No.1 Army Commando

Had Two Victoria Cross Recipients

The previous page was: "Disbanded Commando Formations"

No.1 was an Army Commando formed in 1940; under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel T.H. Trevor, his second-in-command was Major K.R.S. Trevor, but they were not related.

During the Second World War eight Commando soldiers were recipients of the Victoria Cross two of the eight were from No.1 Commando.

The men for No.1 Commando were all originally from the disbanded No.6 and No.8 Independent Companies and formed the Commando on 13th June 1940. Then on 27th July 1940, the Commando became part of No.1 Special Service Battalion. It was reformed as No.1 Commando again on the 5th March 1941, where it was stationed in Dartmouth.

Compared to the other Commando formations No.1 Commando got off to a late start. Having to wait for its men from the Independent Companies, to arrive. The operations No.1 Commando were involved in included 'Operation Chopper' a raid on the French coast on the night of 27/28th August 1941.

The Commando next supplied specialist troops for the St. Nazaire Raid which was a successful attack on the heavily defended docks of St. Nazaire in France on the night of 28th March 1942. During the raid Sergeant Thomas Frank Durrant was awarded the Victoria Cross. The award was unique as he is the only soldier to receive the Victoria Cross for a naval action and in that it was recommended by the enemy.

Disbanded Commando Formations

'Operation Myrmidion'

Was an attempt in April 1942, to land Troops of No.1 Commando from the "Queen Emma" at the mouth of the River Adour far to the south of France below Bordeaux was unsuccessful. The Ship disguised as a Spanish merchantman sailed along the Spanish coast without escort and received no interference.

But on 5th April, when they reached their lowering position, and the Commandos took to the landing craft intending to go ashore to destroy a number of coastal guns, some industrial plant and some ships.

On reaching the mouth of the river; they discovered a large sand bar that was impassable by boat and the operation had to be abandoned. The Infantry Assault ship returned to the United Kingdom without incident.

At first they were a small force of volunteers who carried out small raids against enemy occupied territory, but by 1943, their role had changed into lightly equipped Assault Infantry which specialised in spearheading amphibious landings.

The Next Raid They Landed Unopposed

Later No.1 Commando landed from "H.M.S. Prince Albert" they carried out a raid which was not very successful in the area of Boulogne and Le Touquet.

They penetrated some five-hundred yards inland without seeing a soul; all of the buildings were empty. They cut away part of the communications wire running across the land and brought back samples of the German telephone wire.

They Fought In North Africa

The Commando was then withdrawn from raiding operations to prepare for the 'Operation Torch' landings in North Africa in November 1942. It was during 'Operation Torch' that No.1 Commando were the first unit to wear the Commando green beret.

No.1 Commando had been divided into two. One half under Lieutenant-Colonel Trevor went on board "S.S. Otranto" and the other under Major Trevor sailed in the "U.S.S. Leedstown" the Commandos hoped that they would be able to get some real action in North Africa.

After boarding the landing craft "Cape Matifou" the east entrance to the Bay of Algiers was identified, and at that moment a few rounds were fired by a coast defence gun. A searchlight seeking the advancing boats flashed about in every direction; except the one they were moving in; but as they drew closer to the shore the headland masked the beam.

The right half of the Commando entered Fort Sidi Ferruch where they were received as friends. They soon rounded up the Germans and put them under lock and key. Then after some minor fighting they managed to seize the airfield at Blida.

The left half spent most of the day in efforts to subdue Fort D'Estree, which was staunchly defended; not until it had been shelled and bombed did the garrison yield.

By 10th November both halves of the Commando were use at Maison Blanche, the great airport to the south of Algiers; everything was going well; the French army had shown they did not want to fight.

But the French Navy with bitter memories of the ships we had sunk or damaged at Mers-el-Kebir in July 1940, put up a stout and sullen resistance. Their casualties had been few although the task had been strenuous.

