Men Who Died During Training
Lieut. Neville Nathan Saffer.
As the summer months of 1942 passed by Chindit training began to take on a more serious approach with the introduction of live ammunition. Operational training was a dangerous occupation and many men were injured or wounded during this time.
162342 Lieutenant Neville Nathan Saffer
Neville Saffer was born in April 1909 in the West Riding district of Leeds. I have not managed to find out anything about his school days, but as a University student aged 19 he had travelled aboard the Cunard Passenger Ship the 'Aquitania', to such far flung places as Canada, Batavia and New York. So his journey to India with the 13th King's aboard the troopship 'Oronsay' offered nothing new to this now experienced traveller.
Presumably Neville had studied Law at University as records show he had set up a firm of solicitors by the mid-1930's, 'Hyman Stone, Saffer and Co.' of 2 Bank Street, Sheffield. This would be his place of work until January 1937, when for some reason he dissolved the partnership.
After enlisting into the British Army, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the King's Liverpool Regiment in January 1941. At the time of his enlistment he was living at 256 Lidgett Lane, Leeds. Neville was posted to the 13th Battalion of the King's and served on coastal defence with the unit until the winter of 1941. The battalion was then put on notice for travel overseas. Lieutenant Saffer was part of the advanced party chosen to prepare the battalion for it's embarkation aboard the troopship 'Oronsay' in December, he travelled ahead to Liverpool Docks to make the boarding arrangements.
The sad story of Neville Saffer's unfortunate death has been recounted by several eye-witness reports. The 13th King's had been chosen to form the British Infantry contingent of the newly formed 77th Indian Infantry Brigade and were now training as Chindits in the Saugor area of India. Neville was an officer in Column 7 under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes. The column were based in the forest of Patharia and Saffer's Rifle Platoon (no. 14) were preparing for a weapons inspection. Private Charles Aves was also a member of Column 7 and remembers the incident thus:
"We had the affair of an officer being shot by a private soldier during arms inspection. When you have an inspection you are supposed to clear the breach, presumably he forgot to instruct the men of this and the weapon was fired and he was killed.
He was a Jewish officer named Saffer, a very nice man, he died in these circumstances without ever seeing the enemy. Things, as you can see could be very tough."
Another member of Column 7, Pte. Leon Frank also remembers the day Lieutenant Saffer was killed:
"We trained in mud, we slept in mud and we ate mud. The training was very tough. We did river crossings, marching through the jungle, finding our way by the stars, it was part of the Commando training. We had one very sad thing that happened there. There was a Jewish Officer named Lt. Neville Nathan Saffer. My platoon was 13 Platoon and next to me was 14 Platoon, a few yards from each other, and we were each standing in a small circle for rifle inspection.
You bring your rifle to the up position, first ejecting all your shells, and the officer in charge of the inspection would come round and look down the rifle barrel to see if it was clean. We had almost completed our inspection when all of a sudden a shot rang out. We turned round at 14 Platoon. Lt. Saffer, the inspecting officer, had looked down the barrel of the rifle and the soldier concerned had left one shell in the breach. He pulled the trigger as the officer looked down the barrel and the bullet took him right through the cheek and out of the back of his head. He dropped like a stack. He was dead instantly.
That was our first casualty and we were very shocked. Everyone was shocked. I think the soldier who did it had to be put in hospital. It was an accident - carelessness yes, but nevertheless an accident. We buried him and we put a cross above his grave with a Star of David drawn on to signify his Jewish faith. That was a sad incident."
Finally, here is another extract from the battalion War diary in regard to the death of Lieutenant Saffer:
"Lieutenant N.N. Saffer was killed this morning (03/08/42) by being shot by one of his platoon. The accident occurred in a weapons training parade and was purely accidental".
There had been some extremely exacting training exercises during that period and it is known that the men were under severe stress and in a weakened condition physically at the time of the accident. Lieutenant Saffer had been in charge of a small platoon of men and had recently put them through a tough regime of rivercraft, including swimming lessons and raft building. One anecdotal account suggests that his death was caused by a mortar explosion, but all official documents, including his death certificate confirm his death was from gunshot wounds.
Neville Saffer was originally buried in the Ramnan Forest close to where he was killed. After the war his remains were eventually taken and reinterred at Kirkee War Cemetery which is situated approximately 5 miles outside the town of Pune or Poona as it was known at the time. Kirkee War Cemetery was created in 1952 to receive Second World War graves from the western and central parts of India where their permanent maintenance could not be assured. Kirkee, also known as Khadki, is a Military Cantonment adjoining the large University town of Poona on the plateau above Bombay, the cemetery contains 1,668 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.
With the help of Irenie Zelickman and John Samuels of the United Hebrew Congregation, part of the Jewish Community in Sheffield, I now know that Neville Saffer is also remembered upon their Synagogue War Memorial Board. His simple inscription reads:
'Neville Saffer, 2nd Lieutenant (killed in action)-Kings Regiment.'
162342 Lieutenant Neville Nathan Saffer
Neville Saffer was born in April 1909 in the West Riding district of Leeds. I have not managed to find out anything about his school days, but as a University student aged 19 he had travelled aboard the Cunard Passenger Ship the 'Aquitania', to such far flung places as Canada, Batavia and New York. So his journey to India with the 13th King's aboard the troopship 'Oronsay' offered nothing new to this now experienced traveller.
Presumably Neville had studied Law at University as records show he had set up a firm of solicitors by the mid-1930's, 'Hyman Stone, Saffer and Co.' of 2 Bank Street, Sheffield. This would be his place of work until January 1937, when for some reason he dissolved the partnership.
After enlisting into the British Army, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the King's Liverpool Regiment in January 1941. At the time of his enlistment he was living at 256 Lidgett Lane, Leeds. Neville was posted to the 13th Battalion of the King's and served on coastal defence with the unit until the winter of 1941. The battalion was then put on notice for travel overseas. Lieutenant Saffer was part of the advanced party chosen to prepare the battalion for it's embarkation aboard the troopship 'Oronsay' in December, he travelled ahead to Liverpool Docks to make the boarding arrangements.
The sad story of Neville Saffer's unfortunate death has been recounted by several eye-witness reports. The 13th King's had been chosen to form the British Infantry contingent of the newly formed 77th Indian Infantry Brigade and were now training as Chindits in the Saugor area of India. Neville was an officer in Column 7 under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes. The column were based in the forest of Patharia and Saffer's Rifle Platoon (no. 14) were preparing for a weapons inspection. Private Charles Aves was also a member of Column 7 and remembers the incident thus:
"We had the affair of an officer being shot by a private soldier during arms inspection. When you have an inspection you are supposed to clear the breach, presumably he forgot to instruct the men of this and the weapon was fired and he was killed.
He was a Jewish officer named Saffer, a very nice man, he died in these circumstances without ever seeing the enemy. Things, as you can see could be very tough."
Another member of Column 7, Pte. Leon Frank also remembers the day Lieutenant Saffer was killed:
"We trained in mud, we slept in mud and we ate mud. The training was very tough. We did river crossings, marching through the jungle, finding our way by the stars, it was part of the Commando training. We had one very sad thing that happened there. There was a Jewish Officer named Lt. Neville Nathan Saffer. My platoon was 13 Platoon and next to me was 14 Platoon, a few yards from each other, and we were each standing in a small circle for rifle inspection.
