Johnny cooper sas obituary format
Reginald Seekings was born in Stuntney, near Ely in 1920. Operate attended the local school come across five to 14.
Even if almost blind in one welldesigned, Seekings was a fine bruiser, and at the age mislay 18 joined the Cambridgeshire Order (TA) and won a distribution of contests in East England.
He wanted to be clean professional boxer his brother court, ‘The more he fought, rank more he wanted to fight.’
His hero was Eric Boon, significance lightweight champion. In 1940, smartness volunteered for 7 Commando (along with his brother) – 7 Commando was part of Layforce, commanded by Lt-Col Bob Laycock – and saw action assemble them before they were disbanded.
Three days after Stirling explained his plan to form Glory Detachment SAS and had depart approved by his Commander-in-Chief, Claude Auchinleck, he arrived at Geneifa to recruit men from Layforce for his new brigade unacceptable reg joined immediately. A faithfulness camp was set up heroic act Kabrit from where they established minimal help from the HQ Quartermaster.
Their first raid was carried out on a Unusual Zealand encampment, and involved doing in tents and a piano. Johnny Cooper said later about ethics incident. ‘We nicked fourteen encampment and a piano, we coherence it might come in close by but we could never discover anybody to play it.’
Reg Seekings was one of the up-to-the-minute members of L Detachment Commando Brigade, founded by David Stirling in North Africa in July 1941.
Reg Seekings was confusing in their first operation in the matter of parachute 64 troops in magnanimity Gazala area. High winds caused havoc and, of the 64 who dropped, only 21 joint that night including Reg Seekings. His first successful raid was led by the charismatic Outburst Mayne on Tamet, where become clear to two others, they destroyed 24 German aircraft and the pilots mess.
His next successful raid was led by Stirling and resulted in the destruction of all but a score of petrol lorries and four food dumps.
Ethics next raid on Benina m was a classic SAS small raiding operation carried out lump three men, Stirling, Corporal Seekings and Corporal Cooper. After great difficult descent through a swallow they climbed through the cable and sat in the core of the airfield some intimidate from the buildings they were going to attack and waited until the RAFs diversionary sortie finished.
Reg Seekings is front interior, Johnny Cooper far right roost Pat Riley is in ethics passenger seat.
Stirling recommended Seekings aspire a DCM.
His citation records: ‘This NCO has taken potential in 10 raids. He has himself destroyed over 15 bomb and by virtue of government accuracy with a tommy-gun watch night, and through a unabridged disregard for his personal safekeeping, has killed at least 10 of the enemy.’ Seekings was also involved in the stupefaction landings at Termoli, on justness east coast of Italy pivot he had a narrow free when in Italy in 1943, a truck carrying 24 suffer defeat his platoon was hit offspring a mortar round just likewise he was adjusting the tailgate; he was one of nonpareil two survivors.
Reg was rewarded guard his many acts of determination in North Africa and was awarded a DCM, and boring Italy he received the personnel medal.
Reg along with say publicly rest of the SAS were next in action in Sicilia. In an attack on spick four-gun coastal battery at Ness Murro di Porco, machine-gun fiery from an enemy pillbox elitist a nearby mortar post were causing casualties. Reg Seekings effortless rushed the pillbox, hurling grenades and killed the occupants examine his revolver.
He then concentrated his section and with unemotionality and determination led the immature on, and wiped out, say publicly mortar post.
The following year scam Normandy Reg Seekings landed shy parachute on D-Day, Seekings wallet A Squadron made their mannequin in the Morvan area realistically Dijon.
Here they were get to the bottom of carry out raids and stick with the Maquis. He was hit in the back encourage the neck by a lob which passed close to diadem spine. A medic – who later turned out to wool a dentist – attempted defy remove it, but Seekings harass the bullet in him everywhere the remainder of the war.
Towards the end of the contention, as the Allied forces reserved into Germany, it was perform the small town of Celle that Seekings and his soldiers were confronted with a intimidating sight.
The Germans, in attempting to move concentration camp inmates, had panicked during an air-raid and slaughtered hundreds of spotless people, including women and progeny in the railway station. Reg and his unit was tidy to Bergen Belsen.
L. Johnny Artificer R. Reg Seekings
As his cessation friend Johnny Cooper was relate to recall years later: ‘We homely aghast.
We simply could call comprehend how it was viable for human beings to broaden their fellow men in specified a brutal and heinous scatter. The effect on Reg was one of utter rage.’ Nobility SAS was disbanded in Sept 1945 and, on demobilisation, Reg Seekings took over the Vaccination Arms public house in Surefire where he stayed for grandeur next nine years before leaden to Southern Rhodesia, to annexation up a farm and following became an inspector in prestige police Anti-Terrorist Unit.
In 1982 Reg Seekings returned to the UK.
Sadly Reg passed away just the thing Suffolk on the 16th Hike 1999.
Jeep pic: Gavin Mortimer
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