Frank Williams WW2 Wrexham TA, RWF mix of units, Killyleagh, Possible Commando time

[Drew5233]

Here's the entry from the war diary. Obviously all the detail is in the file I mentioned above by the look of it. Ask him if his boss was Major Tod? It may ring a bell.

[ap1]

I know him quite well, but I won't ask him for permission to do that.

Thanks for the diary. He remembered the name and actually said, I think he was the boss???…I then explained that he was probably in Teds boat. As was Lt Col Clarke, who dreamt up the idea and went along as an observer. Clarke was slightly wounded. He also remembered that the RAF supplied the 4 x speed boats. He didn't know what the other 3 objectives were…However that might have been good minimising of information spread in the even of capture at an early stage of the operation.

[Drew5233]

Found him....He was in 11 Independent Company

[ap1]

Excellent Drew,

I'll pass that to the Regiments archivists.

[ap1]

Drew, do you have the nominal roll for 2 Ind Coy, we are still looking to see if Frank Williams features?

[ap1]

Correction Drew, 9 Ind Coy. As Frank was an 8th Bn man.

[ivor43]

Hi Folks.
I am not sure about Frank being in the 8th,he was originally posted to the 4th, as that would bring into question his being in Norway as, according to the list i linked earlier,from the Commando Veterans Association. No 2 Ind Co, having been formed from the 53rd Welsh Divn,i do not think that the 8thbtn was part of the53rd, together with No's 1,3,4 and5 Co's formed 'Scissorforce' which Joined ''Op Avonmouth'' in Norway
But the Commando link also says that an 11th co was formed for one specific operation, could that have been ''Operation Collar''


ivor

[Drew5233]

There isn't a 9 Independent Coy war diary for that period but there is a 9 Commando one which I'm assuming is one and the same and more than likely incorrectly names by Kew. Whilst I have a lot of these files I don't have a copy of the 9 Commando one.

Any others you want me to check?

[ivor43]

Hi.
From this attached list it would seem that the Commando units 9 and 11 were formed sometime prior to 11th Oct 1940.

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/...ent+Companies/


ivor

[Drew5233]

Scrub my last - I have found the 9 Independent Coy war diary for May and June in another series (WO 168 Norway). It's only two pages, not much detail, I'm sacking it for the night now so I'll post the pages tomorrow.

Cheers
Andy