The Longcloth Roll Call
Surname F-J
This section is an alphabetical roll of the men from Operation Longcloth. It takes its inspiration from other such formats available on the Internet, websites such as Special Forces Roll of Honour and of course the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). The information shown comes from various different documents related to the first Chindit Operation in 1943. Apart from more obvious data, such as the serviceman's rank, number and regimental unit, other detail has been taken from associated war diaries, missing in action files and casualty witness statements. The vast majority of this type of information has been located at the National Archives and the relevant file references can be found in the section Sources and Knowledge on this website.
Sometimes, if the man in question became a prisoner of war more detail can be displayed showing his time whilst in Japanese hands. Other avenues for additional information are: books, personal diaries, veteran audio accounts and subsequent family input via letter, email and phone call.
The idea behind this page, is to include as many Longcloth participants as possible, even if there is only a small amount of information about their contribution to hand. Please click on any of the images to hopefully bring them forward on the page.
All information contained on this page is Copyright © Steve Fogden April 2014.
Sometimes, if the man in question became a prisoner of war more detail can be displayed showing his time whilst in Japanese hands. Other avenues for additional information are: books, personal diaries, veteran audio accounts and subsequent family input via letter, email and phone call.
The idea behind this page, is to include as many Longcloth participants as possible, even if there is only a small amount of information about their contribution to hand. Please click on any of the images to hopefully bring them forward on the page.
All information contained on this page is Copyright © Steve Fogden April 2014.
Cap badge of the King's Regiment.
FAIRFIELD, W.J.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3778233
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 1st Bn.
Chindit Column: 81 or 82 Operation Thursday 1944.
Other details:
William James Fairfield was born on the 13th December 1913 and was the son of William and Emim Fairfield from Liverpool in Lancashire. He later married his wife Dorothy and together they had three children. From records on line, we know that Dorothy passed away in 1985 and William, still living in Liverpool at the time died in 1991. Due to his inclusion as a contributor to the missing files (WO361/442) for the 13th King's on Operation Longcloth, I at first believed that William had taken part on the first Wingate expedition in 1943. However, this has turned out to be incorrect and I now know that he took part in the second Chindit expedition in 1944, serving with the 1st Battalion of the King's Regiment.
William flew in to Burma as part of the glider assault formation on the 5th March 1944, but his glider (No. 19B) did not reach the Broadway landing ground that night and crashed landed in the jungle. He was eventually taken prisoner on the 13th March. He survived his time as a POW, and after just over a year in Rangoon Jail was liberated in early May 1945. It was probably for his knowledge of other Chindit soldiers held at Rangoon, that William was asked to supply witness statements to the Army Investigation Bureau after the war.
On the 13th November 1945, William, was officially asked by the Army Casualty Investigation Bureau to assist them as part of their ongoing enquiries into the missing and lost from the first Wingate expedition. Sadly, he was unable to help them in this matter, although on his immediate return to the United Kingdom from India he had already given some information to the bureau in regards to the men who shared his flight in Glider 19B on the 5th March 1944.
Seen below are some images in relation to this short narrative, including Pte. Fairfield's home address and his letter of reply to the War Office enquiry. Also shown is a narrative of what happened on the night of the 5th March as recalled by fellow 1st King's soldier, Arthur House and a copy of William's POW index card. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3778233
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 1st Bn.
Chindit Column: 81 or 82 Operation Thursday 1944.
Other details:
William James Fairfield was born on the 13th December 1913 and was the son of William and Emim Fairfield from Liverpool in Lancashire. He later married his wife Dorothy and together they had three children. From records on line, we know that Dorothy passed away in 1985 and William, still living in Liverpool at the time died in 1991. Due to his inclusion as a contributor to the missing files (WO361/442) for the 13th King's on Operation Longcloth, I at first believed that William had taken part on the first Wingate expedition in 1943. However, this has turned out to be incorrect and I now know that he took part in the second Chindit expedition in 1944, serving with the 1st Battalion of the King's Regiment.
William flew in to Burma as part of the glider assault formation on the 5th March 1944, but his glider (No. 19B) did not reach the Broadway landing ground that night and crashed landed in the jungle. He was eventually taken prisoner on the 13th March. He survived his time as a POW, and after just over a year in Rangoon Jail was liberated in early May 1945. It was probably for his knowledge of other Chindit soldiers held at Rangoon, that William was asked to supply witness statements to the Army Investigation Bureau after the war.
On the 13th November 1945, William, was officially asked by the Army Casualty Investigation Bureau to assist them as part of their ongoing enquiries into the missing and lost from the first Wingate expedition. Sadly, he was unable to help them in this matter, although on his immediate return to the United Kingdom from India he had already given some information to the bureau in regards to the men who shared his flight in Glider 19B on the 5th March 1944.
Seen below are some images in relation to this short narrative, including Pte. Fairfield's home address and his letter of reply to the War Office enquiry. Also shown is a narrative of what happened on the night of the 5th March as recalled by fellow 1st King's soldier, Arthur House and a copy of William's POW index card. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Cap badge of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles.
FALLOW, LT.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: Not known
Regiment/Service: 3rd Battalion, the 2nd Gurkha Regiment.
Chindit Column: 1
Other details:
Lt. Fallow is mentioned in the missing in action files for the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in 1943. However, no one of that name has ever been reported as a member of the first Chindit expedition and I wonder if this soldier's name has been incorrectly spelled or mispronounced by a Gurkha Riflemen upon interrogation after the operation was concluded?
Fallow is attributed to No. 1 Column on Operation Longcloth, commanded by Major George Dunlop MC, formerly of the Black Watch Regiment. He is listed, alongside another mysterious and unaccounted for officer, as part of a witness statement given by the Gurkha Rifleman 27039 Aita Sing Gurung.
This Gurkha remembers these two officers as being part of a small dispersal party who had marched from the Irrawaddy in the company of Major Dunlop and who had been disturbed by a Japanese patrol close to the Chindwin River in early May 1943. The report goes on to describe how Lts. Fallow and Coyle (?) were subsequently taken prisoner after this incident and were held initially in a POW camp at Kalewa, before ending up at Rangoon Jail. No officers by these names have ever been recorded as being prisoners of war in Rangoon or at any of the other camps used by the Japanese in relation to Chindit detainees.
As mentioned earlier, it is my belief that the name Fallow is a mispronunciation of another Gurkha officer from Operation Longcloth, possibly Lt. John Fowler, whose story is featured alphabetically on this website page. Shown below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including Rifleman Aita Sing Gurung's statement and a map of the area around Kalewa on the Chindwin River. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: Not known
Regiment/Service: 3rd Battalion, the 2nd Gurkha Regiment.
Chindit Column: 1
Other details:
Lt. Fallow is mentioned in the missing in action files for the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in 1943. However, no one of that name has ever been reported as a member of the first Chindit expedition and I wonder if this soldier's name has been incorrectly spelled or mispronounced by a Gurkha Riflemen upon interrogation after the operation was concluded?
Fallow is attributed to No. 1 Column on Operation Longcloth, commanded by Major George Dunlop MC, formerly of the Black Watch Regiment. He is listed, alongside another mysterious and unaccounted for officer, as part of a witness statement given by the Gurkha Rifleman 27039 Aita Sing Gurung.
