Name Roland Degg | ||
Roland Degg (10 February 1909 – 2001) was a battalion commander during World War II. He was commissioned in the field and appointed second-in-command of his battalion when it formed part of Brigadier Michael Calvert's 77th Brigade—one of five brigades in the so-called Special Force, which was committed to action behind Japanese lines in 1944.
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He won a Distinguished Service Order while commanding the 1st Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment during the Chindits operations in Burma.
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.
Name
The name Degg derives from the French word dague, which means dagger.
Before World War II
Degg was educated at Chadsmoor Boys' School. At 13 he left school to work at the Huntington Colliery as a "nipper", with additional duties looking after pit ponies. During the General Strike in 1926, he finished employment at the colliery to enlist with the South Staffordshire Regiment of the British Army. His early service was with the 2nd Battalion stationed within Malta, Palestine, Egypt and India. He was made Lance Corporal during 1931, and later to a full Corporal within "A" company, and was captain of the battalion football team in 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, one of only three selected as escort to the regimental colours of King George VI.
War service
Continuing to serve with the battalion in Palestine until the outbreak of World War II, during May 1940 as Sergeant-Major of "D" Company, he was moved to the Western Desert. In December 1940, as part of "Selby Force", Degg and his battalion took part in an assault on a strongly-defended Italian positions at Sidi Barrani, for which the regiment gained a battle honour. At the end of the battle, Deggs' commanding officer presented him with two pips while he was in his slit trench. In 1941 the battalion moved to India, with duties in internal security and in protecting supplies and transport from Indian dissidents.
Burmese conflict
The South Staffordshires were split into two columns, Nos. 38 and 80, with 38 commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richards and 80 by Degg. The South Staffordshires landed by aircraft and gliders in a clearing named by the troops "Broadway". From there Degg's column was ordered to move off and establish a block on the Mandalay railway at Henu. Their objective was "Stafford Hill", occupied by a large force of soldiers of the Japanese army at the time of engagement, and as Degg established the column's position they at once came under fire. During the night-time hours the South Staffordshires were attacked by Japanese soldiers infiltrating who their meagre defences. The South Staffordshires held off their enemy until the morning, at which time when they were joined by 38 column and a column of Gurkhas, who arrived in time to repel a far stronger attack.
When Calvert arrived, he ordered an attack on Japanese positions, which involved fierce hand-to-hand fighting and the use of man-pack flamethrowers. After a re-supply drop on 18 March 1944, Calvert moved his headquarters to "White City" (a reference to the many parachutes which draped the tall trees), where the Staffords defended the northern and eastern sectors.
Three nights later, the Japanese launched a full-scale attack on this position with grenades and mortar fire. In the early hours of the morning, Lieutenant Colonel Richards was killed leading a counter-attack, leaving Degg to take command of the whole battalion. The Japanese assault was beaten off with heavy losses. Special Force, though under constant attack, now controlled 30 miles of railway, cutting the lifeline of the Japanese in the north. Casualties had been heavy and Calvert decided to move to a location designated "Blackpool", a new defensive perimeter, further north between Mawlu and Mogaung. Prior to their at Blackpool arrival, Blackpool was occupied by Japanese forces, and 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. Even so, 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 the 31 May until the 27 June 1944. Degg took part in all attacks, and was constantly in the front line of battle. His DSO citation (#161995) later 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 the capture of Mogaung at the end of the operation in Burma, the South Staffordshires regiment were flown to India.
After the war
At the end of the World war, Degg continued to train Dutch troops within Chichester. He then attended Staff College and took up a staff appointment in Western Command. 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. Retiring from the Army that year, Degg became personnel manager of Horseley Bridge and Thomas Piggott Engineers, based at Tipton in the West Midlands, remaining with the company until his retirement in 1975.