You bring your rifle to the up position, first ejecting all your shells, and the officer in charge of the inspection would come round and look down the rifle barrel to see if it was clean. We had almost completed our inspection when all of a sudden a shot rang out. We turned round at 14 Platoon. Lt. Saffer, the inspecting officer, had looked down the barrel of the rifle and the soldier concerned had left one shell in the breach. He pulled the trigger as the officer looked down the barrel and the bullet took him right through the cheek and out of the back of his head. He dropped like a stack. He was dead instantly.
That was our first casualty and we were very shocked. Everyone was shocked. I think the soldier who did it had to be put in hospital. It was an accident - carelessness yes, but nevertheless an accident. We buried him and we put a cross above his grave with a Star of David drawn on to signify his Jewish faith. That was a sad incident."
Finally, here is another extract from the battalion War diary in regard to the death of Lieutenant Saffer:
"Lieutenant N.N. Saffer was killed this morning (03/08/42) by being shot by one of his platoon. The accident occurred in a weapons training parade and was purely accidental".
There had been some extremely exacting training exercises during that period and it is known that the men were under severe stress and in a weakened condition physically at the time of the accident. Lieutenant Saffer had been in charge of a small platoon of men and had recently put them through a tough regime of rivercraft, including swimming lessons and raft building. One anecdotal account suggests that his death was caused by a mortar explosion, but all official documents, including his death certificate confirm his death was from gunshot wounds.
Neville Saffer was originally buried in the Ramnan Forest close to where he was killed. After the war his remains were eventually taken and reinterred at Kirkee War Cemetery which is situated approximately 5 miles outside the town of Pune or Poona as it was known at the time. Kirkee War Cemetery was created in 1952 to receive Second World War graves from the western and central parts of India where their permanent maintenance could not be assured. Kirkee, also known as Khadki, is a Military Cantonment adjoining the large University town of Poona on the plateau above Bombay, the cemetery contains 1,668 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.
With the help of Irenie Zelickman and John Samuels of the United Hebrew Congregation, part of the Jewish Community in Sheffield, I now know that Neville Saffer is also remembered upon their Synagogue War Memorial Board. His simple inscription reads:
'Neville Saffer, 2nd Lieutenant (killed in action)-Kings Regiment.'
The grave of Lt. Saffer at Kirkee War Cemetery. Photo courtesy of TWGPP.
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CWGC Certificate and details for Lieutenant Neville Nathan Saffer.
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Lt. Neville Saffer.
Update 08/05/2017.
From the pages of the Yorkshire Evening Post dated 25th August 1942 and under the headline, Yorkshire Casualties:
The accidental death in India from gunshot wounds is reported of Lt. Neville Nathan Saffer aged 33. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Saffer, live at Lidgett Lane in Leeds. Lt. Saffer was a solicitor in Leeds about eight years ago, but moved across to Sheffield and then on to Manchester. He was articled with William Bateson and Company. A former Leeds Grammar School boy, Lt. Saffer was a student at Clifton College and Jesus College, Cambridge. He was at one time captain of Yorkshire Cantabs Rugby team and played for Harrogate Old Boys R.U.F.C. He played rugby whilst at Jesus College, Cambridge and at Clifton he won his colours for boxing.
From the pages of the Yorkshire Evening Post dated 25th August 1942 and under the headline, Yorkshire Casualties:
The accidental death in India from gunshot wounds is reported of Lt. Neville Nathan Saffer aged 33. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Saffer, live at Lidgett Lane in Leeds. Lt. Saffer was a solicitor in Leeds about eight years ago, but moved across to Sheffield and then on to Manchester. He was articled with William Bateson and Company. A former Leeds Grammar School boy, Lt. Saffer was a student at Clifton College and Jesus College, Cambridge. He was at one time captain of Yorkshire Cantabs Rugby team and played for Harrogate Old Boys R.U.F.C. He played rugby whilst at Jesus College, Cambridge and at Clifton he won his colours for boxing.
Bateman, Marsh and McKibbin and the Sonar River incident
On 27th July 1942 a terrible training accident occurred when the HQ section of Column 6 were attempting to cross the Sunwar River. Colour Sergeant Major George Bateman was swept away by the strong current when he lost control of the 'power rope' the unit was using to ford the river that day. Alongside him were Ptes. Harold Marsh and Francis McKibbin, all three men were drowned. Lieut/Colonel Stuart Lockhart of the Kings was given the task of investigating the incident on behalf of the battalion command.
Seen below is a map showing the Patharia and Abchand Forest areas of the Indian Central Provinces located near the town of Saugor. Also shown is the River Sonar, the correct spelling of the river in which the above mentioned were drowned.
Seen below is a map showing the Patharia and Abchand Forest areas of the Indian Central Provinces located near the town of Saugor. Also shown is the River Sonar, the correct spelling of the river in which the above mentioned were drowned.
The Abchand Forest sited to the east of the Chindit training camp at Saugor. Also shown is the River Sonar.
Once again there are several first-hand accounts of the incident from men who were in the location at the time.
Pte. Charles Aves of Column 7 recalls:
"It was an absolutely appalling month, the training in Patharia during monsoon, and it was at this time we had our first casualties. A stream ran through our camp, quite an ordinary stream really, but this became a raging torrent. The water rose so high and so quickly that a number of men who were trying to get back to bivouac drowned.
I suppose this was due to inexperience in these conditions, probably, just a month later this would not have happened due to our lessons in river crossings. But, sadly, we did lose these men and it was a great blow to morale."
The Sonar River runs within steep gradients during its early course to the north of the Patharia region, this is why it becomes a roaring torrent so quickly during monsoon. The power of the current at this time often causes the river to change course or cut new pathways through the soft sandy soil, leaving vast areas flooded for many weeks. After the monsoon abates, the river returns to a benign stream, less than 100 yards wide at Patharia and easily fordable.
Another account of the incident can be found in the diary of Intelligence Officer for 77th Brigade, Captain Graham Hosegood:
"River Sunwar rising rapidly, a raging torrent around the Irish Bridge nullah. CSM Bateman drowned, we all had to swim back to safety. Marsh and McKibbin also drowned, a terrible night with water raging all around us. This morning the water had subsided, found the bodies of Marsh and McKibbin and buried them. Mud terrible and has ruined all tents".
When the Commander of the 3/2 Gurkha Rifles, Lieut/Colonel LA. Alexander heard about the incident, he sent a letter to the then C/O of the 13th King's, Lieut/Colonel WM. Robinson. The letter begins:
"My Dear Robinson,
On behalf of the officers and men of 3/2 Gurkha, I wish to offer you and your men our deepest sympathy on the loss by drowning of your three men."
Also mentioned in the note was the 13th King's efforts in helping out a large section of Gurkha troops, who had become marooned on a sandbank whilst the Sunwar River levels rose so high it cut them off from the main group. The Gurkha Riflemen had to spend at least one full night perched high up in trees, until the waters had subsided and the Kingsmen could rescue them.
As a footnote to this sad story, an award of the Royal Humane Society Testimonial was presented to Quartermaster Sergeant W.D.L. 'Duncan' Bett, for his gallant attempt to save CSM Bateman on the 27th July. Seen below are some photographs and images directly related to this tragic episode.
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that all three men were buried at the Patharia Camp, Saugor. The funeral service was given by the senior officer of the 13th King's, Lieutenant-Colonel William M. Robinson.
