Born on 7 July 1917, John Frederick Giles was the eldest of three sons of Frederick William and Mary Maud Palin Giles of Almondsbury, Bristol. He was educated at Bristol Preparatory School before entering Kelly College in Summer Term 1931. He was Head of Courtenay House in 1935, the year he left the School.

In July 1936 he was commissioned as Second Lieutenant of the 6th Battalion on in the Gloucestershire Regiment. He was transferred to the Royal Tank Regiment – Royal Armoured Corps and was mobilized in 1939. John was promoted to Lieutenant shortly afterwards. While with his battalion he won the heavyweight boxing championship of the Army Southern Command and played rugby for Clifton.

He joined the Commando in the summer of 1940 and was further promoted to Captain. He was prominent in all of its activities including the first raid on the Lofoten Islands.

John was killed in action on 27 December 1941 in Vaasgo, Norway during Operation Archery, a successful amphibious raid by British Commandos on the defended Norwegian coast which took place under seven hours of RAF cover, its purpose being to destroy fish oil factories and sink enemy shipping. One of John’s brother, Lieutenant Bruce Giles, who also attended Kelly College (1934-38), participated in the raid but returned safely.

He was buried at sea and is commemorated at Brookwood Memorial, Surrey, and on Alveston War Memorial

Acknowledgments: South Gloucestershire War Memorials (War memorials | South Gloucestershire Council [accessed 6.11.24]).

Commando Veterans Archive (GILES, John Frederick | ͏ [accessed 6.11.24]).

Clifton Rugby Football Club History (Clifton RFC History - WW2 - John Frederick Giles [accessed 6.11.24]).