Orders, Decorations and Medals

Four: Captain N. J. Williamson, Intelligence Corps (India), late Frontier Force Rifles and Highland Light Infantry, killed in action with Indonesian insurgents, 9 May 1946

1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals, unnamed, nearly extremely fine (4) £60-80

Norval John Williamson was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 15th Battalion 13th Frontier Force Rifles on 22 January 1943. The Battalion was part of 29th Indian Division which carried out the amphibious landing in the Arakan then fought their way down Burma taking part in the battles of Letpan, Akyab, Meiktila until finally reaching Rangoon.

At the end of the War the 13th Frontier Force Rifles became the 2nd Battalion Frontier Force Rifles and Captain Williamson was posted to the Intelligence Branch at HQ 29 Division. On 30 January 1946 he was transferred into the Highland Light Infantry but on 27 February 1946 he transferred to the Intelligence Corps (India) and was promoted Temporary Captain to take command of the 625 Field Security Section. The unit went with the 29th Division to Sumatra and Captain Williamson was given the task “To gather as much intelligence of a military or general nature as you can.” One of his tasks was to recover a shipment of British arms and ammunition which had been captured by the Japanese in 1942. The arms were found and taken out to sea and dumped however, that night the Indonesians went back to the spot and with divers recovered the weapons. Another task was to try and find the fate of British Agents who had been landed in Batavia but had disappeared. Interrogations of Japanese Kempeitai were undertaken. In May 1946 reports were received that the Indonesians were kidnapping Chinese citizens and that some were being held in a house at 25, Djalen Gadja.

On 9 May Captain Williamson led a party of four Intelligence Corps NCOs and two Interpreters to investigate. At the house they were ambushed by Indonesians and Captain Williamson was shot in the head and killed. One interpreter was also killed. Two Intelligence Corps NCOs escaped and reached the nearby 6th Battalion of South Wales Borderers at Medan but the other two, with the remaining interpreter, were taken prisoner. Captain Williamson was buried in the Military Cemetery in Jakarta and six weeks later the two Intelligence Corps NCOs and the Interpreter were exchanged for captured Indonesians. Norval John Williamson was the son of Norval Stewart and Margaret Eleanor Williamson of West Worthing, Sussex.

With card forwarding box (no name or address) and named condolence slip. Also with copied research including photocopied photograph.