In September 1939 Bob was working as a carpenter's mate for a Public Works Contractor in Wiltshire. After the war, Bob Burgin returned to Dorset. In 1949 he married Iris May Welham, the widow of Aircraftsman First Class Leslie William Welham, who had died in a lorry accident in 1941. Her father was Simon Peach, Patrol Member in the Langton Herring Patrol.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Dorset Scout Section | Scout Section Corporal | Unknown | unknown |
| Operation Haggard | SAS combatant | 14 Aug 1944 | 09 Sep 1944 |
Carpenter's mate
It is not known exactly when he joined the Scout Section.
He trained Patrols across Dorset. When he visited the Dorset Soldier pub in Corfe Mullen after the war, he was able to name the members of the local Patrol when he found their photo was on his place mat. (Sadly the pub no longer has these). He taught explosives. He recalled that they had been billeted at Lytchett House, Lytchett matravers for a period.
In January 1944, along with most of this Scout Section he joined the B Squadron 1st Special Air Service Regiment after being requested to attend a recruitment event in London for former Auxiliers.
11 Apr 1945 Reported missing believed prisoner of war along with Sergeant Youngman, and troopers Beckford, Eden, Stoneham and Merryweather. This was during Operation Howard. He and Cyril Beckford were reported no longer missing shortly after suggesting they evaded capture.
After the war he remained friendly with Stoneham and Blackwell in particular.
According to his son, he was interviewed for the Dorset Echo, being photographed near Hardy's Monument for the article. Unfortunately we have not yet been able to track down a copy of this newspaper.
SAS War Diary
P&T Williams
Rob Burgin
Ancestry.co.uk
1939 register