This Gurkha remembers these two officers as being part of a small dispersal party who had marched from the Irrawaddy in the company of Major Dunlop and who had been disturbed by a Japanese patrol close to the Chindwin River in early May 1943. The report goes on to describe how Lts. Fallow and Coyle (?) were subsequently taken prisoner after this incident and were held initially in a POW camp at Kalewa, before ending up at Rangoon Jail. No officers by these names have ever been recorded as being prisoners of war in Rangoon or at any of the other camps used by the Japanese in relation to Chindit detainees.
As mentioned earlier, it is my belief that the name Fallow is a mispronunciation of another Gurkha officer from Operation Longcloth, possibly Lt. John Fowler, whose story is featured alphabetically on this website page. Shown below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including Rifleman Aita Sing Gurung's statement and a map of the area around Kalewa on the Chindwin River. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
FARBER, HYMAN
Rank: Private
Service No: 3781622
Date of Death: 08/05/1943
Age: 32
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1292294/farber,-hyman/
Chindit Column: Northern Group Head Quarters
Other details:
Hyman Farber was born on the 22nd November 1910 and was the son of Jacob and Rachel Farber, former Russian immigrants from Firwood in Manchester. Hyman worked as a raincoat machinist at home alongside his brother and other family members, whilst his father's occupation is recorded as a paper hanger.
Northern Group Head Quarters commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel S.A. Cooke, was the central command centre for Chindit columns 4, 5, 7 and 8 during Operation Longcloth. This HQ worked in close proximity to No. 8 Column for almost the entire expedition and it was with this column, commanded by Major Walter Purcell Scott of the King's Regiment, that the Head Quarters returned to India. It was during the return journey to India that Pte. Farber was lost to his unit on the 8th May 1943. The missing in action listings for the group simply state that Pte. Farber alongside Pte. J. Brennan were missing from the line of march on the above date approximately two miles from the Burmese village of Haungpa, located close to the Uyu River.
One of the officers present with the unit, Lt. Peter Bennett gave the following witness statement:
In regards: 3781620 J. Brennan and 3781622 H. Farber.
The above mentioned men were last seen on the afternoon of May 8th 1943, about two miles from the village of Haungpa (SB. 7054) on the River Uyu. The column had proceeded about half a mile along the side track off the main Kamaing-Haungpa Road, two miles east of the village (Haungpa), when it was reported that the two missing men were not with the party.
A section returned to the main track and searched half a mile in each direction for about an hour without success. It is possible that the two missing men did not see the column turn off and walked on down the main track towards the village which was occupied by the Japanese.
This statement is certified as true by Lt. George Henry Borrow, 2/IC Northern Group Head Quarters.
No further information was ever gained about these two men and for this reason, they are remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery. The memorial was constructed to remember the 26,000 casualties who perished during the Burma Campaign, but who have no known grave or resting place. From research on line I have learned that Hyman Farber is also remembered at the Blackley Jewish Cemetery in Greater Manchester.
NB. I noticed whilst collating this short story, that the Army service numbers of Hyman Farber and John Brennan are only two digits apart. This makes me wonder whether these two men were already long-time friends from their original enlistment into the King's Regiment in 1941 and that it is no coincidence that they served together in Burma during Operation Longcloth and became lost together on the 8th May 1943.
I suppose this is something that we will never really know.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including a map of the area around Haungpa on the Uyu River and a photograph of Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial showing Hyman Farber's name. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3781622
Date of Death: 08/05/1943
Age: 32
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1292294/farber,-hyman/
Chindit Column: Northern Group Head Quarters
Other details:
Hyman Farber was born on the 22nd November 1910 and was the son of Jacob and Rachel Farber, former Russian immigrants from Firwood in Manchester. Hyman worked as a raincoat machinist at home alongside his brother and other family members, whilst his father's occupation is recorded as a paper hanger.
Northern Group Head Quarters commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel S.A. Cooke, was the central command centre for Chindit columns 4, 5, 7 and 8 during Operation Longcloth. This HQ worked in close proximity to No. 8 Column for almost the entire expedition and it was with this column, commanded by Major Walter Purcell Scott of the King's Regiment, that the Head Quarters returned to India. It was during the return journey to India that Pte. Farber was lost to his unit on the 8th May 1943. The missing in action listings for the group simply state that Pte. Farber alongside Pte. J. Brennan were missing from the line of march on the above date approximately two miles from the Burmese village of Haungpa, located close to the Uyu River.
One of the officers present with the unit, Lt. Peter Bennett gave the following witness statement:
In regards: 3781620 J. Brennan and 3781622 H. Farber.
The above mentioned men were last seen on the afternoon of May 8th 1943, about two miles from the village of Haungpa (SB. 7054) on the River Uyu. The column had proceeded about half a mile along the side track off the main Kamaing-Haungpa Road, two miles east of the village (Haungpa), when it was reported that the two missing men were not with the party.
A section returned to the main track and searched half a mile in each direction for about an hour without success. It is possible that the two missing men did not see the column turn off and walked on down the main track towards the village which was occupied by the Japanese.
This statement is certified as true by Lt. George Henry Borrow, 2/IC Northern Group Head Quarters.
No further information was ever gained about these two men and for this reason, they are remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery. The memorial was constructed to remember the 26,000 casualties who perished during the Burma Campaign, but who have no known grave or resting place. From research on line I have learned that Hyman Farber is also remembered at the Blackley Jewish Cemetery in Greater Manchester.
NB. I noticed whilst collating this short story, that the Army service numbers of Hyman Farber and John Brennan are only two digits apart. This makes me wonder whether these two men were already long-time friends from their original enlistment into the King's Regiment in 1941 and that it is no coincidence that they served together in Burma during Operation Longcloth and became lost together on the 8th May 1943.
I suppose this is something that we will never really know.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including a map of the area around Haungpa on the Uyu River and a photograph of Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial showing Hyman Farber's name. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
George Bell.
Update 12/12/2020.
From the Chindit memoirs of Lance Corporal George Bell, comes a more detailed explanation of where and when John Brennan and Hyman Farber were lost to their column on Operation Longcloth:
After recrossing the Irrawaddy, we marched sometimes 20 miles in a day, crossing the railway and two more minor rivers. One day we came across a Burmese man who could speak English, his story did not ring true to us and so we kept him with us under guard. After collecting more rice in the next village the headman warned us that this man had recently been in the company of a Jap patrol. It was decide that it was too dangerous to let him go and that he should be shot. My section took him away from the main group and one of the Burma Rifle soldiers shot him through the head. This left us with the feeling of being judge, jury and executioner.
We slogged on for a few more days, by which time our food supplies had completely run out. I brewed up with a tea bag that must have been used at least twenty times before. Around midday we were walking along a dried-up river bed when we saw some parachutes caught up in a group of trees. We approached them carefully concerned it might be a Jap ambush or booby trap, but it was a definite ration dropping, presumably for another of our parties. The packs gave us eight days rations per man, exactly eight days later we were in a small village when a British plane came over and spotted us on the ground. They dropped a message canister asking if we needed supplies, we answered them using cut parachute strips to mark out our numbers and needs. We waited for almost two days hoping they would return, but reluctantly we moved on, worried about the dangers of staying put in one place for too long.
Not long after that incident two of our lads whose feet were in an awful state needed time to rest and bathe their feet in a stream. The order was given to move off, but the two men said they wanted to remain for a short while longer and would attempt to catch us up later. They never returned to the main group and we heard later that they had been killed by the Japanese.
