LT.COL. J.F.DURNFORD-SLATER

An officer in the Royal Artillery who eventually rose to the rank of Brigadier, John Frederick Durnford-Slater, DSO, and bar, was a British Army officer, credited with establishing the first Army commando unit during the Second World War. Responsible for developing many of aspects of the commando concept, he commanded No. 3 Commando during raids on Guernsey, the Lofoten Islands, Vaagso, and Dieppe and then during Operation Husky – the invasion of Sicily. In Italy he commanded the 2nd Commando Brigade that undertook the capture of Termoli, before serving as deputy commander of the Special Service Group, a divisional level headquarters unit that planned and administered all commando operations during Operation Overlord and the ultimate advance into Germany.