7666653. Trooper. Robert Arthur McGlew.
‘B’ Troop, 1st Airlanding Reconnaissance Squadron.

Robert Arthur McGlew was born on the 31 st August 1915, in Tsingtao, China. His father was British and his mother Japanese. [3]
He married Mary Caroline Collier (nee Northcote, a divorcee), at Kensington London on the 30 September 1939. [2] He was living near Weybridge in Surrey when he originally enlisted into the Royal Army Pay Corps, on the 30 May 1940. He qualified as a Clerk, R.A.P.C., Class IIIB on the 1 st August 1940. He then got his Grade II qualification on the 30 November 1940, and his Grade I qualification on the 19 May 1941. [4]

He transferred to the Reconnaissance Corps on 30 September 1942, and was posted to the 63rd Recce Corps Training Centre. [1] and [5] Upon completion of his training he was classified as a Driver/Operator Class III on the 28 December
1942. [4] He then volunteered for Airborne Forces, and was posted to the 1st Air Landing Company, Reconnaissance Corps, on the 1 February 1943. [5]

He was assigned to ‘B’ Troop and sailed with them to North Africa on the 17 May 1943. After several months of training and preparing for airborne operations the Squadron eventually took part in ‘Operation Slapstick’, the landing by the 1st Airborne Division at the port of Taranto in Southern Italy in September 1943.

Late in the evening of the 10 September 1943, ‘B’ Troop were tasked to carry out a reconnaissance in advance of the 2nd Parachute Brigade towards Gioia del Colle and Bari. Early the next morning the Troop encountered a German motor-cycle combination patrol near the village of Martina Franca where the troop Commander, Captain Robert Jakeman was fatally wounded. Lieut ‘Jimmy’ Pearson decided to carry on with the patrol, but a bit further on they were ambushed
outside the village of Locorotondo, and Corporal Wilfred Sloper, Lance Corporal Thomas Quince and Trooper Harry Wood were killed. Taken prisoner were, Lance Corporal Simeon ‘Sammy’ Burgoyne (also wounded), Trooper’s Richardson, Moreton, Brassington and McGlew.

Initially sent to an Italian POW Camp he was then moved north into Germany (7 October 1943), where he was sent to Camp L3. He was liberated on the 20 April 1945, but was a very sick man. He was immediately admitted to HQ 2nd U.S. Evacuation Hospital at Naumberg, Kassel District, and died of malnutrition, diphtheria and pneumonia on the next day. He was 29 years old. [4] and [6]

He was first buried in the Breuna American Cemetery, 20 km N.W. of Kassell, Germany. He now lies at rest in Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany. 3. C. 3.

Pages from Robert McGlew's diary transcribed by Robert Hilton:

NOTES:
Service Records courtesy of John Howes.
[1] Service Records, page 01.
[2] Service Records, page 03.
[3] Service Records, page 04.
[4] Service Records, page 05.
[5] Service Records, page 11.
[6] Service Records, page 09.

Written and supplied by Robert Hilton