Pte. Norman John Fowler
Pte. Norman John Fowler.
5114059 Pte. Norman John Fowler was born on the 26th January 1919 and was the son of James and Martha Fowler of 11 Tennant Street in the Ladywood district of Birmingham. Norman grew up in Ladywood, eventually gaining employment as a wholesale bicycle agent in the late 1930's. At the beginning of the war years he enlisted into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was put through his initial infantry training with this unit.
Norman was posted overseas in mid-1942 and then transferred to the 13th King's on the 26th September joining them at their new Chindit training camp at Saugor in the Central Provinces of India. He was placed into Chindit Column 5, commanded by Major Bernard Fergusson formerly of the Black Watch Regiment.
Once inside Burma, Column 5 was chosen by Wingate to perform the task of demolishing the railway bridge at the town of Bonchaung. This they successfully achieved on the 6th March 1943.
Moving quickly on with the story and having crossed the Irrawaddy River at a place called Tigyaing, the column were involved in a fierce action with the Japanese at a place called Hintha. This was where things began to unravel for Column 5, who by then had only received half the rations they had asked for from their air supply drops during the operation.
During the third week of March, Column 5 had been given orders to create a diversion for the rest of the Chindit Brigade, which was now trapped in a three-sided bag between the Irrawaddy and Shweli Rivers and the Mongmit-Myitson motor road to the south. Brigadier Wingate had instructed Fergusson to "trail his coat" and lead the Japanese pursuers away from the general direction of the Irrawaddy and in particular the area around the town of Inywa, where Wingate had hoped to re-cross the river.
By March 28th the column had reached the village of Hintha which was situated in an area of thick and tight-set bamboo scrub. Any attempt to navigate around the settlement proved impossible, reluctantly, Fergusson decided to enter the village by the main track and check for the presence of any enemy patrols. Unfortunately he stumbled upon such a patrol and a fire-fight ensued.
Fighting platoons led by Lieutenant Stibbe and Jim Harman entered Hintha in an attempt to clear the road of Japanese. These were met in full force by the enemy and many casualties were taken on both sides. To read more about the action at Hintha, please simply type the name into the search box in the top right hand corner of any of the pages on this website.
After the battle of Hintha on 28th March, Norman Fowler moved away from the village with Flight Lieutenant Sharp's dispersal group. This large unit was cut in two when it was ambushed by a Japanese patrol. One hundred men including Pte. Fowler were separated from the main body. This group, now split up into penny packets, headed almost directly north and rather fortuitously met up with Column 7 at Ingyinbin village on the western banks of the Shweli River.
In February 1944, one of the men who survived this ambush, Company Quartermaster Sergeant Ernest Henderson gave several witness statements explaining what had happened back then at Hintha and subsequently on the march out with Column 7. Here is how he described the time shortly after the engagement at Hintha:
3777480 Pte. F.B. Townson
4198452 Pte. J. Fitzpatrick
3186149 Corp. W. McGee
5119278 Pte. J. Donovan
3779346 Pte. D. Clarke
3779444 Pte. T. A. James
4202370 Pte. W. Roche
3779364 Sgt. R.A. Rothwell BEM.
3777998 Pte. R. Hulme
4195166 Pte. E. Kenna
5114059 Pte. N.J. Fowler
3781718 Pte. E. Hodnett
5114104 Pte. J. Powell
3779270 Pte. W.C. Parry
5119069 L. Corp. T. Jones
3523186 Pte. F.C. Fairhurst
"I was with number five Column of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, during operations in Burma in 1943. The above-mentioned British Other Ranks were in my dispersal group all the way through the campaign until we made contact with the enemy in a village in Burma called Hintha.
After the action in that village was over, the above-mentioned soldiers were still in my dispersal group, which was then commanded by Flight Lieutenant Sharp of the RAF. We halted and unsaddled our mules so we could go ahead much quicker.
After starting off from that halt, which was approximately 2 miles from Hintha, we were attacked by a Japanese patrol. This caused a gap in the column, but we kept marching for approximately another 4 miles and then stopped, we waited for these people to catch up, but they must have gone wrong way, because they did not rejoin us again. I saw all the above-mentioned men for the last time approximately two and a half miles north east of Hintha. They were all alive, and last seen on 28th March 1943."
Seen below is a map of the area around the village of Hintha, also showing the Shweli River and the village Ingyinbin on its western banks. This is where the one hundred or so men from 5 Column, including Norma Fowler met Major Gilkes and 7 Column in early April 1943.
Norman was posted overseas in mid-1942 and then transferred to the 13th King's on the 26th September joining them at their new Chindit training camp at Saugor in the Central Provinces of India. He was placed into Chindit Column 5, commanded by Major Bernard Fergusson formerly of the Black Watch Regiment.
Once inside Burma, Column 5 was chosen by Wingate to perform the task of demolishing the railway bridge at the town of Bonchaung. This they successfully achieved on the 6th March 1943.
Moving quickly on with the story and having crossed the Irrawaddy River at a place called Tigyaing, the column were involved in a fierce action with the Japanese at a place called Hintha. This was where things began to unravel for Column 5, who by then had only received half the rations they had asked for from their air supply drops during the operation.
During the third week of March, Column 5 had been given orders to create a diversion for the rest of the Chindit Brigade, which was now trapped in a three-sided bag between the Irrawaddy and Shweli Rivers and the Mongmit-Myitson motor road to the south. Brigadier Wingate had instructed Fergusson to "trail his coat" and lead the Japanese pursuers away from the general direction of the Irrawaddy and in particular the area around the town of Inywa, where Wingate had hoped to re-cross the river.
By March 28th the column had reached the village of Hintha which was situated in an area of thick and tight-set bamboo scrub. Any attempt to navigate around the settlement proved impossible, reluctantly, Fergusson decided to enter the village by the main track and check for the presence of any enemy patrols. Unfortunately he stumbled upon such a patrol and a fire-fight ensued.
Fighting platoons led by Lieutenant Stibbe and Jim Harman entered Hintha in an attempt to clear the road of Japanese. These were met in full force by the enemy and many casualties were taken on both sides. To read more about the action at Hintha, please simply type the name into the search box in the top right hand corner of any of the pages on this website.
