Roll On!

This ADDITIONAL MATERIAL is offered by Patricia Ireland, Tommy Robert's daughter, as Volume 2 for 'ROLL ON! One Man's War, including The Secret Diaries of Captain T. C. ROBERTS (1st Chindits) Prisoner in Japanese hands 1943 - 1945 (Volume 1). After a sad childhood, Tommy Roberts joined the Liverpool King's Regiment and served in India, where for seven years this new life of friendship, discipline and education suited him well. On his return to England and civilian life, he quickly fell in love and he and Edith were married in June 1939. However, war was of course imminent. Tommy was quickly recalled to the Reserve and by August 1939 he had volunteered as a regular soldier. There followed a year as Instructor in Drill and Weapons Training in Burscough where, in September 1940, he and Ede welcomed their baby son. Yet the War was raging and in December Tommy felt called to active service once again. After a year in Coastal and Home Defence his 13th Battalion King 's Regiment was sent to India. Three months later Orde Wingate asked for volunteers for his 77th India Brigade which was to fight the Japanese behind enemy lines in Burma. Tommy volunteered. A gruelling training followed to prepare the volunteers for war against jungle, disease and a ruthless enemy. In early 1943 the Brigade, now known as the Chindits, entered Burma. An even more gruelling, perhaps unimaginable, time began. Tommy was Commander of the Support Group in Column 5, led by Major Bernard Fergusson. By April 1943, Column 5 was 250 miles behind Japanese lines. Meanwhile however, supply lines for food, ammunition and communication had evaporated. Column 5 became spread out and decimated. In April 1943 Tommy's group was ambushed at Kaukkwe and the few survivors taken prisoner. Arriving eventually at Changi Prison, Tommy would spend the next 3 years just managing to survive. Yet somehow, secretly, he was writing a diary. Written in tiny writing in pencil, hidden away as even risking execution if found, both he and the diary somehow did survive. In 1986 Tommy made a recording of his diary and Tommy's daughter Patricia, with the help of the recording, has managed to transcribe the tiny writing in the original Malay exercise books. She presents here her own extensive research into the background and context of this unique, genuine and historic record.