John Durnford-Slater
Encyclopedia
John Frederick Durnford-Slater, DSO
& Bar
(1909 – 5 February 1972) was a British Army
officer
who was credited with raising the first Army commando
unit during the Second World War.
An officer in the Royal Artillery
who eventually rose to the rank of brigadier
, he was responsible for developing many of aspects of the commando concept. Commanding No. 3 Commando
he participated in raids on Guernsey
, the Lofoten Islands
, Vaagso
, Dieppe
and Sicily
. In Italy he commanded a Commando brigade that took part in the capture of Termoli before serving as deputy commander of the Special Service Group, a divisional level headquarters unit responsible for planning and administering all commando operations during Operation Overlord
and the advance into Germany
.
and his wife Constance (née Pridham) and grew up in Instow
, in the north of Devon
.Upon his birth, the subject's surname was simply Slater, however, after his mother remarried following his father's death, it seems that she combined her first and second husbands' surnames. His family had a strong military tradition; his maternal grandfather had served in the army, as had his mother's second husband when she remarried following his father's death. His own father had been a regular officer who had been killed on 14 September 1914 while serving with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment
in France during the First World War.
From the outset his mother encouraged him to pursue a career in the army. At the age of 13 Durnford-Slater was sent to Wellington
, a school with a long army tradition. Nevertheless, as a teenager Durnford-Slater professed that he had no desire to pursue a military career, indeed, he hated the training that he was required to undertake as part of the Officer Training Corps having difficulty learning drill and constantly drawing the ire of instructors for the poor state of his uniform.
As he grew up he professed a desire to move to Argentina
and breed horses, having heard anecdotes of life in South America from people who lived in his village. His mother, however, continued to push him towards a career in the army, hoping that he would follow in his father's footsteps and join the Royal Sussex Regiment. In the end she managed to convince him that a military career was the best option for him given the limited financial resources available to him with which to pursue his business interests.
in the Royal Regiment of Artillery. He was also awarded a prize for his performance in the final French exam.
Following this he was posted to India
until 1935 when he returned to Britain having served six years overseas. He had enjoyed his time in the subcontinent, finding that he liked the military lifestyle, however, upon his return he found that garrison life in Britain was much different to that he had experienced overseas and for a time he considered resigning his commission and returning to civilian life. His feeling of disenchantment remained until the Munich Crisis in 1938, when he decided that war was inevitable. While in India he was a keen horseman and finished runner-up in the Kadir Cup, he also participated in military races on his return to the UK.
, was serving as the adjutant
of an anti-aircraft unit in the south-west of England. Initially his unit was the only one in the area and for a time it seemed that there was a possibility for some action, however, they were soon reinforced by other batteries and Durnford-Slater began to think about pursuing other options within the service. When he was posted to a training unit, the 23rd Medium and Heavy Training Regiment, Royal Artillery, in the role of adjutant the prospect for active service seemed unlikely.
In mid June 1940, however, following the lightning advance of the Germans through France and the subsequent Dunkirk evacuation, the British War Office
put out a call for volunteers to carry out raids along the coasts of the occupied territories and Durnford-Slater was able to convince his commanding officer to recommend him for the special force that was being raised to do this. Shortly afterwards he was given a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel
and given orders to begin raising and recruiting No. 3 Commando
. Although designated No. 3 Commando, No.1
and No. 2
did not exist at the time—the intention being to raise them as airborne units later—and as such Durnford-Slater's unit was the first commando unit raised during the war and Durnford-Slater is considered to be the first British commando of the war.
His appointment came through on 28 June and based in Plymouth
, he immediately began the process of recruiting officers for the new unit, drawing personnel from the Southern Command region. Once he had selected the first intake of officers, he then sent them out to recruit the other ranks to fill out the unit. By 5 July 1940, No. 3 Commando was officially in existence.
Within a fortnight Durnford-Slater lead a group of 40 men from the unit's 'H' Troop on a probing raid on the German-occupied island of Guernsey
, as part of Operation Ambassador
. The raid was largely unsuccessful, and indeed momentarily threatened to derail the further employment of the Commandos, however, the lessons learnt from the operation did help in the development of many aspects of the concept which Durnford-Slater set about implementing almost immediately.