Pte. Charles Aves of Column 7 recalls:
"It was an absolutely appalling month, the training in Patharia during monsoon, and it was at this time we had our first casualties. A stream ran through our camp, quite an ordinary stream really, but this became a raging torrent. The water rose so high and so quickly that a number of men who were trying to get back to bivouac drowned.
I suppose this was due to inexperience in these conditions, probably, just a month later this would not have happened due to our lessons in river crossings. But, sadly, we did lose these men and it was a great blow to morale."
The Sonar River runs within steep gradients during its early course to the north of the Patharia region, this is why it becomes a roaring torrent so quickly during monsoon. The power of the current at this time often causes the river to change course or cut new pathways through the soft sandy soil, leaving vast areas flooded for many weeks. After the monsoon abates, the river returns to a benign stream, less than 100 yards wide at Patharia and easily fordable.
Another account of the incident can be found in the diary of Intelligence Officer for 77th Brigade, Captain Graham Hosegood:
"River Sunwar rising rapidly, a raging torrent around the Irish Bridge nullah. CSM Bateman drowned, we all had to swim back to safety. Marsh and McKibbin also drowned, a terrible night with water raging all around us. This morning the water had subsided, found the bodies of Marsh and McKibbin and buried them. Mud terrible and has ruined all tents".
When the Commander of the 3/2 Gurkha Rifles, Lieut/Colonel LA. Alexander heard about the incident, he sent a letter to the then C/O of the 13th King's, Lieut/Colonel WM. Robinson. The letter begins:
"My Dear Robinson,
On behalf of the officers and men of 3/2 Gurkha, I wish to offer you and your men our deepest sympathy on the loss by drowning of your three men."
Also mentioned in the note was the 13th King's efforts in helping out a large section of Gurkha troops, who had become marooned on a sandbank whilst the Sunwar River levels rose so high it cut them off from the main group. The Gurkha Riflemen had to spend at least one full night perched high up in trees, until the waters had subsided and the Kingsmen could rescue them.
As a footnote to this sad story, an award of the Royal Humane Society Testimonial was presented to Quartermaster Sergeant W.D.L. 'Duncan' Bett, for his gallant attempt to save CSM Bateman on the 27th July. Seen below are some photographs and images directly related to this tragic episode.
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that all three men were buried at the Patharia Camp, Saugor. The funeral service was given by the senior officer of the 13th King's, Lieutenant-Colonel William M. Robinson.
Edmund Pythian Robert Read, seen in 1941.
Second Lieutenant Edmund Pythian Robert Read, 3/2 Gurkha Rifles.
About one month previous to the above incident another soldier was drowned whilst training for the forthcoming Chindit operation in Burma. Edmund Read was a young 19 year old recruit, who had joined the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles from the Regimental Centre after his Emergency Commission as a Second Lieutenant in November 1941. Edmund had completed his Officer Cadet training at the OTC Centre in Belgaum, the major city of the Karnataka district on the western coastline of India.
I had no knowledge of Lieutenant Read and his involvement in Chindit training until after I had visited the Gurkha Museum at Winchester in November 2013. In one of the document folders held at the museum in relation to the 3/2 GR and their participation in the first Chindit operation was a single letter describing his presence at the Saugor Camp and his untimely death.
The letter sent by the CWGC simply stated:
Second Lieutenant Edmund Pythian Robert Read, serving with the 3rd Battalion, 2nd King Edwards VII's Own Gurkha Rifles, died on the 28th June 1942, aged 19 and is buried in Plot 3, Row A, Grave 13 in Kirkee War Cemetery, India. He was the son of Walter Thomas and Pauline Read of Basra, Iraq.
Kirkee, also known as Khadki, lies six kilometres to the north of Poona and is about 120 kilometres south-east of Bombay. The war cemetery is on the banks of the Mula River and the entrance to the cemetery is in Mula Road. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds no information of the place or circumstances of a serviceman's death and we are unaware of any organisation from which such information can be obtained.
Written in pen as a sub-note to the letter was this addition:
Note by DRW. Colonel D.R. Wood
2nd Lieutenant EPR Read was born 23rd June 1923. He was given an Emergency Commission in the 2GR on 1st November 1941 and joined the Regimental Cadre. He was posted to the 3rd Battalion in 1942 and was drowned whilst training for the 1st Wingate expedition.
As you might imagine I became intrigued by Edmund's story and attempted to dig a little deeper in to the circumstances of his death. In the first instance I found no new information and so settled in the assumption that he had suffered a similar fate to that of CSM Bateman and Ptes. McKibbin and Marsh, probably at the Ramna Camp where the Gurkhas had been based. I placed the details I had found on these pages and left it there.
In April this year (2014) I was rewarded with a family enquiry about Edmund from his maternal nephew Bernard Ince. In his email correspondence Bernard told me that:
I was interested, not to mention surprised, to read the short paragraph on my maternal uncle Edmund Pythian Robert Read in your website section on accidental deaths. I researched Pythian at the India Office of the British Library and discovered that his military estate papers had miraculously survived the war, but the Court of Enquiry papers into his death were unfortunately missing. I have many of his personal documents in my possession.
To cut a very long story short, Pythian died 'on active service' whilst swimming across the River Sunar in Patharia, forty miles from Saugor. Your comment about the Chindits is interesting because his letters intimated that he had been earmarked for Army Intelligence work in Iraq, where in fact his parents were living, and where he was born.
He was first buried at the Saugor War Cemetery, but was then moved to Kirkee in 1952. My eldest daughter visited his grave some years back at which time no inscription was apparent, but your photo of his gravestone shows a partial inscription and I know my grandparents had pencilled in some thoughts for the words, as I found these among their papers after they died. If you would like any photos to add to your website concerning Pythian then please let me know. My research also showed that he was entitled to the British War Medal, although the family never received this until I applied for it through the appropriate MOD channels. This was finally awarded on the 16th October 2002.
Pythian’s training for the first Chindit operation adds a new dimension to his personal story, and to my family history, and I’m very grateful for this additional information. His parents would of course been quite unaware of this. There is a strong British Indian Army link in the family, as Pythian's father was born in Rangoon and fought in the Mesopotamian Campaign during WW1 at Kut-al-Amara, where he was with the Baluchistan Infantry.
Bernard was kind enough to send over some of the documents, photographs and papers in regard to his uncle's Army career. These included a letter written to the family by Colonel Alexander, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles at Saugor in 1942 and subsequently during Operation Longcloth in 1943. Dated the 2nd July 1942, the letter read:
Dear Mr. Read,
I am writing on behalf of my Battalion to offer you our deepest sympathy on the very sad death of your son. He will also be a sad loss to the Battalion, where he was getting on very well and was popular with both officers and men. He was buried at Saugor and the funeral was attended by all available officers.
Swimming is part of our training and he seemed to be quite a good swimmer. It is all very sad and I can not say how deeply we all feel for you and your wife.
Again, all our sympathy.
Yours sincerely
L.A. Alexander.
This letter is almost identical to the one written by Colonel Alexander, and seen in the previous story, to the Commanding Officer of the 13th King's in regard to the deaths of CSM Bateman and Ptes. Marsh and McKibbin.
I was pleased to be able to add the Chindit dimension to Pythian's story and help put in place another piece of the family jigsaw. I believe he was only awarded the British War Medal for his time during WW2 because he had not yet entered a concessional area of fighting, designating a further award, in this case probably the Burma Star. Sadly, the qualification period for the award of the Defence Medal was one year in a non-operational area, or 180 days in an area seriously threatened by enemy air or ground attack. Clearly Saugor did not qualify under these criteria.
