On Wednesday of this week,I visited the cemetery of Morton just north of Gainsborough as I have many times over the years.Again I passed the grave of a married couple.On the recently renovated grave lies a memorial to their son who "died on active service", it has been on the grave many years.The memorial is carved on a wood plaque and is very difficult to read but on Wednesday I thought I would get as close as I could, to read the scrip. The memorial states "Albert Richard Marshall died on active service 18 September 1942" aged 21 years.Further research reveals that this service death was not really a death in active service but a death,killed in action.Looking at the CWGC website tells me that A.R Marshall was a 2nd Class Stoker on HMS Submarine HMS Talisman which I ascertained was lost in the Mediterranean,without trace in September 1942.Looking at Talisman's 1941 operations,I realised that it had been involved in the Geoffrey Keys/Robert Laycock commando landing along with HMS Torbay for the raid on Rommel's HQ,thought to be at Beda Littoria on the Libyan coast. Then on Friday, I received the current No 153 After the Battle magazine which contained a comprehensive account of the raid in which Keys was killed and was awarded the VC under Operation Flipper and in which Laycock was lucky to escape with his life.I have read the account many years before and always thought that Geoffrey Keys was able to mount the raid because of the influence of his father Sir Roger Keyes,Director of Combined Operations of 1918 Zeebrugge fame.At some point after this raid Sir Rodger Keys was replaced by Louis Mountbatten,some might be aware of the detail. Casting my mind back to Robert Laycock,he was brought up at Wiseton Hall,about 5 miles to the west of Gainsborough on the road to Bawtry,a little distance from Stoker Marshall's home town.Whether Stoker Marshall was crewed up on Talisman during Operation Flipper,when the submarine was conveying Laycock for the landing,I do not know but it is likely that he was. Talisman was lost on a supply voyage from Gib to Malta,thought to be sunk off Sicily by naval forces or from the air.It left Gib on 12 Sepember and should have docked at Malta on 18 September 1942.Hence Stoker Albert Richard Marshall's memorial on his parents' grave, records his death as 18 September 1942.
Harry - Many gravestones hide much of the heroism by remarkably normal folk just doing ordinary things - in extraordinary ways - That raid on Rommels alledged HQ was a badly bungled affair as I recall and many questions were raised on how a senior Officer like Laycock deferred to the Junior Keys Cheers
Thanks for this Harry, often we forget that vessels and units are made up of a team of people and when losses occur it is only the leaders names that stick in our memories. RIP to all who lost their lives
Harry - Many gravestones hide much of the heroism by remarkably normal folk just doing ordinary things - in extraordinary ways - That raid on Rommels alledged HQ was a badly bungled affair as I recall and many questions were raised on how a senior Officer like Laycock deferred to the Junior Keys Cheers Tom, Your note accepted.I was going to add my note in the same vein as yours regarding the success of the raid.Reading between the lines,I always thought it was flawed but I did not wish to be too critical.Failure is always scruntinised but success, seldom.It would have been different had Rommel been there that night and been removed from the Third Reich's military leadership. As regards rank,Rodger Keys was a Major at the time of the raid and the Germans buried him as such.It was only later when the grave was recovered by the British that his rank was changed to Lieut Colonel on his grave,his unsubstantive rank at the time of the raid. Remembering L/Cpl Peter Barrand who was drowned during this operation when all the dinghies,except one capzised on launching from HMS Talisman.No known grave,he is remembered on the Alexandria Memorial.
Keyes citation gives his rank as Major (Temporary Lt Colonel) Geoffrey Charles Tuskor Keyes MC The Royal Scots Greys (Dragoons).......wonder how many children are called Tuskor these days?????
Remembering L/Cpl Peter Barrand who was drowned during this operation when all the dinghies,except one capzised on launching from HMS Talisman.No known grave,he is remembered on the Alexandria Memorial. Peter Charles Barrand - ARMY CDOS - Special Forces - Roll Of Honour