In October 1940, No. 3 Commando moved up to the Combined Training Centre that had been established at Inverary in Scotland in order to begin training for possible operations in the Mediterranean. At this time, the Commando units were reorganised and Durnford-Slater reverted to the rank of major as No. 3 Commando was amalgamated with No. 8 (Guards) Commando
to form the 4th Special Service Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Robert Laycock
. As part of this organisation, Durnford-Slater had command of 'A' Special Service Company, which was essentially still No. 3 Commando, albeit with a different name.
as part of Operation Claymore
. For his part in the raid, he was Mentioned in Despatches.
Following the Claymore raid there was a period of lull in the Commando operations, and while No. 3 Commando was based at Largs
, in an effort to find something for his men to do, Durnford-Slater and a number of his officers began planning an unofficial raid on the German embassy in Dublin as they believed that the embassy was transmitting information on the location of Allied
convoy movements in the Atlantic. Before this raid could be carried out, however, Durnford-Slater was called to London for a meeting with Admiral Louis Mountbatten who had taken over command of Combined Operations to begin planning for another raid in Norway.
This raid, known as Operation Archery
, took place over the course of 26–28 December 1941 and consisted of a diversionary raid on the Lofoten Islands,
This raid was known as Operation Anklet. followed by an attack on the port of Vaagso and the island of Maaloy by a combined naval and commando force. The Commandos, drawn mainly from No. 3 Commando as well as elements from No. 2
, 4
and 6, with Durnford-Slater in tactical command of the raiders ashore around Vaagso, reporting directly to Brigadier Joseph (Charles) Haydon who had overall operational command of the ground forces for the operation. The raid proved to be a success, and for his part Durnford-Slater later received the Distinguished Service Order
. The recommendation, written by Haydon, credits Durnford-Slater's "personal courage, complete coolness & quick grasp of the situation" with inspiring the confidence of the men and ensuring all objectives were achieved. It further describes how, when the attack was in danger of stalling, after the leading troops "lost five out of six officers, & nearly 40% of their effective [strength]" he took personal command to restore the situation, and under heavy fire had both his orderlies
wounded beside him.
, where No. 3 Commando was assigned the task of silencing the Goebbels Battery on the eastern flank of the main assault beaches around Dieppe
. The convoy that was ferrying the commandos across the Channel was attacked by German warships following a chance encounter, however, and in the confusion that followed the majority of No. 3 Commando, including Durnford-Slater, were unable to get ashore. Many of the landing craft had either been sunk or damaged and forced to return to Newhaven, while Durnford-Slater himself spent the rest of the day watching helplessly from one of the ships as the battle proceeded without him.A small force of about 120 men from No. 3 Commando managed to land near Le Petit Berneval, however, the majority of them were either killed or captured. A second group of just 20 men landed to the west and managed to advance within 200 yards of the battery, however, due to lack of numbers they were unable to launch an assault on the battery and instead proceeded to harass the gunners for a number of hours and distract them from their purpose of firing on the anchorage before they were forced to withdraw. Saunders 1959, pp. 7–11; pp. 88–90.
A period of lull followed for Durnford-Slater and his men which enabled him to rebuild the unit after the losses they had suffered at Dieppe. In January 1943, however, the unit received orders to move to Gibraltar
where Durnford-Slater had his men carry out a number of reconnaissance operations across the border into Spain in order to gather intelligence before they were subsequently sent to North Africa
to prepare for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily.
During the invasion, Durnford-Slater personally led No. 3 Commando's assault on an Italian battery north-west of Cassible on 10 July 1943, before launching another seaborne assault on 13–15 July, this time around Agnone
, to capture the Ponte dei Malati, a bridge spanning the Leonardo River to the north of Lentini
and 10 miles (16.1 km) behind the front line as part of the advance on Catania
. For his leadership in these operations, he was awarded a Bar
to his DSO. The recommendation describes how they had to hold the bridge for 18 hours until relief arrived, in the face of German counterattacks supported by tanks and heavy mortars. According to the recommendation for the award, "Durnford-Slater displayed the greatest courage, determination & tenacity. His complete disregard for personal safety proved an inspiration to his men".
