Eight Victoria Crosses and Thirty-Eight Battle Honours

A total of nearly four hundred decorations were awarded to officers and men of the Commandos for bravery and devotion in action, but pride of place must surely go to the eight Commandos who were awarded the Victoria Cross.

The following brief descriptions, taken from their original citations, clearly emphasise the worldwide involvement of the Commandos in World War II.

Sadly, six of the eight Commando VC's were posthumous awards.

LtCol. Geoffrey Keyes

LtCol. Geoffrey Keyes, was an original volunteer and commanded a Troop in No. 11 (Scottish) Commando, which became part of 'Layforce' sent to the Middle East in 1941. After several operations in that theatre, including an operation in Syria where he was awarded the Military Cross and the Croix de Guerre, he took over command after the CO had been killed and subsequently led the daring raid described below.

"On 17/18 November 1941 at Beda Littoria, Libya, LtCol. Keyes, commanding a detachment of a force which had landed 250 miles behind enemy lines, led his men, without guides, in dangerous and precipitous country to attack the house which was believed to be General Rommel's (Commander of the German Afrika Corps) headquarters. When they reached their objective, Colonel Keyes took only one officer and one NCO with him and having evaded the guards and dealt with the sentry, he dashed into the first room he encountered and shot the occupants. He then rushed into the second room where the occupants were the first to fire and Colonel Keyes was mortally wounded."

Col Keyes, VC, MC, was buried in the Benghazi War Cemetery, Libya. He is also remembered on memorial tablets dedicated to his father, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Roger Keyes, first Chief of Combined Operations, in Westminster Abbey and in St James' church, Dover.

LtCol. Charles Newman

LtCol. Charles Newman, Commanding Officer of No. 2 Commando: On 27th March 1942 in the great raid on St Nazaire in France, "LtCol. Newman was in charge of the military forces and he was one of the first ashore and directing operations regardless of his own safety. Under his inspiring leadership the troops fought magnificently and held vastly superior numbers at bay until the demolition parties had done their work. The Colonel then attempted to fight through into open country and not until all the ammunition was spent were he and his men overwhelmed and taken prisoner."

Colonel Newman survived captivity and after the War was a staunch supporter of the Association and also served as President.

Sergeant Thomas Durrant

Sergeant Thomas Durrant, of the Royal Engineers was a member of No. 1 Commando, but was one of those drafted into No. 2 to bolster their number of demolitionists for the St Nazaire raid. He "was in charge of a Lewis gun on HM Motor Launch 306 which came under heavy enemy fire during the raid. Although he had no protection and was wounded in several places he continued firing until the launch was boarded and those who were still alive were taken prisoner. He died the next day."

Sgt Durrant, VC, was buried in Escoblac-la-Baule War Cemetery in France.

Capt. Patrick Porteous

Capt. Patrick Porteous, was a Troop leader in No. 4 Commando, but because Lord Lovat had to cut down the number of troops taken on the Dieppe raid, most of his Troop were 'left out of battle', but he, with a small detachment, had the task of acting as the liaison officer between the two assault Troops chosen to  assault and destroy the enemy coastal battery. "On 19th August 1942 at Dieppe, France, during the initial assault (on the battery) Capt. Porteous was shot through the hand, but nevertheless disarmed and killed his assailant, thereby also saving the life of a Sergeant (in his detachment).

In the meanwhile the two officers of one of the main assaulting Troops were killed and the Troop Sergeant Major badly wounded, so Captain Porteous, in the face of withering fire, dashed across open ground to take command and led the men in a successful charge against the enemy, when he was severely wounded for the second time. Nevertheless, he continued on to the final objective but eventually collapsed after the last gun had been destroyed."

Later after the War Capt. Porteous was promoted to Colonel, and was a staunch supporter of the Association also serving as President.

Lance-Corporal Henry Harden

Lance-Corporal Henry Harden, Royal Army Medial Corps, was with 45 (RM) Commando in the North-West Europe campaign.

"On 23rd January 1945 at Brachterbeek, Holland, three marines of the leading section of the Troop to which Lance-Corporal Harden was attached fell, wounded. He at once ran across the 100 yards of open ground, gave first aid and, carrying one marine on his back brought him to safety. Although slightly wounded, this NCO insisted on going out again with two stretcher-bearers to rescue the others. On the next journey the second wounded marine was hit again and killed, however, the rescue party returned to collect the third man, but in so doing Lance-Corporal Harden was killed."

Lance-Corporal Harden, VC, was buried in the Nederweert War Cemetery, Holland, and his deeds are remembered on a plaque on the bridge over the Montforter at Bracherbeek.

Lieutenant George Knowland

Lieutenant George Knowland, originally in No. 3 Commando and having distinguished himself, as a Sergeant, in action in Sicily was commissioned and posted to No. 1 Commando, which was part of 3 Commando Brigade in Burma, where they were heavily involved in the crucial battle of Kangaw.

"On 31 January 1945 near Kangaw, Burma, Lieutenant Knowland, was in command of a forward section of a Troop (of No. 1 Commando) being heavily attacked - some 300 of the enemy concentrating on his 24 men. When all of the crew of one of his forward Bren guns had been wounded, Knowland manned it himself, standing up to fire at ten yards range, until the casualties had been evacuated. For twelve hours he held his ground, until he was eventually mortally wounded."

Brigadier Young later wrote: "Knowland was last seen engaging a horde of Japanese with a 2-inch mortar . . . his first bomb slew six men . . ."

Lieutenant Knowland, VC, was buried in the Taukkyan War Cemetery, Burma.

Corporal Thomas Hunter

Corporal Thomas Hunter, was serving in 43 (RM) Commando, which as part of 2 Special Service Brigade was involved in the vital operation in the Lake Comacchio/Argenta (Italy) area. Hunter's heroic part in that operation is described in the citation which reads:

"On 2nd April 1945 at Lake Comacchio, Italy, Corporal Hunter, who was in charge of a Bren gun section, offered himself as a target to save his Troop. Seizing the Bren gun he charged alone across 200 yards of open ground under intense fire towards a group of houses where three Spandau machine guns were lodged.

So determined was his charge that the enemy were demoralised and six of the gunners surrendered, the rest fled. He cleared the house, changing magazines as he ran and continued to draw the enemy fire until most of the troop had reached cover and he was killed, firing accurately to the last."

Corporal Hunter, VC, was buried in the Argenta Gap War Cemetery, Italy.

Major Anders Lassen

Major Anders Lassen was a Dane who enlisted in the British Army and was commissioned in the General List, but volunteered for Special Service and carried out many operations with the SBS and also the SAS (in which he had already been awarded the Military Cross and two bars) before being attached to 2 SS Brigade for the Lake Comacchio/Argenta operation. As the following citation implies he was given a role which was very much to his liking:

"On 8th April 1945 at Lake Comacchio, Italy, Major Lassen was ordered to take a patrol and raid the north shore of the lake, causing as many casualties as possible to give the impression of a major landing. In the face of overwhelming enemy numbers he fulfilled his mission, three positions were wiped out, and when mortally wounded he refused to be evacuated so that the withdrawal should not be impeded and his men's lives endangered.”

Major A. Lassen, VC, MC and two bars, was buried in the same cemetery as his fellow VC Commando, Corporal Hunter, VC, namely in the Argenta Gap War Cemetery. There is a stone memorial to Major Lassen outside St Peter's church at Praesto Fjord, Norway, whilst a forest has been named after him in Israel; he is the only non-British/Commonwealth national to have been awarded the Victoria Cross, which makes it unique.