This post, 8 of 8, is my final one commemorating all those men and women who died in the Asian region whilst serving with Special Units during the course of WW2. These 3 men are mentioned here for 2 reasons: They are, possibly, the first to be executed by the Japanese after the latter landed in Malaya on December 8th 1941 (80 years ago this very week). All 3 were reported 'missing' on December 10th and all 3 were reported to have been executed between December 12th - 16th. Their' headstones are also the only/earliest? to display the words ''British Special Forces'' though I expect that to change in due course. See attached article ''War Graves Records'' by Jonathan Moffatt. (images 04 & 05). 01. GORDON Roderick (Rod). Captain. Born 16th October 1905 and died 16th December 1941. Parent Unit Special List. SOE, British Special Forces. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Thailand 02. REGAN Daniel. Born 16th July 1911 and died between 12th -16th December 1941. Parent Unit Federated Malay States Volunteer Force. British Special Forces, SOE, Op. Dickens. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery and Singapore Memorial Column 392. note: this man's headstone shows the name of a Captain E. Regan – which is incorrect. 03. WRIGHT Herbert Charles. Captain. Born c1915 and died 16th December 1941. Parent Unit Special List. SOE, British Special Forces. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Thailand. 04. Image of page 1 - of a 2 page report - by Jonathan Moffatt concerning these 3 men 05. Image of page 2 - of a 2 page report - by Jonathan Moffatt concerning these 3 men My article here - originally posted January 2018: Thailand Dec.1941 - British Special Forces Till now, I have kept this, my final 'Tribute' and it's Dedicated to all those men who, via their' astonishing bravery, working under impossible conditions (weather, mountains, no navigational aids/radar, low visibility, basic maps) and, without fighter escorts, formed the very backbone of the majority of these special operations. Initially, they flew numerous agents into the target areas and, in support of these-same operations, returned, time and time again for supply drops, pickups etc. They served with The Royal Air Force, The Royal Australian Air Force, The Royal New Zealand Air Force, The Indian Air Force, The Canadian Air Force and The South African Air Force. 06. ANDERSON John Colin William. Flight Sergeant. Born 18th March 1918 and died 21st May 1945. Parent Unit RAAF. 200 SD Flight, Agas 2 sortie Borneo. note; 200 SD Flight, during 'ops', lost 3 aircraft and 45 men – of which 8 were Z Special Ops members. Labuan War Cemetery, Borneo. 07. BULLEN Raymond Maurice (Ray/Ray Fella). Pilot Officer. D.F.C.. Born 8th January 1918 and died 26th July 1945. Parent Unit RNZAF. 358 Special Duties Sqdn. Madras War Cemetery, India. 08. EGERTON-EVES Charles Herbert. Fight Lieutenant. D.F.C.. Born c1923 and died 20th May 1945. Parent unit RAFVR. 357 Special Duties Sqdn. Sai Wan War Cemetery, HK, China. 09. MANNING Colin Montague. Flying Officer. D.F.M.. Born 18th June 1915 and died 17th May 1945. Parent Unit RAAF. 200 Special Duties Sqdn. Ambon War Cemetery, Indonesia. 10. WATTS John Selwyn. Flight Lieutenant. Born c1921 and died 23rd August 1945. Parent Unit RAFVR. 356 Squadron, Force 136. Cheras Road Civil Cemetery, Malaysia. LEST WE FORGET Tony Buckley www.asiawargraves.com
Hello Tony, I have been researching D.Regan for a number of years. I have been in contact with the family of Thomas Regan who went missing in December 1941. Tom left the Royal Navy in September 1938 to join the dockside Police in Singapore, he served with the Federated Malayan Volunteer Force, he worked for the Petaling Mining Company and I believe joined SOE. I have a copy of a letter from the Colonial Office in 1945 to Toms family. They had D.Regan as a reference and described him being last heard of with six others heading to Katang, believed killed. Tom was born 12 August 1910 Sevenoaks, Kent. His father was Irish and died before the war. He had two brothers and a sister Kathleen who he was close to. Tom in a letter home describes being in a bit of bother, I have details if a courts martial for Daniel Regan FMVS My research leads me to believe that Tom and Daniel are one and the same man. I note that you have listed a date of birth for Daniel Regan, can I ask where that came from? I have no idea why there is a discrepancy on first names, but most other details match. The date of birth is very interesting and might help to solve the mystery. Thanks in advance
Hi David (just seen your question). I have 2 sources and, as stated in my first-of-eight posts: am unable to guarantee the accuracy of such data due to wartime record-keeping, damage to records etc etc. Daniel O'Regan 1911-1941 - Ancestry® and Captain Daniel Regan (1911-1941) - Find a Grave... Hope above is of some help to you. Tony
Hello Tony, Many thanks for taking the trouble to reply and for the information. I will join ancestry and see what I can find out there. I did come across a Daniel O Regan and am aware that the ‘O’ can be omitted in British Army records. However his records did not match our Daniel Regan in the Thai operation. Tom was in the Royal Navy and in 1938 joined the Singapore Dockyard Police. Around1940 I have a newspaper record of a constable Daniel Regan arresting a Mr.Wong for bribery at the Docks in Singapore. In a letter home in 1941 he mentions a spot of bother, he was in the Federated Malaysian volunteer Force. There is a Courts Martial record for a Daniel ‘Tom’ Regan - matching both references. The files in Kew referencing Daniel Regan selection for S.O.E say he was sourced from the Dockyard Police. The Kew files also mention them as ‘Miners’ . Tom also worked for Petaling Mining Company. Toms family contacted the Colonial office after the war in 1945 to find out what happened to him. The reply is clearly referencing the incident that is described by Mr. Moffatt in the publication for the FMVF magazine, saying he was last seen escaping from the Japanese with others, near Katang. The letter is referenced at the top as D.Regan, so clearly they believed Tom and Daniel were one and the same. I take the point that they could also be mistaken. There are other little details that match, Tom Regans father was Irish and died during the First World War (He was kicked by a horse), The Kew files talk about a brother in Ireland. Tom had two brothers although I am not certain where they resided. The next of kin of D.Regan is given as his mother, K.Regan. Tom was close to his sister Kathleen, who tried to find out what happened to him - another coincidence? Thanks again Tony for you reply. I accept that all of this evidence is circumstantial, but it is persuasive to me. I will continue looking in the hope something concrete turns up. As an aside, I understand that the grave has been amended to show Pvt D.Regan from Captain E.Regan. This, I believe, is correct, if it is indeed, Tom, he certainly used the name of Daniel with the Dockyard police and with the S.O.E. The mystery to me is why. I also accept that I cannot guarantee the accuracy of all sources and I would be delighted if anyone can correct or add to the information we have. Cheers, David
