43rd Wessex Division

Lt-Col. J.W. Atherton

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Lieutenant-Colonel Jack Atherton
5th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry

It was a tragedy that one of the first casualties that the battalion was to suffer was their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Atherton, a Territorial soldier of the highest quality. As already related, he was killed while acting as loader to an anti-tank gun with point-blank range of one of the German tanks. During his six months in command he had impressed his personality most vividly on the battalion and his loss was hard to bear.

(Ernest Gordon Godfrey, The History of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, 1939-45, 225)

Born on 7 July 1906 in Kingston, Cambridgeshire, John Winn Atherton was a lawyer, solicitor, and Territorial Army officer, having been commissioned with the Dorsetshire Regiment since 1926. He mobilized for active service and within four years had risen to acting lieutenant-colonel and commandant of a division battle school. By January 1944, he had been appointed to command the 5th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in the 43rd Wessex Division.

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Lt-Col. C. Brooke-Smith

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Lieutenant-Colonel C. Brooke-Smith
7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry

At Bn “O” Gp O.C. Y Coy Major Brooke-Smith put forward a useful suggestion which some of his men had adopted. Two Sten mags were firmly bound together with adhesive tape, one was inserted in the gun, and when empty, the man merely turned the double mag round and inserted the other half. This got rid of the dangerous delay of fumbling in pouches. Both mags would bot fit in a basic pouch.

(2nd KSLI War Diary, 10 Oct 1944)

Born on 10 August 1915 in Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Cuthbert Brooke-Smith was commissioned into the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry after graduating from RMC, Sandhurst in 1936. With the 2nd Battalion, KSLI on garrison duty in Jamacia, he was stationed with a company in Bermuda at the start of the Second World War. He returned to England with his new wife in early 1942. He was assigned to the Reconnaissance Corps but would rejoin the 2nd KSLI in April 1944.

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Maj. EJ. Bruford & Lt-Col. J.W. Nicol

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Major E.J. Bruford
&
Lieutenant-Colonel J.W. Nicol
7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry

On arrival of his battalion on the start line, he found that about 50 of the enemy with three machine guns were still in the area. He quickly took charge of the situation and having eliminated this opposition, proceeded with his task … Throughout the operation he showed outstanding personal courage and capacity to command in the face of heavy resistance.

(Nicol, D.S.O. citation, 21 Dec 1944)

Within weeks of landing in France in late June 1944, the 7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry of the 43rd Division suffered heavy casualties would lose a series of commanding officers. Lieutenant-Colonel R.G.P. Besley was wounded and evacuated on 3 July, Lieutenant-Colonel G.C.P. Lance was killed on 10 July. The third CO, Edward Jeffries Bruford was born on 4 July 1900 in Cheddar, Somerset. He was a football player and civil servant with the Ministry of Agriculture. A Territorial Army officer, he was commissioned into the 5th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry in 1925. Just three days after replacing Lance, Bruford was killed alongside the CO of the 7th Hampshires, Major J.R.C. Mallock.

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Lt-Col. G.C.P. Lance

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Lieutenant-Colonel G.C.P. Lance
6th Battalion, Green Howards
7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry

He was always to be found where the battle was hottest, encouraging his men and often leading the final assault on enemy MG posts. I have heard from several sources of the magnificent example and leadership displayed by Lt Col Lance.

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

Born on 9 May 1913 in Strood, Kent, Geoffrey Charles Philip Lance was commissioned into the Somerset Light Infantry in 1933. During the El Alamein campaign, on 13 October 1942, Lance succeeded Lieutenant-Colonel E.W. Eden in command of the 6th Battalion, Green Howards. For “superb leadership and “conspicuous devotion to duty,” he earned the Distinguished Service Order.

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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. 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. 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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