Military Mission 204

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BALLANTYNE, Alexander A.

Lance Corporal
2934334
No 11 Commando
Special Service Detachment 2
Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
Lance Corporal Alexander Ballantyne was wounded 9 June 1941 during operations with No.11 Commando at Litani River. After recovering he was assigned from the Commando to Middle East Detachment 2, later redesignated 2nd Special Service Detachment (SSD 2) and was killed in Burma. He has no known grave. Son of Matthew C. and Margaret C.

BUTTON, Gordon

Private
4449904
'Layforce'
Middle East Commando
Durham Light Infantry 1st Bn.
Died on war service
3 February 1942 serving in No.1 Special Service Detachment at Taunngyi Southern Shan States, Burma.

Sources
CWGC.
Casualty Lists WO417/57.
Enlistment and Discharge Registers D.L.I.

CAWSEY, Francis William

Private
5499203
No 8 Commando
Somerset Light Infantry
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Francis Cawsey was first reported missing 29 April 1942 during operations in Burma, later corrected to missing presumed killed in action on or shortly after 13 May 1942. 

CHAPMAN, Alfred James

Lance Corporal
875020
50ME Commando
British Military Mission 204
Royal Artillery
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
1937 attested into the Royal Artillery [1].
27 March 1938 transferred to Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment [1].
29 May 1941 wounded during operations in Crete whilst attached to Layforce [2].
50 Middle East Commando [3].

COULDREY, Edwin Robert

Bombardier
830703
No 8 Commando
Royal Artillery
Killed in action or died of wounds
Bombardier Edwin Couldrey, Special Service Detachment*, was reported missing 18 August 1942, later confirmed as having died, during operations in Burma. Royal Artillery Casualty Cards record his death as a battle casualty. He has no known grave. Son of Catherine Eliza Couldrey, of Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
 

ELSE, John

Sergeant
5624579
No 7 Commando
Devonshire Regiment
Died on war service
Sergeant John Else was accidentally killed in India. Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Else, of Bobbers Mill, Nottingham.
 
Sources
CWGC.
Casualty Lists / National Archives file WO417/59.
 
Notes

FLAHERTY, Robert Henry

Trooper
409352
No 8 Commando
52ME Commando
Special Service Detachment 2
Dragoons
Post war member of the Burma Star Association and the Commando Association residing in California, USA.
 
Sources
Addendum to Obituaries in Commando Association newsletter 89 (1989).
Burma Star Association Membership application form.
 

GALL, Victor, G.

Victor Gall 3 and 8 Commando
Corporal (later Warrant Officer)
2040474
No 3 Commando
No 8 Commando
Royal Engineers
Mentioned in Despatches
Victor Gall from Edinburgh enlisted into the Royal Engineers in 1937. Evacuated from Dunkirk. Volunteered for the commandos. Served in No.3 Commando, No.8 Commando, and Layforce in the Middle East until disbanded. Posted to the Far East likely with a Special Service Detachment of British Military Mission 204.

GILLINGHAM, Reginald John

Company Quartermaster Sergeant
543209
'Layforce'
Royal Armoured Corps
Company Quartermaster Sergeant Reginald Gillingham was reported missing presumed died during operations in Burma on 19 June 1942, his secondary unit recorded as 'B' Bn., Layforce on each of the casualty listings. He has no known grave. Son of Herbert James Gillingham and Lydia Gillingham; husband of Ida Martha Gillingham, of Ramsgate, Kent.

GOODE, Frederick Charles

Frederick Charles Goode SSD2
Corporal
5108868
No 8 Commando
Middle East Commando
Special Service Detachment 2
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

Corporal Goode from Birmingham was captured on 3 August 1942 during operations in Burma with Special Service Detachment 2. Previously served with the Commandos in the Middle East. Liberated from Rangoon Jail in 1945.

HANCOCK, Harry

Private
4748143
'Layforce'
Middle East Commando
British Military Mission 204
York and Lancaster Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Private Harry Hancock, 'C' Bn Layforce, was reported missing 9 June 1941 during operations at Litani River, Syria, later reported no longer missing.

JOHNSTON, Robert

Corporal Robert Johnston 11 Commando
Corporal
2931826
No 11 Commando
Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
Died on active service
Corporal Robert Johnston died of exhaustion and malaria whilst assigned from the Commando to Middle East Detachment 2, later redesignated 2nd Special Service Detachment (SSD 2), in Burma. He has no known grave.
  • 9 June 1941 (Private) wounded during Operation Exporter at Litani River, Syria.