Following the completion of the fighting in Sicily, Durnford-Slater took over operational command of both No. 3 and No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commandos
along with the Special Raiding Squadron, operating them as a brigade. In August and September 1943 he commanded them during Operation Baytown, as the Allies commenced their invasion of Italy
. In early October he led the detachment in Operation Devon, where they were employed to spearhead the assault on Termoli
, on the east coast of Italy, about 120 miles north of Bari
. In the end the port was captured largely as a result of Durnford-Slater's commandos. The town was taken despite intelligence failures, it was expected that they would face only administrative units of the German 1st Parachute Division, but in fact 26th Panzer Division were in the area, being rested following the fighting at Salerno; and problems during the landing, some landing craft of 40 Commando and the SRS grounding fifty yards offshore in six feet of water, leading to the loss of all their radios as the men waded ashore. Their success meant 8th Army was able to move forward instead of fighting for the line of the Bifurno River, whose mouth was at Termoli. The capture of port closer to the front line also enabled the Allies to shorten their supply lines, and opened a road from Naples to the east coast.
and became deputy commander underneath Major General Robert Sturges
, Royal Marines.
In this role Durnford-Slater was charged with looking after the interests of the Army Commandos and co-ordinate the Group's planning for Operation Overlord
. Prior to the invasion, he set up a planning headquarters with the staff from the 2nd Army in Ashley Gardens in order to ensure that the Group's plans were consistent with those of the main force. On D-Day, he went to France with the headquarters before returning to the United Kingdom in September 1944 when the majority of the commando units were withdrawn from France for rest.
For the rest of the war, he alternated between time at the front in France and then Germany and in the United Kingdom, carrying out varied administration, logistics and planning tasks. When the war finally came to an end, however, he was in Lubeck inspecting the 1st Commando Brigade
, to which No. 3 Commando, his first command, was attached.
In 1953 he had his memoirs published by William Kimber. He was killed on 5 February 1972, and was survived by his wife Gladys Ethel (née Ferdinando) and their daughter Avis.The reprinted version of Durnford-Slater's memoirs do not elaborate on how this occurred, simply stating that he was "killed", an obituary published in The Times
also makes no mention of the cause of death.Durnford-Slater's wife was born Gladys Ethel Ferdinando. She was a widow before marrying Durnford-Slater in Bombay, India in 1935 and as such her surname before this second marriage was Farquharson. "Marriages" (Marriages). The Times. Tuesday, 19 February 1935. Issue 46992, col A, p. 1.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
& Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(1909 – 5 February 1972) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
who was credited with raising the first Army commando
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
unit during the Second World War.
An officer in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
who eventually rose to the rank of brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
, he was responsible for developing many of aspects of the commando concept. Commanding No. 3 Commando
No. 3 Commando
No. 3 Commando was a battalion-sized commando unit raised by the British Army for service during the Second World War. Formed in July 1940 from volunteers for special service, it was the first such unit to carry the title of "Commando"...
he participated in raids on Guernsey
Operation Ambassador
Operation Ambassador was an operation carried out by British Commandos on 14–15 July 1940 within the context of the Second World War. It was the second raid by the newly formed British Commandos and was focused upon the German-occupied Channel island of Guernsey.The raiding party consisted of 40...
, the Lofoten Islands
Operation Claymore
Operation Claymore was the codename for a British Commandos raid on the Lofoten Islands in Norway during the Second World War. The Lofoten Islands were an important center for the production of fish oil and glycerine, used in the German war industry. The landings were carried out on 4 March 1941,...
, Vaagso
Operation Archery
Operation Archery, also known as the Vaagso Raid, was a British Combined Operations raid during World War II against German positions on Vaagso Island , Norway, on 27 December 1941....
