Tribute to ordinary people who’ve done extraordinary things
COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE HONOURS ELITE WARTIME UNIT NO. 5 COMMANDO
A COMMEMORATIVE plaque has been unveiled in Bridlington to honour the elite fighting unit that was No. 5 Commando.
The ceremony took place at The Carlton Apartments, in The Crescent. The plaque was paid for by Madeleine Waplington, who lost her uncle Bertie Johnson during a raid on St Nazaire in 1942 - he started out in Bridlington when the unit was first formed on July 18, 1940 and was one of 15 men from No. 5 Commando who took part in the raid, seven of them never to return.
Richard Jones, local author and historian, said: “Holding back tears as she recounted the story of her family and how proud they were of him, Madeleine unveiled the green plaque that she so generously paid for outright after a very short campaign by myself. She summed it up with her speech when she unveiled it ‘in memory of the most ordinary people who did the most extraordinary things.’ Never a more truer sentence was said.”
No. 5 Commando was an organisation formed by the order of Winston Churchill to “wreak havoc” on the enemy coasts at the height of the Second World War. The Prime Minster’s call for specially trained troops began with a small force of volunteers who carried out minor raids against enemyoccupied territory but by 1943, No. 5 Commando’s role had shifted into lightly equipped assault infantry specialising in spearheading amphibious landings. Richard, who is researching Bridlington during the Second World War, thanked Madeleine; Bridlington Royal Navy veteran Martin Barmby for highlighting this piece of history, and Thomas Bui, owner of The Carlton Apartments, for giving permission for the plaque to be installed. He said: “No. 5 Commando Facebook group spread the word of the event and members of the Armed Forces community in Bridlington showed up despite the wet weather to show their support and respect to this important era of the town’s wartime history.”
Mr Bui was presented with a No.5 Commando shield to go up on his wall for his guests to see, as well as a folder of documents and photos of the Commandos. Richard’s research is ongoing and if anyone can help with highlighting any forgotten stories or provide images of the war years in the town, they are asked to please email shipwreckdata@yahoo.co.uk or visit /www.facebook.com/ shipwreck.data to get in touch.