Over the years I have got into many conversations with guys claiming to be EX Para After a few questions as to who with ,where and the mention of outstanding personality's (If not genuine and most are) they either shut up or fall back on "I was always on special OP,s met few people and cannot talk about it." Initially I became quite sceptical about some of the tales I heard but did learn over time that many strange and unusual things do happen in the forces and this has tempered me some what. An example. Working on a building site some years ago and a guy says to me" your ex Para arn't you ,Tom over there was at Arnhem" So I got into conversation with Tom".Which Battalion were you with",. "I was in the Royal Navy" he replied. O yea! I thought scepticism coming to the fore. But then he went on to explain that Royal Navy signallers were attached to various HQs in case the Naval big guns were needed (Normandy Sicily etc.) He and a fellow signaller were posted to the Airborne for Op,s near the coast and then forgotten about when things moved in land.
It would be a normal reaction to think that but Navy personnel did not just serve at sea. There was a thread on here recently about a seaman who lost both his legs ashore attached to the army http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/51555-my-great-uncle/?hl=%2Blost+%2Blegs#entry604476 Serving ashore is nothing new, it happened then and still happens today. When I served, ratings in my branch could transfer to RN Commando doing NGS (Naval Gunfire Support) amongst other things. I assume we still have them unless they have been disbanded because we haven't got much of a Navy now. Regards Hugh
redtop, If he was Navy and with the paras he would have been a member of C.O.B.U. Combined Operations Bombardment Unit. There were quite a few teams with the 6th Airborne Division in Normandy. A team would consist of 2x RA and 2x RN telegraphists who would lay down fire either from the coast or shore. One team dropped from Richard Todd's aircraft with the 7th Parachute Bn. Never heard of COBU with the 1st Airborne Division, but there is a possibility. There was a Dutch & American communication team which dropped into Arnhem. Brithm
I did hear from a Border veterans son a few years ago that when his Dad was captured and being processed one of the men in the line was in navy uniform,from memory the story was he had gone (unofficially) on a flight with an RAF mate who was doing resupply when they were shot down - he was apparently the subject of lots of jokes from the Airborne lads. Alistair
I would imagine that the only way official RN personnel would differ in uniform would be his cap badge and DZ patches and the like..I assume he wore a Red Beret .(Wonder if he would have got away with a beard ) I must admit looking back I wish I had pursued the matter further. It throws up so many Questions ,did he do an Army Para course ,or as a Naval Commando in Combined Op's or did he land by Glider?. If his team was "Forgotten " how would they show up on the Orbat if at all ?
HI redtop, Did you know that there is in fact a Sailor buried at Arnhem ?? He didn't jump or anything like that, He asked a mate for a favour and flew with him into Arnhem... Of course the plane was shot down... Cheers Tom
Yes I did hear that have visited the War Graves on many occasions and am sure I saw that Grave . I visited most years from 1965 to the 50th jumping in with 10 Para. In fact will attachet Photo of 50th with Pat Glover the war time 10 Para QM
redtop, A couple of links from the British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum that may be of interest. You need to be a member to see the pics. http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14770 http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1714 There were a couple of telegraphists that died in a Horsa crash at Chateau de Grangues on June 6th, 1944. http://www.591-antrim-parachute.info/Grangues-crashes.html Regards ...
The sailor in Arnhem/Oosterbeek cemetery is Air Mechanic Leonard Hooker from HMS Daedalus who was killed when Stirling EF 248 was shot down on a resupply mission on the 19th September. A second "passenger" on the plane F/O Frank Chalkley was also killed. Hooker is described in official documentation as Naval Ground Staff.
Posting here prompted by the recent "Military service number query" thread (travers1940 post within said thread) and as a late (very) follow on to horsapassenger's post above. Photo taken by me on one visit to Arnhem a few years ago, plus an extract I already had relating to Air Mechanic Hooker, plus a link to The Pegasus Archive which has a comprehensive account of the aircraft loss and crew. Warrant Officer Keith Prowd Kind regards, Jim
Having just watched 'Theirs is the Glory' again I noticed an RN cloth capbadge with a 'P' above it being worn by one of the British forces in Oosterbeek. I always wondered about the RN chap in the Oosterbeek Cemetry and was told he was on a jolly and was likely used in attaching towing ropes to gliders, RN being the SMEs on ropes and knots etc.
