Printable View
Following up on Hugh Maines of Op Collar in 1940 and Latterly CSM B Coy 2RWF in Malaya. Hugh's sone Andy posted the following picture on the Commando Forum a few years ago. He believes it was taken in Malaya in the 1950's. Hugh Maines has the paper on his head inscribed "I/C Tramps"
Question: Is this 2RWF? if so, can we name any of the guys shown??…….Don!!
Attachment 3468http://www.zoominto.com/zoomapi/ZoomButt.gif
Hello Al,
I m afraid to say none of them look like members of the 2nd. In fact they are a number of men in the photo are sporting what appear to be S W B badges. The S W B were in Malaya but we not together with the S W B for very long. The S W B did kill a party committee member Tan Fu Lang aka "ten foot long, but it was a most important kill. Another point to note is very few are wearing the standard type of Jungle hat and none are of these hats have a recognition device on them, which is an important fact. My platoon had a white cross, my D Z number was Victor bar 3 as used in air drops or for casevacs As far as I can tell the date of this photo is indeterminate.These recognition signs were needed because the C T's wore khaki puttees and a hat with a star on we wore O G's but after about 10 minutes in the jungle you end up soaking wet and when this happened it was difficult to tell friend from foe. Hence the number of friendly fire accidents. I am working on a blog for the forum and it will show how our battalion was spread far and wide by companies etc.
More later Don
Cheers Don.
Andy has mentioned the SWB in other posts.
Hello Al,
The R W F and the S W B were only in Malaya over lapping for a couple of months together then we returned to the U K.The C O of the S W B's was Col Meir he was later a Brigadier in Germany and wrote a book about the S W B 's time in Malaya it was titled "Shoot to kill" and is now apparently a much sought after book and costs quite a tidy sum. But Brigadier Mier suffered from dementia whilst in Germany and took his own life due to the fact he could not think about his former friends and family seeing him in this condition. He was a very good man.
R B D
Hello Al and Don,
These people are definitely SWB, the gentleman standing far right with a pipe in hand is my Father who spent 3 years with the SWB in the fifties prior to me being born in 59.
I'm sorry to say that I don't know what years they were as he was a man who would not talk about the past, and sadly he is no longer with us to ask.
Thank you for posting this picture, there was not many in the family home of him in the mob.
Hello Jenkins,
The S W B left the UK in September 1955 for service in Malaya. Between July 1957 and April 1958 they were in Singapore on I/S duties and returned to the UK ( Brecon) at the end of April 1958.
Regards R B D aka jungle1810
Thanks great Jenks. Andy will be pleased we've identified one of the men with his Dad.