B-Troop

Wounded 1 November 1944. Gerry Archbold joined up in 1943, aged 17. After training at Achnacarry, because of his age he was assigned to guarding airfields. But it was not all boredom, he fondly remembered being taken up for a spin in a Swordfish by one of the pilots.

It was after D-Day that Gerry joined his colleagues in 47 RM Commando as they trained for the assault on Walcheren. He was a radio operator and was on board a Buffalo amphibious vehicle as the attack began. As they saw the two Buffalo's in front of them hit, his sergeant told him "to get that thing off your back". It was timely advice because soon after their Buffalo was hit by tracer fire and they all jumped into the water to escape the burning phosphorous. As Gerry swam ashore, he grabbed the hand of one the other men in the water, but when they reached the beach he realised his colleague was dead.

On the beach, Gerry realised he had serious burns to his leg and could barely walk. He managed to hide himself in a water filled foxhole until help arrived. His next recollection was waking on a stretcher and hearing German voices from either side. At first, he thought he'd been captured, but then he realised he was in safe hands and the Germans were POW's who were being taken to the same hospital ship.

He returned to blighty and convalesced in Portmeirion in Wales. Unfortunately, the village was dry, so to speed their recovery Gerry and a colleague 'borrowed' a boat in order to find a local hostelry.

Once recovered, Gerry was drafted into the Military Police and spent the last 6 months of his service as a driver in Germany.

Returning to civilian life, he worked in a factory making sash windows, where he met Thelma, soon to be his wife. In the 50's he joined Associated Ethyl Ltd (the makers of the anti-knocking compound found in petrol) as a rigger/scaffolder and remained with them until his retirement.

MOA Isherwood.

Wounded 7 June & 1 November 1944. Mne. Ted 'Ben' Battley volunteered at the age of 17 and from April 1941 served 10th Battalion RM. He was wounded on 7 June 1944 on the quay at Port-en-Bessin below the Eastern Feature (along with his number 2 on the Bren, Mne. Roy Emsley, who was too badly wounded to return to to the unit but was awarded the MM). Mne. Battley re-joined 47 RM Commando at Fécamp and was very badly wounded on Walcheren on 1st November 1944 when LCT 18 was hit. Lt Lloyd and Cpl Rutherford got him out of the water onto an inflatable raft and "swam" him ashore. Mne. Battley lay on the beach in a bomb crater several days before getting evacuated. He was unable to return to 47 RM Commando after that.

Wounded 7 June 1944.

A & B Troop. Joining up in May 1941, Ronald Beck, who was known as Joe while in the Marines, subsequently joined 47 RM Commando. He served in A Troop and B Troop, taking part in both the Normandy and Walcheren landings. After the war he worked for English China Clay in the quarry at Plymstock in Plymouth where he was a plant operator.

Killed in action 10 August 1944.

Killed in action 7 June 1944.

A & B Troop. Wounded 7 June 1944.

B & HQ Troop. Wounded 15 July 1944.

Wounded 7 June 1944.

Andrew Charlton enlisted on 10 July 1941 aged nineteen, landed on D-Day in Normandy and subsequently fought in the battle for Port-en-Bessin. His oldest brother was killed in Libya while serving in a tank regiment. After the war he started work with a wheelbarrow and ended up with a haulage plant and demolition company employing over fifty local people.

RAMC att. B Troop. Tommy was a Senior male nurse at the London Hospital before the war and joined the RAMC in 1940, he was posted to 47 RM Cdo in October 1943 and spent the duration of the war with them, albeit for the last few months (July 1945-Nov 1945) where he joined 44 RM Cdo in Hong Kong & India.During his time in 47 RM Commando he had the rank of L/Cpl. but ended his service a Cpl.

B & Y Troop. Wounded 7 June 1944.

Wounded 23 July 1944.

(*Military Medal) Wounded 7 June 1944.

(*Distinguished Conduct Medal) Later Sgt.

B-Troop (Signals). Peter Ford joined the Royal Marines at the age of 17 and served in the 9th Battalion until 1943 when he did his Commando training at Achnacarry and joined the newly formed 47 RM Commando. He became a signaller with B Troop and served right through until the Commando was disbanded. After the war he joined the police, serving for 25 years. Retiring at 50 he then taught physical training for 15 years at schools in Harrow, mainly judo and swimming and remained a very fit man despite the passing years.

(*Military Medal)

Wounded 7 June & 1 November 1944.

Wounded 23 July 1944.

B Troop (Signals)

Posted away 14 July 1944 - 4 SS Bde.

Wounded 7 June 1944.

Prisoner of War 18 June 1944.

Wounded 1 November, died of wounds 2 November 1944.

Evacuated sick 29 June 1944.

(*Military Medal) Wounded 1 November 1944. Sgt. Horsfield took part in both the Normandy landings, and the liberation of Walcheren. At Walcheren he received shrapnel wounds when his landing craft was hit. After the war he returned to being a member of Lancashire Constabulary.

Evacuated sick 29 June 1944.

Wounded 1 November 1944.

Wounded 16 June 1944.

(*Military Medal). Fred Lanyon was a Cornishman, born and bred, who joined the 10th Battalion Royal Marines which laid the basis for 47 RM Commando. He remained with the Commando from its inception to its disbandment as a member of B Troop, taking part in the Normandy landings and the battle for Walcheren where he earned the Military Medal for “gallantry, leadership and undaunted devotion to duty during the assault…” After the war he returned to his job as a stonemason at the local quarry but had to give up due to dust affecting his lungs and so joined the South Western Electricity Board.

Killed in action 1 November 1944.

Wounded 1 November 1944.