After the battle of Hintha on 28th March, Norman Fowler moved away from the village with Flight Lieutenant Sharp's dispersal group. This large unit was cut in two when it was ambushed by a Japanese patrol. One hundred men including Pte. Fowler were separated from the main body. This group, now split up into penny packets, headed almost directly north and rather fortuitously met up with Column 7 at Ingyinbin village on the western banks of the Shweli River.
In February 1944, one of the men who survived this ambush, Company Quartermaster Sergeant Ernest Henderson gave several witness statements explaining what had happened back then at Hintha and subsequently on the march out with Column 7. Here is how he described the time shortly after the engagement at Hintha:
3777480 Pte. F.B. Townson
4198452 Pte. J. Fitzpatrick
3186149 Corp. W. McGee
5119278 Pte. J. Donovan
3779346 Pte. D. Clarke
3779444 Pte. T. A. James
4202370 Pte. W. Roche
3779364 Sgt. R.A. Rothwell BEM.
3777998 Pte. R. Hulme
4195166 Pte. E. Kenna
5114059 Pte. N.J. Fowler
3781718 Pte. E. Hodnett
5114104 Pte. J. Powell
3779270 Pte. W.C. Parry
5119069 L. Corp. T. Jones
3523186 Pte. F.C. Fairhurst
"I was with number five Column of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, during operations in Burma in 1943. The above-mentioned British Other Ranks were in my dispersal group all the way through the campaign until we made contact with the enemy in a village in Burma called Hintha.
After the action in that village was over, the above-mentioned soldiers were still in my dispersal group, which was then commanded by Flight Lieutenant Sharp of the RAF. We halted and unsaddled our mules so we could go ahead much quicker.
After starting off from that halt, which was approximately 2 miles from Hintha, we were attacked by a Japanese patrol. This caused a gap in the column, but we kept marching for approximately another 4 miles and then stopped, we waited for these people to catch up, but they must have gone wrong way, because they did not rejoin us again. I saw all the above-mentioned men for the last time approximately two and a half miles north east of Hintha. They were all alive, and last seen on 28th March 1943."
Seen below is a map of the area around the village of Hintha, also showing the Shweli River and the village Ingyinbin on its western banks. This is where the one hundred or so men from 5 Column, including Norma Fowler met Major Gilkes and 7 Column in early April 1943.
Map of the area around Hintha, showing the direction 7 Column took after meeting the lost Chindits from 5 Column in early April 1943.
Now let us return to the western banks of the Shweli River, where on the 3rd April Norman Fowler and the other men lost from 5 Column, literally bumped into Major Kenneth Gilkes and his men. Column 7 had left Brigadier Wingate and Column 8 at the aborted crossing of the Irrawaddy River on the 29th-30th March and moved quickly east towards the Shweli. Here Gilkes hoped to find a suitable crossing point over this last watery obstacle, before heading further east into the Yunnan Borders of China.
He had recently received a large supply drop for his men, including new boots and ammunition in addition to the badly needed food rations. He had not reckoned with inheriting nearly 100 new mouths to feed from 5 Column and was extremely concerned at the condition of these soldiers and whether they would be fit enough to make the journey out via China.
For the next week the men marched southwards, often with the fast flowing Shweli on their immediate left hand-side. Many potential crossing points had been looked at, but none proved possible, whether that be because of the lack of boats available or the unexpected presence of the enemy. Gilkes took his men further south, close to the town of Mongmit, where the Shweli meandered round to the east and struck out directly towards the Chinese Borders.
On the 9th April the men were distributed into smaller dispersal parties, it is not known for certain which group Pte. Fowler was placed into, however, from evidence he later gave to the Army Investigation Bureau in relation to the missing men from Operation Longcloth, it is possible he was with Lieutenant Musgrave-Wood's dispersal party. The dispersal groups split from one another at this point and chose various different routes in attempting to exit Burma. Musgrave-Wood continued on in an easterly direction, eventually crossing the Shweli at a place called Nayok on the 14th April. Once across, it was always Captain Musgrave-Woods's intention to head north and hopefully reach the Allied held position of Fort Hertz.
After another few days some of the men in this dispersal group, including my own grandfather, decided that they were not up to the march out via the Yunnan Borders of China and asked Musgrave-Wood if they could leave his party and turn back west and head for India. The officer granted them their leave and wished them well, sadly none were to ever make the safety of the Chindwin River and all became prisoners of war. Although I am confident that Pte. Fowler was not part of my granddad's break away group, he too became a prisoner of war when he was captured by the Japanese on 11th May 1943.
According to his prisoner of war records, Norman was held in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail and was given the POW number 360 by his Japanese captors. After just over two years as a POW he was recorded as being one of the 400 or so men chosen by the Japanese to be marched out of the jail in late April 1945. These men became known as the Pegu Marchers and had been selected by their captors to work on the famous 'Death Railway'. In actual fact the men never reached Siam and were freed by their Japanese guards in a small village called Waw situated near the Burmese town of Pegu. Not long after being officially released by the Japanese, they were picked up by the advancing 14th Army and their long period of suffering was now over.
NB. It has since come to light that Norman Fowler actually remained at the jail in April 1945 and was not one of the Pegu Marchers. His name appears on a listing of men (seen below) who stayed at the prison and were eventually liberated on the 3rd May 1945 after their Japanese guards had fled the city. Although Norman is mistakenly recorded as A. Fowler, his Army service number is correct.
To read more about Rangoon Jail and the Chindit prisoners held there, please click on the following link: Chindit POW's
Seen below are some images in relation to Pte. Norman Fowler's Chindit story, including the witness report given by Quarter Master Sergeant Ernest Henderson, Norman Fowler's POW index card and the 7 Column War diary page recording the moment the men from 5 Column met up with Major Gilkes and his column. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
He had recently received a large supply drop for his men, including new boots and ammunition in addition to the badly needed food rations. He had not reckoned with inheriting nearly 100 new mouths to feed from 5 Column and was extremely concerned at the condition of these soldiers and whether they would be fit enough to make the journey out via China.
For the next week the men marched southwards, often with the fast flowing Shweli on their immediate left hand-side. Many potential crossing points had been looked at, but none proved possible, whether that be because of the lack of boats available or the unexpected presence of the enemy. Gilkes took his men further south, close to the town of Mongmit, where the Shweli meandered round to the east and struck out directly towards the Chinese Borders.