LACEY, Leonard Frank

Private
5669104
No 8 Commando
'Layforce'
British Military Mission 204
Somerset Light Infantry
Died on active service
Private Leonard Lacey died whilst a prisoner of war. He had been posted from the Commando to Middle East Detachment 2, later redesignated 2nd Special Service Detachment (SSD 2), in Burma. He has no known grave. Son of Edward James Lacey and Louise Rose Lacey.
 
Sources
CWGC.

LOCKINGTON, Arthur

Trooper
324447
50ME Commando
British Military Mission 204
Royal Armoured Corps
Died on war service
Trooper Arthur Lockington, assigned from the Commando to Middle East Detachment 2, later redesignated 2nd Special Service Detachment (SSD 2), died in Burma. He has no known grave.
 
Sources
CWGC.

MANFORD, Francis Stanley

Captain Francis Manford
Captain (later Major)
109054
No 5 Commando
Durham Light Infantry
Died on war service
Captain Francis Stanley Manford served in No 5 Commando until 1942. He then left the Commando and joined Mission 204. From there he became an instructor to 77 Brigade – the Chindits.. In 1944 having now joined the S.O.E.

MATTHEWMAN, John Stewart

Sergeant
No 7 Commando
Special Service Detachment 1
Royal Army Service Corps

Served in No.7 Commando, Layforce, and in February 1942 Lance Corporal, Special Service Detachment 1. Member of the Commando Association and the Burma Star Association residing in Boston, Lincolnshire.

MILMAN, John Alexander Ralph

Lt. Colonel John Alexander Ralph Milman
Major (Temporary Lieutenant Colonel)
58191
52ME Commando
British Military Mission 204
Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment)
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Mentioned in Despatches
Lieutenant Colonel John Milman, Commander, 1 Special Service Detachment, 204 Military Mission, was appointed O.B.E. (Military Division) in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in Burma [1][2].
Recommendation

MOORE, Sidney Henry

Corporal (later Company Quartermaster Sergeant)
328884
No 8 Commando
No 7 Commando
51ME Commando
Lancers
Royal Signals
Medals: 1939/45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence Medal; War Medal.
1946 resided Pimlico, London. Member of the Commando Association last residing Ripon, Yorkshire. His brother Albert served in No.3 Commando.
 
Sources

NICHOLLS, Frank Raymond Jocelyn

Captain
71042
No 7 Commando
'Layforce'
Special Service Detachment 1
Royal Artillery
Mentioned in Despatches
Killed in action or died of wounds
Captain Frank Nicholls, No 7 Commando and Layforce, died whilst attached to No 1 Special Service Detachment. He has no known grave. Son of Mrs. A. M. Connell, of West Brompton, London. There is a plaque in his honour inside Stratton Parish Church and he is also remembered on their War Memorial.

REDWOOD, Albert C.

Sergeant
5727778
No 7 Commando
Dorsetshire Regiment
Killed in action or died of wounds
Sergeant Albert Redwood died [1] having left the Commando and joined Force 136, the S.O.E.  At the time of his death he was part of Operation Ramrose, team Fox at Myothit - Irrawaddy. 
 
Extract from a Force 136 battle casualty report about his death [2].

RICHARDSON, Arthur

WO2 Company Sergeant Major
5381845
No 8 Commando
Royal Armoured Corps
Killed in action or died of wounds
Company Sergeant Major Arthur Richardson was reported missing presumed killed in action during operations in Burma. He is believed to have been one of a contingent from Layforce who were attached to Middle East Detachment 2, later known as 2nd Special Service Detachment (SSD2), for operations in the Far East.
 

SCANES, Lewis Ralph

Trooper
321274
No 8 Commando
1st Royal Dragoons Royal Armoured Corps
Died on war service
Trooper Lewis Scanes was reported missing presumed died during operations in Burma on or shortly after 19 June 1942, his secondary unit shown simply as "Commando" on each of the casualty lists. Son of Henry Frederick and Mary Charlotte Scanes, of Dagenham, Essex.[1][2].

SEYMOUR, William Napier

William Seymour 52 Middle East Commando
Major
56896
52ME Commando
'Layforce'
Scots Guards
Mentioned in Despatches
Adjutant of 52 Middle East Commando in Sudan and Ethiopia, and Adjutant 'D' Bn. Layforce, although did not participate at Crete due to an injury. Later joined Middle East contingents to the Far East to be part of Mission 204.

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