87645 Lt Col Malcolm Harding Roberts 67 Field Regt & 5 COBU

Lt Col Roberts was commissioned into the 67th Field Regt Malvern 266 Battery at about the same time as Major Tom Averill.
They served together in the BEF withdrawing back from the Dyle to Bray Dunes as part of 1st Division to defend the beaches during the evacuation, leaving on HMS Worcester.
Many years later they were founding members of the the Dunkirk Veterans Association in Worcester.

According to his Obituary,
Circa 1941 Harding Roberts left to complete a Special Ops Commando Course, also earning "Para" Wings.
He was posted to India where he served with a unit directing Naval Gunfire supporting Allied Landings in Burma.

Post War Lt Col Roberts Commanded 267 (Worcs & Warks Medium Regt).
The Regt later reverted to 267 Field Regt armed with 25 Pounders, .until its disbandment in 1969/70.

**I am trying to identify the unit that he served with in India and Burma directing Naval Gunfire
and possibly the Special Ops course that he attended beforehand**.

There must surely be more to his story.

Lt Col Roberts died in Malvern in 2021 aged 102.

Photos (Courtesy Averill Family Collection): 67 FR Annual Camp Lyndhurst 1939 Centre Rear 2/Lt Harding Roberts Third from Right 2/Lt Tom Averill
2 /LT Harding Roberts clip
Dunkirk Veterans Lt Col Harding Roberts with Major Tom Averill

 

Recent research has revealed another member of the 67th who went to Burma.
We have a photograph of him in Faumont France with the BEF.
Did he also volunteer for Commando Training alongside Lt Col Harding Roberts.

Dunkirk veteran dies at age of 82


(Courtesy of the Averill family Collection)

 

Tom Averill Anzio (from BBC Peoples War)
From an observation post in their area, I was privileged to fire on deep German emplacements using a British Cruiser called HMS JANUS, later bombed and sunk.
Orders were given on the wireless and with the first salvo from 4 guns only one correction in range was necessary before fire for effect was given.
An air OP pilot later reported that considerable damage was caused.

 

Does anyone have War Diaries for these Regiments showing Return of Officers in the Field in the Appendix during their service in India/Burma.
Listing Harding Roberts

178th Assault Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - Wikipedia.

178 Field Regiment Royal Artillery

130th (Lowland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - Wikipedia

130th (Assault) Field Regiment India/Burma Casualties - Filling in the blanks?

 

Is PackRat still active? Previous postings suggest that he might have knowledge of these Regiments activities and whether they fit the profile of Lt Col Harding Roberts.
There are several people specialising in India/Burma who might have ideas on this.
Not normally my subject I'm afraid.

 

26th Indian Infantry Division - Wikipedia

160 Field Regiment RA - The Royal Artillery 1939-45

Operation Dracula - Wikipedia

 

Sorry UT, no mention of Harding Roberts in the field returns or nominal rolls of 130 Fd Rgt. Don't have the full returns for 178 Fd Regt or 36 Division HQRA, but can't see any mention of Harding Roberts in either of their war diaries.

Although 36th Indian Division was formed in 1943 specifically for combined operations, and trained extensively for amphibious work and naval cooperation, it was never really used in that capacity. Ended up being rushed (by land) to the Arakan for the relief of the Admin Box early in 1944, then was stripped of all amphibious gear and sent up to Shillong, then on into North Burma.

The artillerymen of 36 Div (130 & 178 Fd Regts plus 122 A/Tk Regt) were subjected to tough combined operations courses at Aksa and Juhu in late 1943; that sometimes got referred to by them as 'commando' training, but wouldn't account for Harding Roberts' para wings. Overall his career doesn't really fit with 36 Division, beyond the amphibious training period in the latter half of 1943.

One possible avenue of investigation springs to mind: No. 5 C.O.B.U. (Combined Operations Bombardment Unit). Alfred McEwan Window, one of 130 Fd Regt's battery commanders, left the regiment in 1943 to take charge of No. 5 C.O.B.U. As I understand it, they were an RA unit tasked with directing naval gunfire. Don't know much more about them, but this diary on Rothy's site seems to relate to a C.O.B.U. (possibly No. 5) and mentions a Harding Roberts (see entry for 2nd Feb), who might well be your man!

1944 Diary of Captain Collin

Another snippet on No.5 C.O.B.U. on the BBC:

BBC - WW2 People's War - Combined Ops Training

 

Certainly seems to fit the bill PackRat. Thanks,

 

Looks like No. 5 COBU has war diaries available for 1944 & 1945 that should reveal whether or not it's the right unit:

Burma: Royal Artillery: Bombardment Unit: 5 Combined Operations Unit (RA) | The National Archives
Burma: Royal Artillery: Combined Operations Bombardment Units: 5 Unit | The National Archives

 

Still researching but cant get to TNA I'm afraid.