On the 9th April the men were distributed into smaller dispersal parties, it is not known for certain which group Pte. Fowler was placed into, however, from evidence he later gave to the Army Investigation Bureau in relation to the missing men from Operation Longcloth, it is possible he was with Lieutenant Musgrave-Wood's dispersal party. The dispersal groups split from one another at this point and chose various different routes in attempting to exit Burma. Musgrave-Wood continued on in an easterly direction, eventually crossing the Shweli at a place called Nayok on the 14th April. Once across, it was always Captain Musgrave-Woods's intention to head north and hopefully reach the Allied held position of Fort Hertz.
After another few days some of the men in this dispersal group, including my own grandfather, decided that they were not up to the march out via the Yunnan Borders of China and asked Musgrave-Wood if they could leave his party and turn back west and head for India. The officer granted them their leave and wished them well, sadly none were to ever make the safety of the Chindwin River and all became prisoners of war. Although I am confident that Pte. Fowler was not part of my granddad's break away group, he too became a prisoner of war when he was captured by the Japanese on 11th May 1943.
According to his prisoner of war records, Norman was held in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail and was given the POW number 360 by his Japanese captors. After just over two years as a POW he was recorded as being one of the 400 or so men chosen by the Japanese to be marched out of the jail in late April 1945. These men became known as the Pegu Marchers and had been selected by their captors to work on the famous 'Death Railway'. In actual fact the men never reached Siam and were freed by their Japanese guards in a small village called Waw situated near the Burmese town of Pegu. Not long after being officially released by the Japanese, they were picked up by the advancing 14th Army and their long period of suffering was now over.
NB. It has since come to light that Norman Fowler actually remained at the jail in April 1945 and was not one of the Pegu Marchers. His name appears on a listing of men (seen below) who stayed at the prison and were eventually liberated on the 3rd May 1945 after their Japanese guards had fled the city. Although Norman is mistakenly recorded as A. Fowler, his Army service number is correct.
To read more about Rangoon Jail and the Chindit prisoners held there, please click on the following link: Chindit POW's
Seen below are some images in relation to Pte. Norman Fowler's Chindit story, including the witness report given by Quarter Master Sergeant Ernest Henderson, Norman Fowler's POW index card and the 7 Column War diary page recording the moment the men from 5 Column met up with Major Gilkes and his column. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
In November 1945, Norman Fowler received a letter from the Army Investigation Bureau asking him to help with information on the lost and missing men from Operation Longcloth. They seem to have furnished him with a list of names from their records and enquired if he knew anything in regards the fate of these men. Norman sent his reply which was received by the Bureau on the 19th November, within his letter he gave information about nine men, not surprisingly six of whom belonged to his previous Army unit, the Royal Warwickshire's.
Here is a transcript of Norman's letter from 1945, I have made some minor corrections to the text, but in essence it reads more or less as he first presented it:
Dear Sir,
On receiving the list of 'Missing Personnel' from the King's Regiment, 2nd Burma Campaign. I find I recollect many of the names included, but of these my information is based largely around about the time of being reported missing myself and what I pieced together whilst I was a POW in Rangoon. Also about their regimental numbers, I'm afraid I could never remember these for sure, but here is what I recall:
Pte. William Eardley; 1/7th Royal Warwickshire's Regiment. He was 6' 1" and a native of Stoke. His occupation was in Public Works or the Parks Department. I heard statements relating to the above whilst I was in the Maymyo POW Camp, saying that he was either missing or had been killed somewhere round about Bhamo.
Pte. 3768150 Barrett. A native of London and about 5' 9" tall. I cannot remember a lot about the above, but I believe I last saw this fellow about the 20th April 1943. We got attacked whilst in a party of about 30 men in the Ker Chin (Kachin) Hills. Later, I heard that he and two or three more men were in some part of China, but what followed, I do not know.
Pte. W.C. Parry. Native of Liverpool, slim build about 5' 9" tall aged 35. Last seen by myself near to Momeik, south of the River Shweli. He was in a very weak condition and there I believe he dropped out of No. 7 Column to which we were both attached temporarily, this was approximately the 5th April 1943. NB. I think Norman was thinking of Mongmit.
Pte. 5114104 John Powell; ex 1/7th Royal Warwickshire's. Stout or broad shouldered, about 5' 6" tall and a native of Nuneaton. Last seen on 30th April 1943 by a POW in Rangoon, who stated to me that he was killed whilst attempting to escape the Japanese somewhere in the vicinity of the River Chindwin, or should I say the ground that lies approximately 100-150 miles south of Yamur between the Chindwin and Irrawaddy Rivers.
Pte. 5116591 Kenneth Love; Ex 1/7th Royal Warwickshire's and a native of Birmingham. 5' 9" tall, this man was last seen by myself on the 10th April 1943 during Column 5's reformation near Tigyaing on the Irrawaddy.
I should say that all these names were part of the original No. 5 Column of the 13th King's Regiment. They were transferred from the 7th and 8th battalions of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in June 1942.
5116537 Pte. Edwin (Edgar) Baldwin. Slim built and a corn thrasher/agricultural worker from Hereford. Last seen by myself about the 20th April 1943 during the crossing of the Shweli River in a party of about 30 men. They were heading North towards Assam. Late of the 1/7th Royal Warwickshire's.
There was a Pte. Williams. Broadly built and about 5' 6", who died whilst a POW in Rangoon. I know very little about him, other than he was a Welshman and previously in the Royal Welch Fusiliers.
There was also a Pte. Robinson from London and a Pte. Robertson from Liverpool. I know very little detail about them, but the two names seem similar to a couple of men who died in Rangoon POW Camp.
Well Sir, I hope I have given you a bit of help and if I can give any more help in the future, I will be only too pleased. Also if I can get anymore information from a couple of fellow 'Kingsmen' I know in Birmingham, I will gladly forward it on to you.
I remain yours truly.
Ex. Pte. 5114059 N. Fowler, 13th King's Regiment.
Using the information found within the pages of Norman Fowler's letter, I am confident that I can identify all of the men he mentions and what ultimately became of them.
