John Alastair Livingstone “also recorded as J. Alastair L.” Timpson

Captain · #124473 · G1 Patrol · MC, MID

What this roll records

London Gazette entries found under 124473: commissioned 29 March 1940 (Supplement 34821, p.1901); “Lieutenant (temporary Captain) John Alastair Livingstone Timpson (124473), Scots Guards” on 9 March 1943 (Supplement 35934, p.1176); “S. G’ds. Lt. (War Subs. Capt.) John Alastair Livingston TIMPSON (124473) from Emerg. Commn. to be Capt., 1st Jan. 1949” (6 December 1949, Supplement 38775, p.5771); and “Capt. J. A. L. TIMPSON, M.C. (124473), having attained the age limit relinquishes his commn., 23rd May 1965” (21 May 1965, Supplement 43657, p.5062). They give his forenames in full as JOHN ALASTAIR LIVINGSTON TIMPSON — though the Gazette itself spells the third name both Livingston and Livingstone across the entries, so the form held here stands and the variant is recorded. They also show that he stayed in the Scots Guards long after the war, taking a regular commission as Captain from 1 January 1949 and serving until he reached the age limit in May 1965. Source: The London Gazette.

Patrol G1: "Capt. J.A.L. Timpson ... leading G1 Patrol" (Nov/Dec 1942). Brendan O'Carroll, "The Long Range Desert Group in North Africa".

PATROL COMMANDER of G1/G2 per W.B. Kennedy Shaw, "Long Range Desert Group", Appendix 4 Patrol Commanders.

March 1942 roll (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy): CO G1 Patrol

Barce Raid, Sept 1942 (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy): Jeep G1 CO — inj / flown out

Barce Raid, Sept 1942 — commanded G1 patrol; injured and flown out (Brendan O'Carroll).

The Kiwi Scorpions (Brendan O'Carroll): Capt. J. A. L. Timpson, MC — Scots Guards; patrol commander LRDG.

Commanded G1 (Guards) patrol on the Barce raid; fractured his skull when his jeep capsized over a razor-back dune while crossing the Sand Sea on the outward journey, and was flown to Cairo. Source: ‘The Barce Raid’, Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (NZ official war history).

Scots Guards. MC. Patrol commander LRDG. Source: Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (biographical notes).

HIS MENTION IN DESPATCHES, DATED. London Gazette, 22 June 1943, Supplement 36065, page 2858: “Lt. (temp. Capt.) J. A. L. Timpson, M.C. (124473)”. That supplement is the Mentioned in Despatches list for the Middle East covering 1 May to 22 October 1942, its preamble on page 2853 reading “The KING has been graciously pleased to approve that the following be Mentioned in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East”. So this is the notice of his Mention, and it also dates his Military Cross to before 22 June 1943. Source: The London Gazette.

His forenames have been written out in full as JOHN ALASTAIR LIVINGSTONE, which is how The London Gazette gives them: at his commission on 29 March 1940 (Supplement 34821, p. 1901) and again on 9 March 1943 (Supplement 35934, p. 1176), both against service number 124473. A later notice of 6 December 1949 spells the third name LIVINGSTON without the E, so the two forms are both on record and the fuller one has been taken. The roll’s earlier form, J. Alastair L., is kept in the AKA field.

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