, Dieppe
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
and Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
. In Italy he commanded a Commando brigade that took part in the capture of Termoli before serving as deputy commander of the Special Service Group, a divisional level headquarters unit responsible for planning and administering all commando operations during Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
and the advance into Germany
Operation Plunder
Commencing on the night of 23 March 1945 during World War II, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the River Rhine at Rees, Wesel, and south of the Lippe River by the British 2nd Army, under Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey , and the U.S. Ninth Army , under Lieutenant General William Simpson...
.
Early life
Durnford-Slater was born in 1909 to Leonard SlaterLeonard Slater
Leonard Slater was an English cricketer and British Army officer. He was born in Instow, Devon, the son of Rev. Francis Slater and Mrs. Harriet Slater....
and his wife Constance (née Pridham) and grew up in Instow
Instow
Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank of Appledore....
, in the north of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.Upon his birth, the subject's surname was simply Slater, however, after his mother remarried following his father's death, it seems that she combined her first and second husbands' surnames. His family had a strong military tradition; his maternal grandfather had served in the army, as had his mother's second husband when she remarried following his father's death. His own father had been a regular officer who had been killed on 14 September 1914 while serving with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment
Royal Sussex Regiment
The Royal Sussex Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed as part of the Childers reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th Regiment of Foot and the 107th Regiment of Foot...
in France during the First World War.
From the outset his mother encouraged him to pursue a career in the army. At the age of 13 Durnford-Slater was sent to Wellington
Wellington School, Somerset
Wellington School is a British co-educational independent school in Wellington, Somerset, England catering for both day pupils and boarders. There are currently 750 pupils on roll including 200 students in the sixth form. The Headmaster is Martin Reader....
, a school with a long army tradition. Nevertheless, as a teenager Durnford-Slater professed that he had no desire to pursue a military career, indeed, he hated the training that he was required to undertake as part of the Officer Training Corps having difficulty learning drill and constantly drawing the ire of instructors for the poor state of his uniform.
As he grew up he professed a desire to move to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and breed horses, having heard anecdotes of life in South America from people who lived in his village. His mother, however, continued to push him towards a career in the army, hoping that he would follow in his father's footsteps and join the Royal Sussex Regiment. In the end she managed to convince him that a military career was the best option for him given the limited financial resources available to him with which to pursue his business interests.
Early service
In 1927, at the age of 18, Durnford-Slater attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and in February 1929 he graduated and was commissioned as a second lieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Royal Regiment of Artillery. He was also awarded a prize for his performance in the final French exam.
Following this he was posted to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
until 1935 when he returned to Britain having served six years overseas. He had enjoyed his time in the subcontinent, finding that he liked the military lifestyle, however, upon his return he found that garrison life in Britain was much different to that he had experienced overseas and for a time he considered resigning his commission and returning to civilian life. His feeling of disenchantment remained until the Munich Crisis in 1938, when he decided that war was inevitable. While in India he was a keen horseman and finished runner-up in the Kadir Cup, he also participated in military races on his return to the UK.
Second World War
At the outbreak of the war Durnford-Slater, by then a captainCaptain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
, was serving as the adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of an anti-aircraft unit in the south-west of England. Initially his unit was the only one in the area and for a time it seemed that there was a possibility for some action, however, they were soon reinforced by other batteries and Durnford-Slater began to think about pursuing other options within the service. When he was posted to a training unit, the 23rd Medium and Heavy Training Regiment, Royal Artillery, in the role of adjutant the prospect for active service seemed unlikely.
In mid June 1940, however, following the lightning advance of the Germans through France and the subsequent Dunkirk evacuation, the British War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
put out a call for volunteers to carry out raids along the coasts of the occupied territories and Durnford-Slater was able to convince his commanding officer to recommend him for the special force that was being raised to do this. Shortly afterwards he was given a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and given orders to begin raising and recruiting No. 3 Commando
No. 3 Commando
No. 3 Commando was a battalion-sized commando unit raised by the British Army for service during the Second World War. Formed in July 1940 from volunteers for special service, it was the first such unit to carry the title of "Commando"...