Pte. 5116664 William Albert Eardley. This man was part of 5 Column on Operation Longcloth and dispersed with Captain Tommy Roberts in April 1943. William was killed in action on the 29th April when his group were ambushed near a village called Nanthalang to the north of the Irrawaddy River and west of the Burmese town of Bhamo.
Pte. 3768150 John Barrett. This soldier died on the 7th April 1943. His last known whereabouts were stated as proceeding towards the Irrawaddy, 2 miles east of Seiktha SH 3005. NB. It is possible that Norman is confusing John Barrett with another member of 5 Column, Edward Barrett, who did exit Burma via the Kachin Hills, but later died in a village just south of Fort Hertz. Edward was also a member of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, the same regiment as Norman, which could be another reason for the mistaken identity of this casualty.
Pte. 3779270 William Clifford Parry. This soldier also teamed up with 7 Column at the Shweli on the 3rd April 1943. Known by his comrades as a heavy sleeper, William failed to wake up from an overnight halt and became lost to his unit on the 5th April, he was never seen again.
Pte. 5114104 John Powell. This soldier was lost from his unit as Column 5 moved away from the action at Hintha and were ambushed by a Japanese patrol on 29th March 1943.
Here is a transcript of Norman's letter from 1945, I have made some minor corrections to the text, but in essence it reads more or less as he first presented it:
Dear Sir,
On receiving the list of 'Missing Personnel' from the King's Regiment, 2nd Burma Campaign. I find I recollect many of the names included, but of these my information is based largely around about the time of being reported missing myself and what I pieced together whilst I was a POW in Rangoon. Also about their regimental numbers, I'm afraid I could never remember these for sure, but here is what I recall:
Pte. William Eardley; 1/7th Royal Warwickshire's Regiment. He was 6' 1" and a native of Stoke. His occupation was in Public Works or the Parks Department. I heard statements relating to the above whilst I was in the Maymyo POW Camp, saying that he was either missing or had been killed somewhere round about Bhamo.
Pte. 3768150 Barrett. A native of London and about 5' 9" tall. I cannot remember a lot about the above, but I believe I last saw this fellow about the 20th April 1943. We got attacked whilst in a party of about 30 men in the Ker Chin (Kachin) Hills. Later, I heard that he and two or three more men were in some part of China, but what followed, I do not know.
Pte. W.C. Parry. Native of Liverpool, slim build about 5' 9" tall aged 35. Last seen by myself near to Momeik, south of the River Shweli. He was in a very weak condition and there I believe he dropped out of No. 7 Column to which we were both attached temporarily, this was approximately the 5th April 1943. NB. I think Norman was thinking of Mongmit.
Pte. 5114104 John Powell; ex 1/7th Royal Warwickshire's. Stout or broad shouldered, about 5' 6" tall and a native of Nuneaton. Last seen on 30th April 1943 by a POW in Rangoon, who stated to me that he was killed whilst attempting to escape the Japanese somewhere in the vicinity of the River Chindwin, or should I say the ground that lies approximately 100-150 miles south of Yamur between the Chindwin and Irrawaddy Rivers.
Pte. 5116591 Kenneth Love; Ex 1/7th Royal Warwickshire's and a native of Birmingham. 5' 9" tall, this man was last seen by myself on the 10th April 1943 during Column 5's reformation near Tigyaing on the Irrawaddy.
I should say that all these names were part of the original No. 5 Column of the 13th King's Regiment. They were transferred from the 7th and 8th battalions of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in June 1942.
5116537 Pte. Edwin (Edgar) Baldwin. Slim built and a corn thrasher/agricultural worker from Hereford. Last seen by myself about the 20th April 1943 during the crossing of the Shweli River in a party of about 30 men. They were heading North towards Assam. Late of the 1/7th Royal Warwickshire's.
There was a Pte. Williams. Broadly built and about 5' 6", who died whilst a POW in Rangoon. I know very little about him, other than he was a Welshman and previously in the Royal Welch Fusiliers.
There was also a Pte. Robinson from London and a Pte. Robertson from Liverpool. I know very little detail about them, but the two names seem similar to a couple of men who died in Rangoon POW Camp.
Well Sir, I hope I have given you a bit of help and if I can give any more help in the future, I will be only too pleased. Also if I can get anymore information from a couple of fellow 'Kingsmen' I know in Birmingham, I will gladly forward it on to you.
I remain yours truly.
Ex. Pte. 5114059 N. Fowler, 13th King's Regiment.
Using the information found within the pages of Norman Fowler's letter, I am confident that I can identify all of the men he mentions and what ultimately became of them.
Pte. 5116664 William Albert Eardley. This man was part of 5 Column on Operation Longcloth and dispersed with Captain Tommy Roberts in April 1943. William was killed in action on the 29th April when his group were ambushed near a village called Nanthalang to the north of the Irrawaddy River and west of the Burmese town of Bhamo.
Pte. 3768150 John Barrett. This soldier died on the 7th April 1943. His last known whereabouts were stated as proceeding towards the Irrawaddy, 2 miles east of Seiktha SH 3005. NB. It is possible that Norman is confusing John Barrett with another member of 5 Column, Edward Barrett, who did exit Burma via the Kachin Hills, but later died in a village just south of Fort Hertz. Edward was also a member of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, the same regiment as Norman, which could be another reason for the mistaken identity of this casualty.
Pte. 3779270 William Clifford Parry. This soldier also teamed up with 7 Column at the Shweli on the 3rd April 1943. Known by his comrades as a heavy sleeper, William failed to wake up from an overnight halt and became lost to his unit on the 5th April, he was never seen again.
Pte. 5114104 John Powell. This soldier was lost from his unit as Column 5 moved away from the action at Hintha and were ambushed by a Japanese patrol on 29th March 1943.
Pte. Kenneth Love.
Pte. 5116591 Kenneth Edward Love. Kenneth was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Love from St. Margaret's Avenue, Birmingham 8 and was posted to 5 Column on Operation Longcloth. He was reported as missing in action on the 17th May 1943, close to the village of Woolgar (Walung Ga) on the road to Fort Hertz in northern Burma. This would suggest that he was one of the men separated from the main body of 5 Column on the 28/29th March after the battle at Hintha.