The British Indian Office records for burials confirm all Pythian's details as described in this story, according to these records he was buried at the Saugor Cemetery on the 29th June 1942 and his funeral service was conducted by the Senior Chaplain at Saugor, N.A.H. Lawrence.
After the war was over, The Imperial War Graves Commission invited all families to add a personal inscription to a casualties memorial if they wished to do so. Lieutenant Read's parents decided upon the following epitaph which can be seen on the photograph shown in the gallery below:
His life a beautiful memory, his absence a deep silent sorrow. Mum and Dad.
I would like to thank Bernard Ince for all his help in bringing this story to these pages and also The War Graves Photographic Project for the images of Pythian's gravestone at Kirkee War Cemetery. Seen below are some of the photographs and other documents in relation to the story of Lieutenant Edmund Pythian Robert Read. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
To conclude this narrative, here are Lieutenant Read's CWGC details:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2190923/READ,%20EDMUND%20PYTHIAN%20ROBERT
About one month previous to the above incident another soldier was drowned whilst training for the forthcoming Chindit operation in Burma. Edmund Read was a young 19 year old recruit, who had joined the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles from the Regimental Centre after his Emergency Commission as a Second Lieutenant in November 1941. Edmund had completed his Officer Cadet training at the OTC Centre in Belgaum, the major city of the Karnataka district on the western coastline of India.
I had no knowledge of Lieutenant Read and his involvement in Chindit training until after I had visited the Gurkha Museum at Winchester in November 2013. In one of the document folders held at the museum in relation to the 3/2 GR and their participation in the first Chindit operation was a single letter describing his presence at the Saugor Camp and his untimely death.
The letter sent by the CWGC simply stated:
Second Lieutenant Edmund Pythian Robert Read, serving with the 3rd Battalion, 2nd King Edwards VII's Own Gurkha Rifles, died on the 28th June 1942, aged 19 and is buried in Plot 3, Row A, Grave 13 in Kirkee War Cemetery, India. He was the son of Walter Thomas and Pauline Read of Basra, Iraq.
Kirkee, also known as Khadki, lies six kilometres to the north of Poona and is about 120 kilometres south-east of Bombay. The war cemetery is on the banks of the Mula River and the entrance to the cemetery is in Mula Road. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds no information of the place or circumstances of a serviceman's death and we are unaware of any organisation from which such information can be obtained.
Written in pen as a sub-note to the letter was this addition:
Note by DRW. Colonel D.R. Wood
2nd Lieutenant EPR Read was born 23rd June 1923. He was given an Emergency Commission in the 2GR on 1st November 1941 and joined the Regimental Cadre. He was posted to the 3rd Battalion in 1942 and was drowned whilst training for the 1st Wingate expedition.
As you might imagine I became intrigued by Edmund's story and attempted to dig a little deeper in to the circumstances of his death. In the first instance I found no new information and so settled in the assumption that he had suffered a similar fate to that of CSM Bateman and Ptes. McKibbin and Marsh, probably at the Ramna Camp where the Gurkhas had been based. I placed the details I had found on these pages and left it there.
In April this year (2014) I was rewarded with a family enquiry about Edmund from his maternal nephew Bernard Ince. In his email correspondence Bernard told me that:
I was interested, not to mention surprised, to read the short paragraph on my maternal uncle Edmund Pythian Robert Read in your website section on accidental deaths. I researched Pythian at the India Office of the British Library and discovered that his military estate papers had miraculously survived the war, but the Court of Enquiry papers into his death were unfortunately missing. I have many of his personal documents in my possession.
To cut a very long story short, Pythian died 'on active service' whilst swimming across the River Sunar in Patharia, forty miles from Saugor. Your comment about the Chindits is interesting because his letters intimated that he had been earmarked for Army Intelligence work in Iraq, where in fact his parents were living, and where he was born.
He was first buried at the Saugor War Cemetery, but was then moved to Kirkee in 1952. My eldest daughter visited his grave some years back at which time no inscription was apparent, but your photo of his gravestone shows a partial inscription and I know my grandparents had pencilled in some thoughts for the words, as I found these among their papers after they died. If you would like any photos to add to your website concerning Pythian then please let me know. My research also showed that he was entitled to the British War Medal, although the family never received this until I applied for it through the appropriate MOD channels. This was finally awarded on the 16th October 2002.
Pythian’s training for the first Chindit operation adds a new dimension to his personal story, and to my family history, and I’m very grateful for this additional information. His parents would of course been quite unaware of this. There is a strong British Indian Army link in the family, as Pythian's father was born in Rangoon and fought in the Mesopotamian Campaign during WW1 at Kut-al-Amara, where he was with the Baluchistan Infantry.
Bernard was kind enough to send over some of the documents, photographs and papers in regard to his uncle's Army career. These included a letter written to the family by Colonel Alexander, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles at Saugor in 1942 and subsequently during Operation Longcloth in 1943. Dated the 2nd July 1942, the letter read:
Dear Mr. Read,
I am writing on behalf of my Battalion to offer you our deepest sympathy on the very sad death of your son. He will also be a sad loss to the Battalion, where he was getting on very well and was popular with both officers and men. He was buried at Saugor and the funeral was attended by all available officers.
Swimming is part of our training and he seemed to be quite a good swimmer. It is all very sad and I can not say how deeply we all feel for you and your wife.
Again, all our sympathy.
Yours sincerely
L.A. Alexander.
This letter is almost identical to the one written by Colonel Alexander, and seen in the previous story, to the Commanding Officer of the 13th King's in regard to the deaths of CSM Bateman and Ptes. Marsh and McKibbin.
I was pleased to be able to add the Chindit dimension to Pythian's story and help put in place another piece of the family jigsaw. I believe he was only awarded the British War Medal for his time during WW2 because he had not yet entered a concessional area of fighting, designating a further award, in this case probably the Burma Star. Sadly, the qualification period for the award of the Defence Medal was one year in a non-operational area, or 180 days in an area seriously threatened by enemy air or ground attack. Clearly Saugor did not qualify under these criteria.
The British Indian Office records for burials confirm all Pythian's details as described in this story, according to these records he was buried at the Saugor Cemetery on the 29th June 1942 and his funeral service was conducted by the Senior Chaplain at Saugor, N.A.H. Lawrence.
After the war was over, The Imperial War Graves Commission invited all families to add a personal inscription to a casualties memorial if they wished to do so. Lieutenant Read's parents decided upon the following epitaph which can be seen on the photograph shown in the gallery below:
His life a beautiful memory, his absence a deep silent sorrow. Mum and Dad.
I would like to thank Bernard Ince for all his help in bringing this story to these pages and also The War Graves Photographic Project for the images of Pythian's gravestone at Kirkee War Cemetery. Seen below are some of the photographs and other documents in relation to the story of Lieutenant Edmund Pythian Robert Read. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
To conclude this narrative, here are Lieutenant Read's CWGC details:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2190923/READ,%20EDMUND%20PYTHIAN%20ROBERT
Landslide!
The 13th Kings battalion were originally stationed at Secunderabad in the Andhra Pradesh region of India. By April 1942 long range Japanese bombers had been visiting targets of strategic value along the coastline of the Bay of Bengal. One such target was the Krishna Railway Bridge at Bezawada. Although today the city is called Vijayawada, the Indian Railway Company still use the old historic name on its maps and tickets.
