Gunners from 95 Cdo killed in a traffic accident 21/9/1965 in Malaysia

I have seen an entry on the Commando gunners website regarding a traffic accident that happenned on the Mandai Road from Nee Soon to Johore Bahru. I want to clarify how many died and the unit they were from, ie. if they were all from 95 Commando ?

Having checked against the names on the AFM ROH I believe the following were killed. Some names are spelt slightly differently on the Cdo Gunner website or with nicknames rather than forenames. Were there others ? Were they all 95 Cdo ?

LBdr Brian Rasen COLDRON
Bdr. Bernard COLLINS
Sgt Victor John ELLIOTT
LBdr. Michael John O'NEILL
Bdr. Albert Seaton TATE

Please respond with any information and sources, ie. your name if you served with them or a reference if from another source of info. Many thanks.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 08/01/2019 21:59:19

I posted this on the CVA Facebook page and received this response from Des Connelly, a 95 Cdo Veteran.

Brian COLDRON (ex-RN)
Bernie COLLINS
Taff ELLIOTT
Yorkie O'NEILL
Paddy TATE
Roger MAIN [on 8th January 2019, Roger Main posted on the forum to inform us that he was alive and kicking and living in Surrey! ]

All were 95 Cdo and am just waiting for Roger Main's rank

ATB
Nick

Who was Roger Main ? Unlike the others he is not as far as I can see on the Armed Forces Memorial Roll of Honour.

Pete,
Des Connelly doesn't know his rank but assured me that Roger Main died in the accident!

Nick

Perhaps someone from the Commando Gunners can take this up with Royal Artillery Association and the Armed Forces Memorial coordinator to get him properly remembered. Is Des going to do this ?

I have made an enquiry to the Salisbury Plain Heritage Centre and the Royal Artillery Historical Trust regarding the name Roger Main. Andy Astbury (Lt. Col. retd.) from the latter has responded and will check to see if he can discover anymore.

In th meantime I have added the following entries regarding 5 of the victims.

http://www.commandoveterans.org/BrianColdron95Commando

http://www.commandoveterans.org/BernardCollins95Commando

http://www.commandoveterans.org/VictorElliott95Commando

http://www.commandoveterans.org/MichaelONeill95Commando

http://www.commandoveterans.org/AlbertTate95Commando

Lt Col (retd) Andy Astbury has replied as follows

Have checked our Roll of Honour in the Royal Garrison Church, it only shows five names from 95 Cdo (Lt) Regt RA. There is no mention of Roger Main, with any unit, nor is anyone else recorded as dying on that date. Obviously if we have missed something like this, we would like to rectify it, but will need strong proof before we do.

If anyone has more information on Roger Main such as service number, rank, etc. please contact us http://www.commandoveterans.org/contact

Siân Mogridge, the archivist of the Royal Artillery Museum has responded as follows:

Unfortunately we do not have an Annual Historical Return for 95 Cdo (Lt) Reg for that year, which should have listed any casualties.

I have checked a number of other sources, and found an entry in The Gunner (the RA magazine) from July 1966. Units frequently sent news on their activities to the magazine, and this is an article from 95 Reg, covering their time in Singapore. It is the first such article from the Regiment since one which had been published in October 1965 (but clearly written before they left for Singapore, and prior to the accident). The relevant passage is:

"We had a dreadful tragedy when the families vehicle collided with a bus and we lost Sgt. V. J. R. Elliot, Bdrs. B. Collins and A. B. Tate and L/Bdrs. M. J. O?Neill and B. Coldron. Our deepest sympathy always remain with their widows all of whom were in Singapore at the time."

There is no reference to a sixth casualty.