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Auction: 6025 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 248

A Highly Unusual and Scarce Combination M.B.E., Special Branch, ´Aden´ M.I.D. Group of Five to Wing Commander J.R.W. Laing, Royal Air Force, Late Commander Special Branch During the Mau Mau Rebellion, Previously Wounded and Taken Prisoner of War Whilst Serving With the Gloucesters at Imjin, Korea a) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 2nd type, Military Division, Member´s (M.B.E.) breast Badge, silver b) Korea 1950-53, 1st type (22246973 Pte. J.R. Laing. Glosters.) c) United Nations Korea Medal d) Africa General Service 1902-56, E.II.R., one clasp, Kenya (I.P. J.R.W. Laing.), one letter officially corrected e) General Service 1962-, two clasps, South Arabia, Northern Ireland, M.I.D. Oakleaf (Fg. Off. J.R.W. Laing R.A.F.), good very fine or better (5) with the following contemporary documentation: - Mentioned in Despatches Certificate, dated 23.1.1968 - Letter of congratulation for M.B.E., from Air Vice Marshal P.G.K. Williamson, dated 31.12.1976; Letter of congratulation for M.I.D. from Air Chief Marshal Sir John Davis, dated 19.1.1968; photographs and a typed resume of recipient´s career in the form of his claim for a Disablement Pension, dated June 1985; together with another typed resume covering his service in Aden Estimate £ 1,600-1,800M.B.E. London Gazette 31.12.1976 Squadron Leader James Robert Worthington Laing (4335372), Royal Air Force M.I.D. London Gazette 23.1.1968 Acting Flight Lieutenant J.R.W. Laing, Royal Air Force Wing Commander James Robert Worthington Laing, M.B.E., served with the 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, 13.9.1948-27.1.1954; he saw active service with the regiment in Korea from 1.10.1950 including, ´On 23rd April 1951, in the vicinity of the Imjin River, the regiment was attacked by a vastly superior force of Chinese troops, known as the Chinese People´s Volunteers (CPV), and, on 25th April, I suffered head and facial injuries resulting from an enemy mortar bomb..... I was unconscious and could take no further part in the fighting..... When I had recovered from the initial effects of those injuries, I discovered that the regiment positions had been surrounded in depth by the enemy and that the surviving Gloucesters had attempted to break through to the United Nations Forces´ Lines...... In attempting to join them, I was taken prisoner by a platoon of the CPV and, after a period of two days confinement, I was eventually reunited with the main body of the surviving Gloucester prisoners of war..... The CPV then ordered the POWs to march to a prison camp located near the Yalu River which involved a journey, undertaken mainly at night, of approximately 550 kilometres. During this forced march, the prisoners were fed bran mixed with the local, contaminated water and, within a day or two, numerous POWs, including myself, were stricken with dysentry. On occasion, whilst I was attempting to defecate, a CPV soldier, insisting I should join the marching column, struck my left foot with the butt of his rifle. From the pain and the extreme force of the blow, I believe he broke the big toe of my left foot. For several months thereafter, I had the greatest difficulty in walking. My situation was not eased when, much later in the year, the CPV issued the POWs with cotton suits and plimsolls; the shoes issued to me were several inches too small and I could wear them only by cutting off the ends and exposing my injured toe to the problems of extreme weather conditions and climbing hills in connection with prison camp labour.......... The conditions of life which existed in the prison camp, which was Chongsong, during the first 18 months of my captivity were too appalling to be adequately described in this account...... There were no medical facilities at Chongsong nor were there any qualified medical personnel among the POWs; moreover, the CPV refused to allow the International Red Cross to have any access whatsoever to the prisoners. A significant number of POWs, mainly American, died in Chongsong during the early months, sometimes as many as 20 a day..... During this time, the surviving POWs, including myself, were afflicted with numerous physical disorders and diseases which could not always be diagnosed. The more obvious and easily recognisable illnesses from which I personally suffered included dysentery (for a period of about 7 months), yellow jaundice, migraine, a total loss of night vision, sores and skin disorders which would not heal and a temporary total loss of hearing following an interrogation when a CPV officer fired his pistol within a few inches of my ear.´ (typed resume included in lot refers) Laing was repatriated 20.8.1953. Within a few days of being demobilised from the army he joined the Police Force in Kenya. Initially in uniform, he later commanded the Special Branch in the Nyeri District. This was the area of the Kikuyu heartlands and the White Highlands, in which most of the action of the Emergency and subsequent political activity took place. After ten years service with the force, and coinciding with Kenya´s independence, Laing returned to the UK to join the Royal Air Force as a Flying Officer, 28.4.1964. It was a matter of a few months, however, before he was recruited for service abroad again. This time it was to Aden that he went, in response to the Egyptian funded conflict being caused by the National Liberation Front and the Front For the Liberation of South Yemen, 1965. Laing was attached to the Special Branch as in Kenya, however this time he was Second in Command of ´B´ Group a counter terrorist section of Special Branch, ´ ´B´ Group was responsible for the production of operational intelligence, taking action on that intelligence, and any interrogation, documentation and detention of prisoners resulting........ A large pre-fabricated building was erected in the SB compound. It housed an Operations Room as well as offices. Four contract policemen, ex-Colonials recruited in London, acted as Operations Officers. They had three Landrovers equipped with radios, and operated in co-operation with the Army. Each battalion in Aden Brigade provided a Special Branch squad of an officer and ten men. Each squad was provided with two Landrovers...... These squads were at the disposal, separately or together, of the Operations officers. One squad was on instant call-out at all times. The others were available at short notice....... The Ops Room, apart from radio equipment, housed an SB Duty officer in close touch with Aden Brigade. A contract police officer ran the office. Clerical assistance was provided by three Intelligence Corps soldiers. Two Army Majors provided liaison with Aden Brigade and Little Aden respectively, at various times there was close co-operations with other units including an SAS troop stationed in Aden.´ (typed resume included in the lot refers). Laing was primarily involved in the planning and organisation of ´B´ Group´s operations, ´For some two years it was a rare night when at least one SB party was not operating somewhere against a specific target or targets. Many of these raids resulted in arrests and the recovery of arms or explosives. On one occasion no less than five parties struck simultaneously at different target houses. This operation resulted in the capture of Mohammed Salem Basindwah, the Secretary General of the Front For Liberation of South Yemen.´ (typed resume included in the lot refers). For his services in Aden Laing was Mentioned in Despatches. He returned to England to resume service with the R.A.F. Flight Lieutenant 1.7.1968. However due to increasing problems with his hearing, a result of having a gun fired next to his ear during interrogation as a POW in Korea, he was forced to take up more administrative roles including a posting to Biggin Hill as the Selection Board Chairman of the Officer and Aircrew Centre, 1983. As the problem became more acute, Laing was forced to take early retirement as Wing Commander, 1.6.1985.

Sold for
£4,100