Lightly Armed Commandos Faced Tanks

At dawn once more the Commando divided into two halves under the two Trevor's, they advanced five miles without seeing anybody. They could now see their objectives clear and distinctly in the morning light.

No.1 Commando moved at once upon them; They succeeded in taking and holding the first position for seventy-two hours and the second for twenty-four.

An enemy column of three armoured cars two tanks and three lorry loads of infantry eventually managed to dislodge them. During the three days they spent in the neighbourhood; the Commando not only dominated the whole area; one-hundred and twenty-five miles in extent. They had denied the use of the most important roads to the enemy, but were also able to keep the airfield at Sidi Ahmed under observation.

The Germans, as they did elsewhere, put their patrols out dressed in Arab dress, one dead German was found in a French uniform, while another appeared and approached wearing the green beret of the Commando and draped in a British gas cape calling upon the Commandos to surrender; he was shot; the Commandos weren't issued with gas capes.

At the end of the third day the Commando having fought a miniature battles many miles behind enemy lines; they had to withdraw down the road to Cap Serrat. Because of the inevitable shortage of rations and ammunitions; the Commandos could only take what they could carry.

They had taught a very important lesson both to the Allies and the enemy: and it was; the sea can no-longer provide protection from the flank.

From The Desert To The Inexhaustible Jungle

No.1 Commando saw extensive action in Italy and was then on its way to the Far East. The ship in which they travelled was bombed at sea and had to put into the Port of Alexandria for repairs. It was not until September 1944, that the 3rd Special Services Brigade was finally united as a Unit in Ceylon.

The Japanese soldiers they were called upon to engage was mostly composed of peasants, men a little better than the animals they tended. They were not soldiers who could use their fear factor on Commandos like they had others.

By the beginning of 1944; when the Royal Marines Commandos first came into contact with them, their enthusiasm which had seen them roar like a tornado through Asai, from Tokyo to Java, had wasted away in the exhausting jungles of Burma.

In the richly decked hills and the plains of Manipur and the wild mountains of north-east Assam; where the warlike Nagas Natives lay in wait for them as prey and exchanged their severed Japanese heads for Allied gold; the Japanese soldiers were edging into a desperate state of mind.

At the beginning of November 1944, No.1 Army Commando found itself in the neighbourhood of Ramu in the Teknaf area. It was ready to harass the enemy by a series of small operations along the west coast of Burma.

He Disliked Close-Quarter Fighting

On 10th November, the Commando began a short spell in the line and patrolled nightly down the coastal plain. By the end of the month No.1 Commando had carried out a number of patrols; killed sixteen Japanese, and wounded one officer without loss.

The Commandos could now form a clear picture of the habits of their opponents. The Japanese, they found, never engaged in action unless they hoped to catch a patrol off guard; they posted men upon commanding heights to watch and report all movement.

Clearly they had little sense of the value of documents, frequently leaving behind their diaries, personal papers and even maps, some with markings on. These were a great help to the intelligence staffs in their efforts to construct the enemy's order of battle.

The most important discovery the Brigade made at the time was that the Japanese soldier was far from invincible; he disliked fighting at close-quarters or in the open; he was a poor shot and like the Germans he disliked the cold steel of the bayonet.

Kangaw was one of the most intense battles of the whole Burma campaign and during the fighting Lieutenant George Arthur Knowland was awarded the Commando's second Victoria Cross.

In March 1945, the Commando was withdrawn back to India for to prepare for 'Operation Zipper' the planned invasion of Malaya. The war ended before the 'Zipper' landing could take place and the Commando was sent to liberate Hong Kong instead.

Following the end of the war, No.1 Commando undertook garrison duties in Hong Kong. As the demobilisation process occurred, the unit's numbers began to dwindle and it was amalgamated with No.5 Commando. In 1946, the decision was made to disband all of the Army Commandos.

Victoria Cross Recipient's Citation

Sergeant Thomas Frank Durrant Victoria Cross

For great gallantry, skill and devotion to duty when in charge of a Lewis gun in H.M. Motor Launch 306 in the St Nazaire raid on 28th March 1942. When Motor Launch 306 came under heavy fire while proceeding up the River Loire towards the port.