One hundred or so men from 5 Column were cut adrift when a large Japanese patrol ambushed the column during their dispersal from Hintha and some of these men found their way to the Shweli River, where they were picked up by 7 Column. Kenneth was reported as last seen at the village of Walung Ga on the Burma/China borders, although it is not clear what had happened to him, or why he had dropped out of the march north towards Fort Hertz. His body was never recovered after the war and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery.
www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2515999/LOVE,%20KENNETH%20EDWARD
Kenneth Love is also remembered within the City of Birmingham Book of Remembrance, which contains the names of local casualties lost during WW2. From the Birmingham Evening Despatch newspaper dated 21st February 1945 and under the headline, Missing for Two Years:
Private Kenneth Love was reported missing in Burma two years ago. Any news of him would be welcomed by his fiancee, Miss D. Mammatt of 93 Lime Tree Road, Ward End, Birmingham 8, and his parents Mr. and Mrs. Love of 124 St. Margaret's Avenue, Birmingham 8. Today is his 25th birthday.
Pte. 5116537 Edgar Baldwin. A member of 5 Column on Operation Longcloth, this man died on the 20th April 1943, whilst making for Fort Hertz in the Kachin Hills of Burma.
Pte. 4197554 Ivor Sidney Williams. This is the Welshman described by Norman Fowler in his letter. Ivor was a member of 5 Column on Operation Longcloth, he joined up with Captain Musgrave-Wood and his dispersal party in April 1943, but became a prisoner of war on the 3rd July that year. Ivor, whose POW number was 388, sadly perished in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 27th June 1944, he was one of around 10/12 victims of a cholera outbreak inside the jail.
I believe that Norman was slightly confused when remembering the man called Robinson. There was a member of his Royal Warwickshire's draft by that name, Pte. 5116639 Samuel Robinson. This soldier was killed on the 1st April 1943 whilst attempting to cross the Shweli River with 5 Column. However, there was also; Pte. 3968445 Albert John Robinson. This is the man named Robinson who died inside Rangoon Jail. He perished in Block 6 of the jail on the 15th November 1943, his POW number was 467 and he had previously served with 8 Column on Operation Longcloth.
Pte. 3779273 Thomas Alfred Robertson. Thomas was a member of 5 Column on Operation Longcloth, he was captured on a large sandbank in the middle of the Shweli River on the same day that Samuel Robinson was killed. Thomas died inside Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 7th March 1944, his POW number was 533.
Seen below are some images in relation to the above mentioned men, including Ivor Williams POW index card. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
One hundred or so men from 5 Column were cut adrift when a large Japanese patrol ambushed the column during their dispersal from Hintha and some of these men found their way to the Shweli River, where they were picked up by 7 Column. Kenneth was reported as last seen at the village of Walung Ga on the Burma/China borders, although it is not clear what had happened to him, or why he had dropped out of the march north towards Fort Hertz. His body was never recovered after the war and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery.
www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2515999/LOVE,%20KENNETH%20EDWARD
Kenneth Love is also remembered within the City of Birmingham Book of Remembrance, which contains the names of local casualties lost during WW2. From the Birmingham Evening Despatch newspaper dated 21st February 1945 and under the headline, Missing for Two Years:
Private Kenneth Love was reported missing in Burma two years ago. Any news of him would be welcomed by his fiancee, Miss D. Mammatt of 93 Lime Tree Road, Ward End, Birmingham 8, and his parents Mr. and Mrs. Love of 124 St. Margaret's Avenue, Birmingham 8. Today is his 25th birthday.
Pte. 5116537 Edgar Baldwin. A member of 5 Column on Operation Longcloth, this man died on the 20th April 1943, whilst making for Fort Hertz in the Kachin Hills of Burma.
Pte. 4197554 Ivor Sidney Williams. This is the Welshman described by Norman Fowler in his letter. Ivor was a member of 5 Column on Operation Longcloth, he joined up with Captain Musgrave-Wood and his dispersal party in April 1943, but became a prisoner of war on the 3rd July that year. Ivor, whose POW number was 388, sadly perished in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 27th June 1944, he was one of around 10/12 victims of a cholera outbreak inside the jail.
I believe that Norman was slightly confused when remembering the man called Robinson. There was a member of his Royal Warwickshire's draft by that name, Pte. 5116639 Samuel Robinson. This soldier was killed on the 1st April 1943 whilst attempting to cross the Shweli River with 5 Column. However, there was also; Pte. 3968445 Albert John Robinson. This is the man named Robinson who died inside Rangoon Jail. He perished in Block 6 of the jail on the 15th November 1943, his POW number was 467 and he had previously served with 8 Column on Operation Longcloth.
Pte. 3779273 Thomas Alfred Robertson. Thomas was a member of 5 Column on Operation Longcloth, he was captured on a large sandbank in the middle of the Shweli River on the same day that Samuel Robinson was killed. Thomas died inside Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 7th March 1944, his POW number was 533.
Seen below are some images in relation to the above mentioned men, including Ivor Williams POW index card. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Letters and information such as that given by Norman Fowler are vital pieces of evidence when reconstructing the last known movements of an Operation Longcloth casualty from 1943. Without the existence of these personal and anecdotal documents, many of these men's stories could never be told.
Norman John Fowler died on the Isle of Wight in July 1995, he was 76 years old. I would like to thank you Norman for taking the time to try and help your former comrades and their families.
Update 16/11/2015.
As a consequence of writing this short story, I received an email contact from Kevin Nicholls, the son of another Chindit from Operation Longcloth, Pte. Alfred Nicholls of 5 Column. Kevin told me:
I have read with great interest your website about Operation Longcloth. My dad was Alf Nicholls a prisoner of Rangoon Jail. My Mom Kathleen found the capture card you posted so fascinating. Norman Fowler was Dad's best mate from their time together with the Warwickshire Regiment and they looked after one another in the jail and remained friends until his death in 1991.
On one occasion in Rangoon Jail Norman was suffering with his eyes and had almost gone blind, possibly with some kind of infection. He had reached the end of his tether and lost his temper by throwing a latrine bucket over the balcony of his cell block. Unfortunately, the contents of the bucket landed on a Japanese guard below. The guard rushed up the stairs with bayonet fixed in front of him. As he approached Norman with a view to do damage, my Dad jumped in between them both screaming 'blindo, blindo', the guard scowled at both men and turned away and left.
