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51ME Commando 'Wartime Army Commandos' by Brig.
View What links here Peter Young DSO, MC
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Middle East Commandos
'ME Cdo. Roll of Honour'
  'Layforce'
51 ME Commando in East Africa February - October 1941 50ME Commando

  51ME Commando
52ME Commando
This article was written by Harry Fecitt MBE TD , ex-68 Company, Royal Pioneer Corps.
40RM Commando
 
41RM Commando
The Beginning 42RM Commando
In the early days of World War II it was decided to resurrect the Labour Corps used in the 43RM Commando
Great War but under the new title of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps (AMPC). Britain 44RM Commando
looked towards its colonial and other territories for units to be raised, and in Palestine 45RM Commando

several units were formed, the rst being recruited at Sarafand and titled No. 1 Palestine 46RM Commando

Company AMPC. The Company was 650 men strong, about 60% of the recruits being Jews 47RM Commando
48RM Commando
from eleven European countries, whilst the remainder were Arabs mainly from Palestine,
'RM Engineer Commando'
Sudan, Iraq and Egypt. From the rst days of formation these di erent ethnic groups
30 Commando Assault Unit
worked together in harmony.
Special Service Brigade & Signals
 
Troops
Major H.J. Cator MC, Royal Scots Greys, volunteered to be the unit commander and took
'Royal Naval Beach Commandos'
over the unit on 31st January 1940. He had been awarded the Military Cross during WW1. Holding Operational Commando
  Servicing Commando Units (RAF)
The unit sailed for France on 22nd February and on arrival was re-designated 401
(Palestine) Company AMPC and employed on railway and road construction duties in the
Commando Roll of Honour
Rennes area. After the German invasion of France the Company moved to the coast where
on 17th June it was withdrawn to England aboard two trawlers, landing at Weymouth. Commando ROH 1940 -1945
Cator agitated for a combat role for his men, and after a few weeks of pioneer Commando ROH 1946 - 2018
employment in the United Kingdom the Company sailed on 6th August to return to Obituaries
Palestine via West and South Africa and Suez, where they arrived on 15th September. Graves and Memorials

Middle East Commandos About the Commandos

A decision had been made to form Army Commandos in Egypt, and this resulted in the
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raising of 50, 51 and 52 (Middle East) Commandos. These units were not connected with Commando Victoria Cross

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the Army Commandos being raised in the United Kingdom, and they were designed for History and Training WW2

raiding operations in and around the Middle East. 51 Commando was raised from Cator’s History and Training 1946 - present

401 (Palestine) Company AMPC. Combined Operations in WW2

WW2 Raids and Operations Timeline
Monthly WW2 Commando History
51 Middle East Commando in Egypt
Memorials and Cemeteries
Cator selected the best 300 men from the AMPC company to join the new Commando, the
Documents
remaining men staying in the pioneer role and being re-designated 601 Palestinian
Research Advice
Company, AMPC. 51 Commando was given an establishment for an Adjutant, Medical Links of Interest
O cer, Regimental Sergeant Major, Orderly Room Sergeant and for o cer and Non-
commissioned O cer (NCO) appointments in the troops and sections; the Adjutant was
Commandos
expected to perform the Q duties, although later a separate post was created for the
Quartermaster. Selected volunteers from the British Army were posted in to ll the new
World War Two
establishment vacancies. 1946 - present day

Bren light machine guns, ri es, Thompson sub-machine guns and grenades were issued,
as was a combination dagger and knuckleduster known as a Fanny that was carried by Links to some content
each man. O cers and Numbers 1 and 2 on the Bren guns carried revolvers.
Korea
Cyprus
After a leave period serious training started at Geneifa and the British Army personnel
Suez
were quickly impressed with the toughness, determination and enthusiasm of the men,
Malaya, Borneo, Singapore
who were designated as Raiders.
Aden, Radfan, South Arabia
Muscat and Oman
The Great Bitter Lake was used for boating and submarine familiarisation work, and the
Falklands
Sweetwater Canal for rafting practice. Long and fast marches were made through the
Northern Ireland
rocky desert leading to a very high level of physical tness. Demolition skills were
Iraq
practised in the sandy wastes. After planned operations in the Mediterranean failed to Afghanistan
materialise 51 Commando was posted to Eritrea.

