Author: Matthew K Barrett

Lt-Col. K.C.C. Smith

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Lieutenant-Colonel K.C.C. Smith
15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment

From the earliest days the Regiment was always known as 15th (S) Recce Regt, until the arrival of Lieut Colonel K.C.C. Smith. From then on we were to be known as 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment—no short cuts, no brackets. And so it was! …when an American unit in a jeep raced up to RHQ and a voice roared out—‘Say is this the 15th Recon Outfit?’ I will never forget the look on the Colonel’s face.

(Ernie Clarke quoted in Scottish Lion on Patrol: 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment)

Born on 17 May 1907 in Monkton, Ayrshire, Kenneth Campbell Cory Smith was commissioned into the 12th (Prince of Wales’s) Royal Lancers out of RMC, Sandhurst in 1926. He was instructor at the Royal Military College of Science in Shrivenham from 1936 to 1939, when he became staff captain and later promoted to major in 1940. He was GSO1 for VIII Corps from April 1943 until February 1944, when he became second-in-command of the 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment.

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Lt-Col. R.G.P. Besley

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Lieutenant-Colonel R.G.P. Besley
7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry

In a letter home he stated he had had a piece of metal through the thigh but that an operation had been performed and the surgeon had told him he thought in course of time the use of the leg would be fully restored.

(Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier, 15 Jul 1944, 4)

Born on 2 March 1906 in Worcester, Worcestershire, Reginald George Payne Besley was a rugby footballer and director of a textile firm in Taunton, Somerset. A Territorial Army major in the 5th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry, Besley enlisted for active service in September 1939. He became second-in-command for the 7th Battalion, which he assumed command of in January 1943.

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Lt-Col. H.H. Merriman

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Lieutenant-Colonel H.H. Merriman
3rd Reconnaissance Regiment

By his cool determination, initiative, and courage, his detailed planning and encouragement, he succeeded in carrying out his commander’s intentions with complete success … this is due in no small measure to the very gallant handling by Lt Col Merriman of his regiment in their speedy and determined thrust in the heavily defended and close country of this area of operations.

(D.S.O. citation, 21 Jun 1945)

Born on 23 May 1910 in Merrow, Surrey, Hugh Humphrey Merriman was a stockbroker and Terriorial Army officer in the 5th Battalion, Queen’s Regiment. He earned the Military Cross during the Battle of France in May 1940. In October 1942, he succeeded future airborne general Eric Bols in command of the 3rd Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps, redesignated the 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment in January 1944.

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Lt-Col. W.A. Venour

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Lieutenant-Colonel W.A. Venour
5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment

For the remainder of the day the battalion was subjected to heavy mortar and shell fire, but the battalion commander frequently visited his forward companies and by his personal example kept up a very fine fighting spirit with his battalion, who had been in close contact with the enemy for three days.

(D.S.O. citation, 22 Mar 1945)

Born on 11 August 1905 on the North West Frontier in British India, Walter Anderson Venour was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Walter Edward Venour of Lieutenant Colonel Walter Edward Venour (1864—1914) of the Indian Army. He was killed on the Western Front on 2 November 1914 in command of the 58th Vaughan’s Rifles (Frontier Force). Following his father’s career path, the younger Venour was commissioned into the Manchester Regiment in 1925.

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Lt-Col. G.P.L. Weston

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Lieutenant-Colonel G.P.L. Weston
2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (MG)

During my daily visits to Platoons I still see men unnecessarily miserable under quite moderate and sporadic shell fire. Very often I am greeted by the remark “It’s murder up here” but found shells dropping 200 years or more away. I want All Ranks to realise that, except for a few isolated instances, we have not yet experienced the really heavy shellfire which we have inflicted frequently upon the Hun and which we must expect when he mounts a large scale attack against us. A little shelling is good for the soul.

(Weston in War Diary, 11 Jul 1944)

Born on 21 August 1910, Gerald Patrick Linton Weston was a cricketer player, commissioned into the Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) in 1931 and promoted to captain in 1939. As a qualified pilot, he was seconded to the Royal Air Force and served as a flight lieutenant with a bomber squadron. By June 1943, he returned to the infantry and succeeded Lieutenant-Colonel J.E.F. Willoughby in command of the 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, the machine gun unit attached to 3rd Infantry Division.