From the Chindit memoirs of Lance Corporal George Bell, comes a more detailed explanation of where and when John Brennan and Hyman Farber were lost to their column on Operation Longcloth:
After recrossing the Irrawaddy, we marched sometimes 20 miles in a day, crossing the railway and two more minor rivers. One day we came across a Burmese man who could speak English, his story did not ring true to us and so we kept him with us under guard. After collecting more rice in the next village the headman warned us that this man had recently been in the company of a Jap patrol. It was decide that it was too dangerous to let him go and that he should be shot. My section took him away from the main group and one of the Burma Rifle soldiers shot him through the head. This left us with the feeling of being judge, jury and executioner.
We slogged on for a few more days, by which time our food supplies had completely run out. I brewed up with a tea bag that must have been used at least twenty times before. Around midday we were walking along a dried-up river bed when we saw some parachutes caught up in a group of trees. We approached them carefully concerned it might be a Jap ambush or booby trap, but it was a definite ration dropping, presumably for another of our parties. The packs gave us eight days rations per man, exactly eight days later we were in a small village when a British plane came over and spotted us on the ground. They dropped a message canister asking if we needed supplies, we answered them using cut parachute strips to mark out our numbers and needs. We waited for almost two days hoping they would return, but reluctantly we moved on, worried about the dangers of staying put in one place for too long.
Not long after that incident two of our lads whose feet were in an awful state needed time to rest and bathe their feet in a stream. The order was given to move off, but the two men said they wanted to remain for a short while longer and would attempt to catch us up later. They never returned to the main group and we heard later that they had been killed by the Japanese.
FARROW, DENNIS
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 1869282
Age: 32
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers, attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Demolitions Instructor (Col. 1).
Other details:
Dennis 'Dinky' Farrow served alongside the 204 Military Mission into China, having previously teamed up with Mike Calvert at the Bush Warfare School in Maymyo. He also served with Calvert during the retreat from Burma in early 1942 as the Japanese first advanced across the country. His team of commandos, led by Major Calvert were involved in several ambushes upon the Japanese, including using a paddle-steamer on the Irrawaddy to attack the enemy as they moved adjacent to the river. He was also given the task of blowing the Goktiek Viaduct and had laid many explosive charges in readiness for the demolition, only to be told that the Chinese had ordered that the structure be left unmolested in case they might need to use it.
Having survived all this excitement in the first half of 1942, Farrow then followed Mike Calvert to the Chindit training camp at Saugor and became a demolitions instructor for 142 Commando. It is anecdotally suggested that he taught the commando sections of No. 1 & 2 Column in the art of demolition, before they took their newly attained skills into Burma on Operation Longcloth. It is known that Sergeant Farrow did not actually take part on the first Wingate expedition in 1943 and went on from Saugor to join one of the Parachute units already based in India.
Dennis Farrow is mentioned in the book The Lost Legion, by William Noonan. The book describes the adventures of the Australian Contingent who made up one-third of the 204 Military Mission in 1942. One quote from the book recounts Farrow's time with Mike Calvert during the Japanese advance into Burma and the loss of a comrade named Bob Ward:
Japanese infiltration techniques aided by treacherous Burmese guides were to account for Bob Ward, the only English-born member of the AIF Contingent. Dennis "Dinky' Farrow, an explosives expert at the Bush Warfare School, had been out with Ward on a recce of the western bank of the Irrawaddy at Padaung. He recalled that they had sighted no enemy and had returned across the river at dusk and slept alongside a large group of Marines and Mike Calvert's men in a Police compound.
"I remember waking at a noise (stated Farrow) and looking out of the window and seeing a great flock of Japanese pouring through the entrance door. Almost in a a reflex I was out the window with my Tommy gun and crouched down in the darkness beneath the hut and lay for a while hoping others would join me. There was no sign of Bob Ward and all hell had broken loose in the compound. I got off a few bursts with my gun, but couldn't be certain I was firing at the enemy only. I finally got away with Cush Carey from the Malaya Contingent and had gone about three miles across stoney fields before I realised I was still in bare feet. Another fellow we picked up the next day said he had escaped from a line-up of British prisoners on whom the Japs were practising with bayonets, and these he said included Bob Ward and Hugo Calthorp."
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including a page from the 142 Commando war diary describing Dennis Farrow's attributes and his desire to move on to a Parachute Battalion. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
To view the CWGC details for Pte. Robert Ward and Captain Hugo Calthorp, who are both remembered upon the Rangoon War Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery, please click on the following links:
www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2528279/robert-ward/
www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2506718/everard-hugh-dion-calthrop/
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 1869282
Age: 32
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers, attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Demolitions Instructor (Col. 1).
Other details:
Dennis 'Dinky' Farrow served alongside the 204 Military Mission into China, having previously teamed up with Mike Calvert at the Bush Warfare School in Maymyo. He also served with Calvert during the retreat from Burma in early 1942 as the Japanese first advanced across the country. His team of commandos, led by Major Calvert were involved in several ambushes upon the Japanese, including using a paddle-steamer on the Irrawaddy to attack the enemy as they moved adjacent to the river. He was also given the task of blowing the Goktiek Viaduct and had laid many explosive charges in readiness for the demolition, only to be told that the Chinese had ordered that the structure be left unmolested in case they might need to use it.
Having survived all this excitement in the first half of 1942, Farrow then followed Mike Calvert to the Chindit training camp at Saugor and became a demolitions instructor for 142 Commando. It is anecdotally suggested that he taught the commando sections of No. 1 & 2 Column in the art of demolition, before they took their newly attained skills into Burma on Operation Longcloth. It is known that Sergeant Farrow did not actually take part on the first Wingate expedition in 1943 and went on from Saugor to join one of the Parachute units already based in India.
Dennis Farrow is mentioned in the book The Lost Legion, by William Noonan. The book describes the adventures of the Australian Contingent who made up one-third of the 204 Military Mission in 1942. One quote from the book recounts Farrow's time with Mike Calvert during the Japanese advance into Burma and the loss of a comrade named Bob Ward:
Japanese infiltration techniques aided by treacherous Burmese guides were to account for Bob Ward, the only English-born member of the AIF Contingent. Dennis "Dinky' Farrow, an explosives expert at the Bush Warfare School, had been out with Ward on a recce of the western bank of the Irrawaddy at Padaung. He recalled that they had sighted no enemy and had returned across the river at dusk and slept alongside a large group of Marines and Mike Calvert's men in a Police compound.
"I remember waking at a noise (stated Farrow) and looking out of the window and seeing a great flock of Japanese pouring through the entrance door. Almost in a a reflex I was out the window with my Tommy gun and crouched down in the darkness beneath the hut and lay for a while hoping others would join me. There was no sign of Bob Ward and all hell had broken loose in the compound. I got off a few bursts with my gun, but couldn't be certain I was firing at the enemy only. I finally got away with Cush Carey from the Malaya Contingent and had gone about three miles across stoney fields before I realised I was still in bare feet. Another fellow we picked up the next day said he had escaped from a line-up of British prisoners on whom the Japs were practising with bayonets, and these he said included Bob Ward and Hugo Calthorp."
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including a page from the 142 Commando war diary describing Dennis Farrow's attributes and his desire to move on to a Parachute Battalion. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
To view the CWGC details for Pte. Robert Ward and Captain Hugo Calthorp, who are both remembered upon the Rangoon War Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery, please click on the following links:
www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2528279/robert-ward/
www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2506718/everard-hugh-dion-calthrop/
FINLAY, DAVID JOHN
Rank: Major
Service No: 223260
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers (142 Commando) attached 3/2 Gurkha Rifles.