What's New
Eritrea
On 24th January 1942, 51 Commando sailed from Suez for Port Sudan, spending the next Recent Content
three weeks acclimatising and training in Gedaref. Cator went to Khartoum for a brie ng Content Glossary
where he was told that his Commando would be attached to the 4th Indian Division that Website Feedback
was involved in the erce ghting for Keren where an Italian colonial army was resisting a
British advance from the west. The Divisional history records:

“ . . . 51 Palestine Commando, a tough and aggressive agglomeration of Jews and Arabs under
British o cers, were taken under command.”
Welfare and Support

Cator’s orders from the Divisional Commander were to institute a programme of patrolling
and ambushes to support the manoeuvres of the brigades in the division.
 
                               View here
He obtained transport from Sudanese
camel drivers and from the muleteers of
No. 2 Cypriot Pack Transport Company.
Commando Association
On 27th February 51 Commando was
Membership
operating in the Ashisha area, west of
Events
Keren, with the aim of seizing water
Newsletter
holes to prevent the enemy’s use of
History
them. Constitution and Rules
 
The Commando patrols soon made contact with enemy units, and whilst enemy soldiers
Contact
were killed or captured, the Commando took casualties as well. During this period Cator
was ordered to send one of his troops back to Divisional HQ for re-deployment, then the
The Archive
complete Commando was ordered back to Division. The Association
Contact Form
51 Commando’s new task was to occupy a hill west of Samana named Beit Gabru and Back to top
Welfare and Support
from there to harass Italian observation posts that were making life di cult for the Indian Frequently asked questions

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infantry below them. In the meantime No. 3 Troop that Cator had sent back to Division Photo Archive Links
had got itself into a tough ght whilst attached to an Indian battalion in 11th Infantry
Brigade. The Troop, under Captain H.S. Frost, had been ordered to climb a steep gulley  World War Two
running south from Beit Gabru and to attack enemy positions and observation posts
found there.

The operation ran into di culties but one of the NCOs, 6285981 Sergeant George Heath,
of The Bu s (Royal East Kent Regiment), later received a Distinguished Conduct Medal. His
citation is worth reading as it describes the operation.
 
DCM citation for Sergeant George Heath                               View here

“Before Keren, Eritrea.  

1946 to present day

On the night of 4/5 March 1941, three O cers and 35 other ranks were given the di cult task
of scaling a very steep gully running south from the heights of Beit Gabru. Their instructions
were to harass the enemy position at the top where ever possible.

At 2230 hours they bumped into an enemy post, which incidentally happened to be wired, and
having got through the wire succeeded in killing all the occupants of the enemy position. They
straight away moved on and took up a position on top of the high ground awaiting daylight,  

                              View here
hoping then to see what their next best move should be. As daylight broke they were engaged by
 
Breda (an Italian make of machine gun), mortar and ri e re at close range. It was evident that
a considerable force of the enemy was endeavouring to surround them. At this period two men
were badly wounded. The o cer, realising that they were not a strong enough force to hold Leave your feedback
their position, gave orders for a withdrawal. He, Sergeant Heath and one other o cer remained
We welcome general feedback about our
behind to cover the withdrawal with their Tommy Guns. The distance to the edge of the ridge
website. Tell us how you think we are
where troops could take cover from re was a matter of approximately 60 to 70 yards. This
doing. [Leave your feedback].
vantage point having been gained, the covering party started to withdraw themselves. After
retreating some 30 yards, they came across one of the wounded men previously mentioned. His
legs appeared to be paralysed.

Sergeant Heath again gave covering re while the two o cers endeavoured to drag the
wounded man to cover. They had gone but a few yards, when the o cer commanding the party
was hit in the foot, at the same time the wounded man received another bullet which killed him.
Both men then proceeded to assist the wounded o cer and again before the safety margin
could be reached the O cer Commanding the party received a second wound which laid him
low, and the other o cer was hit in the foot. Sergeant Heath received a graze on his left arm
that stopped him from getting a wound in his hip. The O cer Commanding the party’s last
words, were orders to leave him and for them to get away as best they could. Sergeant Heath
again gave covering re with his Tommy Gun. At this period his Tommy-Gun jammed, and he
managed to make the falling ground without further incident. At the same time helping back the
other o cer hit in the foot. Sergeant Heath was the only British NCO in the party. The
exemplary nature of the way Sergeant Heath behaved was remarked on from all sides.

Since that date, he has continued to work with untiring energy in spite of the fact that he has
had to attend sick parade daily, and has refused to be sent down on the sick list. His command
has since been taken over by another o cer. Both on 15th March and 21st March 41, it
attacked enemy positions advancing over very di cult and exposed ground. On both of these
occasions, Sergeant Heath by his coolness, determination and initiative helped very largely in
these positions being gained by our troops.”
[Source: London Gazettes Supp. 35221, page 4110]

 
The Troop had in icted over 40 casualties on the Italians.