I can tell you that Norman's wife Olive is doing well and about to celebrate her 100th birthday. If you have any more information about them both I would be grateful to receive it, likewise if you have any questions let me know.
This was my reply to Kevin's initial email contact:
Dear Kevin,
Thank you for your email contact via my website. It is wonderful to hear from you. I'm pleased that your Mum found the POW index card of interest. Your father was in Column 5 on Operation Longcloth and in Rifle Platoon 7 led by Lieutenant Philip Stibbe. He was captured on a large sandbank in early April 1943 with a group of around 30-40 other men. He then spent two years as a prisoner of war, until his liberation on the 28th April 1945 at the Burmese town of Pegu. Alf was one of the very few men from 5 Column that survived their time in Rangoon and came home, so he must have been very tough and determined. A good story for you all to read which tells of the men on the sandbank is that of Pte. Henry Ackerman, here is the link: Pte. Henry James Ackerman
I was very interested to learn of your father's friendship with Norman Fowler, I do not know if you are still in contact with the Fowlers, but if you are I would very much appreciate it if you might mention this story and letter to them. It would be fantastic to have a photograph of Alf and Norman if one exists. I would obviously like to hear more about Alf and his life from before the war and after. It would then be possible to add his story to the website.
One final thing; I was recently contacted by the grandson of another 5 Column Chindit named Gerald Desmond, who was from Ireland. His grandson, Liam, sent me some photographs of POW reunions from back in the 1980's, these included one of your Mum and Dad with some of the other guests. Can you tell me anything about this photograph and the other people shown.
Best wishes
Steve
I received this reply in July (2015):
Dear Stephen,
Thank you for the email and the photograph you have sent, Mom recalls that reunion. The chap on the table with Mom and Dad is R.A.S. Pagani an ex-paratrooper held at Rangoon who has written a very interesting book about his life. In the background with the beard is an American fellow called Karnig Thomasian whom Mom has had regular correspondence with over the years.
Anyway, Mom is going to compile a history of Dad and yes she does have a photo of him and Norman, or Uncle Norman as I knew him. When completed I will be pleased to send it to you. Dad was a smashing little chap with high moral values and the older I get the more I realise how these made good sense. The one thing I will never be able to have though, is the fact he never showed any fear, I have seen many a man twice his size back down from him. I suppose he thought what ever happened later in his life, he would never 'kow-tow' to anyone again after his experiences with the Japanese. From the odd story he told, we know that on the first night of his capture he was chained to a teak tree by the Japanese.
As I have said, whatever Mom and I get hold of we will send to you. As a result of your website, Mom has now asked me to take her to see Olive Fowler who is in a nursing home and we will be glad to pass on any information to her.
Yours sincerely
Kevin Nicholls
Seen below are Alfred Nicholls' POW index card from his time as a prisoner of war in WW2 and the photograph mentioned in this update, showing Alf, Kathleen and some of the other ex-POW's from Rangoon and their partners. Also shown, a photo of Norman and Alf enjoying a joke in later life. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. To read more about Pte. Alfred Nicholls, please click on the following link: Pte. Alfred Nicholls
Norman John Fowler died on the Isle of Wight in July 1995, he was 76 years old. I would like to thank you Norman for taking the time to try and help your former comrades and their families.
Update 16/11/2015.
As a consequence of writing this short story, I received an email contact from Kevin Nicholls, the son of another Chindit from Operation Longcloth, Pte. Alfred Nicholls of 5 Column. Kevin told me:
I have read with great interest your website about Operation Longcloth. My dad was Alf Nicholls a prisoner of Rangoon Jail. My Mom Kathleen found the capture card you posted so fascinating. Norman Fowler was Dad's best mate from their time together with the Warwickshire Regiment and they looked after one another in the jail and remained friends until his death in 1991.
On one occasion in Rangoon Jail Norman was suffering with his eyes and had almost gone blind, possibly with some kind of infection. He had reached the end of his tether and lost his temper by throwing a latrine bucket over the balcony of his cell block. Unfortunately, the contents of the bucket landed on a Japanese guard below. The guard rushed up the stairs with bayonet fixed in front of him. As he approached Norman with a view to do damage, my Dad jumped in between them both screaming 'blindo, blindo', the guard scowled at both men and turned away and left.
I can tell you that Norman's wife Olive is doing well and about to celebrate her 100th birthday. If you have any more information about them both I would be grateful to receive it, likewise if you have any questions let me know.
This was my reply to Kevin's initial email contact:
Dear Kevin,
Thank you for your email contact via my website. It is wonderful to hear from you. I'm pleased that your Mum found the POW index card of interest. Your father was in Column 5 on Operation Longcloth and in Rifle Platoon 7 led by Lieutenant Philip Stibbe. He was captured on a large sandbank in early April 1943 with a group of around 30-40 other men. He then spent two years as a prisoner of war, until his liberation on the 28th April 1945 at the Burmese town of Pegu. Alf was one of the very few men from 5 Column that survived their time in Rangoon and came home, so he must have been very tough and determined. A good story for you all to read which tells of the men on the sandbank is that of Pte. Henry Ackerman, here is the link: Pte. Henry James Ackerman
I was very interested to learn of your father's friendship with Norman Fowler, I do not know if you are still in contact with the Fowlers, but if you are I would very much appreciate it if you might mention this story and letter to them. It would be fantastic to have a photograph of Alf and Norman if one exists. I would obviously like to hear more about Alf and his life from before the war and after. It would then be possible to add his story to the website.
One final thing; I was recently contacted by the grandson of another 5 Column Chindit named Gerald Desmond, who was from Ireland. His grandson, Liam, sent me some photographs of POW reunions from back in the 1980's, these included one of your Mum and Dad with some of the other guests. Can you tell me anything about this photograph and the other people shown.
Best wishes
Steve
I received this reply in July (2015):
Dear Stephen,
Thank you for the email and the photograph you have sent, Mom recalls that reunion. The chap on the table with Mom and Dad is R.A.S. Pagani an ex-paratrooper held at Rangoon who has written a very interesting book about his life. In the background with the beard is an American fellow called Karnig Thomasian whom Mom has had regular correspondence with over the years.
