No 2658, Sunday 30 Oct 11

ACROSS
1   - One from a special service brigade to order start of onslaught (8) - COMMANDO {COMMAND}{O}
5   - A good man in coal mine is now too old (4,2) - PAST IT {P{A}{ST} IT}
10 - Incidental remark from a subordinate (5) - ASIDE {A}{SIDE}
11 - Sleep in Happy Valley (9) - DREAMLAND [CD]
12 - Excellent penalty, with both sides in disarray? (4,3,5) - FINE AND DANDY {FINE} {AND} {Disa{AND}rraY}
15 - Diadem found in Haiti, a rarity (5) - TIARA [T]
16 - US writer who ran the comic (9) - HAWTHORNE*
18 - An overwhelming influx in a new church in a dell (9) - AVALANCHE {A}{VAL{A}{N}{CH}E}
19 - Tight-fisted type causing endless hardship (5) - MISER MISERy
20 - New record cover's for an old ballad (12) - GREENSLEEVES {GREEN}{SLEEVES}
24 - Two articles about lawlessness in a region of Ukraine (3,6) - THE CRIMEA {THE} {CRIME}{A}

25 - Oxygen needed by very great Greek character (5) - OMEGA {O}{MEGA}
26 - Foremost of players, say, in a golf club (6) - PUTTER {P}{UTTER}
27 - Sutures for small and very small people (8) - STITCHES {S}{TITCHES}
DOWN
1   - Cleaner has appeal, no end (4) - CHAR CHARm
2   - Help to support married servant (4) - MAID {M}{AID}
3   - Stories about male and female bringing collectible items from the US (9) - AMERICANA {A{M}{ERICA}NA}
4   - Steer clear of the post to evade one's duties (5,3,6) - DODGE THE COLUMN {DODGE} {THE} {COLUMN}
6   - Tooled up, a revolutionary crossing top of mountain (5) - ARMED {A}{R{M}ED}
7   - This car ran off the rails - in this? (5,5) - TRAIN CRASH* &lit
8   - Toys by tree dad's repackaged (5,5) - TEDDY BEARS*
9   - Make no progress dispelling new ghetto fears (3,7,4) - GET NOWHERE FAST*
13 - Tidy at university - honestly (8,2) - STRAIGHT UP {STRAIGHT} {UP}
14 - Busy magnate bringing in staff for administration (10) - MANAGEMENT {MANAGE{MEN}T*}
17 - Resolve, after much discussion, throwing event abroad (6,3) - HAMMER OUT {HAMMER} {OUT}
21 - Hospital worker inside comes running over (5) - NURSE [T<-]
22 - Lot, husband of biblical character (4) - SETH [CD] (Addendum - {SET}{H} - See comments)
23 - Voice of inferior quality? Sounds like it (4) - BASS (~baas)