I am researching a chap at the moment who joined SOE around April 43. He was involved in a few Operations of which only one I can find details of "Lancelot" The others I have had no luck and wondered if anyone had come across them: Operation Galahad, Operation Prunella Any help would be appreciated. Andy
His name was Eric Arthur Dring. It says he was given the symbol B/B723 and his theatre seems to have been the far east and India
I have most of his personal details and as I have said the Operations he was involved in bit it doesn't go into what the operations were. HS9/450/3 John is that a NA file reference number
Hi Andy, Operation 'Galahad' was basically an off-shoot of Wingate's Chindit type operations. He was originally given control over this operation set to deploy in January 1944. Events took over and the control shifted to Stilwell, much to Wingate's annoyance. Galahad was the codename for what became Merrill's Marauders or 5307 Composite Unit (Provisional) to give them their official title. They were in effect American Chindits. Steve
Thats good stuff Steve thanks for that, I did see Galahad with the Americans and thought it may be wrong.
Hi Andy, I have this guy listed in a document dated 4th September 1944, as being military personnel attached to the Naval Section, Force 136. His 'function' is shown as being ' W/K Officer afloat on Operations and Welfreighter & S.B (Sleeping Beauty) Operator'. I believe he became a farmer in Lincolnshire.
Yes bang on mate, thats exactly what his PF says but it didn't mention what he was doing with Force 136. Yes he returned to his family farm and passed away August 2000. A colourful character I have a letter of complaint made about him shirking his duty. Just disappears and tells no one where he is off too.
It sounds like I may have to look at his P/F !! If the information about him being a S/B Operator (Sleeping Beauty was a 'Motorised Submersible Canoe' MSC) is correct, then he would had to have done a course. With the diving involved and depending on time available this could be several months long and he may be shown as being sent to Station VIII (Queen Mary Reservoir, Staines). Once sent there, he wouldn't have been able to tell anyone where he had been sent. I wonder if this would cover the period when the letter was sent about him disappearing, because that would explain it??
It sounds like I may have to look at his P/F !! If the information about him being a S/B Operator (Sleeping Beauty was a 'Motorised Submersible Canoe' MSC) is correct, then he would had to have done a course. With the diving involved and depending on time available this could be several months long and he may be shown as being sent to Station VIII (Queen Mary Reservoir, Staines). Once sent there, he wouldn't have been able to tell anyone where he had been sent. I wonder if this would cover the period when the letter was sent about him disappearing, because that would explain it?? Inbox me your email address and I will send you his file
Lancelot and Galahad were also the code names given to two Burmese nationalists. Lancelot was Tin Shwe, and he was infiltrated by sea in December 1943. When he was exfiltrated in Feb 1944, he brought Galahad, real name Nyo Tun, with him. Lancelot and Galahad were the beginning of what became Operation Billet, best known for its Nation component in Burma. Since Eric Dring was naval section of SOE it is possible he was involved in taking these Burmese nationalists on ops. Dring is not a name I have come across in my research of Billet operations though.
I lied. I have come across Captain Dring: From HS 1/13, 'Report on the Launching of Operations Billet' by Major Wemyss. This confirms that Dring was involved with Galahad and Lancelot as I proposed in my previous post. The whole report is 16 pages, so only a short part here. '1st April: Capt. Dring called for us at 1100 hours and we left for Bandarban, on the Sangu River, shortly after - arriving there at about 1600 hours.
