Thursday, February 9, 1956, Quartermaster Sergeant Alfred Wheeler and Mne. Benet Blakeway, HQ 3 Commando Brigade, died during operations in Cyprus.
They both perished from exposure on anti-terrorist operations after their vehicle fell into a deep gully in the Troodos Mountains during a blizzard.
A newspaper report in the Daily Mirror on the 11th February 1956 states:
"RSM gave life for Commando. One of the two British Commandos who died in a mountain blizzard in Cyprus was a regimental sergeant major. And he gave his life, it was revealed yesterday, in a vain bid to save the other Commando - a Marine who had hurt his ankle and could not go on without help.
The hero was R.S.M. A. Wheeler. whose wife lives in Springfield Terrace, Elburton, Plymouth. The Marine he gave his life for was Benet Carr Blakeway, 25, son of the Rev. B. C. Blakeway, Vicar of Crayrigg, near Kendal, Westmorland.
R.S.M. Wheeler dropped out of a party of Commandos to go to Marine Blakeway's assistance . The rest of the party arrived safely at base."
WHEELER, Alfred
Quartermaster Sergeant
Unit/Base: '3 Commando Brigade RM'
Regiment/Corps: Royal Marines
Service number: PO/X 5243
Born: Wednesday, September 3, 1924
Died : Thursday, February 9, 1956
Died on active service
Age: 31
Cemetery/Memorial: Waynes Keep Military Cemetery Nicosia Cyprus
BLAKEWAY, Benet Carr
Rank: Marine
Unit/Base: '3 Commando Brigade RM'
Regiment/Corps: Royal Marines
Service number: CH/X 5377
Born: Monday, February 10, 1930
Died : Thursday, February 9, 1956
Died on active service
Age: 25
Cemetery/Memorial: Waynes Keep Military Cemetery Nicosia Cyprus
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