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"One of seven children, David Bennett Jones was born on 8 May 1924 in Montgomeryshire in the heart of rural Mid Wales. He attended Llanwnog primary school, and on leaving school, worked for a while in agriculture.

In July 1943, just after his 19th birthday, he was enlisted into the General Service Corps, and in August of the same year, transferred to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Following a spell with 7th Bn South Lancashire Regiment, he was transferred to 1st Bn South Staffordshire Regiment which flew out to Burma in 1944 as part of 77 (Indian) Infantry Brigade which took part in "Operation Thursday" under the command of Brigadier J. M. ("Mad" Mike) Calvert DSO.

Unfortunately, he was killed in Burma in 1944 and is commemorated on the memorial in our little village of Caersws in north Powys (formerly Montgomeryshire), Mid Wales.

I never heard the family speak of him, and it wasn't until February 1999 that I was able to interrogate the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) "Debt of Honour" database. It was only then that I discovered he had served with 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment.

The information from the CWGC was sufficient to allow me to begin a search in earnest for more information regarding my uncle's involvement in the war in Burma, his regiment and the campaign in which he fought.

I joined the soc.history.war.world-war-ii newsgroup asking for more information. It was here, thanks to someone who kindly visited the Public Records Office on my behalf, that I learned that my uncle had been a Chindit: a member of Orde Wingate's Special Force in Burma.

Wingate took two missions to Burma. Following the first (Operation Longcloth) in 1943, his Chindit force was expanded and flown in a second time in March 1944 (Operation Thursday). The 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment formed one of the six brigades utilised for Operation Thursday. My uncle's battalion was part of 77th (Indian) Infantry Brigade nicknamed EMPHASIS under the command of Brigadier J Michael (Mad Mike) Calvert DSO

The Battalion CO was Lt-Col. G. P. Richards MC The Battalion formed two columns; 38 under Lt-Col Richards, and after his death, Major W A Cole MC, and 80 column under Major, later Col, R Degg. The battalion was flown into the Broadway landing ground at the beginning of March, and moved to White City mid March, marching out on 30 March. The columns were combined in mid May and the battalion pulled out in July.

A covering note in the war diary says 'It will be realised that the field returns are in the majority of cases not accurate, owing to the type of operations which could refer to the harsh conditions under which the second Chindit expedition was fought.'

The war diary entry for 11 June; the day of my uncle's death reads: - 'Bn moved up at first light and collecting the coy left SOUTH of the road, met the enemy in strength at NATGYIGON at about 1300 hrs.

The enemy were attacked and the SOUTH EAST corner of the village was taken but the enemy counter-attacked and the battalion withdrew about 600 yds for the night.

There was no enemy action during the night. Casualties from action on 11th - Own cas 16k 12w - Enemy cas 15k.'

This appears to be the action in which my uncle David Jones was killed."

Written by Linda Evans from Caersws.