A young man's war - 1
My dad, Ralph Collins, turned 18 on June 18, 1942 and goes to war
08 July 2020
At 19 Ralph Collins was fighting in France after D-day in Ian Fleming's 30 Assault Unit. He never told us what he saw or what he felt as a young man at war but this is what he did.
Collins war begins when he turns 18, volunteers for duty and, like his older brother James, becomes a Royal Marine - Ralph Collins, CH/X110438 - on 14th July 1942.
He is de-mobilised from Chatham on 26th June, 1946 and returns to civilian life.
We didn't know the full story of my dad's war until we applied to see his service records from Navy Command as well as additional 30 AU records and photographs from the National Archive.
This is about what he did between 26th February to 11th November 1944 as part of Ian Fleming's infamous 30 Assault Unit.
Going into France after D-day, his commanding officer was Patrick Dazel-Job, the man said to be inspiration for James Bond
About which dad told us absolutely nothing.
After my dad died, our family was allowed to access dad's war service records but we had no clue as to what unit or regiment he served in.
It was only after I found these dog tags attached to his penknife that we could ask Navy Command for his service record.
It was quite the surprise to learn he was in Ian Fleming's 30 Assault Unit. However for Royal Marine R. Collins, it was not a long or heroic war; his story is shared by many who served at the front lines.
What we don't know is his personal experience.
What must be like to be 18, 19 and 20 years old and feeling emotions mostly foreign to us at that age?
The initial intense excitement, the moral certainty of a cause worth fighting for, a deep, righteous anger, patriotism then a stew of fear, horror, grief, guilt, camaraderie, bravery, a sense of duty and coolness in the face of danger.
Ralph Collins was born June 18, 1924 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His dad shoveled coal on the Edinburgh to London steam trains and his mum cleaned the houses of the wealthy folk living across the water of Leith at Murrayfield.
The family moved often; from Stenhouse, Westfield, Roseburn, fifteen times before he was 15. Schooling lacked continuity.
Ralph had an older brother, James.
Growing up in Edinburgh James and Ralph would have known of the Royal Marine Commandos as the major naval base of Rosyth is nearby on the Firth of Forth so they would have seen the Commandos about town and read about their exploits in the boy’s comics of the day.
When war broke out in 1939, James volunteered and joined 47 Regiment, Royal Marine Commandos.
Ralph would have to wait two years until he was 18 in 1942 before he could sign up too.
On the parade ground a raw recruit learns of his new identity.
"I am an egg, sir."
After learning to put one foot in front of the other in basic training, Ralph is sent for Commando training to the Royal Marine Training Group at Achnacarry in the rugged and very wet north of Scotland from November '43 to January '44.
