John Durnford-Slater Author

Brigadier John Durnford-Slater was the British Army officer who raised the first Army commando unit during World War II. Born into a military family in Devon, Durnford-Slater graduated from the Royal Military Academy as a second lieutenant, before his first posting in India. At the outbreak of World War II he was serving as captain of an anti-aircraft unit in England. In June 1940, he responded to calls for new recruits to a special force to carry out raids along the French coast. He was promoted with the task of raising and recruiting No. 3 Commando. It was an immense success. Durnford-Slater was closely involved in planning the D-Day raid, where he was made a brigadier, and he spent the remainder of the war moving between France, Germany and the UK. After the war, he reverted to the rank of captain before retiring in 1946 with the honorary rank of brigadier. He died in 1972. Neil Barber is the author of four books relating to the commandos in World War II and he has researched and visited numerous battlefields.