The British Indian Command decided to place Anti-Aircraft installations to help protect these vulnerable locations and the 13th King's were nominated to protect the bridge at Bezawada. From the King's War Diary dated April 1942:
On the 6th April it was decided to send an Anti-Aircraft and Ground Defence unit over to Bezwada to protect the local town from enemy bomber attacks. Lieutenant Cottrell was given command of one of these units and early on the morning of the 7th April was sent over to Bezwada to set up the defence post.
"The A/A Platoon under Lt. Cottrell moved off at 0730 hours, the duration of their stay is indefinite, but it is more than likely that they will see some action."
By the next day news of a tragic accident had reached the battalion Adjutant, Captain David Hastings, he reported in the diary that:
"We heard today that one of the trucks carrying our men to Bezwada had overturned on the road and that one man was killed and four others injured. Details are yet unknown, but Major Stuart Lockhart and the Medical Officer left last night to attend to the men involved.
It appears that the truck fell down an embankment during a landslide and was not anyone's fault as such. One man was killed having been struck on the head by an ammunition box. The driver was seriously injured and the other men were still in a state of shock."
Sadly, by the 10th April and having never regained consciousness the driver also died. Thankfully, it seems that Lieutenant Cottrell had not been one of the other men inside the unfortunate vehicle, but had been travelling in the truck just behind. It is not known exactly where the accident took place, other than it was on the road somewhere between Secunderabad and Bezawada.
By matching up the date of death with 13th King's casualties, I am confident that the driver of the truck was Lance Corporal Douglas Alec Purchase and the other man Pte. Alfred James Charles Haines. After the war both men were re-buried in Madras War Cemetery, Chennai. Here are their CWGC details and photographs relating to this incident:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2173036/PURCHASE,%20DOUGLAS%20ALEC
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2172723/HAINES,%20ALFRED%20JAMES%20CHARLES
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I can confirm that Douglas Purchase and Alfred Haines both are recorded as having died in a motor accident. Purchase was buried in the Cochin Coonoor Cemetery in Bezwada, his funeral service was given by Chaplain Walter R. Lane. Haines was buried on the 8th April 1942 at the Ossoor Road Cemetery, Bezwada.
The British Indian Command decided to place Anti-Aircraft installations to help protect these vulnerable locations and the 13th King's were nominated to protect the bridge at Bezawada. From the King's War Diary dated April 1942:
On the 6th April it was decided to send an Anti-Aircraft and Ground Defence unit over to Bezwada to protect the local town from enemy bomber attacks. Lieutenant Cottrell was given command of one of these units and early on the morning of the 7th April was sent over to Bezwada to set up the defence post.
"The A/A Platoon under Lt. Cottrell moved off at 0730 hours, the duration of their stay is indefinite, but it is more than likely that they will see some action."
By the next day news of a tragic accident had reached the battalion Adjutant, Captain David Hastings, he reported in the diary that:
"We heard today that one of the trucks carrying our men to Bezwada had overturned on the road and that one man was killed and four others injured. Details are yet unknown, but Major Stuart Lockhart and the Medical Officer left last night to attend to the men involved.
It appears that the truck fell down an embankment during a landslide and was not anyone's fault as such. One man was killed having been struck on the head by an ammunition box. The driver was seriously injured and the other men were still in a state of shock."
Sadly, by the 10th April and having never regained consciousness the driver also died. Thankfully, it seems that Lieutenant Cottrell had not been one of the other men inside the unfortunate vehicle, but had been travelling in the truck just behind. It is not known exactly where the accident took place, other than it was on the road somewhere between Secunderabad and Bezawada.
By matching up the date of death with 13th King's casualties, I am confident that the driver of the truck was Lance Corporal Douglas Alec Purchase and the other man Pte. Alfred James Charles Haines. After the war both men were re-buried in Madras War Cemetery, Chennai. Here are their CWGC details and photographs relating to this incident:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2173036/PURCHASE,%20DOUGLAS%20ALEC
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2172723/HAINES,%20ALFRED%20JAMES%20CHARLES
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I can confirm that Douglas Purchase and Alfred Haines both are recorded as having died in a motor accident. Purchase was buried in the Cochin Coonoor Cemetery in Bezwada, his funeral service was given by Chaplain Walter R. Lane. Haines was buried on the 8th April 1942 at the Ossoor Road Cemetery, Bezwada.
Others who also died before entering Burma
3865811 Pte. Ronald Braithwaite. Formerly of the Loyal Regiment, Ronald was assigned to the 142 Commando during training for Operation Longcloth. Commando attachments were usually taken from the more seasoned soldiers present, often men who had survived the hell of Dunkirk in 1940. 142 Coy. had their own special camp at Saugor where they would train in the use of demolition equipment, booby-traps and hand to hand combat.
Unfortunately not much is really known about the circumstances of Pte. Braithwaite's death. He had "sustained injuries whilst training", this is all that was written in the War Diary for 2nd October 1942. Ronald Braithwaite was given a full military funeral at the Saugor Camp, after the war his remains were taken to Kirkee War Cemetery for re-burial. Please click on the link below for Ronald's CWGC details:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2189897/BRAITHWAITE,%20RONALD
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Ronald died from the effects of shock, resulting from the loss of blood after suffering multiple wounds from an explosive charge. His funeral was conducted by Chaplain N.A.H. Lawrence at Saugor. See a further update about the circumstances surrounding Pte. Braithwaite's death at the foot of this page.
5826325 Lance Corporal Percy Joseph Finch. This soldier was another member of 142 Commando at Saugor and was training in the section of men posted to Chindit Column 1. On 24th December 1942, L/Cpl. Finch was tragically killed in an accident involving the use of explosives. For a more detailed account of his death, please click on the following link: Lance Corporal Percy Finch
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Percy Finch was originally buried at the Cantonment Cemetery, Jhansi, by Chaplain L. Powell.
3780496 Pte. Richard Glynn Jones. This man died on 14th August 1942 at the Chindit training camp in Patharia. An entry in the War Diary for the period states that "one man died today suffering from dysentery". I cannot be totally certain that Richard was the man in question, but there were no other 13th King's casualties for that time. Sickness and disease were a major problem at the Patharia Camp with sometimes a third of the men out of action at any one time. Richard was an original member of the 13th King's battalion that left England for India in December 1941.
Pte. Jones is remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery near the Indian city of Pune (formerly Poona). For his CWGC details, please click on the following link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2190491/JONES,%20RICHARD%20GLYN
Update 12/09/2014.
From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Pte. Jones did indeed die from dysentery and was buried at Patharia Camp. His funeral service was given by the 13th King's Officer, Captain A. A. Tuck. His gravestone can be seen in the gallery immediately below this section, unfortunately the inscription is difficult to read due to the moss and mud covering the stone. The family epitaph was chosen as:
3865811 Pte. Ronald Braithwaite. Formerly of the Loyal Regiment, Ronald was assigned to the 142 Commando during training for Operation Longcloth. Commando attachments were usually taken from the more seasoned soldiers present, often men who had survived the hell of Dunkirk in 1940. 142 Coy. had their own special camp at Saugor where they would train in the use of demolition equipment, booby-traps and hand to hand combat.
