212079 (2587892) John Kirkpatrick PATERSON, R Signals, 1 Commando & RAMC: 1921-2012

I am researching the above man who was a pre-war medical student and also, according to the 1939 Register, was a Signalman with the 2nd London Corps of Signals, T.A. (Service number obliterated). We know he served with 1 Commando as a junior communications officer in the far east and after the war completed his medical training to become a Doctor, and I still remember him stitching my gashed chin in the mid 50’s!

He married Mary Frances Berry in August 1946 and we have a picture of him in uniform from the marriage. Can the experts here confirm that it and the insignia are indeed those of a commando officer, please? I have found some information about his likely wartime activities from the commandoveterans.org website, but if anyone has any other ideas of where I should look for info regarding his service I would be delighted to hear of it.

I attach the wedding photograph and also a ‘snip’ from a website where he related a story about losing his beret while under fire:

 

Hi,

Very blurry collar badges and incomplete shoulder badges do very hard to give a definitive answer.

Given the biography you provided could it be RAMC?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25656454...MI0qfS69WkiQMVT2WRBR0iKAjbEAQYCiABEgLWI_D_BwE

Or even Royal Corps of Signals?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28596396...MI0e2voNekiQMVA5FQBh215zlNEAQYASABEgIZs_D_BwE

Your best bet is track his commissioned service through the London Gazette.
Steve

 

Is it not 2587892 which is an enlistment number for the Royal Corps of Signals?

 

Following Steve's lead in post #2.

A possible; Royal Corps of Signals. "The undermentioned Cadets to be 2nd Lts. 9th October 1941"





Good luck with your research.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Agreed, and after that it says No 1 ..... as his sub unit of the 2nd London Corps of Signals.

The collar badges in his wedding photo look like a match to Royal Signals badges, but are also similar in a blurred photo to RAMC.

Sorry I can't read the shoulder flash, but it could be a continuous word such as Commando rather than having a gap like Royal Corps of Signals. Both in WW2 seem to have had light or red writing on a dark background. RAMC flashes were just the initials.


Travers



EDIT: Now see some of this duplicates Jim's post. Have found two further mentions in the Gazette which seem to confirm Royal Signals in 1946.

Royal Army Medical Corps. War Subs. Lt John Kirkpatrick Paterson M.B. (212079) from Royal Signals Emerg. Commn. to be a Lt 15 Aug 1951
Page 5840 | Supplement 39378, 9 November 1951 | Lon...

Royal Army Medical Corps. Lt J.K. Paterson M.B. (212079) from active list to be Lt 15 Jan 1952 retaining his present seniority.
Page 3230 | Supplement 39570, 10 June 1952 | London...

 

From 1951, since wartime now qualified with Bachelor of Medicine degree.



Full page pdf. attached below.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

As he married in uniform his marriage certificate may well give information.

 

Courtesy of Commando Veterans Archive:









No 1 Commando War Diary February 1945 | ͏

The original 1 Commando War Diary/Diaries may (should) show by name and number officers on strength, attached or otherwise.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

"but if anyone has any other ideas of where I should look for info regarding his service I would be delighted to hear of it."

Hello malcwayland; The next logical step.

Get a copy of military records of service

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Gentlemen, please forgive this group 'thank you' message but I only have a few minutes and I wanted to let you all know as soon as possible how grateful I am. Once again I am deeply moved by the willingness of the forum members to go to some considerable trouble to help me recreate a man's life through the record labyrinth! In this case I am doing it largely out of personal interest - In the 1950's and 60's Dr Paterson was the GP for people living in and near the villages of Alconbury and Sawtry, Hunts., which is why I remember him. I am also doing it on the behalf of a friend, whose uncle, Pete Malt, also served in No1 Commando alongside Paterson and by chance post-war lived not too far from him. Dr Paterson took a special interest in getting appropriate help for his former comrade Pete when he was struggling with various personal issues as well as the bouts of malaria which regularly flared up. Pete's nephew remembers his uncle telling him that Patterson was definitely not serving as any form of medic but was in communications of some sort, and all your findings do indeed support this.

So thanks you Steve (Tullybrone), Tony56, Jim (JimHerriot) and Travers1940. It will take me a little time to review and transcribe all the information you have provided but it will be a real pleasure doing it. I remember swelling with pride when Dr Paterson told my dad I had been very brave while my chin was being stitched, and that if he had a medal he would give it to me! I realise now of course that he did actually have a medal or two...!

My heartfelt thanks to you all. Malcolm

 

Thanks to you and others I'm certain now that he's wearing Royal Signals uniform - he married in August 1946 at which time he was RS, he didn't transfer to RAMC until Nov 1951 after he'd completed his medical training and qualified as a doctor.

 

Thank you Jim, very helpful. Diary not digitised but have got the TNA reference ready (DEFE 2/37) and will try to obtain a copy when I get chance. Thanks again, Malcolm

 

Excellent work, Travers - Really appreciate your help which proves he was still RS when he married, not transferring to RAMC until 1951. Thank you, Malcolm

 

This is my late grandfather, truly a very special man! I have great detail and many writings of his about his time in the military! Let me know if you’d be interested in more information.
Sincerely, David Salter
I am the son of his eldest child. Writing from Canada! Thanks

 

Hi David - Have messaged you, thanks for the interest. KR Malcolm