Wounded 18 June 1944.

Posted away 14 July 1944 - 4 SS Bde.

Lt. Roger Lloyd started off as Weapons Training Officer and saw action in the Normandy campain. He was promoted in the field to Captain during the battle for Walcheren. For his actions on Walcheren, he was awarded the medal of the Bronze Cross.

B & X Troop. Killed in action 15 June 1944.

Thomas Blair McFadyen joined the 7th Battalion Royal Marines on 3 June 1941. His extensive service record shows he was transferred to the 10th Battalion Royal Marines on 17 August 1941. After having went through Royal Marines Military School from 30 July 1942 to 12 September 1942 he was appointed Lance-Corporal on 17 October 1942. On 18 February 1943 he got promoted to Acting Temporary Corporal and on the 1st of April 1943 he went on Senior Non Commissioned Officer's Course in Deal. On 14 May 1943 he returned to 10th Battalion Royal Marines and on the 8th of June 1943 was promoted to Acting Temporary Sergeant. On 9 September 1943 he joined 47 Royal Marine Commando but 12 January 1944 he temporarily went to Deal Commando Depot SNCO's School. On 18 February 1944 he returned to 47 Royal Marine Commando in the rank of Sergeant. However on 7 March 1944 the results of NCO's Course No.8 came back as failed and he was demoted to Acting Temporary Sergeant. On the 2nd of June 1944 he embarked in the UK and landed in Normandy with the Commando on 6 June 1944. On 24 June 1944 went to 225 Para (?) Field Ambulance suffering from PTSD and on 25 June 1944 was evacuated by Hospital Carrier to the UK. He spent his days in different hospitals from 29 June 1944 until he went back to Holding Operational Commando on the 3rd of August 1944. On 1 September 1944 he got promoted to Temporary Sergeant and joined 48 RM Commando on the 13th of October 1944. On 21 October 1944 he re-joined 47 Royal Marine Commando and went back to NW Europe. On 28 June 1945 he returned to the UK and was transferred to 46 RM Commando. He ended his service on 14 January 1946 at Portsmouth Division as Home Based Ledger. Thomas Blair McFadyen died in 1966 in Edinburgh.

Gordon Leslie McKenner joined the Royal Marines at Chatham Division on 20 May 1942. He went to become Home Based Ledger at Royal Marines Division on 21 September 1942. On 1st August 1943 he joined 47 RM Commando and stayed with them until disbanded on 31st January 1946. He then went as HBL to Commando Training Unit Royal Marines on 1st March 1946. He ended his service in June 1946 back at Chatham Division and was discharged Class 'A'.

Wounded 26 July 1944.

Wounded 1 November 1944.

Wounded 1 November 1944.

Mne. Nicholls, always known as Nobby in the Marines, was brought up in Salford and lied about his age in order to join. He served in various locations overseas and later did his Commando training at Achnacarry, joining 47 RM Commando soon after D-Day and served in B Troop. Nobby served at Sallenelles, Walcheren, the River Maas and in Germany, where he and his comrades gave away their rations tot he starving population. His friend, Sam Greenhalgh (Q Troop), who lived a few streets away was killed in action.

After the war he worked at a council-run cemetery digging graves.

Wounded 26 July, battle injuries 1 November 1944.

Wounded 7 June 1944.

B & X Troop. Tommy Payne served on a Naval Sea Fort outside the Thames estuary from 1942.

After transferring to Achnacarry and completing his commando training, he joined 47 RM Commando at Wenduine just prior to the Walcheren landing. He served in X Troop and remained with the Commando until it was disbanded.

Pat Plumb began his service in the 10th Battalion Royal Marines. He made the grade at Achnacarry and became part of 47 RM Commando from the very beginning and served in B Troop right through until the unit was disbanded. On leaving the Marines, he worked as a nurseryman and then returned to farming as a herdsman in Hertfordshire. Having survived two opposed landings and the fierce fighting at Sallenelles and Kapelsche veer, he said that one of the worst times for him was in Germany with the war all but over. In freezing temperatures and with the civilian population without fuel and starving, they had to protect a trainload of coal trucks with orders to shoot anyone attempting to steal from it. Almost certainly he never fired.

Killed in action 2 November 1944.

B & Y Troop. Wounded 7 June, died 14 June 1944

Wounded 23 July 1944.

Wounded 1 November 1944.

Cpl. Rutherford initially served in the Royal Marines Beach Battalion but was soon transferred to 10th Battalion Royal Marines. He saw action during the winter of '43/'44 on operations to Norway from the Shetland Islands. He landed on D-Day and fought in the battle for Normandy, and the following push through France and the Low Countries. During the action to liberate the Dutch island of Walcheren in November 1944, he was wounded when his landing craft was hit by an enemy shell and he was badly burnt down his left arm the the left side of his face. He refused any medical treatment until the battle was over as, in his words "there were a lot worse than me who needed treatment first".

Bill Shepherd was best man at the wedding of Mne. Herbert Tanner, X-Troop.

Wounded 1 November 1944.

Wounded 18 June 1944.

Wounded 1 November, died of wounds 2 November 1944.

Wounded 23 July 1944.

Wounded 26 July 1944.

Killed in action 16 June 1944.

Mne. Ron Tullett was killed by accidental RAF bombing at Sallenelles on 16 June 1944.

B & Q Troop. Posted away 10 July 1944 - 4 SS Bde.

Ray Tullett was Mne. Ron Tullett's brother

Ian Watson joined the Royal Marines on 1st April 1941 and served with 47 RM Commando as a sniper throughout the European Campaign, landing with B Troop in Normandy and later at Walcheren.

Wounded 7 June 1944.