Unfortunately not much is really known about the circumstances of Pte. Braithwaite's death. He had "sustained injuries whilst training", this is all that was written in the War Diary for 2nd October 1942. Ronald Braithwaite was given a full military funeral at the Saugor Camp, after the war his remains were taken to Kirkee War Cemetery for re-burial. Please click on the link below for Ronald's CWGC details:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2189897/BRAITHWAITE,%20RONALD
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Ronald died from the effects of shock, resulting from the loss of blood after suffering multiple wounds from an explosive charge. His funeral was conducted by Chaplain N.A.H. Lawrence at Saugor. See a further update about the circumstances surrounding Pte. Braithwaite's death at the foot of this page.
5826325 Lance Corporal Percy Joseph Finch. This soldier was another member of 142 Commando at Saugor and was training in the section of men posted to Chindit Column 1. On 24th December 1942, L/Cpl. Finch was tragically killed in an accident involving the use of explosives. For a more detailed account of his death, please click on the following link: Lance Corporal Percy Finch
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Percy Finch was originally buried at the Cantonment Cemetery, Jhansi, by Chaplain L. Powell.
3780496 Pte. Richard Glynn Jones. This man died on 14th August 1942 at the Chindit training camp in Patharia. An entry in the War Diary for the period states that "one man died today suffering from dysentery". I cannot be totally certain that Richard was the man in question, but there were no other 13th King's casualties for that time. Sickness and disease were a major problem at the Patharia Camp with sometimes a third of the men out of action at any one time. Richard was an original member of the 13th King's battalion that left England for India in December 1941.
Pte. Jones is remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery near the Indian city of Pune (formerly Poona). For his CWGC details, please click on the following link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2190491/JONES,%20RICHARD%20GLYN
Update 12/09/2014.
From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Pte. Jones did indeed die from dysentery and was buried at Patharia Camp. His funeral service was given by the 13th King's Officer, Captain A. A. Tuck. His gravestone can be seen in the gallery immediately below this section, unfortunately the inscription is difficult to read due to the moss and mud covering the stone. The family epitaph was chosen as:
To live in the hearts
Of those we love,
Is not to die.
Of those we love,
Is not to die.
Alfred McCann.
3780100 Pte. Alfred McCann. Alfred, from Longsight in Manchester died on 28th December 1942, just a few days before the 77 Brigade were due to begin their march to the Chindwin River. The circumstances of his death are unknown to me, but it is almost certain that he died of sickness or disease like so many of the British soldiers serving in the India/Burma theatre. Alfred was an original member of the 13th King's battalion that left England for India in December 1941.
Alfred is remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery near the Indian city of Pune (formerly Poona). For his CWGC details, please click on the link below: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2190637/McCANN,%20ALFRED
Update 12/09/2014.
From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Alfred died from heart failure, stated as 'secondary to malaria' and was originally buried at Jhansi.
3780667 Pte. Herbert Owen Bell. Pte. Bell died on the 12th October 1942, he is remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery along with many of his former 13th King's comrades. Herbert is another man who most probably perished through sickness or disease whilst training at the Patharia Camp in the Abchand Forest (see map at the beginning of the page). Herbert was an original member of the 13th King's battalion that left England for India in December 1941. Here are his CWGC details:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2189840/BELL,%20HERBERT%20OWEN
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Herbert died of appendicitis and was originally buried at the Patharia Camp, Saugor.
3778575 Sergeant John Frederick Hill. Sergeant Hill died on 12th October 1942. Once again it is most likely that he perished through sickness or disease which was so prevalent within the battalion at this time, however, the Brigade was engaged in a major training exercise in October involving the use of live ammunition, so this is also a possibility, although there is no mention of casualties in the battalion War diary. John was an original member of the 13th King's battalion that left England for India in December 1941. Sergeant Hill was buried at Kirkee War Cemetery after the war.
Here are John Hill's CWGC details: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2190371/HILL,%20JOHN%20FREDERICK
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Sgt. Hill died from dysentery and was originally buried at the Saugor Camp. His funeral service was conducted by Assistant Chaplain for Saugor, Henry Francis Treble.
3779394 Pte. George Allan Parker. Pte. Parker died on 22nd August 1942. He was almost certainly a victim of the sickness and disease which was rife amongst the 13th King's at this time. The battalion War Diary states that at times during the month of August the King's sick parades often included over 200 men. Pte. Parker was an original member of the 13th King's battalion that left England for India in December 1941. George is also remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery. Here are his CWGC details: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2190843/PARKER,%20GEORGE%20ALLAN
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that George died from dysentery at the Patharia Camp in Saugor. He was buried by the Chaplain for the Saugor area, N.A.H. Lawrence.
3658227 Pte. Henry Brierley Savage. Pte. Savage died on the 8th December 1942, most probably from sickness or disease whilst training in the Central Provinces of India. He is remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery along with many of his comrades from the 13th King's battalion. Here are Henry's CWGC details: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2191006/SAVAGE,%20HENRY%20BRIERLEY
3780962 Pte. Norman Smith. Pte. Smith died on 3rd December 1942. Unlike most of the men mentioned above he was buried at Delhi War Cemetery after the war. Norman was an original member of the 13th King's battalion that left England for India in December 1941 aboard the troopship 'Oronsay'. It is still most likely that he perished suffering from some sort of sickness or disease, he had possibly been sent away to a hospital near the Indian capital and this would account for his burial at Delhi War Cemetery. Here are his CWGC details: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2177755/SMITH,%20NORMAN
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Norman had transferred at some point to the 1st Battalion the King's Regiment, whilst they were stationed at Ferozepore. According to the burial records, he died from 'malaria mt' (malignant tertian) a sometimes fatal form of the disease. Norman was buried at Ferozepore, his funeral service was conducted by Chaplain J.S. Devlin.
Update 05/04/2020. On the 7th January 1942, Norman Smith wrote out his official Army Will. In November 1943, Norman's wife, Gladys Smith requested a copy of her husband's Will as part of the probate process and the conclusion of his estate. The document stated that:
In the event of my death, I wish to give £20 to my mother, Mrs. Edith Smith of 20 Forest Street, Oldham and the remainder of my property and effects to my wife, Mrs. Gladys Smith of 14 Prince George Street, Oldham.
3779338 Pte. George Edward Turtle. George Turtle died on 23rd November 1942, he is remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery, where he lies alongside his former comrades from the 13th King's battalion. Pte. Turtle was an original member of the battalion that left England for India in December 1941 aboard the troopship 'Oronsay'. It is highly likely that George also succumbed to the ravages of disease in 1942 whilst training for Operation Longcloth. Here are his CWGC details: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2191213/TURTLE,%20GEORGE%20EDWARD
Seen below are some photographs and images which relate to the above mentioned 13th King's casualties. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Alfred is remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery near the Indian city of Pune (formerly Poona). For his CWGC details, please click on the link below: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2190637/McCANN,%20ALFRED
Update 12/09/2014.
From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Alfred died from heart failure, stated as 'secondary to malaria' and was originally buried at Jhansi.
3780667 Pte. Herbert Owen Bell. Pte. Bell died on the 12th October 1942, he is remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery along with many of his former 13th King's comrades. Herbert is another man who most probably perished through sickness or disease whilst training at the Patharia Camp in the Abchand Forest (see map at the beginning of the page). Herbert was an original member of the 13th King's battalion that left England for India in December 1941. Here are his CWGC details:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2189840/BELL,%20HERBERT%20OWEN
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Herbert died of appendicitis and was originally buried at the Patharia Camp, Saugor.
