Hello All, For Christmas I am gifting my Dad a copy of The Middle East Commandos by Charles Messenger. My Grandfather (Byron Jenkins 6468043) is pictured in this book with 1st Special Service Detachment in Taungye, Burma, January 1942. As part of the gift I wanted to give my Dad a timeline of where my Grandfather was during the Second World War and have created the below timeline using the attached documents. I have struggled reading/understanding the attached service records and was hoping that someone in this group may be able to lend a hand, have a read of the records, and help add anything of note to the timeline which I have missed due to my not understanding. My Grandfather like most did not really speak about his time during the war apart from telling the odd story. We did find a number of photos and a newspaper clipping (attached) from the Daily Mirror which described their retreat from Burma to Kunming China over the "roof of the world". Any help would be greatly appreciated. Name: Byron Jenkins Army No: 6468043 Date of Enlistment: 5th March 1940 Enlisted at: Buckingham Gate, London. DOB: 6th December 1916 Medals: 39-45 Star, Burma Star Pacific Clasp, Africa Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45 Timeline: · 5th March 1940 – Enlists and is posted to 9th Battalion Royal Fusiliers · 1940 - Mt Course in Canterbury · 9 August 1940 – admitted to hospital in Canterbury · 9 August 1940 – discharged from hospital in Canterbury 15 October 1940 Posted to 8th Commandos from No.4 S.S. · 1940 – Commando training in Scotland · February 1941 Disembarked with B Battalion Layforce for Egypt · 30th July 1941 leaves Egypt for Burma as part of No. 1 Special Service Detachment (SSD1) for No. 204 Mission · 31st July 1941 arrives in Burma arrives as part No. 1 Special Service Detachment (SSD1) for No. 204 Mission · 1941 – School of Bush Warfare in Maymyo, Burma. · January 1942 SSD1 at Taungye Burma. · 27 April 1942 SSD1 move out from Kengtang with it’s Chinese contract Mules. · 23 May 1942 crosses the border from Burma into China · 9 July 1942 arrives in Kunming, China. · August 1942 leaves China for India · September 1942 arrives in India · 1st February 1943 transferred from Special Service Detachment 1 (SSD1) to Royal Engineers Bangalore Detachment · 1st February 1943 appointed as Corporal. · 1st April 1943 appointed Sergeant. · 25/11/44 - Indian Transit Camp Deolali for UK 1945 – DYD course in Newark, England · 08/12/44 - embarked Bombay for UK · 1945 – School of Infantry in Warminster, England · 07/01/45 - to E Coy, 4 (Receiving) Depot Bn (Battalion - awaiting posting to new unit. · 09/01/45 - disembarked UK · 08/02/45 - posted to 507 Fld (Field) Coy - part of 47th Infantry (Reserve) Division, allocated to home defence. · 10/02/45 - posted to 7 Training Battalion · 25/09/45 - posted to 10 DB (Depot Battalion) - presumably awaiting demobilisation.
