The Unknown

Frank Blackburn joined the Royal Marines on the 3rd of April 1941. On the 22nd of May 1941 he went to RM Division until the 31st of July 1943 and joined 47 RM Commando on the 1st of August 1943. On the 19th of August 1943 he went into RMTG until transferred to HMS Copra on the 3rd of October 1943 were he served until the 2nd of January 1946. He went to the Portsmouth Division and was released class 'A' on the 4th of March 1946.

Cyril John Bruford served as Home Based Ledger in Royal Marines Division until he joined 47 RM Commando on the 1st of August 1943 and stayed with the Commando until the 26th of September 1943. On the 14th of November 1943 he was transferred to HMS "Copra" where he served until the 16th of February 1946. The following day he went to the Portsmouth Division and was released Class 'A' on the 5th of May 1946.

John Cotton joined the Royal Marines at RM Reserve Depot on the 13th of March 1941 and served there until the 13th of April 1941. He became HBL at RM Brigade on the 14th April 1941 until the 31st of July 1943 and joined 47 RM Commando on the 1st of August 1943 until the 27th of August 1945. He went to Plymouth Division from the 28th of August 1945 until discharged as physically unfit for Royal Marine Services on the 25th of October 1945. He received 2 wounds; the first being on the 3rd of September 1944 and the second being on the 13th of March 1945.

RAMC att. ??

RAMC att. ??

Died 6 January 1945.

Died 8 August 1945.

James Healy served with 47 RM Commando from 1944 to 1946. He went through training at "Royal Marine Officer Cadet Training Unit, Thurstowe, Devon, May 1944." and ended with 47 RM Commando at Warburg, Germany, September 1945. After the war he worked in Fleet Street for Newsweek, Odhams Press, launching three national magazines and then for the Times, working on both the Educational and the Literary Supplements. Later, he moved out of London and built up a toy company with his wife.

RAMC att. ??

Aubrey James trained as a signaller with the Royal Marines and served with 47 RM Commando. On Walcheren he landed at Flushing attached to No.4 Commando. He was then involved in various raids on the surrounding islands where, as signalman, he would wait for hours on the beach for the raiding parties to return. After Holland he went to the Far East, some of the trip being extremely rough. As a good sailor, Aubrey was one of the few who enjoyed the bad weather in that he was always the first in the queue for food.

After the war, to the disappointment of parents and teachers, he turned down a place at Aberdeen University to study forestry. It seems that after serving, he couldn't face being a full time student. However, he did undertake forestry training, becoming a Forester, Head Forester and ultimately a Chief Forester. After retiring from the Forestry Commission he became a lecturer at Otley Agricultural College on arboriculture where he was highly regarded and also wrote one of the first training manuals for chain saws.

William Robert McCammond served as Home Based Ledger in Royal Marines Division until the 15th of September 1943 in the rank of Lance-Corporal and the following day was transferred to Royal Marines Provost Company where he served until the 6th of November 1943 and was demoted to Marine. During this period he performed Police Duties. On the 7th of November 1943 he joined 47 RM Commando and served with them until the 9th of May 1944. The following day he went into Royal Marines Training Group until he was transferred to HMS "Copra" on the 9th of July 1944 where he was promoted to Lance-Corporal on 15 August 1944. From the 18th of August 1944 he performed duties as Acting Coxswain and from the 18th of November 1944 as Coxswain. On the 11th of January 1945 he became Acting Temporary Corporal and on the 29th of January 1945 went back to Marine. The 16th of February 1945 he went to Royal Marines Training Group until transferred to the Portsmouth Division on the 18th of September 1945. On the 15th of November 1945 he was discharged 'Physically Unfit for Royal Marines Service'.

Jack Stephen McGeorge served as Home Based Ledger in Royal Marines Division until he joined 47 RM Commando on the 1st of August 1943. He stayed with the Commando until transferred to 30 RM Batallion on the 11th of December 1945. He was released from Chatham Division in Class 'A' on the 17th of March 1946.

Died 20 August 1944.

Duncan Paterson joined RM Reserve Depot on the 24th of July 1940. On the 21st of September 1940 he went to Plymouth Division and became HBL in the RM Brigade on the 21st of January in a Tradesman Unit. On the 2nd of January 1943 he went to RM Signals School until the 14th of September 1943. On the 15th of September 1943 he went to RM Commandos as a Marine until the 31st of August 1944 and as Ty/Cpl. from the 1st of September 1944 until the 28th of October 1945. The following day he went back to Plymouth Division and was released to Class "A" on the 1st of January 1946.

Private Pattinson served in 47 RM Commando and from June 1945 until February 1946 in No. 9 (Army) Commando.

Died 25 August 1944.

Leslie A. Rogers served with 47, landing in Normandy, and remained with the Commando all the way through to Germany. Post-war he stayed with the RM serving in various trouble spots, including Malaya in 1951 with 40 Commando.

Dennis George Smith joined the Royal Marines at Portsmouth Division Eastney Barracks on the 25th of February 1942. On the 31st of July 1942 he went as Home Based Ledger to Royal Marines Division and next went to the 2nd Royal Marines Group MNBDO on the 30th of August 1942. On the 17th of March 1944 he went to Royal Marines Training Group and on the 11th of July 1944 went to Royal Marines Holding Commando. During his commando training he was given the assignment to retrieve a handkerchief from Lady Mountbatten in which he succeeded. At another time during training he had to track down a Harley Street Doctor in London and take written evidence back to base. He joined 47 RM Commando on the 27th of September 1944 and stayed with them until the 27th of June 1945. He went into Holding Commando Royal Marines on the 28th of June 1945. On the 22nd of January 1946 he went to Royal Marines Training Group (Depot) and on the 9th of February to Royal Marines Technical Training Depot. His service ended on the 18th of June 1946 back at Portsmouth Division and was released Class 'A'.

David John Smith joined the Royal Marines on the 4th of May 1942 and served in the 10th Battalion. He was picked for Officer training on the 2nd of October 1942. Started Officer training at Thurlestone, Devon. Became T/2nd Lt on the 5th February 1943 attached to 2nd Royal Marines Engineering Company.

In August 1943 he went to Acknacarry Commando Training centre and became T/Lt on the 5th of August 1943 as he joined 47 Commando. David John Smith stayed with 47 Commando until December 1943.

December 1943 he became part of newly formed Royal Marine Commando Engineers and was attached to 1st SSB. Landed at Sword Beach on D-Day with 45 RM Commando. In 1945 he was transferred to 3 Commando Brigade and left for India and Thailand to get stationed in Hong Kong. On the 18th of October 1945 he became T/Captain and was released from the Royal Marines on the 3rd of August 1946.

Died 21 January 1944. Major Wilfred Tyndale-Biscoe died in a road traffic collision in the UK.

Leslie Vaughan was a signaller with 47 RM Commando and before the war was a lion-tamer. As a result he had lost two fingers on one hand but was still fit and able enough to win his green beret and to serve.

Royal Engineers att. ???

Norman Basil West enlisted at Plymouth Division on the 8th of May 1941 and from the 24th of June 1943 served as Home Based Ledger in Royal Marines Division until the 31st of July 1943 and the following day joined 47 RM Commando with which he stayed until the 30th of January 1946. On the 31st of January he went to Plymouth Division until he was released in Class 'A' on the 3rd of April 1946.