3778575 Sergeant John Frederick Hill. Sergeant Hill died on 12th October 1942. Once again it is most likely that he perished through sickness or disease which was so prevalent within the battalion at this time, however, the Brigade was engaged in a major training exercise in October involving the use of live ammunition, so this is also a possibility, although there is no mention of casualties in the battalion War diary. John was an original member of the 13th King's battalion that left England for India in December 1941. Sergeant Hill was buried at Kirkee War Cemetery after the war.
Here are John Hill's CWGC details: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2190371/HILL,%20JOHN%20FREDERICK
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Sgt. Hill died from dysentery and was originally buried at the Saugor Camp. His funeral service was conducted by Assistant Chaplain for Saugor, Henry Francis Treble.
3779394 Pte. George Allan Parker. Pte. Parker died on 22nd August 1942. He was almost certainly a victim of the sickness and disease which was rife amongst the 13th King's at this time. The battalion War Diary states that at times during the month of August the King's sick parades often included over 200 men. Pte. Parker was an original member of the 13th King's battalion that left England for India in December 1941. George is also remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery. Here are his CWGC details: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2190843/PARKER,%20GEORGE%20ALLAN
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that George died from dysentery at the Patharia Camp in Saugor. He was buried by the Chaplain for the Saugor area, N.A.H. Lawrence.
3658227 Pte. Henry Brierley Savage. Pte. Savage died on the 8th December 1942, most probably from sickness or disease whilst training in the Central Provinces of India. He is remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery along with many of his comrades from the 13th King's battalion. Here are Henry's CWGC details: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2191006/SAVAGE,%20HENRY%20BRIERLEY
3780962 Pte. Norman Smith. Pte. Smith died on 3rd December 1942. Unlike most of the men mentioned above he was buried at Delhi War Cemetery after the war. Norman was an original member of the 13th King's battalion that left England for India in December 1941 aboard the troopship 'Oronsay'. It is still most likely that he perished suffering from some sort of sickness or disease, he had possibly been sent away to a hospital near the Indian capital and this would account for his burial at Delhi War Cemetery. Here are his CWGC details: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2177755/SMITH,%20NORMAN
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Norman had transferred at some point to the 1st Battalion the King's Regiment, whilst they were stationed at Ferozepore. According to the burial records, he died from 'malaria mt' (malignant tertian) a sometimes fatal form of the disease. Norman was buried at Ferozepore, his funeral service was conducted by Chaplain J.S. Devlin.
Update 05/04/2020. On the 7th January 1942, Norman Smith wrote out his official Army Will. In November 1943, Norman's wife, Gladys Smith requested a copy of her husband's Will as part of the probate process and the conclusion of his estate. The document stated that:
In the event of my death, I wish to give £20 to my mother, Mrs. Edith Smith of 20 Forest Street, Oldham and the remainder of my property and effects to my wife, Mrs. Gladys Smith of 14 Prince George Street, Oldham.
3779338 Pte. George Edward Turtle. George Turtle died on 23rd November 1942, he is remembered at Kirkee War Cemetery, where he lies alongside his former comrades from the 13th King's battalion. Pte. Turtle was an original member of the battalion that left England for India in December 1941 aboard the troopship 'Oronsay'. It is highly likely that George also succumbed to the ravages of disease in 1942 whilst training for Operation Longcloth. Here are his CWGC details: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2191213/TURTLE,%20GEORGE%20EDWARD
Seen below are some photographs and images which relate to the above mentioned 13th King's casualties. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Update 19/01/2014.
Ronald Braithwaite. From the War Diary of 142 Commando comes this new information concerning the death of Pte. Ronald Braithwaite. Part of the diary is a five page report relating the outcome of a special Court of Enquiry into the circumstances around a training ground accident on October 2nd 1942. There was that day a full exercise involving the use of explosives and most of the Column demolition personnel were out on the parade ground at the Saugor Camp taking instruction on the preparation of 'camouflet sets' and charges. Please see the link below for more technical detail about this type of explosive charge and equipment:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camouflet
The training exercise was being overseen by Lieutenant Vivian Earle, he had given his instructors their itinerary for the day and each went about his business with his own team comprising of 9-10 men per squad. One of the sections had made the mistake of priming their charge and realising that it had struck, gave out a verbal warning for everyone to get clear. An explosion occurred and after the initial commotion had died down, it became apparent that their were several casualties spread over some 25 yards either side of the epicentre.
Those present and unharmed set about administering first-aid to the injured men, these were Ptes. Mason, Gardiner and Braithwaite and Lance Corporal Collier. Seen below are two sections of the enquiry papers, one showing some witness statements from men present and the other the Medical Officer's report on the injuries sustained.
Ultimately, Ronald Braithwaite died from the shock of and the loss of blood sustained from the accident. Pte. Mason incurred major damage to his legs and was in a critical state for several days afterwards, while Gardiner and Collier escaped with fairly minor injuries from the blast. None of these men crossed the Chindwin River in February 1943 and therefore took no part in Operation Longcloth.
Please click on the image to enlarge the text.
Ronald Braithwaite. From the War Diary of 142 Commando comes this new information concerning the death of Pte. Ronald Braithwaite. Part of the diary is a five page report relating the outcome of a special Court of Enquiry into the circumstances around a training ground accident on October 2nd 1942. There was that day a full exercise involving the use of explosives and most of the Column demolition personnel were out on the parade ground at the Saugor Camp taking instruction on the preparation of 'camouflet sets' and charges. Please see the link below for more technical detail about this type of explosive charge and equipment:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camouflet
The training exercise was being overseen by Lieutenant Vivian Earle, he had given his instructors their itinerary for the day and each went about his business with his own team comprising of 9-10 men per squad. One of the sections had made the mistake of priming their charge and realising that it had struck, gave out a verbal warning for everyone to get clear. An explosion occurred and after the initial commotion had died down, it became apparent that their were several casualties spread over some 25 yards either side of the epicentre.
Those present and unharmed set about administering first-aid to the injured men, these were Ptes. Mason, Gardiner and Braithwaite and Lance Corporal Collier. Seen below are two sections of the enquiry papers, one showing some witness statements from men present and the other the Medical Officer's report on the injuries sustained.
Ultimately, Ronald Braithwaite died from the shock of and the loss of blood sustained from the accident. Pte. Mason incurred major damage to his legs and was in a critical state for several days afterwards, while Gardiner and Collier escaped with fairly minor injuries from the blast. None of these men crossed the Chindwin River in February 1943 and therefore took no part in Operation Longcloth.
Please click on the image to enlarge the text.
Witness statements for the accident, October 2nd 1942.
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Medical Officer's report.
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On the 16th March 1942 Ronald Braithwaite decided to make a will using the standard Army Office forms. He made his wife Eva, living back home in Walton, Liverpool, his executor and main beneficiary. His two witnesses that day were William McIntyre and Joseph Forshaw, McIntyre was also a 142 Commando in number two section and was present on the day that Ronald was injured, presumably both William McIntyre and Joseph Forshaw (from Newton Bank, Middlewich) were pals of Pte. Braithwaite, although nothing else is known about the latter.
Pte. Ronald Braithwaite.
Update 23/03/2018.
I was delighted to receive the following email contact from Ann Praoline the granddaughter of Ronald Braithwaite:
Good Morning,
I have recently discovered that my grandfather was killed in a training accident in October 1942. He is now buried at Kirkee Cemetery and I am planning to go and visit his grave later this year, as no-one from our family has ever been out there. I was wondering if you could
put me in touch with anyone that has any knowledge of taking the trip to the War Cemetery at Pune.
