Roland Degg
Roland Degg (10 February 1909 – 2001) was a World War II English officer. As a field officer he attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel temporarily, when he took command of the 38th column of the South Staffordshires Regiment in Japanese-held Myanmar (Burma) during 1944. Degg was awarded a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) because of his command of the 1st Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment during World War II Youth. Degg's grandfather, Henry Washington, his father was also a coal miner, who enlisted in South Staffordshire Regiment during World War I, and was later transferred to  the Sherwood Foresters. Degg was born in Cannock, West Midlands, England. He was educated at Chadsmoor Boys' School (Cannock) until 13, when he finished his schooling in order to work at the colliery at Huntington as a "nipper", with additional duties looking after pit ponies. During the General Strike in 1926 (4 to 12 May), he enlisted with the South Staffordshire Regiment of the British Army, aged within his 15th year, although the legal age for beginning as a soldier was 16 years. Career. Military service. Early service (1926–1939). His early service was with the 2nd Battalion of the Regiment  stationed in India and Palestine. He was made Lance Corporal during 1931, and later to a full Corporal, and was captain of the battalion football team during 1934. His football skills were responsible, the next year, for his posting to the 1st Battalion at Aldershot as they made a bid for the Army cup. He remained with the 1st Battalion and by 1937 was a Sergeant, and was one of the three men selected as escort to the regimental colours of King George VI. World War II. Degg was stationed in Palestine when World War II broke out. In May  1940 as Sergeant-Major, he was moved to the Western Desert of northern Africa to fight in General Wavell's 1940-41 Libyan Campaign. During the 10th of December 1940 he took part in an assault on a strongly-defended Italian positions at Sidi Barrani. At the end of the battle, Deggs' commanding officer presented him with two pips while he was in a slit trench. In 1941 his battalion was moved to India, to fulfill duties in internal security and in protecting supplies and transport from Indian dissidents. Myanmar. Degg was a member of the Chindits, which was the  numerically most manned special force operating within the second world war. As part of the Chindits, the South Staffordshires were split into two columns, 38, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richards, and 80, commanded by Degg. The South Staffordshires were landed by aircraft and gliders into jungle clearings. Degg's column was ordered to establish a block on the Mandalay railway at Henu. Their objective was "Stafford Hill", occupied by a large force of soldiers of the Imperial Japanese army, as Degg established the column's position they were attacked, during the night-time by infiltrating Japanese soldiers, who were repelled  until the morning when 38 column and a column of Gurkhas arrived subsequently countering a far stronger attack. When Brigadier Calvert arrived, Degg was ordered to attack Japanese positions, which involved hand-to-hand fighting and the use of man-pack flamethrowers. After a re-supply airdrop on 18 March 1944, Calvert moved his headquarters to "White City" (a reference to the many parachutes which draped the tall trees), where the Staffordshires defended the northern and eastern sectors. During the 21st, the Japanese launched a full-scale attack on White City with grenades and mortars. In the early hours of  the morning, Lieutenant Colonel Richards was killed leading a counter-attack, Degg therefore took command of the whole battalion, which repelled Japanese soldiers to significant losses. Special Force, though under repetitious attack, now controlled 30 miles of railway. Casualties had been heavy and Calvert decided to move to a location designated "Blackpool", a new defensive perimeter, further north between Mawlu and Mogaung. Calvert learnt that Chinese and Americans forces were approaching Myitkyina, he subsequently received orders that his brigade were to attack Mogaung. 77th Indian Infantry had only 550 effective soldiers at that time, many of them wounded and nearly  all suffering from a mixture of malaria, jungle sores or swollen feet. Nevertheless, Mogaung was taken during an assault sometime about midnight, with the Staffords and Gurkhas wading through rivers and marshes and clearing hills and ridges in close-quarter fighting. The Mogaung battle lasted from 31 May until 27 June 1944. Degg took part in all attacks, and was constantly in the front line of battle. After the capture of Mogaung at the end of the operation in Burma, the South Staffordshires regiment were flown to India. His DSO citation of 1945 (#161995) proclaimed, ""Under his leadership, his battalion  never failed in attack or lost ground in defence. The battalion has continually outmatched the Japanese in courage, in defence, endurance and bravery, and this has been largely due to Lt-Col Degg's skill and stubbornness"." After 1945. At the end of the World war, Degg trained Dutch troops at Chichester. He then attended Staff College and took up a staff appointment in Western Command. As a sportsman, footballer, swimmer, water-polo player and all-round athlete, at 45 years of age he was considered to be his battalion's best hammer-thrower. In 1951, he returned to the  1st Battalion of his regiment as commanding officer, taking the regiment to Hong Kong, Northern Ireland and Germany, before handing over the command in April 1954. Employment after the army (1954–1975). Degg was personnel manager of Horseley Bridge and Thomas Piggott Engineers, based at Tipton in the West Midlands, from 1954 until his retirement during 1975. Personal life. He had four daughters by his first marriage (née Spires) who were unremarkable with respect to military matters. Roland lived till the end of his life in a house named Corbierre, a french word which translated means, a "place where crows gather