Anyway, Mom is going to compile a history of Dad and yes she does have a photo of him and Norman, or Uncle Norman as I knew him. When completed I will be pleased to send it to you. Dad was a smashing little chap with high moral values and the older I get the more I realise how these made good sense. The one thing I will never be able to have though, is the fact he never showed any fear, I have seen many a man twice his size back down from him. I suppose he thought what ever happened later in his life, he would never 'kow-tow' to anyone again after his experiences with the Japanese. From the odd story he told, we know that on the first night of his capture he was chained to a teak tree by the Japanese.
As I have said, whatever Mom and I get hold of we will send to you. As a result of your website, Mom has now asked me to take her to see Olive Fowler who is in a nursing home and we will be glad to pass on any information to her.
Yours sincerely
Kevin Nicholls
Seen below are Alfred Nicholls' POW index card from his time as a prisoner of war in WW2 and the photograph mentioned in this update, showing Alf, Kathleen and some of the other ex-POW's from Rangoon and their partners. Also shown, a photo of Norman and Alf enjoying a joke in later life. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. To read more about Pte. Alfred Nicholls, please click on the following link: Pte. Alfred Nicholls
Update 17/09/2017.
I recently came across another document pertaining to Norman Fowler's time as a prisoner of war. This came in the form of his Liberation Questionnaire, a document from the WO344 series at the National Archives in London. The one page document (shown in the Gallery below) gives in the first instance Norman's Army particulars, including his date of enlistment, the 16th October 1939 and his home town address in Birmingham.
The really interesting piece of information from the questionnaire, is his original place of capture in 1943 stated as the village of Aseurgi (Asugyi), followed by a secondary outpost camp at Kunchaung. Both these places are located in the Shan State and match up with the direction of travel for Lt. Musgrave-Wood's dispersal party from mid-April to mid-May 1943.
Norman then confirms his presence at Rangoon Jail from July 1943 until May 1945. In the section asking about any attempted escapes whilst in Japanese hands, he states the following:
Captured by Burmese, attempted escape (whilst journeying from) Aseurgi to Kunchaung, fought hand to hand. He then mentions two other Chindits as being his companions at this time: L/Cpl. Kaye (Kay) and Pte. Boston of the 13th King's, both of whom died inside Rangoon Jail. Unfortunately, there are no other details recorded on the questionnaire.
Lance Corporal 3781435 Joseph Kay was an original member of 7 Column on Operation Longcloth and dispersed with Lt. Rex Walker's party on the 10th April 1943. His POW number was 494 and he perished inside Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 2nd September 1943. Joseph's death whilst in Japanese hands was confirmed in the Manchester Evening News on Friday 8th June 1945, alongside this notification was a photograph of L/Cpl. Kay in Army unifrom.
5116524 Pte. Herbert Horatio Boston was from Heath Hayes in Staffordshire and originally enlisted into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, before being transferred to the 13th King's on the 26th September 1942. This man was a soldier with 5 Column on Operation Longcloth and was last seen at the village of Lewein on the 30th April 1943 having dispersed with Lt. Musgrave-Wood. Herbert, who was issued with the POW number 524, died inside Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 7th August 1943 suffering from the effects of beri beri.
Although he perished in Block 6 of the prison, unusually Herbert does not have a grave plaque in Rangoon War Cemetery. He is remembered instead upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery, situated on the northern outskirts of the city. It is possible that he was buried alongside his Chindit comrades in the English Cantonment Cemetery, but that any details for the location of his grave were lost and so his remains could not be accurately identified after the war.
Seen below are some images in relation to this update, please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
I recently came across another document pertaining to Norman Fowler's time as a prisoner of war. This came in the form of his Liberation Questionnaire, a document from the WO344 series at the National Archives in London. The one page document (shown in the Gallery below) gives in the first instance Norman's Army particulars, including his date of enlistment, the 16th October 1939 and his home town address in Birmingham.
The really interesting piece of information from the questionnaire, is his original place of capture in 1943 stated as the village of Aseurgi (Asugyi), followed by a secondary outpost camp at Kunchaung. Both these places are located in the Shan State and match up with the direction of travel for Lt. Musgrave-Wood's dispersal party from mid-April to mid-May 1943.
Norman then confirms his presence at Rangoon Jail from July 1943 until May 1945. In the section asking about any attempted escapes whilst in Japanese hands, he states the following:
Captured by Burmese, attempted escape (whilst journeying from) Aseurgi to Kunchaung, fought hand to hand. He then mentions two other Chindits as being his companions at this time: L/Cpl. Kaye (Kay) and Pte. Boston of the 13th King's, both of whom died inside Rangoon Jail. Unfortunately, there are no other details recorded on the questionnaire.
Lance Corporal 3781435 Joseph Kay was an original member of 7 Column on Operation Longcloth and dispersed with Lt. Rex Walker's party on the 10th April 1943. His POW number was 494 and he perished inside Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 2nd September 1943. Joseph's death whilst in Japanese hands was confirmed in the Manchester Evening News on Friday 8th June 1945, alongside this notification was a photograph of L/Cpl. Kay in Army unifrom.
5116524 Pte. Herbert Horatio Boston was from Heath Hayes in Staffordshire and originally enlisted into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, before being transferred to the 13th King's on the 26th September 1942. This man was a soldier with 5 Column on Operation Longcloth and was last seen at the village of Lewein on the 30th April 1943 having dispersed with Lt. Musgrave-Wood. Herbert, who was issued with the POW number 524, died inside Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 7th August 1943 suffering from the effects of beri beri.
Although he perished in Block 6 of the prison, unusually Herbert does not have a grave plaque in Rangoon War Cemetery. He is remembered instead upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery, situated on the northern outskirts of the city. It is possible that he was buried alongside his Chindit comrades in the English Cantonment Cemetery, but that any details for the location of his grave were lost and so his remains could not be accurately identified after the war.
Seen below are some images in relation to this update, please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Coincidently, earlier this summer (2017) the Chindit Society were informed that Norman Fowler had a been an active member of the Japanese Labour Camps Survivors Association. This organisation has been at the forefront of the campaign to extract a public apology from the Japanese for their treatment of POW's during WW2 and the seeking of some sort of compensation for any survivors. Seen in the Gallery above is Norman Fowler's J.L.C.S.A. plaque confirming his membership.
