Army Commando and RWF WW2

[welchboy]

Thought I would start this thread for information and future discussion on RWF and Army Commandos during WW2.

Number 1 Commando : Badged RWF., who were KIA., whilst serving with 1 Commando.

1. Fus. 214919 Christopher William Powell Age 21. 2.12.1942 Killed at Bizerte, Tunisia ( Operation Bizerete )

2. Fus. 419289 Elwyn Edwards Age 20. 28.9.1941 Killed Luc Sur Mer. ( Operation Chopper ) 5th Troop

3. Fus. 1500685 Samuel Craig Age 24 3.12.1942 Killed at Bizerte ( Operation Bizerete )

4. Fus. 4208516 Charles Bleakley Age 20 18.3.1942 Died Commando Training Centre, Achnacarry. ( Gun shot wound whilst training with live ammunition

5. Fus 419469 John MacAlister Alexander Age 22 11.12.942 Killed at Bizerte ( Operation Bizerete )

[welchboy]

Number 3 Commando.

1. 2nd Lt. 326315 & 5338214 John Middleton Hutchings Age 24 23.1.1945 Killed in area of Massbracht, Netherlands 3 Troop. (Came under heavy morter and
machine gun fire : Had taken part in following Operations : Claymore, Huskey and Overlord )

2. Fus. 14764842 Hugh Emrys Jones Age 19 9.1.1945 Killed during operations at Linne, Holland

3. Fus. 4209975 Arthur David Henry Evans Age 20 7.6.1944 5th Troop ( Killed clearing the Merville Battery, Normandy )

4. Fus. 4209027 Joseph Reginald Davies Age 30 11.4.1945 Killed Issel, Germany

[jones20]

When they formed the army commando did they just take battalions and make them into Commando units or were they volunteers

[welchboy]

The first Commando units were formed in or about July 1940, when an order went out to all branches of the Army asking for " Volunteers for dangerous duties. "
Eventually 12 Army Commando Units were formed numbering to 1 to 12. They tended to draw their volunteers geographically, for example numbers 5 and 6 Commando were formed mainly from men from the Western Command Area. ( H.Q. Chester ) although number 10 Commando was made up of allied troops. i.e., 1 and 8 Troop were French, 2 Troop was Dutch, 3 Troop was Refugees, 4 Troop Belgian, 5 Troop Norwegian, 6 Troop Polish and 7 Troop Yugoslavian.
Volunteers kept there original cap badge and rank on joining, i.e. a fusilier remain a fusilier and a guardsman remained a guardsman etc., not a commando. They did however wear Commando shoulder and unit flashes.



Number 5 Commando shoulder and unit flash.

if I remember correctly Royal Marine Commando units were not formed till 1942.