Captain Henry Frost was killed in the action and awarded a posthumous Mention in
Despatches.  Raiders Private Itzchaz Ulrich and Private Shmaryahu Wajnsztejn were the
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other fatalities. The three men are buried in Keren War Cemetery.

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Cator continued with his tactics of patrolling, ambushing and quickly withdrawing which
was all that his men could do with the light scale of weapons that they carried.

However on 15th March raider Private Jakob Dab (PAL/10810) demonstrated what could
be courageously achieved with grenades red from his ri e. He was awarded a Military
Medal.

MM citation for Private Jakob Dab

“Before KEREN, ERITREA.
On 15th March 41 No. 7 Section was advancing over very di cult and exposed ground toward a
ridge, the third objective. After advancing 300 yards up a Khor (water course, often dry) the
section came under very heavy re from Light Machine Guns. Under cover of the re from the
ri e sub-section and making use of what poor cover the Khor gave Raider DAB accompanied by
two others proceeded still further to within 150 yards of the base of the objective. Here the Khor
bank was only one foot high.
 
On being shown the enemy positions Raider DAB quite regardless of his own safety opened re
with ri e grenades. Owing to the stony nature of the ground the butt of the ri e broke with the
ring of the fourth grenade. In spite of the heavy re Raider DAB slipped back into the middle of
the Khor away from the little cover available, chose a sandy bed for his ri e butt and continued
ring most e ectively whilst lying out in the open completely overlooked by the enemy. Bursts
were observed close to the enemy posts and the re diminished considerably.
 
At this time the tactical situation on the right, owing to the arrival of heavy enemy machine guns
caused a withdrawal. Before the withdrawal was completed, however, it was seen that one
enemy light machine gun was out of action with dead round it. Owing to the di cult nature of
the ground it was not possible to see the full results of the grenade re.
 
Raider DAB by his coolness under re, his devotion to duty, his disregard for his personal safety
and the magni cent example that he set to all his comrades is deserving of an immediate
award.”
[Source: London Gazettes Supp. 35250, page 4788.]

 
On the same day Cator had all his Commando operating in ve di erent groups as his task
was to prevent enemy reinforcements interfering with an attack by 4th Indian Division. All
the groups saw action, Raiders Urgar and Kramer on a Bren gun destroying an Italian light
machine gun team, whilst on another patrol Sergeant Stanley got into a hand to hand ght
and killed his opponent with his Fanny knife.
 
The Commando was in action for 24 hours drawing two enemy battalions away from the
Divisional attack; the Division did gain ground but could only hold it for the next few days
as the problems of casualty evacuation and resupply of ammunition, water and food were
immense in the rugged mountains that were being fought over.
 
Eight days later 51 Commando was in action again on Mount Samanna tasked with
in ltrating enemy positions to destroy machine gun posts. The Italians were cleared o a
couple of hills but the enemy used his artillery accurately against Commando
Headquarters and Cator, now a Lieutenant Colonel, was wounded by a shell splinter and
evacuated. The Commando Second in Command, Major C.D.O. Miller, 10th Hussars, took
over and received promotion.
 
On 25th March the nal big battle in Eritrea took place and the Commando successfully
supported the 9th and 10th Brigades of the Fifth Indian Division when they seized the
Keren battle eld; two weeks later all of Eritrea had surrendered to the Allies and 51
Commando was feeling exhausted.
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Abyssinia
After recuperating during April, 51 Commando was moved to Abyssinia at the end of the
month and tasked with taking an un-named feature during the battle of Amba Alagi. The
hill was both di cult to attack and to maintain a position on because of its steepness and
it rose 4,000 feet high.
Lieutenant Colonel Miller wrote:
“The hill was so precipitous and
rough that movement by night was
di cult, while to climb slowly
upwards by daylight would have
been impossible in the face of enemy
re.
To add to the di culties the nal
upper part of the hill consisted of a
cli which certainly could only be
attempted in daylight.”
 
But the feature was taken and quickly dubbed Commando Hill. The rst man onto the
summit was Captain John Lapraik and for his boldness and determination he was awarded
an Immediate Military Cross.
 
MC citation for Captain John Lapraik
“On May 1st the 51st Middle East Commando was ordered to capture Commando Hill. Captain
Lapraik went rst during the climb, he was the rst man to gain a footing on the top and by at
once engaging the enemy with his revolver enabled the unit to gain a rst footing over the shelf
of rock at the summit, which they were subsequently enabled to exploit.
 
