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Those known to have served with No.6 Commando during the Second World War 1939-1945. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
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Records of No.6 Commando from other sources.
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Want to know more about No.6 Commando? There are:1453 items tagged No.6 Commando available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Joseph Alec Wells No: 6 Commando I would like any information with regard to my fathers military career I think he enlisted in 1938 possibly in the Royal Engineers transferred to the commandos. Eventually he was commissioned and joined the Beds and Herts Regiment as an Officer serving in Italy & Greece & possibly Yugoslavia. After the war he seved till 1949 in Q section? BAOR.
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Pte. Lesley Frank Tett No.6 Commando Les Tett was born on 25h of March 1925. He enlisted on the 3rd of May 1943 and joined the Dorsetshire Regiment at the Infantry Training Centre in Wrexham then was sent to Achnacarry. He meet Elaine Kelly whilst in the Wrexham transit camp, they got married in 1946 and were sweethearts for 50 years In 1944 he was with No.1 Troop 6 Commando, and with No.4 Commando nominal for Normandy. He was wounded in action on D Day in Normandy. Les was promoted to Corporal in 1947 and served with the R.A.S.C. from 1947 to 1949.
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L/Cpl. John James Partridge Crapnell Suffolk Regiment I have been told very little about my grandfather John Crapnell other than he was a POW. I discovered he was at a camp Stalag 4C Wistritz Bei Teplitz. My understanding is he took part in Operation Torch in 1942 before being captured. He then spent the rest of the war as a POW. I am told he had previous military experience but during WW2 he spent some time in 6 Commando.
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Pte. George Dunbar Royal Scots   Born at Malcolm Road, Peterculter, Aberdeen, Scotland, George Dunbar was the second eldest of 4 children.
As a young boy, the family moved to 102 John Street, Aberdeen, Scotland, where his mother ran a shop at next door at 104. His father worked at the Culter Paper Mill.
He attended the Demonstration School at John Street, an educational estabishment where teachers under training worked alongside regular teachers.
George left school at 14 years of age and worked as a delivery boy with Whitehall Laundry. Next worked as a pageboy, complete with uniform and pill box hat, at the City Cinema, George Street, Aberdeen and a few months later worked in a granite yard as an apprentice sawyer.
In 1940, his family moved to 373 Anderson Drive North, Aberdeen and he obtained employment at a specialist hardware and furniture store, MacMillans.
He started an apprenticeship as a plumber with Gorrod, Forest Avenue, Aberdeen and at age 17. With the Second World War in its third year, George wanted to join the RAF as an air gunner. He was refused because his occupation was on the reserve list. He also tried the navy, but was turned down for the same reason.
He enlisted in the army on 20th of January 1943 and gave his occupation as a message boy, and once accepted, told them that he was an apprentice plumber. His brother William was in the Royal Scot Guards.
George trained at Cameron barracks, near Inverness, Scotland, and passed as a track laying vehicle driver. He volunteered for Commando training, with three other soldiers from Glasgow, who were more tough than he, and they thought that he would not pass the fitness exam. The three failed and he was accepted and underwent 10 weeks of training.
He joined No. 6 Commando Unit at Brighton.
In 1944, he was part of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France and fought in Belgium. After a time, due to losses, he was sent back to England for re-grouping and was later sent back to the front line.
During a 10 day leave period, he was married at 2 Garthdee Crescent, Aberdeen, the home of his wife Elizabeth's parents, on 25th of December 1944 and should have been back on duty on 31st December but stayed for the New Year and arrived back two days late. He was sentenced to 21 days unpaid duty.
The Commando Unit was sent back for duty in Belgium and on the 24th January 1945 he was wounded in the back and shoulder with shrapnel. He was sent to a hospital in Brussels and then flown back to a hospital in Aberdeen. He was allowed home during the day and had to return to the hospital in the evening.
He was posted to a hospital near Edinburgh and eventually discharged as fit for duty. When given a medical examination, he was found to be unfit for the Commando Unit and he volunteered to join the Military Police and was trained in Germany. He was discharged from the armed services on 20th July 1946 but held in reserve until 1952.
