Talk:John Durnford-Slater

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A fact from John Durnford-Slater appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 20 August 2009 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that John Durnford-Slater was the first British Commando?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2009/August.

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Any relation to Sir Robin?

During my nosing in the archives of The Times I found therewas an Admiral Sir Robin Durnford-Slater as well (he commanded the naval forces during the Suez Crisis int eh 50s). I haven't been able to establish the relationship between them though. Sir Robin served during WWI so was several years older than John. David Underdown (talk) 10:10, 12 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Family life

Looking around further, I find:

He seems to have been born simply John Frederick Slater. "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved August 12, 2009. The Durnford bit presumably came about following his mother's remarriage.
His engagement to Mrs Gladys Ethel Farquharson (widow of Alan Farquharson of Kingston, Jamaica), second daughter of G. S. Ferdinando of Basildon ParkBerkshire was announced on 1 January 1935. Durnford-Slater is escribed as the younger son of Mrs Durnford-Slater. "Forthcoming marriages". Marriages. The Times. No. 46950. London. 1 January 1935. col C, p. 17. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
They married in Bombay Cathedral (Now St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai presumably) on 5 February 1935. "Marriages". Marriages. The Times. No. 46992. London. 19 Febraury 1935. col A, p. 1. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
Robin Durnford-Slater (see above) doesn't seem to be a full brother, later in 1935 Lt-Cdr L. F. Durnford-Slater, described as the elder son of Mrs Durnford-Slater and Leonard Slater got engaged. "Forthcoming marriages". Marriages. The Times. No. 47232. London. 27 November 1935. col C, p. 17. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
Daughter born 15 June 1936, named Avis F "Births". Births. The Times. No. 47405. London. 19 June 1936. col A, p. 1. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help), "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved August 12, 2009.

In addition his actual odler L. F Durnford Slater probably is notable as he became a vice-admiral, and commadned the naval contingent at the coronation in 1953. David Underdown (talk) 13:57, 12 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Hi David, thanks very much for digging all that up. That's great work. I've added a few notes based on this information. I've not added the brothers though, as I wasn't quite sure how to work it in to the text. You are welcome to wack it in if you know a good way to do it. Also, it would be great if we could find his exact birth date (just for the sake of completeness). — AustralianRupert (talk) 00:18, 13 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I started writing the article off line a while back on a whim after reading the subject's memoirs, which make for a very interesting read. They are a bit vague on some details, though, but as an individual the brigadier seems very honest person (in comparison to other memoirs I've read) as he recounts a number of incidents that could have ended his career but by good fortune didn't. I later found the Hilary St George Saunders book (signed no less by Mountbatten of Burma) in an antique book store in a small town near Canberra and it spurred me on to complete the article. Your information has helped a lot to fill in the gaps, though. — AustralianRupert (talk) 00:33, 13 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I dare you

.. to add the story about the help Col Durnford-Slater's No 3 Commando provided to the Earl of Glasgow. It's recounted in Evelyn Waugh's letter to his wife of 31 May 1942, included in the published volume of "The letters of Evelyn Waugh". Sam Blacketer (talk) 00:39, 21 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Was that the incident where some of his men blow up the tree? I think it is recounted in his memoirs. There are a few others, but to be honest I couldn't really find a way to add them in without interupting the flow of the narrative too much. — AustralianRupert (talk) 03:18, 21 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]