On May 3rd during an attack on the Falaga Pass he showed the greatest dash and daring in
seizing a position with his troop remaining there under heavy re until ordered to retire. He has
shown consistent courage and leadership both during the battle of Amba Alagi and at Cheren.”
[Source: London Gazettes Supp. 35250, page 4877]

 
Another act of gallantry that day was performed by Raider Sandor Landler (PAL/10074)
 who was awarded a Military Medal. His citation depicts the heavy and vulnerable work
involved in casualty evacuation.
 
MM citation for Private Sandor Landler
“On May 1st 1941 Raider Landler went forward with his Troop to take part in a night attack on
an enemy position astride Falaga Pass. The Troop in which he was serving achieved their
objective under very heavy machine gun and mortar re. His Troop Commander was wounded
in both legs by a mortar bomb. Raider Landler undertook the dangerous and arduous task of
carrying his Troop Commander down a precipitous hillside under very heavy re. At every
sound made, a machine gun opened close-range re.
 
Raider Landler with the greatest courage and disregard of personal danger, although
exhausted, continued to carry his Troop Commander and would not leave him, voluntarily
undertaking an arduous spell of duty as stretcher bearer. He further displayed great courage
and disregard of danger during the capture of Commando Hill on May 1st when despatched as
a messenger under heavy re.” 
[Source: London Gazettes Supp. 35250, page 4788, surname amended from Lendler to Landler in
LG Supp. 37184, page3760]

 
Life for the Raiders holding Commando Hill was di cult and water, ammunition and
supplies had to be hauled up the nal vertical stretch using a rope anchored to a stunted
tree near the summit. The hill could be observed by Italian artillery o cers and the Back to top

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Raiders holding the forward slope had to be withdrawn to re positions behind the crest
to reduce the number of casualties.

A Pathan company of the 3rd Battalion of the 12th Frontier Force Regiment came up in
support of the Raiders on the following day and assisted in repelling Italian counter
attacks. The following night the Commando moved across the road to the west and took
Wireless Hill; occupation of this feature denied Italian observation parties from seeing
Allied tra c approaching Falaga Pass.

When a British attack on Falaga Pass was put in on the night of 3rd-4th May in which 51
Commando was involved, a platoon of the Frontier Force Regiment stood its ground and
provided covering re when the Raiders withdrew whilst carrying casualties. Havildar
(Sergeant) Mir Hassan of the Frontier Force Regiment was awarded the Indian
Distinguished Service Medal for this action.  His citation is shown in Appendix 2 to this
article as it illustrates the ground being fought over and the tactical considerations that
had to be applied.

The Falaga Pass was seized on the 8-9 May when the Commando found that the Italians
had withdrawn from their defensive positions. 51 Commando continued to support British
attacks with patrols, ambushes and diversions until 16 May when the Italians at Amba
Alagi requested an armistice.

Then in mid-June, after a recuperation period at Adi Ugri, the Commando was moved to
the Gondar area of Abyssinia where Italian resistance remained strong. Heavy rains fell
hampering British attacks and during this period the Commando patrolled aggressively
and incessantly against enemy outposts until it was moved to Adowa in mid-August,
remaining there throughout September. Gondar was surrendered to the Allies in
November and the campaign in East Africa ended.

nb. Private M. Fischer (PAL/10750) who died on 13 May 1941 and is buried in Asmara War
Cemetery, Eritrea, and Private Werner Osterman (PAL/10272)  who died on 23 August 1941 and
is buried in the Hebrew Plot of Asmara Civil (St. Michele) Cemetery, are shown on the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records as being in 51 Middle East Commando.
Whether they died of wounds after ghting in Eritrea or Abyssinia is not known.

The end of 51 Middle East Commando

51 Commando returned to Egypt to be sent on leave and then it re-grouped to nd that
the three Middle East Commandos were amalgamated (50 and 52) or disbanded (51). They
had no Brigade HQ to ght paper battles for them and there were now other attractive
units such as the Long Range Desert Group and the Special Air Service for Generals to
enthuse about. A new Middle East Commando was proposed with two troops to be
composed of former members of 51 Commando; but the project was not easy to maintain
and the hard core of 51 Commando began to dissipate.

Some Raiders returned to 601 Palestinian Company AMPC, others returned to Palestine as
civilians. A small group of uent German speakers was posted to a Special Interrogation
Group (SIG) where they were destined to wear Africa Korps uniforms and drive trucks
containing Allied soldiers masquerading as prisoners through German lines on the ill-fated
raid on Tobruk in September 1942. There were few if any SIG survivors from that debacle.
Elsewhere small groups of former Raiders survived in other Special Forces units; two of
these men were later buried in military cemeteries in Tunisia, one in En daville and the
other in Sfax.

