Mission 204 - Special Service Detachment 2

I'm trying to help a Chindit 1 family with their soldiers WW2 pathway.

He ends up with SSD1, Special Service Detachment 1, in April 1942, coming from 3 Commando after Dunkirk.

I cannot find any reference to SSD1 at the National Archives, has anyone come across this unit on their travels there? It was part of, or an off-shoot of the 204 Chinese Military Mission, but there are so many files at Kew relating to this unit, it would be difficult to know where to start.

Another avenue might be to trace the movements of the commanding officer of SSD1, Major John Alexander Ralph Milman. He has a file reference at Kew for his medal award, but nothing else that I can see.

Any help gratefully appreciated.

Steve

 

SSD1 and Lt Col John Milman
I have been researching the history of SSD1 for sometime and saw this post. I hope I can make a contribution:-
The story of SSD1 and SSD2 was first told in 'Middle East Commando' by Charles Messenger (Chapter 6). John Milman, Courtney Brocklehurst and Count Arthur Bentinck were all veterans of Middle East Commando who volunteered for 204MM and were to be given command of the three British detachments of 204MM at the Bush Warfare School in Maymo. All the men were volunteers mainly from Middle East Commando No 7 and 8 after they had taken very heavy losses in Crete. There were three other detachments of Australians, all fresh from training school in Australia which did go to Kunming. After Pearl Harbour, the intention to send the British units to Kunming from Maymo was cancelled and SSD1 and SSD2 were created under the command of Milman and Brocklehurst. I believe SSD2 was sent to Taungyi in the ventre of the Rear Guard Line and SSD1 was sent to Kengtung in the far east of the Shan States to carry out sabotage and disruption of the Japanese and Thai forces in Shan. They worked in front of the Chinese Sixth Army under Stilwell.

There are photographs of the core members of SSD1 in February 1942 taken at Taungyi (on their way through to Kengtung) on the Commando Veterans website and there are names of all those in the picture on the site too. Other 'specialists' were added to the strength after this picture was taken including wireless operators, RAMC and explosives specialists which had probably come out on Convoy WS14 to Bombay arriving there at the end of January 1942 .
There are personal accounts of the operations undertaken by SSD1 in the Laycock papers held at the Liddell Hart Archives at Kings College London. These accounts cover their operations, casualities and their trek from Kengtung to Kunming where they arrived in July/August 1942. There were the original 60 odd of SSD1, some American missionaries and other personnel who had joined on.
Major Seymour who was Adjutant to Milman, also made it to Kunming independently as did one of the sections of SSD2 which found themselves east of the Salween River after SSD1 had blown up the bridge.
After a couple of weeks to recover from walking 600 miles through the Monsoon, they were flown back to Calcutta. Milman (and Brocklehurst and Bentinck) had crossed paths with Wingate in Africa and in Layforce and Milman refused Wavell's request to work under Wingate in the Chindits and he then disappears into obscurity, although he did have an obituary in the Highland Light Infantry magazine much later. But he probably did not get the rightful credit for his leadership of SSD1. He did contribute to Messenger's book.

I have traced four survivors of the trek (including my own father) to Belgaum OTS from where they were commissioned in March 1943. Two at least were soon in China with Special Forces (but not 204MM). But I am still looking for where the others finished up.
If anyone can help regarding

 

Hi RWMH,

Thank you for your reply and the very interesting new information provided. As you will have seen from the thread a few of us have gotten quite deep into the activities of SSD2 and some of the personnel involved in that side of things. From this research places like the CVA website have been integral in the journey.

My interest here was with one member of SSD2 who is transferred to SSD1 late on and then becomes involved in Chindit circles later in the war. I am very much aware of Milman and Brocklehurst's dislike of Wingate, something that does not come as too much of a surprise.

The Middle East Commando book sounds promising, looking through my books to buy list, I found that this has been on there for about 5 years!! Just never got around to getting it. The Laycock papers at Liddell Hart should be very interesting, that collection is such a valuable research tool for us.

I've been looking through some of the 106 and 172 files series at the National Archives in relation to 204 Mission. Some of these references can be full of useful info, whilst others can be just a mass of administrative communiques.

The man I'm searching for is given his commission in January 1943 from RSM to 2/Lieu.

Thanks again for your invaluable input today.

Steve

 

Steve,

Middle East Commando is well worth reading, giving the background to the volunteers who went to Maymo and some of the names of the senior officers at Maymo and in SSD2 and SSD1. It also contains a long paper written by Milman in 1943 on his proposals about deep penetration commando missions, he favoured small teams rather than Wingate's large columns. Well worth reading.

The Laycock papers at LHMA are also very interesting and cover all the early Middle East Commando period in 1940/41. I focussed on 6/26 which comprises letters from Laycock to family of those commandos KIA including those in SSD1. In Laycock 8/20 8/21 and 8/22, there are some interesting press cuttings from the Rangoon Gazette including pictures of Commandos arriving in Burma (this must have been summer 1941. Identifiable in the picture are Capt Jocelyn Nicholls, RA and SSD1 (later KIA), Lt Col Brocklehurst, Captain Ford, Black Watch and two others who I haven't identified. There is also a cutting from an English language newspaer in Kunming about SSD1's arrival there. It says they trekked 430 miles which would not have got them to Kunming. even as the crow flies it is nearer 600 miles!
Laycock 9/2/1 2 and 5 contain factual accounts of SSD1's operations and the trek. One is written by Sgt Freddie Pryde which covers the aftermath of Crete, disbandment of 7 Commando and travelling to Burma, the operations and encounters with the Japanese and the trek. I have not been able to find any later reference to Freddie Pryde whether he remained in the Far East or even whether he joined the Chindits. There are two other accounts one anon and the other by the wife of an American missionary who tagged along on the trek. All worth reading.