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Lt-Col. B.A. Coad

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Lieutenant-Colonel Aubrey Coad
5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment

He looked at me and welcomed me to t27th Brigade, then he said, “don’t want any heroes in my brigade—heroes get killed!”

(Rev. William Jones quoted in Andrew Salmon, Scorched Earth, Black Snow: the First Year of the Korean War, 43)

Born on 27 September 1906 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, Basil Aubrey Coad took a commissioned with the Wiltshire Regiment after graduating from RMC, Sandhurst in 1926. Following postings to India and Shanghai, he served during the Arab Revolt in Palestine in 1936. Having transferred to the Terriorial Army, he mobilized for active service and was appointed second-in-command for the 2nd Battalion, Wiltshires in 1941.

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Lt-Col. G. Tilly

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Lieutenant-Colonel Gerald Tilly
4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment

Tilly and the American both got into a foxhole and, after the firing died down, Tilly told the man he had to be going.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a drink, would you?” the American asked.

As a matter of fact, Col. Till did. He had stocked his armored carrier with a couple of dozen bottles of champagne and brandy in Brussels.

“What would you like?” he asked. “Champagne or brandy?”

The American looked at him incredulously. “You must be joking,” he said finally. “But in case you’ re not, I’ll have some brandy.”

(Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 116, folder 4: Gerald Tilly)

Born on 30 April 1909 in Morecambe, Lancashire, Gerald Tilly was a prewar Territorial Army officer commissioned and mobilized with East Surrey Regiment at the outbreak of the Second World War. He served as a company commander in 5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment during the battle of Normandy. He took over command of the 4th Battalion at the beginning of August, for which he earned the D.S.O. during heavy fighting over the next day.

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Lt-Col. D.E.B. Talbot

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Lieutenant-Colonel Dennis Talbot
7th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment

Throughout this past year the success rate in eliminations of Communist Terrorists by kills, captures and surrenders has been well maintained in Pahang when it has been dropping in all other States. Statistics show that in the past year it was twice as difficult to eliminate a Communist Terrorist as in the previous year and yet over this period his Brigade has kept up its elimination figures.

(C.M.E. citation, 31 May 1955)

Born on 23 September 1908 in Norwood, Middlesex, Dennis Edmund Blaquiere Talbot was commissioned into the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment after graduating from RMC, Sandhurst in 1928. He completed a tour in India and completed staff college at Camberley in 1940. He served as brigade major for 30th Infantry Brigade during the Battle of France, for which he earned the Military Cross.

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Lt-Col. D.W.G. Ray & Maj. J.R.C. Mallock

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Lieutenant-Colonel Donald Ray
&
Major John Mallock
7th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment

The Battalion’s casualties in this, its first major action, totalled eighteen officers and two hundred and eight other ranks killed, wounded and missing. Four officers were killed: Captain Terry and Lieutenants T. P. Evans, Sandy and Waddell. Colonel Ray was twice wounded, but remained on duty until wounded again, this time so seriously that he had to be evacuated, and he died on his way home to England.

(D.S. Daniell, The Royal Hampshire Regiment, 233)

Born on 2 July 1903 in Wimborne, Dorset, Donald William Garnham Ray was a first-class cricket player and wicket keeper. He was commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers after graduating from RMC, Sandhurst in 1923. From 1934 he served in India and in 1938 became adjutant to the Ceylon Planters’ Rifle Corps. He relinquished the post on the outbreak of war and served in France with the Fusiliers in 1940.

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Lt-Col. K.T. Darling

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Lieutenant-Colonel Kenneth Darling
12th (Yorkshire) Parachute Battalion

K.T.’s a wonderful person. A great soldiering personality and a man who won’t stand for any nonsense at all from anyone no matter who he is. I always got on extremely well with him. You always knew exactly where you stood and exactly what he wanted doing. In the very early days I always thought he had the necessary personality to rise to the top.

(CSM McCabe-Dallas quoted in Sunday Mercury, 5 May 1963, 11)

Born on 17 September 1909 in British India, Kenneth Thomas Darling was educated at Eton College and RMC, Sandhurst, after which he took a commission with the Royal Fusiliers in 1929. From 1930 to 1938, he served with the 1st Battalion in India. In 1940, he attended staff college at Camberley, becoming brigade major with the 1st London Brigade, 1st London Division. He next served as a general staff officer at the War Office until 1942.

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