Interestingly some former Raiders who had returned to Pioneer Corps duties got a chance
to be Commandos again when No. 2 (Army) Commando, then in Italy, needed
replacements for casualties and began recruiting.  Those Raiders who joined them went Back to top

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onto serve in Italy, the Balkans and the Adriatic, proudly wearing the green Commando
beret.

51 Middle East Commando was a successful unit. The Commando did what it was good at
on operations in East Africa where the mountainous terrain dictated the employment of
physically strong, well-disciplined and highly motivated troops who had the courage to
in ltrate enemy lines carrying only light scales of weapons and equipment. The
Commando took the ght to the enemy whenever possible and it made an outstanding
contribution to victories at the battles of Keren and Amba Alagi.

51 Middle East Commando deserves far more recognition than it currently receives.

(This article was written by Harry Fecitt MBE TD (ex-68 Company, Royal Pioneer Corps)

Appendix 1
 

The Roll of Honour for the Commando can be viewed here 51 Middle East Commando Roll of
Honour.

Photographs of some of the Raiders can be viewed here in the Commando Veterans Archive
Gallery.
 

A Memorial to 51 Middle East Commando was built in Israel

Map of Keren and Amba Alagi

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Appendix 2
Citation for the Indian Distinguished Service Medal awarded to No. 9136 Naik (Acting
Havildar) Mir Hassan, 3rd Royal Battalion (Sikhs) 12th Frontier Force Regiment.

“Amba Alagi.

On 4.5.41 Havildar Mir Hassan was given the role of protecting the right ank and rear of the
51 (ME) Commando, during a night attack on the Falaga Pass, and in order to carry out his role
he had to make good a di cult spur. In the event of the attack not being successful he was in
conjunction with another platoon to act as rearguard, until such time as the Commando had
gone through.

He made good his objective by 2200 hours, and held it throughout the night, despite the fact
that the enemy in superior numbers were converging on him from three sides. The Commando
attack did not succeed, and there was great delay in getting back the wounded, and they had
not passed through until well after dawn. Before dawn a determined counter attack was
launched on Mir Hassan’s position, and erce hand to hand ghting ensued for an hour. A
message which never reached him was sent ordering him to retire as soon as the Commando
had gone through, and it was not until half an hour later that a runner was able to reach the
position and give him the order to withdraw. Early in the action Mir Hassan was shot through
the right arm, but he refused attention and continued to organise his sections and evacuate the
wounded in the most exemplary manner until the nal withdrawal, which he carried out in
perfect order. It was due to the personal gallantry and ne ghting spirit of this NCO that his
object was so well achieved, against overwhelming odds; a subsequent reconnaissance of the
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scene of the action revealed that enemy casualties were six times greater than his own.

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His position on a spur, sloping down from the enemy’s main position, and their numbers as well
as the ground, weighed heavily in the enemy’s favour. His use of ground coupled with his
coolness and determination, and above all his magni cent example in such a grave situation,
undoubtedly saved the day, and is deserving of the highest praise."
[Source: London Gazettes Supp 35250, page 4788.]

 
nb. Mir Hassan also received the higher award of The Indian Order of Merit, 2nd Class, for
an earlier action at Keren on 22-23 March 1941.
[Source: London Gazettes Supp. 35221, page 4110.]

 
He was indeed a warrior.
 

Additional Sources:
Anonymous. The Tiger Strikes. (Government of India 1942).

A.J. Barker. Eritrea 1941. (Faber and Faber 1966).

W.E.H. Condon, Brigadier. The Frontier Force Regiment. (Gale & Polden 1962).

Michael Glover. An Improvised War. The Ethiopian Campaign, 1940-1941. (Leo Cooper
1987).

C. Hilliman. Looking Back at 51 Commando. Article in The Pioneer journal, No. 132,
September 1977.

Charles Messenger. The Middle East Commandos. (William Kimber 1988).

S.O. Playfair, Major General. History of the Second World War. The Mediterranean and
Middle East. Volume I, The Early Successes against Italy. (Naval & Military Press softback
reprint).

Bisheshwar Prasad (General Editor). East African Campaign 1940-41. (Pentagon Press
reprint, India, 2012).

E.H. Rhodes-Wood, Major. A War History of The Royal Pioneer Corps, 1939-1945. (Gale &
Polden Ltd, 1960).

William Seymour. British Special Forces. (Grafton paperback 1985).

G.R. Stevens, Lieutenant Colonel. Fourth Indian Division. (Naval & Military Press softback
reprint).

War Diaries of 51 Middle East Commando October to December 1940. (National

Archives reference WO 218/162).

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