John Durnford-Slater
| John Durnford-Slater | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1909 |
| Died | 5 February 1972 |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Years of service | 1927–1946 |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Unit | Royal Artillery |
| Commands held | No. 3 Commando |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order and Bar |
Brigadier John Frederick Durnford-Slater, DSO and bar (1909–5 February 1972) was a British Army officer who was credited with raising the first Army commando unit during the Second World War.
An officer in the Royal Artillery who eventually rose to the rank of brigadier, he was responsible for developing many of aspects of the commando concept. Commanding No. 3 Commando he participated in raids on Guernsey, the Lofoten Islands, Vaagso, Dieppe and 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 advance into Germany.
Durnford-Slater was born in 1909 to Leonard Slater and his wife Constance (née Pridham) and grew up in Instow, in the north of Devon. His family had a strong military tradition; his maternal grandfather had served in the army, as had his mother's second husband when she remarried following his father's death. His own father had been a regular officer who had been killed on 14 September 1914 while serving with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment in France during the First World War.
...
Wikipedia