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Sgt. William Glen "Larry" Larsen 238th Field Coy. Royal Engineers Sergeant William Glen Larsen of the Royal Engineers was a loving and kind hearted father and grandfather who did not like to talk about his exploits during the war. He passed away in late 1998 at the age of 78.
After receiving some records of his movements and awards through the war this is what I found:
He enlisted at Paisley as a boy into the Royal Engineers Territorial Army and posted to 238th Highland Field Company on 24.03.37
the transferred to 51st Divisional Engineers on 12.04.37
On attaining the age of 17 years on 25.12.37, William was posted to the Ranks. He was Promoted Corporal on the 11th of August 1939
and embodied for war service on the 2nd of September 1939.
On the 13th of August 1940 he was posted to No. 2 Troop No. 6 Commando.
then returned to 238th Field Company on the 10th of June 1941
He was Appointed Acting Lance Sergeant on the 17th of December 1941, then Acting Sergeant on the 2nd of February 1944
and granted War Substantive Rank of Sergeant on the 31st of July 1944
After the war he was released to the Royal Army Reserve on the 22nd of July 1946
being Discharged from Reserve Liability on 30.06.59
due to the Navy, Army and Air Forces Reserve Act 1959.
His Service with the Colours was from 02.09.39 to 22.07.46
seeing Overseas Service with the British Expeditionary Force France 15th of January 1940 to 2nd of February 1945 and in the Middle East from 3rd of February 1945 to 14th of March 1946
His Military Conduct is listed as Exemplary.
William's Testimonial reads: Sergeant Larsen has been with this unit since before the outbreak of war. He has served with it in the Battle of Dunkirk, North Africa and Italy. Since being in the service he has qualified as a vehicle mechanic and for the past two years has had sole charge of the motor transport of the unit. He is loyal, conscientious and an excellent disciplinarian. He is extremely capable, smart and soldierly in appearance and an all round first class NCO with a very fine record. I have no hesitation in recommending him most strongly for a position of trust and responsibility to any future employer.
Medal issued:
Efficiency Medal Territorial,
1939-45 Star,
Africa Star,
Italy Star and War Medal 1939-45.
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Pte. William Asquith No. 6 Commando My father was William Asquith who served with No.6 Commando.
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L/Cpl. Victor McNally No.6 Commando East Surrey Rgt. (d.22nd November 1942) My grandfather, Victor McNally, served with the East Surrey Regiment in WWII. His secondary regiment was No. 6 Commando. He died in action on 22nd November 1942 and is buried in the Bone War Cemetery, Annaba. Does anyone know anything more about him?
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Ronald Hardey 6th Commando My uncle, Ronald Hardey, served with No. 6 Commando, 1st SSB (1941-1945).
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William Bidmead King's Royal Rifle Corps My father, Bill Bidmead, served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, stationed at Winchester. On disbandenment he went on to serve in a tank regiment, the Highland Light Infantry where he volunteered for the Commandos. He then served with No. 4 Commando on D-day and throughout the Normandy campaign. He was also at Walcharen and later joined No. 6. Commando preparing for the attack on the Japanese mainland.
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WO2 Albert John Cotterill North Staffordshire Regiment My Dad, Jack Cotterill joined Nth Staffs in 1933 and was posted to Palestine in 1936. In 1939 he was shipped off to France and was evacuated from Dunkirk with 300,000 of his mates.
In due time he served in North Africa and volunteered to be trained as a commando. After serving in 6th Commando and spending time with the Long Range Desert Group,he was sent to Italy where he was captured by the Italians. When Italy surrendered, he was handed over to the Germans and sent off to Germany to finish the war in a POW camp. He was repatriated by the Soviets and sent back to the UK. In 1946 he was sent to Trieste (Betfor) where he met my mother,a local girl. They were married in 1947. I was born in the British Military Hospital and we stayed in Trieste until 1954 when the Regiment was sent back to England. In 1955, Dad left the Army and we emigrated to Australia. Dad went through WW2 uninjured, survived the commandoes and spent two years in a POW camp. In 1973, aged 57,he died of cancer. Mum passed away last Xmas.
Dad did not talk about the war that much except to say that his most fondest memory was not the food or the thought of someone shooting at you or the wonderful RSM but the bond he had with his mates (even the RSM). I joined the navy in 1966 and two years later,I was in Vietnam. It was then I understood what he meant.
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