Combined Operations Bombardment Units | ͏

 

Service Record is one avenue but I am not related. His son apparently lives in New Zealand.

This is the last of the original officers that left the 67th for pastures new, with the exception of a few that came and went.

I will step back now and see what turns up.

 

Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Harding-Roberts (T 1931 – 1935)


Worcester 2005

One day I hope to prove that he was in the COBG operating alongside No 5 Commando but need more information to go on.
The mention of his name in the Captain Colin Diary (#7) is somewhat obscure.

I spoke to him only once. He was a true gentleman and deserves some recognition.

 

I have just received irrefutable evidence that 87645 Lt Col Malcolm Harding Roberts was a member of 5 COBU

Now I need to find out more about them.

Were they part of No 5 Commando

Where should I look next.

Ref: #9 Who could find out more for me from the National Archives
Drop me a PM please

 

Preparation Required:
From the Diary of Captain Collin Harding Roberts arrived in India from England just before 2nd Feb 1944.
I need to assess what landings or actions he might have been in involved in.

Wednesday, 2nd February 1944
Fairly quiet day, visited by Harding Roberts who bought two more torch batteries from England; have now got a supply of about 12!

Rangoon fell a little over a year later
Operation Dracula - Wikipedia

I'm not sure what happened after this so need to do some research.

 

The Collin Diary (#7) is familiar territory to me. My uncle from Swansea served with the 1st Northants, in the Carrier Platoon.

They trained with their carriers and mules in Ceylon before going back to India.
They left their vehicles at Moreh using Mules to carry their equipment down into the Kabaw Valley (named Death Valley due to the diseases contracted there).
Their mission was to make contact with the Japanese then withdraw back to Moreh keeping in contact with the Japanese Army.
After destroying the huge stores dump at Moreh, they re-mounted in their carriers to withdraw to Imphal taking up positions near Bishenpur on the Silchar Track to await the following Japanese.
Their story is told in the book "The Silchar Track" by Terence Molloy MC.

 

From the Geoffrey Collin Diary:
Collin was a member of 114 Field Regt which in 1942 became part of 20th Indian Division
In 1944 this Division included the 1st Northants.

114 (Sussex) Field Regiment RA (TA) - The Royal Artillery 1939-45

His Diary for 1944 records him applying for a COBU The training to be held in Ceylon.

January 1944
(At this time, I was training at the combined operations unit about 10 miles north of Bombay on the sea coast of Juhu. A marvellous place with plenty of swimming and sunshine, but we were extremely busy and had to get ourselves fit very quickly. There were about eight officers, all captains from different regiments, and we were organised to go to war in small FOO parties, consisting of one Captain, two Indian Navy Signallers, and one or two British soldiers, a total of about 4 or 5 altogether; each party had to be totally self-contained for food for several days and had to carry all its' radio equipment including spare batteries; quite a weight!)

Sunday, 9th January
Volunteered officially today to train as a parachute FOO! More I think about it the more frightened I feel. But I suppose it’s worth having a go and will certainly be something accomplished if successful. Would like to take part in a straight forward combined operation first, which I have hopes of. Feeling better today but still weak, sunbathed on the sand with Fitz, Paddy and two stray dogs.

Despite these parallels in training I can find no connections to 5 COBU and 20th Indian Division, an inland move to Imphal or otherwise.
The mention of Harding Roberts on 2nd Feb is a tantalising but sadly isolated event. Collin makes no mention of his rank which implies familiarity and denies the reader an opportunity to know whether he was a fully trained representative of 5 COBU or a new addition to the course that Collin was involved with.
The Collin Diary ends in 1944 with no further mention of his recall (that he had expected) from COBU.
(Collin has a familiar style of the time much like my letters of Lt Bill Beadle).

Geographically I would expect COBU to be active on the islands and coast of Arakan, Burma and possibly Malaya.
If not in landings, disrupting supplies at locations within range of naval guns.
Please correct me on this if anyone knows more about them.

The Harding Roberts Obituary. mentions his being missing believed killed (a common claim in this theatre of war. My uncle said the same).

There has to be more to his story or was his silence about his activities due to embarrassment at being stuck in long periods of training, then reserve, waiting for action that was cancelled in 1945. Other stories of 5 COBU speak of ineptitude and lack of activity
BBC - WW2 People's War - Further Training in India - Combined Operations Bombardment Unit

Some of the above links seem to imply that 5 COBU had associations with No 5 Commando.
Am I reading this right!