Lister, Dudley Stuart

Chopper (1941)

Date of birth:: April 1899 (Herne Hill/London, United Kingdom)
Date of death:: September 1965 (Fulham/London, United Kingdom)
Service number:: 13850
Nationality:: British

Biography

Lister was commissioned from Sandhurst into The Buffs in December 1917 and joined the 1st Battalion in the Ypres salient. Within months he had distinguished himself in action, earning the Military Cross in August 1918 for leading a daring raid under heavy fire, personally shooting a sentry and capturing prisoners.

He remained in the army after the war, advancing steadily through the ranks. Between the wars he served with the Royal West African Frontier Force and was awarded the Danish Order of the Dannebrog in 1926. Outside soldiering he was a formidable sportsman, becoming British Amateur Heavyweight Boxing Champion in 1925 and later publishing a book on boxing.

By 1938 he was a major and, with the outbreak of the Second World War, he was drawn into the newly formed Commandos. Initially a company commander in No. 7 Commando, he was soon promoted to command No. 4 Commando, leading them in the celebrated Lofoten Islands raid (Operation Claymore) in March 1941. The raid destroyed factories, sank shipping, captured prisoners, and brought back valuable intelligence, earning Lister a mention in despatches and later the Norwegian Liberty Cross. Known as a tall, rugged figure and a fitness enthusiast, he was admired for leading from the front, though remembered also for his colourful private life and eccentricities, such as camping in a tent on a golf course during winter training.

In 1942 he was appointed to command No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando, a unique unit of volunteers from occupied Europe. Under his leadership, its men took part in the Dieppe raid and later trained for operations in Normandy, while also contributing to smaller raids and clandestine missions in Norway, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia.

After retiring from the army in 1946, Lister became sporting editor of a London newspaper, worked with the Greyhound Racing Association, and provided commentary for the 1948 Olympics.

Remembered as “a fine swashbuckling type of soldier, a regular Bulldog Drummond,” Dudley Stuart Lister died in Fulham in September 1965.

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Military Cross (MC)

Period:: First World War (1914-1918)
Rank:: Second-Lieutenant
Unit:: 1st Battalion The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), British Army
Awarded on:: August 2nd, 1918

"For conspicuous gallantry when leading his platoon in a raid. He succeeded by his example and daring in enabling his men, though harassed by machine-gun fire, to reach their objective. He shot a sentry and personally secured several prisoners. He did splendid work."

Ridder af Dannebrog

Unit:: 2nd Battalion The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), British Army
Awarded on:: January 1926

Mentioned in Dispatches

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Temporary Lieutenant Colonel
Unit:: No. 4 Commando, Combined Operations Headquarters
Awarded on:: May 27th, 1941
Awarded for:: Operation Claymore

"All four officers carried out their tasks with admirable precision, punctuality and skill, and all kept me in the closest touch with the progress of the operations for which they were responsible. It is very clear from the results obtained that their officers and men worked very well and rapidly under their command. The tasks given to these officers called for considerable tact and quick thinking and the fact that they were carried through within the time allotted and without unpleasant incidents of any sort, shows the officers in question possessed these qualities in addition to military skill and the power of command."