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RCN Beach Commando
"W"
W
Commando were Canada's Beachhead Commandos. They were specially trained to
create and maintain order on Normandy's Juno Beach during the D-Day
landings. What would confront them was uncertain, so they were broadly
trained, including protection against chemical warfare, clearing obstacles
with explosives and driving Sherman tanks.
However,
their main task was to keep the traffic of men, machines and supplies
flowing through the beach area without delay. If the supply chain to the
advancing Allied armies was interrupted, it would provide the Germans with
an opportunity to mount a counter attack.
Members
of W Commando were volunteers from the Royal Canadian Navy. In August of
1943, they were assigned overseas duty to HMS Armadillo on Loch Long in the
Clyde estuary of Scotland. W Commando comprised 3 sub-units, W 1, W 2 and W
3, each with 25 ratings / leading seamen and 3 officers all under the
combined leadership of an Assistant Beach Master and a Commanding Beach
Master.
The
Commando would remain on the landing beach until the supply chain was better
served through the Mulberry Harbours or functioning captured ports.
Source: Combined Operations Website -
https://www.combinedops.com/W%20Commando.htm
RCN
Beach Commando W - E.G. Finley and Edward Storey
Personnel
of W-2 Party, Royal Canadian Navy Beach Commando "W" outside a
German fortification in the Juno sector of the Normandy beachhead, France,
20 July 1944.
(Front
row, L-R): Able Seamen A.F. Watt, Douglas Kennedy, R.V. Barnes, E.G.
Woodall,
D.F. Trewin, A.H. Petty, Ordinary Seaman A.E. Morris, Able Seaman J.B.
White.
(Rear row, L-R): Leading Seamen W.R. Murphy, J.P. Adams, Able Seaman, J.F.
Roy,
Petty Officer D.E. McIntyre, Lieutenant A.D. Rayburn, Able Seamen W.F.
Cronkhite, Dan Kroshewsky, J.D. Ross, R.C. Nelson.
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Leading Seaman Irving A. Smith
Royal Canadian Navy Beach Commando
"W"
H.M.S. ARMADILLO, Scotland, Feb 1944
Photo by Gilbert Milne
Credit: Library and Archives of Canada |
Lieutenant Dudley Rayburn
Beachmaster
W-2 Party, Royal Canadian Navy
Beach Commando “W”
H.M.S. ARMADILLO, Scotland, Feb
1944
Credit: Library and Archives of
Canada |
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Able
Seaman George Vilneff, W-1 Party, Royal Canadian Navy Beach Commando
“W”, writing a letter in the Juno sector of the Normandy
beachhead, France, 20 July 1944.
Credit:
Library and Archives of Canada |
Able
Seaman Douglas F. Trewin, W-2 Party, Royal Canadian Navy Beach
Commando "W", points out a A German sign warning of mines
in the Juno sector of the Normandy beachhead, France, 20 Jul 1944.
Credit:
Library and Archives of Canada |
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Able
Seaman Earl Jackson
Royal
Canadian Navy Beach Commando “W
H.M.S.
ARMADILLO, Ardentinny, Scotland, Feb 1944
MIKAN
3355763 |
Royal
Canadian Navy Beach Commando personnel in and around a former German
fortification on Juno Beach, Normandy, France, July 1944. From left
to right: Bill Ross; Art Petty; P.J. White; John Forsyth; W. Murphy;
Art Watt
Credit: Library and Archives of Canada |
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Personnel
of Royal Canadian Navy Beach Commando “W” in the Juno Sector of
the Normandy beachhead, France, 20 July 1944. (L-R): Able Seamen
A.H. (Art) Petty, W-2 Party; D.S. (Don) Murphy, W-3 Party; unknown;
Able Seaman Dan Kroshewsky, Leading Seaman J.P. (Joe) Adams and
Petty Officer Douglas E. McIntyre, all of W-2 Party.
Credit:
Lt Richard Graham Arless / DND / Library and Archives Canada /
PA-180815
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Leading
Seaman J.B. Cloke (left) of the Royal Canadian Navy Beach Commandos
talking with Leading Seaman J. Forsyth aboard a Landing Craft
Infantry (Large) en route to France, Date: 23 July 1944.
Credit:
Library and Archives Canada Source:
Canadian Virtual Military Museum on Facebook |
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