You mention about a member of SSD2 who transferred to SSD1. Could that be Lt Jack Carter? I have some of his own account. He had been living in China prewar and with several others volunteered for the Army and went to India. Because several of them were fluent Chinese speakers, Carter and some others (I have no other names) were sent to Maymo to teach the Commandos Chinese and some ended up in SSD2 and SSD1.
Carter's section was at the East end of the operational area of SSD2 under Capt White. His section was operating well south of the Taungyi to Kengtung road and on both sides of the Salween river. Carter's account is a bit ambiguous but it apears that Capt White probably with some others of the section went to consult with Brocklehurst and never returned. Carter 2ic and now senior officer took the remains of his section across the river and joined up with SSD1 in Loimwe on the Kengtung to Thai border road.

Carter mentions his section as Capt White, Lt Carter, Sgt Major Kelly, Sgt Gaul, two corporals and 6 privates. What is strange is that Carter refers to reporting to the O/C SSD1 Lt Col MacFarlane NOT Milman and Freddie Pryde's account of his section's operations near the Salween river (they set all the explosives to blow it up) does not mention Carter or SSD2 at all. Pryde's account of the trek is detailed and refers to the missionaries and one or two other attachments but not Carter's section. But Carter is clear they trekked alongside SSD1 all the way to Kunming.

Carter is the only person who operated in the original 204MM and then later in the second phase 1943-1945 (officers only) . I do have a lot of data on that if that is of interest.

Do any of these names help you?

My interest is in finding out where the members of SSD1 went after their disbandment in September 1942. I have four going to Belgaum OTS, three were gazetted in March 1943 and two went to China. Where did the rest finish up?

Richard

 

Hi Richard,

Thanks for this information, the names do help me very much. I'm going to send you a private message via the forum shortly.

Steve

 

Hi My late father was an Australian member of mission 204. His friend wrote the following book which some of the members may enjoy.

http://regimental-books.com.au/lost-legion-mission-204-and-the-reluctant-dragon-p-2401.html

All the best

 

Hello Srsmart,

Thanks for reminding me about William Noonan's book. Please feel free to tell us more about your father and his time in China.

Best wishes

Steve

 

George Musgrove who was CO of the Jedburghs in both UK and later Burma was a veteran of Myamo School

 

SSD2 survivor Fred C. Goode, his diaries have been published in book form by Pen and Sword, the book is available now:

http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/No-Surrender-in-Burma-Hardback/p/7854

 

RMWH.... Is Sgt Major Kelly the one who went on with Lancashire Fusiliers on Chindit 2. He was very fit and very lucky and survived White City and Mogaung. Steve knows more.

 

Hi zahonado,

Yes, we think it is the same man.

Best wishes

Steve

 

Just found this thread and I can add some more information.

Peter Goodes book No Surrender in Burma is well worth a read. It's a very detailed account of SSD2 operations in Burma and the amazing trek to escape the Japenese.

William (Bill) Bland was my Great Uncle and he was part of John Friend's and Fred Goode's party when they split up. In John Friends book Bill Bland is Arthur Dow and Fred Goode Sam Bednall. After reading Fred's account it paints a very different picture of John Friend and his account in the Long Trek.

Bill escaped to China and ended up in the Eastern Warfare School in India for the remainder of the war.

Thanks

Andy.

 

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the extra information on your post. Good to hear from the family of one of the participants and one of the very few survivors. As you rightly say, the two books paint a very different picture of what happened. There are a few forum members with a great interest in SSD1 and SSD2. Did you get to speak much with William?

Best wishes

Steve

 

Bill told us the story one Christmas when I was a young boy but focused more on the buried gold and money. Having read the Long Trek and No Surrender in Burma I have now got a much clearer understanding of what they went though. Like many men who fought in the war he never really told anybody the full story.

Andy

 

Hi Andy,

It would certainly be amazing if that treasure was still buried in the same place. More likely that it was noticed by a local and removed long ago.

 

From what I can remember of the story the money and gold was well buried in the jungle so may very well still be there.

Andy

 

My mystery RAF Gurkha Chindit, a few doors down the road from here, gave up one solitary tale, and that was of a cache of emeralds they found and buried near a tree in the jungle...

To paraphrase a populist phrase... What gets buried in the Jungle, stays in the Jungle...

Kenny

 

Hi Andy,

I'm sure you have seen all this information before, but here are some photos of SSD2, including your Great Uncle, William Bland.

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/Mission+204/

 

The photo of William Bland was posted by me.

Andy.

 

Andy,

Have you seen the SSD2 file from the National Archives, I think from memory it doesn't focus too heavily on Sgt. Friend's dispersal group, but it does mention William at least once.