A MAN who has retraced the footsteps of an elite commando unit - tasked with dangerous missions throughout the Second World War - is hunting for the family of one member.

Jeff Hewitt is looking into the journey of 46 Royal Marines Commando unit along with author and researcher Keith Taylor.

Both men had a father who served in the unit, which was sent in to carry out dangerous operations in Europe. Now they are attempting to find the surviving family of one of the men – Sgt James TR Smith - who was killed in action aged 22, helping liberate a village in Normandy from German occupation.

Sgt Smith’s parents were Robert Alfred and Annie Elizabeth Smith, who lived at Stokesley in North Yorkshire.

Mr Hewitt said on the 75th anniversary of the death of the commando and 21 of his colleagues, he intends to present a photographic memorial plaque to the Mayor of the village in Normandy.

“By tracing down any surviving family of James I will be able to share with them his war history and invite them to join me in 2019 to pay honour to him and his fallen comrades,” he said.

Mr Hewitt's own father, Sgt Harry Hewitt returned to his former profession as a policeman after the war. He found during his research with Keith Taylor that one of the unit's roles had been to take out two cliff-top gun batteries immediately ahead of the D-Day Landings on June 6, to enable the ships to land. To do this they had to climb two vertical cliff faces to reach the gunners.

Just as they were about to go, the mission was aborted after the RAF and allied ship guns had managed to destroy the battery. Instead they were taken back out to sea and were dropped back on the French beaches on the following day.

“The landed on Juno Beach and saw all the carnage that had taken place before them,” said Mr Hewitt.

From there they were sent inland with 48 commando unit to a French village called Rots, which was being held by the SS Hitler Youth.

“They were told the clear the village of WASSAN Hitler Jugend, the 12th SS Hitler Youth. They were all fanatical having been born in 1926 and would fight to the death. It was a battle that started at 5pm in the evening and by 9am the next morning the battle was won by the commandos.”

According to reports it was a bloody battle with many casualties on both sides. A number of commandos were killed wading through a waist-high wheat field when a sniper picked them off one by one.

As a result of the successful liberation, the village erected a memorial to 46 Royal Marines Commando unit with the names of all those who died.

“These tablets has the names and ages but there’s nothing that shows what they looked like," said Mr Hewitt.

"I thought it would be great to create a great, big picture frame with the 22 faces around the ensign so people can see the men, who were so young. The youngest was 19.”

Anyone with information on Sgt James Smith of Stokesley should contact Jeff Hewitt on; jeffhewitt1952@outlook.com