Canaldrifter
MIA

Not the Royal Marine Commandos or the SBS, but the RN Commandos. Any of you genuine naval history buffs heard of it?
I ask because I used to drink with a guy who was adamant that he led the unit during the latter part of WW2.
It was supposedly formed as a very special unit, directly under the command of Churchill or Mountbatten, to carry out sensitive behind the lines operations.
This old fella was as hard as nails, and had the scars. He showed me a VC, amongst a whole row of medals, although I never saw the provenance, which he reckoned he kept in a bank vault. The VC isn't listed, but he claimed that was because what he got it for was top secret.
His men were all hand-picked volunteers, most with a death wish. He himself lost his entire family, wife and twin daughters, in a London bombing raid. I know this part is true.
I would have thought that after more than 60 years, if these stories were true, it would have been outed by now.
He was very convincing, and I saw several old photographs of him in RN uniform as a Lt Com. I knew him for some ten years, and he never altered his story at all.... nor would he give me any details of operations, but I have never heard of the RN Commandos from any other source.
Anyone?
I ask because I used to drink with a guy who was adamant that he led the unit during the latter part of WW2.
It was supposedly formed as a very special unit, directly under the command of Churchill or Mountbatten, to carry out sensitive behind the lines operations.
This old fella was as hard as nails, and had the scars. He showed me a VC, amongst a whole row of medals, although I never saw the provenance, which he reckoned he kept in a bank vault. The VC isn't listed, but he claimed that was because what he got it for was top secret.
His men were all hand-picked volunteers, most with a death wish. He himself lost his entire family, wife and twin daughters, in a London bombing raid. I know this part is true.
I would have thought that after more than 60 years, if these stories were true, it would have been outed by now.
He was very convincing, and I saw several old photographs of him in RN uniform as a Lt Com. I knew him for some ten years, and he never altered his story at all.... nor would he give me any details of operations, but I have never heard of the RN Commandos from any other source.
Anyone?