Griffiths-Marsh, Roland (Corporal, b.1923 - d.2012)

Collection relating to VX16310 Corporal (Cpl) Roland Griffiths-Marsh MM, who enlisted as a 16 year old using the alias George Mobray Griffiths, the name of his older brother. He initially served with 2/8th Battalion before becoming a member of Z Special Unit involved in the training of a native guerilla force in Borneo.

Original items comprise 5 pages from the guerilla force nominal roll, a coloured target card used by Griffiths-Marsh to train native bren gunners, and a page from the 2/8 Battalion Nominal Roll for Private George Mobray Griffiths, which Griffiths-Marsh later reported he 'pinched the night before he was due to leave for Melbourne for interview for admittance to Z unit'. Collection also contains black and white photocopies of several pages, dated 1942 and 1945 from diaries kept by Griffiths-Marsh, accompanied by annotations made by Griffiths-Marsh, and a photocopy of the dates and place names of war service for Griffiths-Marsh.

Added to this collection in 2013 were two original diaries handwritten by Cpl Griffiths-Marsh whilst in Borneo in 1945, one digital and one printed copy of typed transcript of the diaries, completed by his wife Maayken Griffiths-Marsh in 2012/13, two pages of names (one handwritten and one typed) made by Cpl Griffiths-Marsh regarding the training of a native guerilla force in Borneo, and one small map of section of Borneo hand drawn by Cpl Griffiths-Marsh.

The Borneo diaries, dated June 21 to August 28 1945, include details of Cpl Griffiths-Marsh’s involvement in Z Special Unit and interactions among local Iban Dayaks, Malays and Chinese. These diaries elaborate on the daily routines of military operations in remote Borneo describing the training of a native guerrilla force and their skirmishes with the Japanese. Some mention of diet, hygiene and cultural commentaries made by Cpl Griffiths-Marsh on native customs.

Other related collections are PR88/069, MSS1024 and MSS1203.