Thomas Diamond
The King's Regiment (Liverpool)and No.2 Commando 4 troop
who died on the 28th March 1942 at St Nazaire
Remembered with honour at Sarzeau Communal Cemetery