1 commando

1 COMMANDO
Double mission: RAF fighter ace and SOE agent, Manfred Czernin, DSO, MC, DFC
Double mission: RAF fighter ace and SOE agent, Manfred Czernin, DSO, MC, DFC
By Norman L. R Franks
We Died With Our Boots Clean: The Youngest Royal Marine Commando in WWII
We Died With Our Boots Clean: The Youngest Royal Marine Commando in WWII
By Kenneth McAlpine
1 COMMANDO
The No. 1 Commando was a unit of the British Commandos and part of the British Army during the Second World War. It was raised in 1940 from the ranks of the existing independent companies. Operationally they carried out a series of small scale cross channel raids and spearheaded the Operation Torch landings in North Africa. They were then sent to the India as part of the 3rd Commando Brigade and took part in operations in the Burma Campaign. During the Second World War, only eight commandos were recipients of the Victoria Cross; two of the eight were from No. 1 Commando. After the war they were sent to reoccupy Hong Kong before being amalgamated with No. 5 Commando to form No. 1/5 Commando. The amalgamated No. 1/5 Commando was disbanded in 1947.

OPERATIONS:
Compared to the other commando formations, No. 1 Commando got off to a late start. It had to wait for its men to arrive from the independent companies, who continued to guard the British coastline in the face of a potential German invasion. Operations No.1 Commando participated in included Operation Chopper, a raid on the French coast on the night of 27/28 August 1941. There followed Operation Myrmidion, a raid on Bayonne over the period of 2–7 April 1942 which was eventually aborted.

The commando next supplied a troop for the St. Nazaire Raid, a successful attack on the heavily defended docks of St. Nazaire in France on the night of 28 March 1942. During the raid Sergeant Thomas Frank Durrant won the Victoria Cross. The award was unique: he is the only soldier to receive the Victoria Cross for a naval action, and in that it was recommended by the enemy.

The commando then withdrew from raiding operations to prepare for the Operation Torch landings in North Africa in November 1942.[10] During Operation Torch No. 1 Commando became the first unit to wear the commando green beret. During the Tunisia Campaign the commando got involved in first battle of Sedjenane between February and March 1943.

After a short stay regrouping in England the command sailed for India. From September 1944 it fought as part of 3 Commando brigade in Burma and the Arakan. One notable engagement was battle of Hill 170 at Kangaw. Kangaw became one of the most intense battles of the whole Burma campaign and during the fighting Lieutenant George Arthur Knowland earned the commando's second Victoria Cross.

In March 1945 the commando withdrew back to India to prepare for Operation Zipper, the planned invasion of Malaya. The war ended before the Zipper landing could take place, and the commando went to liberate Hong Kong instead.
Recent contents

  1. ARMY CDOS Barnes, Ernest

    SURNAME Barnes FORENAME Ernest UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lance Bombardier NUMBER 4748087 AWARD Military Medal PLACE Burma 1945 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Artillery

  2. ARMY CDOS Allen, Edward P.

    SURNAMEAllen FORENAMEEdward P. UNIT1 Commando RANKPrivate NUMBER14627308 AWARDMilitary Medal PLACEBurma 1945 ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONparent unit South Wales Borderers

  3. ARMY CDOS Aird, William

    SURNAME Aird FORENAME William UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 3194769 AWARD Military Medal PLACE Burma 1945 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit King's Own Scottish Borderers

  4. ARMY CDOS Young, James Alfred

    SURNAME Young FORENAME James Alfred UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lance Corporal NUMBER 3595431 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE 30 GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 3.B.1 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Border Regiment born Newport,Monmouthshire son of William Henry...

  5. ARMY CDOS Wilson, Graham Charles

    SURNAME Wilson FORENAME Graham Charles UNIT 1 Commando RANK Fusilier NUMBER 6482243 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE 33 GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 5.C.24 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) born Surrey resided...

  6. ARMY CDOS Williams, Frank

    SURNAME Williams FORENAME Frank UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 3778254 DATE OF DEATH 28th March 1943 AGE 29 GRAVESITE Tabarka Ras Rajel War Cemetery,Tunisia 1.B.2 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit King's Regiment (Liverpool) born Wigan,Lancashire son of John Henry...