Chindit Column: 4
Other details:
Major David John Finlay, from Kogarah (Sydney) in Australia, was the commanding officer for the Commando Section of No. 4 Column on Operation Longcloth. A mining engineer in Malaya before the war, he had previously served with the Malayan Volunteer Forces in Singapore, doing spectacular sabotage work in the face of the advancing Japanese forces in February 1942. After successfully evading capture from Singapore, Finlay journeyed by sea via Phuket Island and Ceylon to India, where he took up a position with the Royal Engineers, eventually joining the Chindit training camp at Saugor in the early autumn of 1942. No. 4 Column were made up predominately by Gurkha Rifle troops, with the Commando Section one of the few units of the column to be made up of solely British soldiers.
Major Finlay (sometimes spelled Findlay) is only mentioned once from amongst the writings in relation to the first Wingate expedition and this comes from a debrief paper penned by one of his colleagues from 4 Column, Lt. J. H. Stewart-Jones:
I have read with interest the account in the recent issue of the Regimental News; of the part played by the 3rd Battalion during the operations of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in Burma. Erroneous impressions are liable to be formed by people unconnected with the battalion who may have or read the official report on operations of the above mentioned Brigade.
I therefore feel it incumbent upon me to ask that this account of the conduct of four Rifleman be placed on the Regimental record. These four were members of No. 4 Column, commanded until March 1st 1943 by Major Conron, 2nd KEO Gurkha Rifles. On March 1st, Major Bromhead, (Royal Berks) took over command and the column ordered to provide the diversion, by road blocks and other means necessary to allow the other elements of the Brigade (cols. 3, 5, 7 and 8) to proceed to their objectives.
The Burma Rifles section commanded by Lt. FW. Burn was ordered to recce the village of Pinbon and surrounding areas. This party was ambushed and Lt. Burn wounded and the reconnaissance abandoned. Myself and the four Riflemen volunteered to locate the patrol and wounded officer and bring them back into column. During this time we encountered the enemy, which we defeated at no cost to ourselves. All advantage had been with the enemy, but the intelligence and obedience of these Gurkhas to all commands, wrestled this away and we forced a successful conclusion. The discipline of these men under fire was of the highest order and in keeping with Gurkha traditions.
The following day No. 4 Column proceeded south under Major Bromhead and halted in column snake, half a mile of Pinbon. The last two groups of our men and animals were still in the process of crossing a small river which bounded Pinbon, when the first Japanese grenades and mortars fell upon the column. The enemy attempted to cut the line in four places, attacking our flanks.
No orders for any definite plan of action came from HQ, and with visibility down to just 30 yards, I ordered Subedar Tikajit Pun to withdraw our section of the column north over the river. After the action had lasted around twenty minutes and withdrawing through various engagements with the enemy, we collected 150 men and 30 animals. I ordered Lt. Green (2nd KEO Gurkha Rifles) to lead the column one mile to the north while we held the river with a platoon.
That same evening we caught Lt. Green up and headed south through primary jungle. Two days later we were down to 137 all ranks. I handed command of the column to the most senior officer present, Captain Findlay of the Royal Engineers and we decided to bivouac in the jungle and send out a patrol to contact Brigade HQ (Wingate). Our wireless was useless, food non-existent apart from our bullocks, which of course the Gurkhas could not very well eat and the men were in all opinion too weak to continue.
In the end Lt. Stewart-Jones and his small party set off in search of 77 Brigade Head Quarters and did eventually bump into No. 8 Column, with whom they remained for the next six weeks. Major Finlay and the rest of the separated men headed west and successfully re-crossed the Chindwin River a few days later. In late 1945, Finlay was awarded the MBE (London Gazette 1st January 1946) for his efforts against the Japanese, before relinquishing his commission (8th March 1946) with the honorary rank of Major. NB: Many thanks to Dr. Andrew Kilsby for his assistance with this narrative.
To read more about the adventures of Lt. Stewart-Jones, please click on the following link: Lt. Jock Stewart-Jones
To read more about some of the men who made up Major Finlay's Commando Section on Operation Longcloth in 1943, please click on the following link: The Bricklayers of Column 4 Commando
Rank: Major
Service No: 223260
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers (142 Commando) attached 3/2 Gurkha Rifles.
Chindit Column: 4
Other details:
Major David John Finlay, from Kogarah (Sydney) in Australia, was the commanding officer for the Commando Section of No. 4 Column on Operation Longcloth. A mining engineer in Malaya before the war, he had previously served with the Malayan Volunteer Forces in Singapore, doing spectacular sabotage work in the face of the advancing Japanese forces in February 1942. After successfully evading capture from Singapore, Finlay journeyed by sea via Phuket Island and Ceylon to India, where he took up a position with the Royal Engineers, eventually joining the Chindit training camp at Saugor in the early autumn of 1942. No. 4 Column were made up predominately by Gurkha Rifle troops, with the Commando Section one of the few units of the column to be made up of solely British soldiers.
Major Finlay (sometimes spelled Findlay) is only mentioned once from amongst the writings in relation to the first Wingate expedition and this comes from a debrief paper penned by one of his colleagues from 4 Column, Lt. J. H. Stewart-Jones:
I have read with interest the account in the recent issue of the Regimental News; of the part played by the 3rd Battalion during the operations of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in Burma. Erroneous impressions are liable to be formed by people unconnected with the battalion who may have or read the official report on operations of the above mentioned Brigade.
I therefore feel it incumbent upon me to ask that this account of the conduct of four Rifleman be placed on the Regimental record. These four were members of No. 4 Column, commanded until March 1st 1943 by Major Conron, 2nd KEO Gurkha Rifles. On March 1st, Major Bromhead, (Royal Berks) took over command and the column ordered to provide the diversion, by road blocks and other means necessary to allow the other elements of the Brigade (cols. 3, 5, 7 and 8) to proceed to their objectives.
The Burma Rifles section commanded by Lt. FW. Burn was ordered to recce the village of Pinbon and surrounding areas. This party was ambushed and Lt. Burn wounded and the reconnaissance abandoned. Myself and the four Riflemen volunteered to locate the patrol and wounded officer and bring them back into column. During this time we encountered the enemy, which we defeated at no cost to ourselves. All advantage had been with the enemy, but the intelligence and obedience of these Gurkhas to all commands, wrestled this away and we forced a successful conclusion. The discipline of these men under fire was of the highest order and in keeping with Gurkha traditions.
The following day No. 4 Column proceeded south under Major Bromhead and halted in column snake, half a mile of Pinbon. The last two groups of our men and animals were still in the process of crossing a small river which bounded Pinbon, when the first Japanese grenades and mortars fell upon the column. The enemy attempted to cut the line in four places, attacking our flanks.
No orders for any definite plan of action came from HQ, and with visibility down to just 30 yards, I ordered Subedar Tikajit Pun to withdraw our section of the column north over the river. After the action had lasted around twenty minutes and withdrawing through various engagements with the enemy, we collected 150 men and 30 animals. I ordered Lt. Green (2nd KEO Gurkha Rifles) to lead the column one mile to the north while we held the river with a platoon.
That same evening we caught Lt. Green up and headed south through primary jungle. Two days later we were down to 137 all ranks. I handed command of the column to the most senior officer present, Captain Findlay of the Royal Engineers and we decided to bivouac in the jungle and send out a patrol to contact Brigade HQ (Wingate). Our wireless was useless, food non-existent apart from our bullocks, which of course the Gurkhas could not very well eat and the men were in all opinion too weak to continue.