. Although designated No. 3 Commando, No.1
No. 1 Commando
The No. 1 Commando was a unit of British Commandos and part of the British Army during the Second World War. It was raised in 1940 from the ranks of the existing independent companies. Operationally they carried out a series of small scale cross channel raids and spearheaded the Operation Torch...
and No. 2
No. 2 Commando
No. 2 Commando was a battalion-sized British Commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The No. 2 Commando unit was reformed three times during the Second World War. The original No. 2 Commando, unlike the other commando units, was formed from volunteers from across the United...
did not exist at the time—the intention being to raise them as airborne units later—and as such Durnford-Slater's unit was the first commando unit raised during the war and Durnford-Slater is considered to be the first British commando of the war.
His appointment came through on 28 June and based in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, he immediately began the process of recruiting officers for the new unit, drawing personnel from the Southern Command region. Once he had selected the first intake of officers, he then sent them out to recruit the other ranks to fill out the unit. By 5 July 1940, No. 3 Commando was officially in existence.
Within a fortnight Durnford-Slater lead a group of 40 men from the unit's 'H' Troop on a probing raid on the German-occupied island of Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
, as part of Operation Ambassador
Operation Ambassador
Operation Ambassador was an operation carried out by British Commandos on 14–15 July 1940 within the context of the Second World War. It was the second raid by the newly formed British Commandos and was focused upon the German-occupied Channel island of Guernsey.The raiding party consisted of 40...
. The raid was largely unsuccessful, and indeed momentarily threatened to derail the further employment of the Commandos, however, the lessons learnt from the operation did help in the development of many aspects of the concept which Durnford-Slater set about implementing almost immediately.
In October 1940, No. 3 Commando moved up to the Combined Training Centre that had been established at Inverary in Scotland in order to begin training for possible operations in the Mediterranean. At this time, the Commando units were reorganised and Durnford-Slater reverted to the rank of major as No. 3 Commando was amalgamated with No. 8 (Guards) Commando
No. 8 (Guards) Commando
No. 8 Commando was a unit of the British Commandos and part of the British Army during the Second World War. The Commando was formed in June 1940 primarily from members of the Brigade of Guards. It was one of the units selected to be sent to the Middle East as part of Layforce...
to form the 4th Special Service Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Robert Laycock
Robert Laycock
Major General Sir Robert Edward Laycock KCMG, CB, DSO, KStJ was a British soldier, most famous for his service with the commandos during the Second World War...
. As part of this organisation, Durnford-Slater had command of 'A' Special Service Company, which was essentially still No. 3 Commando, albeit with a different name.
Raids in Norway
In March 1941, however, he returned to the role of a lieutenant colonel commanding a full Commando when the battalion organisation was dropped. Shortly after this, Durnford-Slater led a force of 250 men from No. 3 Commando on a highly successful raid on the Lofoten Islands in NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
as part of Operation Claymore
Operation Claymore
Operation Claymore was the codename for a British Commandos raid on the Lofoten Islands in Norway during the Second World War. The Lofoten Islands were an important center for the production of fish oil and glycerine, used in the German war industry. The landings were carried out on 4 March 1941,...
. For his part in the raid, he was Mentioned in Despatches.
Following the Claymore raid there was a period of lull in the Commando operations, and while No. 3 Commando was based at Largs
Largs
Largs is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" in Scottish Gaelic....
, in an effort to find something for his men to do, Durnford-Slater and a number of his officers began planning an unofficial raid on the German embassy in Dublin as they believed that the embassy was transmitting information on the location of Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
convoy movements in the Atlantic. Before this raid could be carried out, however, Durnford-Slater was called to London for a meeting with Admiral Louis Mountbatten who had taken over command of Combined Operations to begin planning for another raid in Norway.
This raid, known as Operation Archery
Operation Archery
Operation Archery, also known as the Vaagso Raid, was a British Combined Operations raid during World War II against German positions on Vaagso Island , Norway, on 27 December 1941....