In late 2000, the Ministry of Defence granted a one-off payment of £10,000 to all former prisoners held by the Japanese in WW2 or their widows when the POW had not survived. I remember my own Nan receiving this payment and thinking how much more use this money would have been to her back in 1945, when she was attempting to bring up two young children on her own and without any assistance from the state or the Army.
From the Guardian newspaper dated 8th November 2000 (Article by Richard Norton-Taylor):
A 50-year struggle by thousands of former prisoners of war subjected to forced labour and torture by Japan in the second world war finally ended yesterday. The survivors, and the widows of those who have since died, were given a one-off payment of £10,000 in recognition of what the defence minister, Lewis Moonie, called their unique experience. He said the tax-free, ex gratia payment would repay a debt of honour owed by Britain to members of the Armed Forces, the Merchant Navy, or civilians, who returned home in late 1945. In the words of some, they were the forgotten people.
The Ministry of Defence said the payments, to 16,700 people, including more than 4,500 widows, would be administered by the Blackpool-based War Pensions agency as soon as possible.
"It is very important that the wheels are set in motion very quickly," Martyn Day, the lawyer who has fought their case for the past eight years, said yesterday. "Each day, more than one of those eligible has died," he continued. "I am really delighted with the decision," said Mr Day who took up the case after an approach from his uncle, John Gott, himself a former prisoner of war in the Far East. He also stated, that the former POW's would now withdraw their claims against the Japanese government.
Arthur Titherington, Chairman of the Japanese Labour Camps Survivors Association, who was forced to work in copper mines in Taiwan, said: Today is a great day. The British government has shown that it has fully understood the importance of these issues to today's society. My only disappointment is that the real culprit, that is the Japanese government, has got away scot-free. The least it can do is recognise the gross errors of its past which it can do by providing a full, unequivocal apology.
Keith Martin, Chairman of the Association of British Civilian Internees Far East Region, said: "Our members can now look forward with satisfaction that their suffering and losses have finally been recognised after so many years."
Ian Townsend, General Secretary of the Royal British Legion, described the move as, "a very satisfactory end to what has been a long struggle for recognition of what they went through in captivity."
Over 50,000 British troops and civilians were captured in Singapore in 1942 and 25% died in captivity. The POW's received £76 from the 1951 San Francisco peace treaty. The treaty stated that if Japan agreed to better terms with other countries, British POW's could demand the same treatment. In 1955 former Swiss POW's received £2,000. Documents that Mr Martin discovered in 1998 at the Public Records Office revealed Whitehall's attitude. They showed that in 1955, Lord Reading, a former Foreign Office Minister, agreed with his officials that, "we are at present unpopular enough with the Japanese without having to exert further pressure which would be likely to cause the maximum of resentment for the minimum of advantage."
After years of campaigning, the former POW's met Tony Blair in 1998. Earlier this year, the Foreign Office told them it was not prepared to make a claim against the Japanese government. In June, the Isle of Man agreed to pay its former POW's £10,000 and Canada also agreed to pay its veterans £10,000. By July, Mr Blair agreed in principle to the payments which will cost around £167 million pounds.
In late 2000, the Ministry of Defence granted a one-off payment of £10,000 to all former prisoners held by the Japanese in WW2 or their widows when the POW had not survived. I remember my own Nan receiving this payment and thinking how much more use this money would have been to her back in 1945, when she was attempting to bring up two young children on her own and without any assistance from the state or the Army.
From the Guardian newspaper dated 8th November 2000 (Article by Richard Norton-Taylor):
A 50-year struggle by thousands of former prisoners of war subjected to forced labour and torture by Japan in the second world war finally ended yesterday. The survivors, and the widows of those who have since died, were given a one-off payment of £10,000 in recognition of what the defence minister, Lewis Moonie, called their unique experience. He said the tax-free, ex gratia payment would repay a debt of honour owed by Britain to members of the Armed Forces, the Merchant Navy, or civilians, who returned home in late 1945. In the words of some, they were the forgotten people.
The Ministry of Defence said the payments, to 16,700 people, including more than 4,500 widows, would be administered by the Blackpool-based War Pensions agency as soon as possible.
"It is very important that the wheels are set in motion very quickly," Martyn Day, the lawyer who has fought their case for the past eight years, said yesterday. "Each day, more than one of those eligible has died," he continued. "I am really delighted with the decision," said Mr Day who took up the case after an approach from his uncle, John Gott, himself a former prisoner of war in the Far East. He also stated, that the former POW's would now withdraw their claims against the Japanese government.
Arthur Titherington, Chairman of the Japanese Labour Camps Survivors Association, who was forced to work in copper mines in Taiwan, said: Today is a great day. The British government has shown that it has fully understood the importance of these issues to today's society. My only disappointment is that the real culprit, that is the Japanese government, has got away scot-free. The least it can do is recognise the gross errors of its past which it can do by providing a full, unequivocal apology.
Keith Martin, Chairman of the Association of British Civilian Internees Far East Region, said: "Our members can now look forward with satisfaction that their suffering and losses have finally been recognised after so many years."
Ian Townsend, General Secretary of the Royal British Legion, described the move as, "a very satisfactory end to what has been a long struggle for recognition of what they went through in captivity."
Over 50,000 British troops and civilians were captured in Singapore in 1942 and 25% died in captivity. The POW's received £76 from the 1951 San Francisco peace treaty. The treaty stated that if Japan agreed to better terms with other countries, British POW's could demand the same treatment. In 1955 former Swiss POW's received £2,000. Documents that Mr Martin discovered in 1998 at the Public Records Office revealed Whitehall's attitude. They showed that in 1955, Lord Reading, a former Foreign Office Minister, agreed with his officials that, "we are at present unpopular enough with the Japanese without having to exert further pressure which would be likely to cause the maximum of resentment for the minimum of advantage."
After years of campaigning, the former POW's met Tony Blair in 1998. Earlier this year, the Foreign Office told them it was not prepared to make a claim against the Japanese government. In June, the Isle of Man agreed to pay its former POW's £10,000 and Canada also agreed to pay its veterans £10,000. By July, Mr Blair agreed in principle to the payments which will cost around £167 million pounds.
Copyright © Steve Fogden, April 2015.