Mission 204 - Special Service Detachment 2

The "fun" is when you find the stories "differ" - recollections failing and/or Burmese whispers...?

 

The "fun" is when you find the stories "differ" - recollections failing and/or Burmese whispers...?

Always plenty of intrigue and speculation HC, never worry.

 

The "fun" is when you find the stories "differ" - recollections failing and/or Burmese whispers...?

How true.

I managed to identify most of the soldiers in John Friend's account but when I tried to reconcile his account in the book with TNA WO 361/185 (Burma: Special Service Detachment No. 2, Lieutenant Colonel Brocklehurst; statements of Corporal Cornec and others) I couldn't. In particular, I was trying to pin down who was in which group when the party split up. Mind you, even within WO 361/185 there are inconsistencies. It seems, after having split up, some men got lost and rejoined other groups. And, of course, most of them didn't know where they were anyway. They only had one small scale map between them, I read somewhere.

Alan

 

This was my attempt of a map of Brocklehurst's retreat, based on TNA WO 361/185. The most northerly point is where Brocklehurst was last reported seen.

(It looks better in PowerPoint as I bring on one bit of the route at a time as part of our talk on his life.)

Alan

 

Hi Alan,

That is true about the map, Friend borrowed a school map from one of the towns, possibly Taunggyi.

I was intrigued by the fate of 'Arthur Dow' and the real identity of Sam Beddall. A broad sweep using dates on the CWGC seems to trap most of the men mentioned. I clearly did not photograph the whole of the SSD2 file at Kew because I can clearly see from one photo that there are personnel rolls for 2nd DWR's present which I did not snap.

 

Fee Fi Fo Fum... I smell a visit at Kew to come...

 

A quick visit was made yesterday and oh what fun I had! WO172/2107,
142 Commando diary for the month of January 1943.

Looked inconspicuous then, personnel rolls for each individual column within, queue loud cheer from seat 18H.

New Longcloth participants and a few mysteries finally cleared up.

 

Just when you thought it was safe...

 

Just when you thought it was safe...

I must admit I never thought I would discover anymore British personnel lists for Longcloth, I thought there might be others for Gurkha participants at Winchester for instance. Well chuffed.

 

Oh, these recent posts answered another question I was going to post about how to find out about personnel - if there were lists. Sound like it requires persistence to locate them. Glad to hear you found some treasure!

 

Internet Archive Search: Burma war

 

Oh, these recent posts answered another question I was going to post about how to find out about personnel - if there were lists. Sound like it requires persistence to locate them. Glad to hear you found some treasure!

Thank you zee zee, persistence yes, but sometimes just a little luck too. When I eventually found the 13th King's missing in action lists in the 1943 War diary, it was my second visit to that file and the lists had not been present the first time I read it two years earlier.

 

Oh! that's interesting. so things kind of just show up sometimes eh? I'll cross my fingers for the 54th ambulance unit diaries.

 

Everything you find can have an exponential risk factor... you're lucky/unlucky you're the right/wrong side of the pond, Myf, as Steve and I know only too well...

(presently still sorting through the lot I got from the same visit I got your goodies)

 

This is a really interesting thread; Steve is more than familiar with my interest in SSD2, as he has helped me considerably with the story of Gnr Edwin Robert Couldrey, No 8 commando & SSD2. I think there could easily be a feature film of their story.

Off the back of Couldrey and Steve's insights i too bought a copy of the Long Trek, a really good read. If anyone is interested i have also obtained a copy of "On Big Flowery Hill - a soldier's journal of a secret mission into Occupied China 1942" by John Hay; happy to do lookups or scans if needed.

David

 

Hi David,

Welcome aboard. Sounds like a book I'd enjoy, I'll put it on my list.

Steve

 

• Hi All,
• Have any of you seen a mention of :
  FRANK FRERE, MM – Lt. Colonel – Army in Burma Reserve of Officers (ABRO)
  Son of Sidney and Annie Frere.
  Civil Occupation Data:
  He was based at Lampang, Thailand for over 21 years until leaving prior to the Japanese Invasion in 1941. He was involved in teak exploitation with the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation.
  Accompanied Phillip Fogarty, District Commissioner of Tounggyi, Southern Shan States, Burma. Civil Service (Burma) as Civil Government representatives to Kumming, China.
  Appointment to ABRO:
  26/12/1941 (ABRO 292) – 2nd Lieutenant.
  London Gazette – 29/1/1943.
  Roll of Honor:
  Casualty Date: 27/4/1943.
  Initially buried in the British American Cemetery, Kunming, China and later reburied in the Sai Wan Commonwealth War Cemetery, Hong Kong.
  
• 
  
  Cheers
  Vivr08
  .
  
  

 

Hi Vivr08,

Have you looked at this website at all? It has some great information on it in regard to Burma Reserve Forces, evacuations etc.

http://www.angloburmeselibrary.com/index.html

Was Frere a Military Cross recipient rather than the MM. Unless he was an Other Rank when he was awarded the medal of course.

Steve

 

Hello Bamboo43,
That was a mistype on my part.
He was initially a corporal in the Royal Field Artillery. Then a lieutenant in the Tank Corps. Later a captain in the Tank Corps.
He was awarded the Military Cross as commander of a tank, for a tank action in France about 1918.
He wrote home and his family still have these.
His service in the Army of Burma Reserve of Officers was from 29th December 1941 to his death on 20th July 1943. His service in the Army of Burma Reserve of Officers was from 29th December 1941 to his death on 20th July 1943.


His rank as Lt Colonel in so early in WW2 in Burma/India, 1942 – 43, is significant because there were only about 30 ABRO officers of similar or higher rank among about 1700 others ABRO officers at disbandment in 1946.
Question 1 - What was a senior officer doing in Kumming in July 1943 ? - I wondered if he was with with Mission 204, because he had a role in a British Burma Cvil Administration delegation to Kumming in early 1941.
He also sent home his last letter, dated 20th June 1942 and in it describes his flight from Burma up the Hukong Valley, over the mountains into India. He had a party of eight initially but they lost some on the journey. He explains that he went through Naga country, 4/5000 feet, monsoon rains, planes dropped food and that he got safely to Assam.
Question 2 - Was he in the party of men that trecked to India, and who were later to leaders of Mission 204?
I live in the land of Oz and don't have access to British records.
I wonder if your readers have come accross this Frank Frere in your readings of Mission 204.

The Anglo Burmese Library - Yes I know of this - I contributed my research on the Army of Burma Reserve of Officers (ABRO).
The ABRO are little known, but appear to have had a significant role as officers in Chindit Operations, V Force, Chin Leevies, Kachin Leevies, Burma Rifles, Burma Intellegence Corps. etc.
Cheers
Vivian R

 

Hi Vivian,

I have not come across him on my research travels, but then, I have not pushed into the Chinese Mission side of things as much as some of the other contributors to this thread. Hopefully they might know more.

Steve