, took place over the course of 26–28 December 1941 and consisted of a diversionary raid on the Lofoten Islands,
This raid was known as Operation Anklet. followed by an attack on the port of Vaagso and the island of Maaloy by a combined naval and commando force. The Commandos, drawn mainly from No. 3 Commando as well as elements from No. 2
No. 2 Commando
No. 2 Commando was a battalion-sized British Commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The No. 2 Commando unit was reformed three times during the Second World War. The original No. 2 Commando, unlike the other commando units, was formed from volunteers from across the United...
, 4
No. 4 Commando
No. 4 Commando was a battalion-sized British Army commando unit, formed in 1940 early in the Second World War. Although it was raised to conduct small-scale raids and harass garrisons along the coast of German-occupied France, it was mainly employed as a highly-trained infantry assault unit.The...
and 6, with Durnford-Slater in tactical command of the raiders ashore around Vaagso, reporting directly to Brigadier Joseph (Charles) Haydon who had overall operational command of the ground forces for the operation. The raid proved to be a success, and for his part Durnford-Slater later received the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
. The recommendation, written by Haydon, credits Durnford-Slater's "personal courage, complete coolness & quick grasp of the situation" with inspiring the confidence of the men and ensuring all objectives were achieved. It further describes how, when the attack was in danger of stalling, after the leading troops "lost five out of six officers, & nearly 40% of their effective [strength]" he took personal command to restore the situation, and under heavy fire had both his orderlies
Orderly
A medical orderly , is a hospital attendant whose job consists of assisting medical and/or nursing staff with various nursing and/or medical interventions. These duties are classified as routine tasks involving no risk for the patient.- Job details :Orderlies are often utilized in various hospital...
wounded beside him.
Dieppe and Italy
In August 1942, Durnford-Slater was involved in Operation JubileeDieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
, where No. 3 Commando was assigned the task of silencing the Goebbels Battery on the eastern flank of the main assault beaches around Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
. The convoy that was ferrying the commandos across the Channel was attacked by German warships following a chance encounter, however, and in the confusion that followed the majority of No. 3 Commando, including Durnford-Slater, were unable to get ashore. Many of the landing craft had either been sunk or damaged and forced to return to Newhaven, while Durnford-Slater himself spent the rest of the day watching helplessly from one of the ships as the battle proceeded without him.A small force of about 120 men from No. 3 Commando managed to land near Le Petit Berneval, however, the majority of them were either killed or captured. A second group of just 20 men landed to the west and managed to advance within 200 yards of the battery, however, due to lack of numbers they were unable to launch an assault on the battery and instead proceeded to harass the gunners for a number of hours and distract them from their purpose of firing on the anchorage before they were forced to withdraw. Saunders 1959, pp. 7–11; pp. 88–90.
A period of lull followed for Durnford-Slater and his men which enabled him to rebuild the unit after the losses they had suffered at Dieppe. In January 1943, however, the unit received orders to move to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
where Durnford-Slater had his men carry out a number of reconnaissance operations across the border into Spain in order to gather intelligence before they were subsequently sent to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
to prepare for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily.
During the invasion, Durnford-Slater personally led No. 3 Commando's assault on an Italian battery north-west of Cassible on 10 July 1943, before launching another seaborne assault on 13–15 July, this time around Agnone
Agnone
Agnone is a city and comune in the province of Isernia, in the Molise region of southern Italy. Agnone is known for the manufacturing of bells by the Marinelli Bell Foundry. It is 22 miles northwest of Campobasso. The city of Agnone is complemented with other populated centers like Fontesambuco,...
, to capture the Ponte dei Malati, a bridge spanning the Leonardo River to the north of Lentini
Lentini
Lentini , historically Leontini, Leontinoi , or Leontium, is a town and comune in the Province of Syracuse, southeast Sicily .-History:...
and 10 miles (16.1 km) behind the front line as part of the advance on Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
. For his leadership in these operations, he was awarded a Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his DSO. The recommendation describes how they had to hold the bridge for 18 hours until relief arrived, in the face of German counterattacks supported by tanks and heavy mortars. According to the recommendation for the award, "Durnford-Slater displayed the greatest courage, determination & tenacity. His complete disregard for personal safety proved an inspiration to his men".
