Meaker - a service history

Trooper Derek Eustace John Meaker S.A.S. - a service history


In 1939 he enlisted in the Royal Sussex Regiment as a Private, Army No 6408454. In 1941 he sailed to India and was put on the Officer Training School course at Mhow. He passed out in March 1942 as a Second Lieutenant with the Emergency Commission number EC 5267.

He applied for the Gurkas, did well on the examination, but was promptly posted to the 4th Hodson's Horse instead at Ferozepore. Here he passed an examination in the Urdu language and after six months was promoted to Lieutenant. He was then posted to 13th Duke of Connaughts Own in Iraq. By now they realised he was an infantryman and posted him back to India into the 1st Bombay Grenadiers.

Next he went to Italy to do a Company Commanders Course and was attached to the 1st /2nd Punjab Regiment for two months whilst he did the course. He was then promoted to Acting Captain and rejoined his Battalion in the Lebanon. In this period he was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Africa Star (no clasp) the Italy Star, the Defence and War Medals.


After independence in 1947 he came back to this country and was posted to the Royal Fusiliers where he was given a Regular Commission in the Army with the number 366961 with the Royal Fusiliers. He then did a course in Hebrew at The School of Oriental Studies at London University. He was then posted to Germany, a strange place to practise Hebrew. He resigned his Commission in 1950 to try his hand in civvy street.

In 1954 he re-enlisted in the Army as a Corporal, 22513086 in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. Apparently he was not allowed in as a Commissioned Officer, he believes, because of his association with both Arabs and Jews. In 1955 he was promoted to Sergeant.

In 1956, still as a Sergeant, he volunteered for the SAS and was accepted but lost his Sergeant's stripes to become a Trooper. Dean - Drummond Commanding Officer 22 S.A.S, did comment to him "that most people when they join the Army start at the bottom and work there way up- you seem to be starting at the top and working your way down!" Although when he left the S.A.S. in 1962 he had been promoted up to Corporal again.

With the S.A.S. he got his General Service Medal (GSM) with the clasps Malaya and Arabian Peninsula.

In 1962 back to his substantive rank of Sergeant he transferred back to his previous unit the R.A.O.C. who at that time were in Singapore to earn his Campaign Service Medal (CSM) with the clasp Malay Peninsular. He left the Army in 1969.


The naming on the GSM is to 22513086 Tpr. D.E.J.Meaker S.A.S.
The naming on the CSM is to 22513086 Sgt. D.E.J.Meaker R.A.O.C.


For a more detailed look at events in the Military career of Derek Eustace John Meaker ... Click here.