Sergeant Durrant, in his position abaft the bridge, where he had no cover or protection, engaged enemy gun positions and searchlights ashore. During this engagement he was severely wounded in the arm but refused to leave his gun.

The Motor Launch subsequently went down the river and was attacked by a German destroyer at 50 to 60 yards range, and often closer. In this action Sergeant Durrant continued to fire at the destroyer's bridge with the greatest of coolness and with complete disregard of the enemy's fire.

The Motor Launch was illuminated by the enemy searchlight, and Sergeant Durrant drew on himself the individual attention of the enemy guns, and was again wounded in many places. Despite these further wounds he stayed in his exposed position, still firing his gun, although after a time only able to support himself by holding on to the gun mounting.

After a running fight, the Commander of the German destroyer called on the Motor Launch to surrender. Sergeant Durrant's answer was a further burst of fire at the destroyer's bridge. Although now very weak, he went on firing, using drums of ammunition as fast as they could be replaced.

A renewed attack by the enemy vessel eventually silenced the fire of the Motor Launch, but Sergeant Durrant refused to give up until the destroyer came alongside, grappled the Motor Launch and took prisoner those who remained alive.

Sergeant Durrant's gallant fight was commended by the German officers on boarding the Motor Launch. This very gallant non- commissioned officer later died of the many wounds he received in the action.

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Victoria Cross Recipient's Citation

Lieutenant George Knowland Victoria Cross

In Burma on 31st January 1945, near Kangaw, Lieutenant Knowland was commanding the forward platoon of a Troop positioned on the extreme North of a hill which was subjected to very heavy and repeated enemy attacks throughout the whole day.

Before the first attack started, Lieutenant Knowland's platoon was heavily mortared and machine gunned, yet he moved about among his men keeping them alert and encouraging them, though under fire himself at the time.

When the enemy, some 300 strong in all, made their first assault they concentrated all their effects on his platoon of 24 men but inspite of the ferocity of the attack, he continued to move about from trench to trench distributing ammunition, and firing his rifle and throwing grenades at the enemy, often from completely exposed positions.

Later, when the crew of one of his forward Bren guns had all been wounded, he sent back to troop Headquarters for another crew and ran forward to man the gun himself until they arrived.

The enemy was then less than 10 yards from him in dead ground down the hill so in order to get a better field of fire, he stood on top of the trench, firing the light machine gun from his hip and successfully keeping them at a distance until a Medical Orderly had dressed and evacuated the wounded men behind him.

The new Bren Gun team also became casualties on the way up and Lieutenant Knowland continued to fire the gun until another team took over.

Later, when a fresh attack came in he took over a 2-inch Mortar and inspite of heavy fire and the closeness of the enemy, he stood up in the open to face them, firing the mortar from his hip and killing six of them with his first bomb.

When all bombs were expended he went back through heavy grenade, mortar and machine gun fire to get more, which he fired in the same way from the open in front of his platoon positions.

When those bombs were finished he went back to his own trench and still standing up fired his rifle at them. Being hard pressed and with the enemy closing in on him from only 10 yards away, he had no time to re-charge his magazine.

Snatching up the Tommy gun of a casualty, he sprayed the enemy and was mortally wounded stemming this assault, though not before he had killed and wounded many of the enemy.

Such was the inspiration of his magnificent heroism, that, though fourteen out of twenty-four of his platoon became casualties at an early stage, and six of his positions were over-run by the enemy, his men held on through twelve hours of continuous and fierce fighting until reinforcements arrived.

If this Northern end of the hill had fallen the rest of the hill would have been endangered, the beach-head dominated by the enemy and other units farther inland cut off from their source of supplies.

As it was, the final successful counter-attack was later launched from the vital ground which Lieutenant Knowland had taken such a gallant part in holding.

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No.1 Army Commando No.2 Army Commando

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