In the end Lt. Stewart-Jones and his small party set off in search of 77 Brigade Head Quarters and did eventually bump into No. 8 Column, with whom they remained for the next six weeks. Major Finlay and the rest of the separated men headed west and successfully re-crossed the Chindwin River a few days later. In late 1945, Finlay was awarded the MBE (London Gazette 1st January 1946) for his efforts against the Japanese, before relinquishing his commission (8th March 1946) with the honorary rank of Major. NB: Many thanks to Dr. Andrew Kilsby for his assistance with this narrative.
To read more about the adventures of Lt. Stewart-Jones, please click on the following link: Lt. Jock Stewart-Jones
To read more about some of the men who made up Major Finlay's Commando Section on Operation Longcloth in 1943, please click on the following link: The Bricklayers of Column 4 Commando
Nominal Roll for the men of No. 4 Column Commando.
FITZPATRICK, JOSEPH
Rank: Private
Service No: 4198452
Date of Death: 21/10/1944
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Grave Reference 5. D. 1. Rangoon War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2259957/fitzpatrick,-joseph/
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Joseph Fitzpatrick was born on the 27th October 1919 and was the son of Stephen and Alice Fitzpatrick from Appley Bridge in Lancashire. In the years before WW2, Joseph worked both as a waiter in the catering industry and as a doorman for a large Liverpool Hotel. He enlisted into the Army and was originally posted to the Royal Welch Fusiliers, with the Army No. 4198452. Later, whilst in India, Pte. Fitzpatrick was transferred to the 13th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment and was allocated to Chindit Column No. 5 at their training camp located in the jungle scrubland close to the town of Saugor in the Central Provinces of the country.
During his time in Burma on Operation Longcloth, Joseph took on the role of groom to Captain Tommy Roberts who commanded the Support Platoon within 5 Column. Apart from the obvious duties in looking after Captain Roberts' horse, Pte. Fitzpatrick was also used as a runner in Burma, delivering messages to Major Fergusson and the other officers from 5 Column. Bernard Fergusson mentions one such occasion in his book, Beyond the Chindwin, when the column were marching towards Bonchaung in early March 1943 and suffered an ambush by a Japanese patrol at a village called Kyaik-in:
On the morning of the 6th of March, everybody got off to time; but before I had marched four hundred yards along the road, Fitzpatrick, Tommy Roberts' groom, came up at a gallop, somewhat flustered. He had been up and down the road for fifteen minutes, unable to spot the point in the jungle where our bivouac had been. (I never bivouacked within five hundred yards of a track).
Tommy was engaged in Kyaik-in village with some Japanese; he had sent Jim Harman back and round to go straight for the gorge, and was fighting it out himself. I asked Fitzpatrick (in civil life a buttons in a Liverpool hotel) for details, but all he knew was that there was a lot of shooting going on, and a lot of bangs, and Tommy had sent him back to warn me. I hastily decided to send the main body straight off across country to Bonchaung. I sent the remaining rifle platoon, now commanded by Gerry Roberts, down the motor-road to the village as fast as it could go, to back up Tommy, while I gave Alec and Duncan their orders. When I had finished, I took Peter Dorans, and followed Gerry.
As I drew near the village, I could hear light machine-guns in action, and the occasional burst of a grenade. The jungle was continuous on the right of the road, but there was a small strip of disused paddy, with some scrubby bushes, on the left; and by the time I arrived (for it took a minute or two to give out the orders to the main body) Gerry's leading Bren section was already in position, and had fired on a small party of Japs.
Obsessed with the importance of avoiding a fight with our own troops, I begged him to be careful, and to work gradually along the track. I saw two men of the original party in the bushes on the right, one of whom was Bill Edge's servant, who had been with Tommy: he told me that Bill Edge had been hit, had gone off with Bill Aird to get his wound dressed, and told him to stay by his pack. By this time all was quiet, except for one light machine-gun firing at us from the south-eastern end of the paddy; but its fire soon ceased, and somebody found the gunner dead by his gun half an hour later.
To read more about the ambush at Kyaik-in, please click on the following link: Lieutenant John Kerr and the Fighting Men of Kyaik-in
After completing the demolition of the railway line and gorge at Bonchaung, 5 Column pushed further east towards the Irrawaddy River, crossing at a place named Tigyaing. At this time Pte. Fitzpatrick would have still been with Captain Roberts' unit and would have continued to tend his commander's horse. Just a few weeks later, on the 28th March, 5 Column were engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy at a village called Hintha. After the withdrawal from Hintha, the column were again ambushed by the Japanese as they marched northeast in an attempt to join up with the rest of 77 Brigade. It was at this juncture that Pte. Fitzpatrick became separated from the main body of the column and his commanding officer, Tommy Roberts.
Quartermaster Sergeant Ernest Henderson described this incident in a witness statement given in February 1944, as part of the investigation into the fate of those missing from the first Wingate expedition. He stated that a group of some twenty soldiers including Pte. Fitzpatrick were part of his dispersal party after the battle at Hintha:
I was with No. 5 Column of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, during operations in Burma in 1943. The above named British Other Ranks were in my dispersal group all the way through the campaign until we made contact with the enemy in a village called Hintha. After the action in that village was over, the above mentioned BOR's were still in my dispersal group, which was commanded by Flight Lieutenant Sharp RAF, who halted us and unsaddled what mules we could to allow us to go ahead quicker. After starting off from that halt which was approximately 2 miles from Hintha, we were marching up a steep hill, when the end of the column snake was opened fire on from the rear. This caused a gap in the Column of about 100 yards which left the above mentioned BOR's behind. We kept marching for another 4 miles and halted and waited for these people to re-join, but they must have gone the wrong way, because they did not join us again. I saw all the above mentioned for last time approximately two and a half miles N.E. of Hintha. They were all alive, and last seen on the 28th March.
To read more about 5 Column's engagement with the Japanese at Hintha, please click on the following link: Pte. John Henry Cobb
Shown below is a gallery of images in relation to this story including the witness statement made by CQMS Henderson. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 4198452
Date of Death: 21/10/1944
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Grave Reference 5. D. 1. Rangoon War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2259957/fitzpatrick,-joseph/
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Joseph Fitzpatrick was born on the 27th October 1919 and was the son of Stephen and Alice Fitzpatrick from Appley Bridge in Lancashire. In the years before WW2, Joseph worked both as a waiter in the catering industry and as a doorman for a large Liverpool Hotel. He enlisted into the Army and was originally posted to the Royal Welch Fusiliers, with the Army No. 4198452. Later, whilst in India, Pte. Fitzpatrick was transferred to the 13th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment and was allocated to Chindit Column No. 5 at their training camp located in the jungle scrubland close to the town of Saugor in the Central Provinces of the country.
During his time in Burma on Operation Longcloth, Joseph took on the role of groom to Captain Tommy Roberts who commanded the Support Platoon within 5 Column. Apart from the obvious duties in looking after Captain Roberts' horse, Pte. Fitzpatrick was also used as a runner in Burma, delivering messages to Major Fergusson and the other officers from 5 Column. Bernard Fergusson mentions one such occasion in his book, Beyond the Chindwin, when the column were marching towards Bonchaung in early March 1943 and suffered an ambush by a Japanese patrol at a village called Kyaik-in:
On the morning of the 6th of March, everybody got off to time; but before I had marched four hundred yards along the road, Fitzpatrick, Tommy Roberts' groom, came up at a gallop, somewhat flustered. He had been up and down the road for fifteen minutes, unable to spot the point in the jungle where our bivouac had been. (I never bivouacked within five hundred yards of a track).