  7. ARMY CDOS Whelan, Jack

    SURNAME Whelan FORENAME Jack UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 4867187 DATE OF DEATH 6th December 1942 AGE 26 GRAVESITE Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 17 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Leicestershire Regiment born London SW resided London SW son of John and...

  8. ARMY CDOS Westcott, Samuel Charles

    SURNAME Westcott FORENAME Samuel Charles UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lance Corporal NUMBER 5671053 DATE OF DEATH 10th December 1942 AGE 27 GRAVESITE Massicault War Cemetery,Tunisia VI.A.17 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Somerset Light Infantry born Plymouth,Devon resided...

  9. ARMY CDOS Weekes, Sydney George Douglas

    SURNAME Weekes FORENAME Sydney George Douglas UNIT 1 Commando RANK Fusilier NUMBER 6482277 DATE OF DEATH 1st December 1942 AGE 25 GRAVESITE Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) born Kent...

  10. ARMY CDOS Weaver, Edward Walter

    SURNAME Weaver FORENAME Edward Walter UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 3973708 DATE OF DEATH 1st December 1942 AGE 20 GRAVESITE Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Welch Regiment born Chester resided Chester son of David William...

  11. ARMY CDOS Tucker, Ivan Henry

    SURNAME Tucker FORENAME Ivan Henry UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 5621153 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE 24 GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 10.E.23 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Devonshire Regiment born Devonshire son of Charles Henry and Florence...

  12. ARMY CDOS Tomblin, Edward Charles

    SURNAME Tomblin FORENAME Edward Charles UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 6144878 DATE OF DEATH 28th March 1942 AGE 24 GRAVESITE Escoublac-la-Baule War Cemetery,France 2.A.14 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit East Surrey Regiment born Surrey resided Surrey son of...

  13. ARMY CDOS Thirkell-White, Derek John Plantagenet

    SURNAME Thirkell-White FORENAME Derek John Plantagenet UNIT 1 Commando RANK Captain NUMBER 73116 DATE OF DEATH 14th-15th July 1943 AGE 26 GRAVESITE Athens Memorial,Greece Face 5 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Suffolk Regiment born India son of Cap.E.Howard and...

  14. ARMY CDOS Taylor, William Ronald

    SURNAME Taylor FORENAME William Ronald UNIT 1 Commando RANK Fusilier NUMBER 14604392 DATE OF DEATH 7th February 1945 AGE 29 GRAVESITE Maynamati War Cemetery,Bangladesh 3.A.17 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) born London SE...

  15. ARMY CDOS Taylor, Clifford

    SURNAME Taylor FORENAME Clifford UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 4078961 DATE OF DEATH 4th March 1943 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Tabarka Ras Rajel War Cemetery,Tunisia 2.A.16 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit South Wales Borderers former Monmouthshire Regiment born...

  16. ARMY CDOS Summerhayes, Charles

    SURNAME Summerhayes FORENAME Charles UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 4076802 DATE OF DEATH 28th January 1943 AGE 24 GRAVESITE Tabarka Ras Rajel War Cemetery,Tunisia 2.E.18 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit South Wales Borderers born Monmouthshire son of Charles and...

  17. ARMY CDOS Slavin, Gerrard

    SURNAME Slavin FORENAME Gerrard UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 7942540 DATE OF DEATH 6th December 1942 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Welch Regiment born Fife son of James and Annie (nee Ward)...

  18. ARMY CDOS Sando, Thomas

    SURNAME Sando FORENAME Thomas UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 3969167 DATE OF DEATH 7th December 1942 AGE 24 GRAVESITE Massicault War Cemetery,Tunisia VI.A.16 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Welch Regiment born Middlesex resided Middlesex son of Percy and...

  19. ARMY CDOS Rushton, Harold George

    SURNAME Rushton FORENAME Harold George UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lance Corporal NUMBER 7366356 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE 26 GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 3.F.17 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Army Medical Corps born Stoke-on-Trent resided...

  20. ARMY CDOS Rogers, George Montague

    SURNAME Rogers FORENAME George Montague UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lance Corporal NUMBER 5828060 DATE OF DEATH 1st December 1942 AGE 21 GRAVESITE Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery,Tunisia 18.J.2 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Suffolk Regiment born Suffolk son of Thomas and Grace...
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