Last year Dave Roberts from Western Approaches HQ Museum, Liverpool contacted the Amersham Society about the early days of 30 Commando (later 30 AU) created by Ian Fleming. He knew that the unit was originally based in Amersham and Chesham Bois and was hoping to find out more about their time in the area. As it happens, Tony Westhead, a local resident and our member, had already written an article for our January 2021 Newsletter about Old Amersham 30 Commando HQ and their training base at Coldmoreham Farm.
Since then Dave has been in touch with Tony, the museum, a veteran and several families of the men who were in the unit in Amersham. He also runs a Facebook group for 30 AU and the relatives of the men who served.
To commemorate the unit’s 80th anniversary, Dave and his fellow researchers are putting on a display as a part of the Amersham Heritage Day on 4 Sep. Please come and learn more about the unit and its connection to the town.
They would love to hear from you, especially if you are someone who remembers or who passed on stories about the commandos, the families they were billeted with, their training with the local Home Guard or even about Ian Fleming and Lord Mountbatten’s visit to Amersham Fire Station to see a climbing demonstration.
