Commando News issue 15 2019

3/165608 Raymond William Sanders
1 July 1928 - 23 November 2018
2 Commando Company 1955 – 1963
His family knew Ray as ‘Sam’,
but to his colleagues in 2
Commando Company
he was Ray. He enlisted in the
fledgling Com pany in
December 1955 with the
rank of recruit, suggest ing
he had no previous military
exper ience. He joined
soon after Taffy
Drakopoulos, Don Berg -
man and other “origi nals”
of the recently raised post-
WW2 Com mando Unit,
under its first OC, Major Peter
Seddon.
Ray was in the first phalanx of
members to be awarded the Green
Beret in August 1956, under Major John
Hutchison, and qualified on the Frogman course with
John O’Rourke, Ted Malone and others in early 1957.
The following year he completed his Basic Parachute
Course.
Dutchy Hollands inspects Ray’s parachute gear
in the 1950s.
Ray was present during the 1960
annual camp and the Rip incident,
completing the Small Scale Raids
course, and in June that year
was promoted to substantive
Sergeant. He was appointed
Company Ser geant Major
after the tragic loss of CSM
Taffy Drako poulos in the
Rip tragedy and formally
promoted to Warrant
Officer rank in 1961.
Ray’s wife Carmel said
they married in October 1955
and soon after Ray enlisted in
the Unit, following the publicity
for the newly raised Commando
Company. Carmel said, "Ray loved the
Commandos", but no doubt due to the
demands of family and working life, Ray discharged
from the Unit at his own request in mid-1963, after
more than seven years of dedicated service. He had
the respect of all of the men and senior officers in the
Company, including the five Officers Commanding
he served under, and to whom he gave steadfast and
highly professional support.
Carmel and Ray’s son Jeffrey and daughter
Jennifer pre-deceased Ray. No doubt following in
Ray’s foot steps, their son Mark retired from 30 years
of service with the rank of Warrant Officer Class One.
Carmel said she was surprised and extremely
touched that so many of Ray’s comrades attended his
service last December and expressed her thanks for
the support and wonderful tributes they gave.
All Association members offer their sincere
sympathy to Carmel, Mark and his family, and all of
Ray’s extended family.
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COMMANDO NEWS ~ Edition 15 I 2019 49