British Mission 204

Hi,

Can anyone recommend books,war diaries and articles on the British Mission 204 in Burma.

I am trying to understand the involvement of both 1 SSD and 2 SSD, and the wider organization of the mission.

Any help appreciated.

Regards

Graham

Hi Graham,

there are three books that I have read and can recommend:

The Forgotten Men, by Iain Adamson

On Big Flowery Hill, taken from the journal of John Hay ( ex-Commando)

Escape To Fight On, by John S Whitehead & George B Bennett

Another that I know of is;
The Long Trek, by John Friend

but can I draw your attention to this thread:

http://forum.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/3410.page

Peter Goode has now written his book No Surrender in Burma which is taken from the journal of his father, Fred Goode.
The book is published by Pen & Sword and I can share a review written by Steve Fogden:

Steve Fogden wrote:I have recently finished reading 'No Surrender in Burma' and what a fantastic book it really is.

It is the story of Lance Corporal Fred Goode, formerly of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and describes his involvement in SSD2, a lesser known Special Forces Operation in 1942. SSD2 was a precursor to and certainly an influence for the Chindit type operations that followed.

The book takes Fred's story from the SSD2 operation into the Thai border to check on the Japanese advance and disrupt their positions in that area, through his epic march out towards the Yunnan Provinces of China and his eventual capture by the Japanese at a place called Sadon.

Fred survived his time as a POW in Rangoon Jail and was repatriated soon after the Allies had re-taken the city in 1945.

This testimony was written by a man with a steely determination to survive and the self-confidence to ensure he succeeded.

I hope to read this Peter's book in the very near future and will, of course, let you know what I think of it.

Hope this is of use...

Nick

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 01/02/2015 22:29:06

My best advice is to Custom Search the topic on this site. 204 is not as straightforward as It seems, you might try The Forgotten Men by Ian Adamson or Escape To Fight On by John S. Whitehead and George B. Bennett, but!! I'm sure that you'll get plenty of feed back on this site as the topic comes up now and again. I have had an interest in 204 for nearly 30 years and I can't really say that I am any further on as there are many different aspects to look at, and disclosure on some of the issues are still withheld, due to the sensitive nature of some parts of the mission. The aforementioned books will only give you a some what sanatised story like versions of what Military Mission 204 was about. Also if you look up Operation Tulip Force it gives you some info but again very vague.
Kevin.

Have looked up on some aspects of 204 that I have put together for myself, from snippets over the last few years, I can't recall from where but I'll share most of what I've gathered.

Mission 204, formally known as 204 British Military Mission to China, also known as Tulip Force which included a detachment of a small group of Australian soldiers consisting of two officers and 43 men from the 8th Australian Division involved in an attempt to provide assistance to the Chinese Nationalist Army in resisting the Japanese occupation of Chinaduring, in this the Second Sino-Japanese War, and to operate with Chinese units in the defence of Burma against the Japanese. This first phase achieved very little.

The Special Service Detachments. Commando units which had been trained at the secret Bush Warfare School at Maymyo under Mike Calvert which had specialised in the demolition of bridges, ambush, and engineering reconnaissance, of the original six contingents, three were sent to China. Of the remaining three that remained in Burma one was disbanded due to I'll discipline.
In April 1942 the remaining SSD1 & SSD2 which had been operating near to Taunggyi and had witnessed at first hand the horrors and atrocities of the Japanese attacks were forced to retreat, giving the retreating troops including some Indian soldiers (apparently ladened with a load of silver and bank notes), and refugees as long a period of time and distance from the rapidly advancing Japanese as possible, also to delay the advancement of the Japanese Army.

The group split up by mutual agreement near Bhamo and tried to make a fighting withdraw back to their bases in India.

SSD1 and Lt Col John Milman

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 just finished reading a book called 'Desperate Journey' by Francis Clifford which is the name Arthur Leonard Bell Thompson used in the published account for his escape from Burma in 1942.
There were various mentions within in pages to 'Commandos' who for a period were attached to a ad hoc force led by Lt. Col. H.N.C. Stevenson, Commandant of the Burma Levies called the Taunggyi Force and describes the journey the author made with his mixed bunch of men to reach India. The commando detachment had between 20 and 30 all ranks led by Lt. Col. Henry Courtney Brocklehurst 135896 10th Royal Hussars, with a Capt. Lancaster (possibly William, 104108 York and Lancs acting as adjuant to Brocklehurst) also a Capt. Brown, only 1 of the other ranks is mentioned by name he being Pte. Lucas.
The commandos moved off some time in late April 1942 from Maymyo and appeared in various named places, Mong Long and Katha, here the commandos split into 4 groups and set out independently for India. Capt. Brown had with him 5 or 6 o/r's at a village near Maikawing 2 of the o/r's had to be left 1 suffering severe dysentery the other with a badly swollen foot caused by leeches.
Pte. Lacey was picked up by the authors group he coming from 1 of the other 3 groups suffering dysentery and would remain with them for some time before joining up with 2 more commandos the authors group came across, of this group 2 died and 1 became a pow.
It seems that they passed through Bhanu and Sadon having crossed the border into China having crossed the Nmai Hka river by now 1 of the group had died and Capt. Brown had to be left behind in the hills as he was too ill to continue.
The authors group were heading for Fort Hertz and took sanctuary with an Irish missionary possibly near Kajitu, they stayed here with Father McAlindon for some time along with 3 commandos who had been there for 3 weeks, they said that they were heading for the Huckawing valley which in the opinion of the others was too dangerous a prospect to engage in. Despite various attempts of persuasion the commandos insisted that this was the way they would go.
The author finally made it to Fort Hertz and was finally evacuated to India, as for the commandos Brocklehurst's death is listed as 28-06-1942 and Lancaster for the 30-06-1942, there is a possibility that he was the Lancaster in the NM for 11 (Scottish) Commando, both are commemorated on the Rangoon Memorial.
I couldn't find a record of death for Lucas for this period so he may well have become a pow.
Capt. Brown recovered enough and set out again he reached Myitkyina where he was captured by the Japanese and was sent to Rangoon, he survived captivity and was released in May 1945.
It must have been an incredible journey although most of them failed, probably of them but they must have covered close on 700 miles especially in the case of Brown a remarkable achievement.
Alan.

As with both Kevin & Alan, I have read books on this subject and constantly find myself going around in circles - just when I feel I getting somewhere, I find that I'm confused again.

Alan mentions two Captains by the name of Lancaster.

From my research I have two lists and from them I have:

Capt Ronald F 'Prof' Lankaster ~ in the Burma Cadre Battalion under Lt Col Gill-Davies. [I believe this is an emergency commission as I don't think Prof was a military man]

Capt William J Lancaster ~ 104108 - Yorks & Lancs. [this from a nominal roll that I was sent recently]

I am still in the process of researching the two lists that I have - most of mine come from the War Diaries.

Capt Brown, as Alan says, was captured and became a PoW - we have reference to him in Peter Goode's book No Surrender in Burma which is taken from his father's, Fred Goode, journal. Fred caught up with Capt Brown in the PoW camp.

Nick

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 14/05/2016 01:17:58

Don't know if this is of use to any of you but here is the War Establishment for 204 Military Mission - from the War Diaries Jan 43 - Aug 44
I think the areas we are most interested in would be the Advanced Base Depot and No.4 (Special) Area...

Nick