Following the completion of the fighting in Sicily, Durnford-Slater took over operational command of both No. 3 and No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commandos
40 Commando
40 Commando RM is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
along with the Special Raiding Squadron, operating them as a brigade. In August and September 1943 he commanded them during Operation Baytown, as the Allies commenced their invasion of Italy
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
. In early October he led the detachment in Operation Devon, where they were employed to spearhead the assault on Termoli
Termoli
Termoli is a town and comune on the Adriatic coast of Italy, in the province of Campobasso, region of Molise. It has a population of around 32,000, having expanded quickly after World War II, and it is a local resort town known for its beaches and old fortifications...
, on the east coast of Italy, about 120 miles north of Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
. In the end the port was captured largely as a result of Durnford-Slater's commandos. The town was taken despite intelligence failures, it was expected that they would face only administrative units of the German 1st Parachute Division, but in fact 26th Panzer Division were in the area, being rested following the fighting at Salerno; and problems during the landing, some landing craft of 40 Commando and the SRS grounding fifty yards offshore in six feet of water, leading to the loss of all their radios as the men waded ashore. Their success meant 8th Army was able to move forward instead of fighting for the line of the Bifurno River, whose mouth was at Termoli. The capture of port closer to the front line also enabled the Allies to shorten their supply lines, and opened a road from Naples to the east coast.
D-Day
In late October Durnford-Slater was ordered to return to the United Kingdom with No. 3 Commando to begin planning for D-Day. In November 1943, a divisional-sized headquarters unit, known as the Special Service Group took command of all Allied commando forces, which at the time included four independent brigades spread throughout the United Kingdom, Italy and the Far East, and upon his arrival in London, Durnford-Slater was promoted to brigadierBrigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
and became deputy commander underneath Major General Robert Sturges
Robert Sturges
Lieutenant General Sir Robert Grice Sturges KBE, CB, DSO was an officer in the Royal Marines.In World War I, Sturges fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and the Battle of Jutland....
, Royal Marines.
In this role Durnford-Slater was charged with looking after the interests of the Army Commandos and co-ordinate the Group's planning for Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. Prior to the invasion, he set up a planning headquarters with the staff from the 2nd Army in Ashley Gardens in order to ensure that the Group's plans were consistent with those of the main force. On D-Day, he went to France with the headquarters before returning to the United Kingdom in September 1944 when the majority of the commando units were withdrawn from France for rest.
For the rest of the war, he alternated between time at the front in France and then Germany and in the United Kingdom, carrying out varied administration, logistics and planning tasks. When the war finally came to an end, however, he was in Lubeck inspecting the 1st Commando Brigade
1st Special Service Brigade
The 1st Special Service Brigade was a brigade of the British Army. Formed during World War II, it consisted of elements of the army and the Royal Marines. The brigade's component units saw action individually in Norway and the Dieppe Raid , before being combined under one commander for service in...
, to which No. 3 Commando, his first command, was attached.
Later life
With the war over, he reverted to the rank of captain, before being promoted to major in January 1946, and retiring a month later with the honorary rank of brigadier. He maintained his contact with the military, however, and in 1947 went on to the Reserve list, until 1964 when he reached retirement age.In 1953 he had his memoirs published by William Kimber. He was killed on 5 February 1972, and was survived by his wife Gladys Ethel (née Ferdinando) and their daughter Avis.The reprinted version of Durnford-Slater's memoirs do not elaborate on how this occurred, simply stating that he was "killed", an obituary published in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
also makes no mention of the cause of death.Durnford-Slater's wife was born Gladys Ethel Ferdinando. She was a widow before marrying Durnford-Slater in Bombay, India in 1935 and as such her surname before this second marriage was Farquharson. "Marriages" (Marriages). The Times. Tuesday, 19 February 1935. Issue 46992, col A, p. 1.