Tommy was engaged in Kyaik-in village with some Japanese; he had sent Jim Harman back and round to go straight for the gorge, and was fighting it out himself. I asked Fitzpatrick (in civil life a buttons in a Liverpool hotel) for details, but all he knew was that there was a lot of shooting going on, and a lot of bangs, and Tommy had sent him back to warn me. I hastily decided to send the main body straight off across country to Bonchaung. I sent the remaining rifle platoon, now commanded by Gerry Roberts, down the motor-road to the village as fast as it could go, to back up Tommy, while I gave Alec and Duncan their orders. When I had finished, I took Peter Dorans, and followed Gerry.
As I drew near the village, I could hear light machine-guns in action, and the occasional burst of a grenade. The jungle was continuous on the right of the road, but there was a small strip of disused paddy, with some scrubby bushes, on the left; and by the time I arrived (for it took a minute or two to give out the orders to the main body) Gerry's leading Bren section was already in position, and had fired on a small party of Japs.
Obsessed with the importance of avoiding a fight with our own troops, I begged him to be careful, and to work gradually along the track. I saw two men of the original party in the bushes on the right, one of whom was Bill Edge's servant, who had been with Tommy: he told me that Bill Edge had been hit, had gone off with Bill Aird to get his wound dressed, and told him to stay by his pack. By this time all was quiet, except for one light machine-gun firing at us from the south-eastern end of the paddy; but its fire soon ceased, and somebody found the gunner dead by his gun half an hour later.
To read more about the ambush at Kyaik-in, please click on the following link: Lieutenant John Kerr and the Fighting Men of Kyaik-in
After completing the demolition of the railway line and gorge at Bonchaung, 5 Column pushed further east towards the Irrawaddy River, crossing at a place named Tigyaing. At this time Pte. Fitzpatrick would have still been with Captain Roberts' unit and would have continued to tend his commander's horse. Just a few weeks later, on the 28th March, 5 Column were engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy at a village called Hintha. After the withdrawal from Hintha, the column were again ambushed by the Japanese as they marched northeast in an attempt to join up with the rest of 77 Brigade. It was at this juncture that Pte. Fitzpatrick became separated from the main body of the column and his commanding officer, Tommy Roberts.
Quartermaster Sergeant Ernest Henderson described this incident in a witness statement given in February 1944, as part of the investigation into the fate of those missing from the first Wingate expedition. He stated that a group of some twenty soldiers including Pte. Fitzpatrick were part of his dispersal party after the battle at Hintha:
I was with No. 5 Column of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, during operations in Burma in 1943. The above named British Other Ranks were in my dispersal group all the way through the campaign until we made contact with the enemy in a village called Hintha. After the action in that village was over, the above mentioned BOR's were still in my dispersal group, which was commanded by Flight Lieutenant Sharp RAF, who halted us and unsaddled what mules we could to allow us to go ahead quicker. After starting off from that halt which was approximately 2 miles from Hintha, we were marching up a steep hill, when the end of the column snake was opened fire on from the rear. This caused a gap in the Column of about 100 yards which left the above mentioned BOR's behind. We kept marching for another 4 miles and halted and waited for these people to re-join, but they must have gone the wrong way, because they did not join us again. I saw all the above mentioned for last time approximately two and a half miles N.E. of Hintha. They were all alive, and last seen on the 28th March.
To read more about 5 Column's engagement with the Japanese at Hintha, please click on the following link: Pte. John Henry Cobb
Shown below is a gallery of images in relation to this story including the witness statement made by CQMS Henderson. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
One hundred men from 5 Column were separated at the second ambush on the outskirts of Hintha and the majority of these were fortunate to bump into 7 Column three days later, as Major Gilkes' men prepared to cross the Shweli River. Major Gilkes took the stragglers from 5 Column under his wing. He allocated these men into his already pre-arranged dispersal groups and the men headed towards the Yunnan Borders of China in order to exit Burma. Joseph Fitzpatrick was allocated to the group led by Lieutenant Campbell-Paterson formerly of the Royal Scots.
After successfully crossing the fast flowing Shweli River on the 14th April near the Burmese village of Nayok, Campbell-Paterson's group were caught for a period in an area of hills which were being heavily patrolled by the Japanese. Having made little progress for the best part of a week, some of the British NCO's lost confidence in the original plan to exit Burma via the Yunnan Borders and asked if they might be allowed to break away from the dispersal group and return westwards to India.
A witness statement report given after the operation by a Pte. J. Harvey (shown in the above gallery), explains how four men led by CSM Robert McIntyre chose this option and separated from Lieutenant Campbell-Paterson's group in late April 1943. Pte. J. Harvey's short report confirms CSM McIntyre and three other men, Joseph Fitzpatrick, Corporal William McGee and Francis Fairhurst (all former members of 5 Column) decided to leave the dispersal party when the group were in the vicinity of Mong Mit.
On several occasions after 7 Column's dispersal from the banks of the Shweli River; small splinter groups were formed, often led by British NCO's who respectfully disagreed with the order to march north-east towards and exit Burma via the Chinese borders. In my experience this was mainly due to the lack of British rations available to the men at that time and their dislike of surviving on a diet of rice obtained from local villages en route. Pte. Harvey states that McIntyre's party were last seen on the 24th April and that they had a little food with them, but no weapons. Over the next few days, Robert McIntyre and all the members of his break-away party were captured by the Japanese. To read more about CSM McIntyre and the other men with him, please click on the following link and scroll down alphabetically on the page: Roll Call K-O
After successfully crossing the fast flowing Shweli River on the 14th April near the Burmese village of Nayok, Campbell-Paterson's group were caught for a period in an area of hills which were being heavily patrolled by the Japanese. Having made little progress for the best part of a week, some of the British NCO's lost confidence in the original plan to exit Burma via the Yunnan Borders and asked if they might be allowed to break away from the dispersal group and return westwards to India.
A witness statement report given after the operation by a Pte. J. Harvey (shown in the above gallery), explains how four men led by CSM Robert McIntyre chose this option and separated from Lieutenant Campbell-Paterson's group in late April 1943. Pte. J. Harvey's short report confirms CSM McIntyre and three other men, Joseph Fitzpatrick, Corporal William McGee and Francis Fairhurst (all former members of 5 Column) decided to leave the dispersal party when the group were in the vicinity of Mong Mit.
On several occasions after 7 Column's dispersal from the banks of the Shweli River; small splinter groups were formed, often led by British NCO's who respectfully disagreed with the order to march north-east towards and exit Burma via the Chinese borders. In my experience this was mainly due to the lack of British rations available to the men at that time and their dislike of surviving on a diet of rice obtained from local villages en route. Pte. Harvey states that McIntyre's party were last seen on the 24th April and that they had a little food with them, but no weapons. Over the next few days, Robert McIntyre and all the members of his break-away party were captured by the Japanese. To read more about CSM McIntyre and the other men with him, please click on the following link and scroll down alphabetically on the page: Roll Call K-O
Map of the area around Nayok on the Shweli, where Lt. Campbell-Paterson's dispersal group crossed the river.
Joseph Fitzpatrick was captured on the 26th April 1943 and according to his POW index card the location of capture was somewhere east of the Chindwin River. I believe that this description of the location, is simply a statement implying that he had not managed to reach the river which formed the unofficial boundary between Burma on the east and Assam on the west and proved to be such an insurmountable barrier to many a Chindit in 1943. Joseph spent 18 months as a prisoner of war inside Block 6 of Rangoon Jail, where he was allocated the POW number of 307.
