Hi All, Just joined as I saw a few people had posted abot the Auxiliary Units. I run a not for profit research group that look into Churchill's Secret Army. I hope I can help people learn more soon.
Welcome aboard Tom ! Does your area of research extend to finding any further info on people like Derek Merton? http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/barracks/22606-can-anyone-trace-un-sung-heros-awards.html Best regards Ron
Hi Ron, I am afraid we only focus on men and women in the Auxiliary Units and Special Duties Section. Good luck in your search
Jedburgh22 Thanks for your PM re Derek Merton. I repeat the main info below and also attach the Obit in the Jewish Chronicle of the 9th March 2007. Regretfully it was scanned and the print is a bit blurred. Best regards Ron Can anyone trace an un-sung hero's awards ? Whenever I post something on this forum I never fail to be impressed at the additional feedback I get from fellow members. This was brought home to me yesterday when I posted a piece about AJEX and included a pic of Donnie Carlton MM. I'm going to push my luck and ask everyones help in finding a bit more about another C&BG club stalwart, the late Derek Merton, one of the club managers of my old boy's club the C&BG Cambridge and Bethnal Green Old Boys Club: ABSENT FRIENDS & GENERAL NEWS. When he passed away in December 2006 his family were able to provide a brief synopsis of his wartime exploits but I would be most appreciative if fellow members could find out more about his wartime career and in particular details of his various awards. This is what his family wrote at the time in question, the following appreciation of his wartime activities was taken from a speech made to him in 2004 by Bryan, one of his son’s, on the happy occasion of Derek’s 90th birthday.. Quote: Derek Merton and World War II After marrying Frances two weeks after the outbreak of war, Derek had what people tend to describe as a ‘good war’. He joined up as a soldier in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps where he preferred the company of the other ranks to that of the officers. Derek’s experience of the second world war would seem to give substance to the view, expressed by someone (Norman Mailer, perhaps), that war consists of long periods of boredom and discomfort followed by short periods of intense excitement and fear. The early part seems to have been spent in camps in the remoter parts of the English countryside engaged in ‘manoeuvres’ and preparing for action. Things improved a bit in 1943 when one of the regiment’s senior officers, one Anthony Eden, discovered Derek’s proficiency in French and sent him to London to serve at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Forces in Europe under General Eisenhower. He was later deployed on a special assignment which entailed him being disguised as a French businessman and billeted with Dr Ninet and his family at no. 11 Avenue Hoche in Paris. From there he acted as a kind of middleman between the Allied suppliers of weapons and the Maquis resistance, speeding, no doubt, the liberation of the French. For his exploits he was well decorated. These included two stars for his service in the war, the Defence Medal and from the French government something called Reconnaissance Francaise.
Welcome A-U Look forward to seeing your interesting tidbits on here. I am sure the guys will be able to help you with some of your info requests. Dee
It looks as though he'd have deployed in late 1943 or early 44 (after training) and would have been working to replace the arms dumps lost due to the collapse of PROSPER/PHYSICIAN, I'll do some digging as he has no surviving SOE P/F. Steven
