Lt Jim Keigwin

Served as Officer-in-Charge of Boat Training at the Commando Boat Station in Bunarkaig (on Loch Lochy) from 1943 to 1945.

Served as Officer-in-Charge of Boat Training at the Commando Boat Station in Bunarkaig (on Loch Lochy) from 1943 to 1945.
Organized a diverse fleet of landing and small craft—including whalers, cutters, landing craft, canoes, rubber dinghies, kapok rafts, and collapsible Goatley bridges—ensuring they were always operational for training.

Began with fundamental seamanship: maneuvering folding boats, canoes, and dinghies under oar or paddle guidance.
Progressed to assault landing drills, culminating in complex night opposed landings where trainees crossed Loch Lochy and simulated beach assaults under live defensive fire.
These exercises were described as “by far the most spectacular of all the Achnacarry training schemes,” with intense realism and no blanks, despite instructors holding fire until they purposefully shot to miss—yet dangerously close.

Keigwin was regarded as “a most competent and first class instructor, and an excellent organiser”, deeply respected for his command of boat operations and logistics.
His meticulous planning ensured trainees mastered both small-boat seamanship and assault landings—crucial for combined amphibious operations.

The operations he led replicated the full realism and danger of amphibious raids, essential for preparing commandos for operations in the Mediterranean and North-West Europe.
Keigwin’s rigorous regime built proficiency in watercraft handling under stress, essential for operational success and survival.