Sadly, Joseph Fitzpatrick died on the 21st October 1944, suffering from the ravages of exhaustion, malnutrition and beri beri. His POW card states that he had become ill around mid-August and that his official cause of death was the disease beri beri. He was buried in the first instance at the English Cantonment Cemetery located in the eastern sector of the city, close to the Royal Lakes. In June 1946, Joseph's remains, along with the other Chindit burials at the Cantonment Cemetery were re-interred at the newly constructed Rangoon War Cemetery which is situated close to the dockland area of the city.
In his home county of Lancashire, Joseph is remembered upon both the Appley Bridge and Shevington War Memorials. For his epitaph back at Rangoon War Cemetery, his family chose the following rhyming couplet to be placed onto his grave plaque:
Sadly, Joseph Fitzpatrick died on the 21st October 1944, suffering from the ravages of exhaustion, malnutrition and beri beri. His POW card states that he had become ill around mid-August and that his official cause of death was the disease beri beri. He was buried in the first instance at the English Cantonment Cemetery located in the eastern sector of the city, close to the Royal Lakes. In June 1946, Joseph's remains, along with the other Chindit burials at the Cantonment Cemetery were re-interred at the newly constructed Rangoon War Cemetery which is situated close to the dockland area of the city.
In his home county of Lancashire, Joseph is remembered upon both the Appley Bridge and Shevington War Memorials. For his epitaph back at Rangoon War Cemetery, his family chose the following rhyming couplet to be placed onto his grave plaque:
Whoever stops by this soldier's grave
Please say a prayer, he was so brave.
Please say a prayer, he was so brave.
Seen below is a final gallery of images in relation to this story, including Joseph's memorial plaque at Rangoon War Cemetery and his inscription upon the Shevington War Memorial. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Cap badge of the RAF.
FLETCHER H.
Rank: Flight Sergeant
Service No: 561112
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: RAF attached 77 Indian Infantry Brigade.
Chindit Column: 3
Other details:
In March 2008, my family and I travelled to Burma to visit some of the places frequented by the Chindits during WW2. On this trip was a Burma veteran named Denis Gudgeon who was full of stories and anecdotes about his involvement on Operation Longcloth in 1943. One of these accounts, given by the poolside bar at the Mandalay Hill Hotel, mentioned a RAF Sergeant named Fletcher, who was part of the RAF Liaison section in No. 3 Column that year. I have never been able to find out any more information about Sergeant Fletcher, other than he was awarded a Mentioned in Despatches for his services in Burma, as gazetted on the 16th December 1943.
The RAF Liaison team for No. 3 Column was commanded by Flight Lieutenant Robert Thompson who was awarded the Military Cross for his efforts on Operation Longcloth. Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story including the entry in the London Gazette recording Fletcher's MID. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Flight Sergeant
Service No: 561112
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: RAF attached 77 Indian Infantry Brigade.
Chindit Column: 3
Other details:
In March 2008, my family and I travelled to Burma to visit some of the places frequented by the Chindits during WW2. On this trip was a Burma veteran named Denis Gudgeon who was full of stories and anecdotes about his involvement on Operation Longcloth in 1943. One of these accounts, given by the poolside bar at the Mandalay Hill Hotel, mentioned a RAF Sergeant named Fletcher, who was part of the RAF Liaison section in No. 3 Column that year. I have never been able to find out any more information about Sergeant Fletcher, other than he was awarded a Mentioned in Despatches for his services in Burma, as gazetted on the 16th December 1943.
The RAF Liaison team for No. 3 Column was commanded by Flight Lieutenant Robert Thompson who was awarded the Military Cross for his efforts on Operation Longcloth. Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story including the entry in the London Gazette recording Fletcher's MID. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
FORREST J.
Rank: Private
Service No: 2935262
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: 142 Commando attached 13th Battalion The King's (Liverpool) Regiment.
Chindit Column: 1
Other details:
Pte. Forrest joined 142 Commando at their training camp at Saugor on the 25th September 1942, having previously served with the Cameron Highlanders earlier in the war. He was allocated to the Commando section for No. 1 Column under the command of Lt. J.L. Watson formerly of the Black Watch. No. 1 Column were predominately a Gurkha Rifles unit on Operation Longcloth, with the Commando Platoon providing some of the British element alongside the Signals and RAF Liaison sections. To read more about the Commandos of No. 1 Column, please click on the following link: Pte. Ernest Belcher
Rank: Private
Service No: 2935262
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: 142 Commando attached 13th Battalion The King's (Liverpool) Regiment.
Chindit Column: 1
Other details:
Pte. Forrest joined 142 Commando at their training camp at Saugor on the 25th September 1942, having previously served with the Cameron Highlanders earlier in the war. He was allocated to the Commando section for No. 1 Column under the command of Lt. J.L. Watson formerly of the Black Watch. No. 1 Column were predominately a Gurkha Rifles unit on Operation Longcloth, with the Commando Platoon providing some of the British element alongside the Signals and RAF Liaison sections. To read more about the Commandos of No. 1 Column, please click on the following link: Pte. Ernest Belcher
The Commando Section for No. 1 Column on Operation Longcloth.
FOULDS, GORDON GEORGE
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 153118
Age: Not known
Regiment/Service: 13th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment.
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Gordon Foulds was posted to the 13th King's in October 1940 whilst the battalion had been performing coastal defence duties at Felixstowe in Suffolk. Just over one year later, he was part of the battalion as it prepared to voyage overseas to India aboard the troopship Oronsay on the 8th December 1941. It is known that Lt. Foulds was part of the leadership structure for No. 5 Column during the training period at Patharia and Saugor, but it is not known whether he actually took part on Operation Longcloth itself.
Lt. Foulds' involvement during Chindit training was mentioned in the book, Return via Rangoon, by Philip Stibbe. The transcription below is in relation to an incident where the whole training regime had been severely effected by the unexpected arrival of the monsoon season in the Central Provinces of India:
Gordon Foulds, who was temporarily attached to our column, was in charge of our little party as we squelched our way forward rather hopefully, but whichever direction we went in, after about half a mile we found we were faced with raging flood waters. It was rapidly getting dark and we began to think we must be on an island with the floods rising all around us. One of the officers was washed away trying to cross the stream, but he managed to seize an overhanging branch and drag himself to the bank.
When night fell we found that our torches would not work properly owing to the damp and Gordon decided that the only thing to do was to stay where we were and hope that the water would not rise to our level before morning. We had all taken off our clothes as usual when it first started to rain, but it had been impossible to keep them dry. We had nothing to eat, we were soaked to the marrow, and it was now extremely cold. We could not make a fire as there was nothing dry to burn, so we huddled together under the scanty leaves of a tree and prepared for a sleepless night. Somebody jokingly remarked that at any rate we were not suffering from thirst.
Gordon and I spent the night clinging together for warmth under a sopping blanket. We derived a certain amount of amusement from recalling how as children at home we used to be popped into a hot mustard bath if we came home with wet feet. At first light we moved off stiff and tired and hungry. It had stopped raining and the floods were beginning to subside as rapidly as they had risen, so that we did not have much difficulty in reaching the camp and safety.
As mentioned earlier, it is not known if Gordon Foulds actually took part on the the first Wingate expedition into Burma in 1943. It is likely that he had taken a more administrative role in the battalion and became part of the Rear Base set up at Saugor and then Agartala. He remained with the battalion through 1944, becoming the battalion Adjutant for a period on the 21st September whilst the King's were stationed at Karachi. Previous to this he had been D Company commander at the Napier Barracks in Karachi. On the 22nd March 1945, Gordon Foulds, now holding the rank of Major was transferred from the 13th King's to the Base Reinforcement Camp at Comilla in readiness for an active service posting.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including the war diary extract describing Gordon Foulds' promotion to battalion Adjutant in September 1944. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 153118
Age: Not known
Regiment/Service: 13th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment.
