Five: Acting Major D. L. Barclay, Royal Marines, who was killed in action on Sword Beach on D-Day while serving as Second-in-Command of No. 41 Commando

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with their original addressed card forwarding box to ‘Mrs. D. J. Barclay, 1 St. James Lodge, Lower Addiscombe Road, Croydon, Surrey, and Admiralty condolence slip in the name of ‘Acting Major David Lovat Barclay, R.M.’, extremely fine (5) £300-350

David Lovat Barclay was born in May 1920 in Hampstead, Surrey, and was educated at St. Bee’s School, Cumbria on a Scholarship. Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Marines in September 1938, he joined the R.M. detachment aboard H.M.S. Norfolk in June 1940, and remained similarly employed until February 1942, in which period he served as the officer of the 4-inch gun and witnessed the destruction of H.M.S. Hood during her famous clash with the the Bismarck - Barclay was called to the enquiry and in his witness statement recalled that:

“I only walked over to the port side about half a minute before the Hood blew up and I only saw one salvo of the Bismarck and then this one hit her. There seemed to be a spurt of flame from aft not very big, really a glow which remained for quite a long time, about half a minute. Meanwhile the Hood fired a salvo. I am sure the fore turret fired but I am not sure about the after one. The flame appeared to me to be on the starboard side not in a turret.”

Following completion of his service with the Norfolk, Barclay returned to Deal to volunteer for the newly formed Special Service Brigade and joined No. 40 Commando in February 1942. The Commando’s baptism of fire was to be at Dieppe on 19 August 1942. In support of the main Canadian assault force, Nos. 3 and 4 (Army) Commandos were to destroy the enemy coastal batteries covering the main landing beaches, whilst No. 40 had selected tasks in the port area and was to be responsible for reinforcements as required. Unfortunately, No. 40, when committed to their landing, under well-nigh impossible conditions, suffered severe casualties - of its 370 officers and men, 76 were lost on the beaches, including the Commanding officer.

Appointed an acting Captain and Adjutant of the Battalion immediately following the raid, Barclay obtained his parachute wings at Ringway in March 1943, his report stating ‘Captain Barclay has shown a fine example to rest of selection has jumped well and without hesitation, has fine powers of leadership. Right type for job, he completed 2 balloon jumps, 2 high balloons and 6 aircraft descents.’

On the 13 June 1943, Barclay and No. 40 Commando were embarked for Sicily to spearhead the amphibious landing on 10 July 1943. Later in September the Commando would make another successful amphibious assault on the town of Termolli. On the 13 December Barclay transferred to No. 41 Commando, who were then based in Algiers and training for the forthcoming assault on North West Europe. The Battalion returned to the U.K. in early 1944 and Barclay was promoted to Major and Second in Command, aged 24.

No. 41 Commando, which formed part of the 4th Special Service Brigade, landed at Hermanville-sur-Mer on Sword Beach in Normandy on 6 June 1944, its first task to link up with fellow Commandos at Luc-sur-Mer, but as the unit came ashore under fire at 08.40, it lost several men, including their Regimental Sergeant-Major, the Naval Forward Observation Officer and Major Barclay - he was killed on the beach by a shell and his body was never recovered. One of the most senior R.M. officers killed on D-Day, he was, nonetheless, just 24 years old, and left a widow, Daphne Joan Barclay, of East Croydon, Surrey. He is commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial; sold with copied service record and wedding photograph, and a copy of the book They Did What Was Asked of Them - No. 41 (Royal Marines) Commando 1942-46, by Raymond Mitchell.