I do have a lot of paperwork already in relation to my grandfather, this was obtained by my late father (Ronald's son) Brian. I possess a photograph of Ronald and the incident report in relation to his death. I also have a copy of a letter written to Eva Braithwaite (Ronald's wife), from his commanding officer. Unfortunately, Eva never told my father very much about his Dad. After the war Eva continued to bring up her two children and eventually went on to re-marry. Thank you for all the information you have sent over. Kindest regards. Ann
From the information Ann has now sent to me, we know that:
Ronald Braithwaite was born on the 27th February 1917 at Walton in Liverpool and was a plumber in civilian life. Ronald was unusually tall for those times, being measured for his Army records at six feet tall. He married Eva Williams on the 10th April 1937 at the Liverpool Register Office and they had two children together, Beryl and Brian. Ronald enlisted into the Loyal Regiment at Exeter on the 8th January 1942 and was posted to the 10th Battalion, he then moved over to the 2nd Battalion of the Loyal Regiment on the 28th May, before being sent overseas to India.
He arrived in India on the 27th July, most probably at the port of Bombay and was transferred to the 13th Battalion of the King's Regiment. He joined up with the battalion at their jungle camp near the village of Saugor in the Central Provinces of the country on the 1st October, and sadly was killed in the training accident the very next day. The War diary for the 13th King's has the following entry for the last day of September 1942:
September 30th: Another draft of 208 men, mostly from the Royal Welch Fusiliers, Lancashire Fusiliers and the Loyals has arrived and the battalion strength is now over 1000. By the time the misfits have been posted away we shall be very nearly up to our War Establishment, plus first line reinforcements.
After Ronald's sad death, his family were sent details of his burial and a photograph of his original gravestone, located in the cemetery of the Garrison Church at Saugor. Later, in April 1944, the commanding officer of the 13th King's, Lt-Colonel S.A. Cooke sent Eva Braithwaite the following letter which included another photograph:
Dear Mrs. Braithwaite,
I am sending you a photograph of a Memorial tablet which has been placed in the Garrison Church at Saugor and which includes the name of your husband, Ronald Braithwaite. The memorial is a small token of the high regard both officers and men had for your husband, and I hope that you will accept this photograph in the sentiment with which it is being sent.
Yours most sincerely, S.A. Cooke
On the 2nd April 1952, the Imperial War Graves Commission sent another letter to Eva, informing her that her husband's grave was due for removal from Saugor, and that his remains and those of his former comrades from the 13th King's, were going to be transferred to the newly constructed Kirkee War Cemetery near the Indian town of Poona. This letter, amongst several other images in relation to this story can be seen in the gallery below. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ann Praoline for allowing me to update the story of Ronald Braithwaite using these family documents and photographs.
I was delighted to receive the following email contact from Ann Praoline the granddaughter of Ronald Braithwaite:
Good Morning,
I have recently discovered that my grandfather was killed in a training accident in October 1942. He is now buried at Kirkee Cemetery and I am planning to go and visit his grave later this year, as no-one from our family has ever been out there. I was wondering if you could
put me in touch with anyone that has any knowledge of taking the trip to the War Cemetery at Pune.
I do have a lot of paperwork already in relation to my grandfather, this was obtained by my late father (Ronald's son) Brian. I possess a photograph of Ronald and the incident report in relation to his death. I also have a copy of a letter written to Eva Braithwaite (Ronald's wife), from his commanding officer. Unfortunately, Eva never told my father very much about his Dad. After the war Eva continued to bring up her two children and eventually went on to re-marry. Thank you for all the information you have sent over. Kindest regards. Ann
From the information Ann has now sent to me, we know that:
Ronald Braithwaite was born on the 27th February 1917 at Walton in Liverpool and was a plumber in civilian life. Ronald was unusually tall for those times, being measured for his Army records at six feet tall. He married Eva Williams on the 10th April 1937 at the Liverpool Register Office and they had two children together, Beryl and Brian. Ronald enlisted into the Loyal Regiment at Exeter on the 8th January 1942 and was posted to the 10th Battalion, he then moved over to the 2nd Battalion of the Loyal Regiment on the 28th May, before being sent overseas to India.
He arrived in India on the 27th July, most probably at the port of Bombay and was transferred to the 13th Battalion of the King's Regiment. He joined up with the battalion at their jungle camp near the village of Saugor in the Central Provinces of the country on the 1st October, and sadly was killed in the training accident the very next day. The War diary for the 13th King's has the following entry for the last day of September 1942:
September 30th: Another draft of 208 men, mostly from the Royal Welch Fusiliers, Lancashire Fusiliers and the Loyals has arrived and the battalion strength is now over 1000. By the time the misfits have been posted away we shall be very nearly up to our War Establishment, plus first line reinforcements.
After Ronald's sad death, his family were sent details of his burial and a photograph of his original gravestone, located in the cemetery of the Garrison Church at Saugor. Later, in April 1944, the commanding officer of the 13th King's, Lt-Colonel S.A. Cooke sent Eva Braithwaite the following letter which included another photograph:
Dear Mrs. Braithwaite,
I am sending you a photograph of a Memorial tablet which has been placed in the Garrison Church at Saugor and which includes the name of your husband, Ronald Braithwaite. The memorial is a small token of the high regard both officers and men had for your husband, and I hope that you will accept this photograph in the sentiment with which it is being sent.
Yours most sincerely, S.A. Cooke
On the 2nd April 1952, the Imperial War Graves Commission sent another letter to Eva, informing her that her husband's grave was due for removal from Saugor, and that his remains and those of his former comrades from the 13th King's, were going to be transferred to the newly constructed Kirkee War Cemetery near the Indian town of Poona. This letter, amongst several other images in relation to this story can be seen in the gallery below. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ann Praoline for allowing me to update the story of Ronald Braithwaite using these family documents and photographs.
Update 12/09/2018.
I was pleased back in July to receive another email from Ann Praoline the granddaughter of Ronald Braithwaite:
Hi Steve,
Hope this email finds you and your family well ? Just a quick update on my trip. I made it out to India and visited my grandfather's grave and have attached a photograph to this message. It was as you can imagine a very emotional day for me, with lots of tears, but it was a beautiful experience and Kirkee War Cemetery is well looked after, so it was an extremely rewarding trip. On a different note, it was good to meet you and some of the Chindit veterans in person back in June at the 75th Anniversary for Operation Longcloth.
Kind regards, Ann.
I was pleased back in July to receive another email from Ann Praoline the granddaughter of Ronald Braithwaite:
Hi Steve,
Hope this email finds you and your family well ? Just a quick update on my trip. I made it out to India and visited my grandfather's grave and have attached a photograph to this message. It was as you can imagine a very emotional day for me, with lots of tears, but it was a beautiful experience and Kirkee War Cemetery is well looked after, so it was an extremely rewarding trip. On a different note, it was good to meet you and some of the Chindit veterans in person back in June at the 75th Anniversary for Operation Longcloth.
Kind regards, Ann.
Ann visiting her grandfather's grave at Kirkee War Cemetery.
Seen below is a rather special gallery of images, showing present day photographs of some of the locations mentioned in the above narrative. These were sent to me by Daniel Berke, the grandson of Chindit, Pte. Frank Berkovitch and include a photograph of the 13th King's Memorial at the Garrison Church, Saugor, showing many of the names mentioned on this page. Please click on any of the images to bring them forward on the page.
Copyright © Steve Fogden 2013.