2 SAS (3 Squadron) group
John Robertson

2 SAS (3 Squadron) group

Operation Galia,Italy 27.12.1944
left to right
back row
Lt Edward Gibbon (Tinkler)
L/Cpl Larley
Pct Taylor (Spud)
unknown
Pct John Mathews (?)
unknown
Pct Bill Whittaker
Pct Mulvey
Lt James Riccomini (KIA)
Sgt Rookes
Pct Jimmy Church
Pct Sid Gargan ?
Pct Eric Kennedy (Lofty)
Cpl William Cunningham (Joe)
Pct Gordon Rose (confirmed by his grandson)
Lt Tom Shaughnessy
Cap Robert Walker-Brown (DSO)
middle row
Sgt Leonard Wright (Chalky) (MM)
unknown
Sgt Trevor Harrold
unknown
L/Cpl Liddington (Smokey)
Pct Ted Robinson
Pct Don Hempstead
unknown
front row
unknown
Pct Pat Duggan
L/Cpl Horace Ford (MM) ?
Cpl Johnson (Johnie)
Major Roy Farran ?
Pct Harry Shanley (Jock)
Pct Stanley Hann (Spam)
Pct Reg Everett
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Those unknown names. According to a letter sent to my mother by cpl Cunningham (found in the attic)
Shanky
Rose
Hildage
Dennie
Sumpter? (spelling)
Alf Tate
I wonder if there is anyone who can put the names to the faces!
The photo was taken at Bindisi Airdrome, in southern Italy.
 
I know that Gordon Rose was definately in the group that dropped into Rossano, and from pictures I have, 6th from left in the back row certainly looks like him, so the chances are that your list of names is correct johnjelly. ps, would that be Brindisi Airdrome?
 
Sir,
My half brothers name was Terence Gargan [1921-1998] He was known in the family as Terry but to his friends as Ted not Sid. He saw action in Abyssina, North Africa, Italy, Europe and after the war in Palistine and Malaya [He only got as far as Cyprus for the Suez crisis. . After he left the army he applied for a passport in order to visit our sister in Australia but was refused because he was classed as an alien having been born in Karachi which was where our father was stationed with the 1
 
i have photos taken at the same time on the back of one a stick before being dropped behind Pisa on the other it says May 1944/45 awaiting emplaining for behind the lines
i know it can not be May i think 1944/45 is right my father was still in northern France in Nov 1944 and went to Italy at the end of the 1944 early 45 and in Feb 1945 posted to Posted to 21 Air Group from Cental Mediterean Force Naples
March Posted to BAS Washington
this does not exactly fit the date because the photos could ha
 
Chris, see my comments on one of your photos. If I am right your photos are of this same operation so the date would be December 27th 1944
John (Gargan) if you check out the photo below titled 2 SAS (3 Squadron) group, back row 3rd from the right is T Gargan
 
Great to see so many descendants of Galia taking part in this discussion. My father is Ted Robinson, of HQ stick. IDs of the famous Brindisi photos are coming on. We now have Ted Gargan, "The Boy Bandit", identified as 4th from left on the middle row, between Trevor Harrold and Smokey Liddington. Also, 4th from the right on front row is NOT Roy farran, it is Pct Dennie of No. 4 stick (see photo in this series).
Incidentally, the group flew from Brindisi Airfield to Malignano Airfield (now Siena-
 
my father was Pct mulvey and i would love to hear from anyone who knew him. sadly he died 30 years ago and I know very little about his time in the sas.
 
Gordon Rose's grandson has informed me that Gordon is 3rd from the right in the back row.He was 6 feet 5 inches in height.
 

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