1 commando

1 COMMANDO
The Tiger Man of Vietnam
The Tiger Man of Vietnam
By Frank Walker
Four Stars of Valor: The Combat History Of The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment In World War II
Four Stars of Valor: The Combat History Of The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment In World War II
By Phil Nordyke
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 Ritchie, William Dunbar

    SURNAME Ritchie FORENAME William Dunbar UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 2185488 DATE OF DEATH 19th March 1943 AGE 27 GRAVESITE Bone War Cemetery, Algeria III.A.9 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Welch regiment born Stirling son of Robert and Susan D.Ritchie husband...

  2. ARMY CDOS Powell, Christopher William

    SURNAME Powell FORENAME Christopher William UNIT 1 Commando RANK Fusilier NUMBER 2149919 DATE OF DEATH 2nd December 1942 AGE 21 GRAVESITE Massicault War Cemetery,Tunisia VI.A.20 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Welch Fusiliers born Shropshire resided shropshire...

  3. ARMY CDOS Pllu, Andrew

    SURNAME Pllu FORENAME Andrew UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 7942336 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 10.D.10 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Welch Regiment born Ayrshire son of Cochrane and Mary...

  4. ARMY CDOS Phillips, Wilfrid Harold

    SURNAME Phillips FORENAME Wilfrid Harold UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 4105154 DATE OF DEATH 1st-6th December 1942 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 27 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit King's Shropshire Light Infantry former Herefordshire...

  5. ARMY CDOS Palmer, Antony Ashford

    SURNAME Palmer FORENAME Antony Ashford UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lieutenant NUMBER 242779 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 3.C.18 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit York and Lancaster Regiment born London E son of Donald Ashford and...

  6. ARMY CDOS Morris, Mathew Frank

    SURNAME Morris FORENAME Mathew Frank UNIT 1 Commando RANK Sergeant NUMBER 1905889 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE 26 GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 3.J.13 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Engineers born Merioneth resided Merioneth son of Alfred H...

  7. ARMY CDOS Morgan, Harold Rees

    SURNAME Morgan FORENAME Harold Rees UNIT 1 Commando RANK Captain NUMBER 88079 DATE OF DEATH 1st December 1942 AGE 26 GRAVESITE Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Welch Regiment born Carmarthenshire son of William Thomas and Margaret...

  8. ARMY CDOS Martin, Alexander George

    SURNAME Martin FORENAME Alexander George UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 5182332 DATE OF DEATH 29th November 1943 AGE 28 GRAVESITE Rangoon War Cemetery,Myanmar Coll.grave 6.E.1-6 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Gloucestershire Regiment born Gloucestershire resided...

  9. ARMY CDOS Loakes, Stanley John

    SURNAME Loakes FORENAME Stanley John UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lance Corporal NUMBER 4038903 DATE OF DEATH 2nd December 1942 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Massicault War Cemetery,Tunisia VI.C.7 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit King's Shropshire Light Infantry born Salford,Lancashire...

  10. ARMY CDOS Lloyd, Edmund John

    SURNAME Lloyd FORENAME Edmund John UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lance Corporal NUMBER 14604377 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE 29 GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 10.C.15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment born Kent resided London...

  11. ARMY CDOS Llewellyn, Fred

    SURNAME Llewellyn FORENAME Fred UNIT 1 Commando RANK Corporal NUMBER 4036505 DATE OF DEATH 28th March 1942 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Escoublac-la-Baule War Cemetery,France 2.A.3 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit King's Shropshire Light Infantry born Worcester son of Tom and...

  12. ARMY CDOS Lines, Ronald James

    SURNAME Lines FORENAME Ronald James UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lance Corporal NUMBER 3964660 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE 26 GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 11.B.8 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Welch Regiment born Cheshire resided Cheshire died Burma

  13. ARMY CDOS Lewis, Frank

    SURNAME Lewis FORENAME Frank UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lance Sergeant NUMBER 3960926 DATE OF DEATH 6th December 1942 AGE 23 GRAVESITE Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Welch Regiment born Merthyr Tydfil,Glamorgan son of John and...

  14. ARMY CDOS Lander, Raymond Frederick

    SURNAME Lander FORENAME Raymond Frederick UNIT 1 Commando RANK Sergeant NUMBER 5933108 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE 25 GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 10.H.2 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit 2 Bn Suffolk Regiment born Cambridgeshire resided...

  15. ARMY CDOS Knowland, George Arthur

    SURNAME Knowland FORENAME George Arthur UNIT 1 Commando (A Troop) RANK Lieutenant NUMBER 323566 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 11.J.1 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Norfolk Regiment born 16.8.1922 Catford,London...

  16. ARMY CDOS Klonowski, Theophilus Henry

    SURNAME Klonowski FORENAME Theophilus Henry UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lance Corporal NUMBER 5950896 DATE OF DEATH 1st January 1943 AGE 23 GRAVESITE Oued Zarga War Cemetery,Tunisia 1.H.12 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment born London SW...

  17. ARMY CDOS Jones, Hubert

    SURNAME Jones FORENAME Hubert UNIT 1 Commando RANK Corporal NUMBER 2073288 DATE OF DEATH 31st January 1945 AGE 25 GRAVESITE Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 3.K.4 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Royal Engineers born Swansea,Glamorgan resided Swansea,Glamorgan son of...

  18. ARMY CDOS Jones, Thomas

    SURNAME Jones FORENAME Thomas UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 3970706 DATE OF DEATH 8th November 1942 AGE 25 GRAVESITE Dely Ibrahim War Cemetery,Algeria 3.H.8 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Welch Regiment born Glamorgan resided Glamorgan son of Thomas and...

  19. ARMY CDOS Humphreys, James

    SURNAME Humphreys FORENAME James UNIT 1 Commando RANK Private NUMBER 3958742 DATE OF DEATH 28th February 1943 AGE 28 GRAVESITE Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit Welch Regiment born Swansea,Glamorgan husband of Dorothy...

  20. ARMY CDOS Horgan, James John

    SURNAME Horgan FORENAME James John UNIT 1 Commando RANK Lance Sergeant NUMBER 5048951 DATE OF DEATH 6th December 1942 AGE 33 GRAVESITE Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 19 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION parent unit South Wales Borderers and 2 Bn Monmouthshire Regiment born...
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