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Gordon Foulds was posted to the 13th King's in October 1940 whilst the battalion had been performing coastal defence duties at Felixstowe in Suffolk. Just over one year later, he was part of the battalion as it prepared to voyage overseas to India aboard the troopship Oronsay on the 8th December 1941. It is known that Lt. Foulds was part of the leadership structure for No. 5 Column during the training period at Patharia and Saugor, but it is not known whether he actually took part on Operation Longcloth itself.
Lt. Foulds' involvement during Chindit training was mentioned in the book, Return via Rangoon, by Philip Stibbe. The transcription below is in relation to an incident where the whole training regime had been severely effected by the unexpected arrival of the monsoon season in the Central Provinces of India:
Gordon Foulds, who was temporarily attached to our column, was in charge of our little party as we squelched our way forward rather hopefully, but whichever direction we went in, after about half a mile we found we were faced with raging flood waters. It was rapidly getting dark and we began to think we must be on an island with the floods rising all around us. One of the officers was washed away trying to cross the stream, but he managed to seize an overhanging branch and drag himself to the bank.
When night fell we found that our torches would not work properly owing to the damp and Gordon decided that the only thing to do was to stay where we were and hope that the water would not rise to our level before morning. We had all taken off our clothes as usual when it first started to rain, but it had been impossible to keep them dry. We had nothing to eat, we were soaked to the marrow, and it was now extremely cold. We could not make a fire as there was nothing dry to burn, so we huddled together under the scanty leaves of a tree and prepared for a sleepless night. Somebody jokingly remarked that at any rate we were not suffering from thirst.
Gordon and I spent the night clinging together for warmth under a sopping blanket. We derived a certain amount of amusement from recalling how as children at home we used to be popped into a hot mustard bath if we came home with wet feet. At first light we moved off stiff and tired and hungry. It had stopped raining and the floods were beginning to subside as rapidly as they had risen, so that we did not have much difficulty in reaching the camp and safety.
As mentioned earlier, it is not known if Gordon Foulds actually took part on the the first Wingate expedition into Burma in 1943. It is likely that he had taken a more administrative role in the battalion and became part of the Rear Base set up at Saugor and then Agartala. He remained with the battalion through 1944, becoming the battalion Adjutant for a period on the 21st September whilst the King's were stationed at Karachi. Previous to this he had been D Company commander at the Napier Barracks in Karachi. On the 22nd March 1945, Gordon Foulds, now holding the rank of Major was transferred from the 13th King's to the Base Reinforcement Camp at Comilla in readiness for an active service posting.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including the war diary extract describing Gordon Foulds' promotion to battalion Adjutant in September 1944. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Cap badge of the King's Own Shropshire Light Infantry.
FOWLER, JOHN LIONEL
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 155725
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: 3/2 Gurkha Rifles.
Chindit Column: 1
Other details:
John Lionel Fowler was born on the 2nd November 1914 and was the son of Frederick and Ada Georgina Fowler from Forest Hill in southeast London. Originally enlisted into the King's Own Shropshire Light Infantry, John was posted overseas and was transferred to the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles in India during late 1942.
Having been selected alongside, Bill Smyly, Alec Irving and Dominic Neill to perform the roll of Animal Transport, all four young officers were placed into D' company of the battalion and commenced training for Operation Longcloth at Saugor in the Central Provinces of India. Eventually the four subalterns were allocated to their Chindit columns and John Fowler was sent to join No. 1 Column under the overall command of Major George Dunlop formerly of the Royal Scots.
To read more about these early days as an Animal Transport officer, please click on the pages in the gallery below, taken from Lt. Dominic Neill's Chindit memoir entitled, One More River.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 155725
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: 3/2 Gurkha Rifles.
Chindit Column: 1
Other details:
John Lionel Fowler was born on the 2nd November 1914 and was the son of Frederick and Ada Georgina Fowler from Forest Hill in southeast London. Originally enlisted into the King's Own Shropshire Light Infantry, John was posted overseas and was transferred to the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles in India during late 1942.
Having been selected alongside, Bill Smyly, Alec Irving and Dominic Neill to perform the roll of Animal Transport, all four young officers were placed into D' company of the battalion and commenced training for Operation Longcloth at Saugor in the Central Provinces of India. Eventually the four subalterns were allocated to their Chindit columns and John Fowler was sent to join No. 1 Column under the overall command of Major George Dunlop formerly of the Royal Scots.
To read more about these early days as an Animal Transport officer, please click on the pages in the gallery below, taken from Lt. Dominic Neill's Chindit memoir entitled, One More River.
From the book, Wingate's Lost Brigade, by author Philip Chinnery:
As the year (1942) came to an end, 1 Column was brought up to strength with the arrival of some new blood, in the shape of Medical Officer Captain Norman Stocks, RAF Liaison Officer John Redman, the Animal Transport Officer Lt. John Fowler with the rest of the mules, and two young subalterns, 2nd Lieutenants Harvey and Wormell. They had to learn quickly as there were two river-crossing exercises planned and wireless training to be carried out by the newly arrived Signal Section.
Major Dunlop and his officers were called to Brigade Headquarters at Imphal and given their instructions by Wingate, which were short and very much to the point:
a) Together with 2 Column, they were to create a diversion to the south of the main objectives to be performed by Columns 3,4,5,7 and 8 (Northern Group). Their orders were to operate openly in the area to the east of Auktaung in order to draw off as many Japanese patrols as possible.
b) To then meet Brigadier Wingate, in the low ground beyond Tagaung on the east side of the Irrawaddy River in early March.
c) Or, having failed to make this meeting, to travel to Mongmit and encourage a rebellion amongst the Burmese against the Japanese occupation.
On the 6th January 1943, the Chindit Brigade boarded a succession of special trains at Jhansi in preparation for their journey up to Dimapur in Assam. Some personnel from 1 Column under the temporary command of Brigade-Major G. Menzies-Anderson were loaded on to train SA 5 at Jhansi, included amongst the passengers on this train were Medical Officer Captain Norman Stocks and Lieutenant John Fowler. In a rather amusing movement order written for the transfer of the Brigade, it was stated that officers must be prepared to travel in 2nd or even 3rd Class carriages for the duration of the journey, as there was a severe shortage of 1st Class accommodation available.
From Dimapur, the Brigade marched along the Manipur Road towards Imphal. They marched only at night in order to allow normal Army traffic to use the road during daylight hours, but also to keep their presence and direction of travel as secretive as they possibly could. After reaching Imphal 77th Brigade assembled for the very last time as one unit, before setting off for the Chindwin River by column formation and crossing into Burma.
Southern Group crossed the Chindwin on 15/16th February 1943 at a place called Auktaung. Their orders were to march toward their prime objective, the rail station at Kyaikthin. They marched openly along well known local trails and paths and also received a large supply drop from the air, which must have announced their presence in the area to the Japanese. The decoy group were accompanied at this time by a Company of Sikh Mountain Artillery and a section of Seaforth Highlanders. These supplementary units were to create a further diversion for Wingate by attacking the town of Pantha, alerting the enemy to the possibility that there might well be a full-scale re-invasion taking place. To all intents and purposes these decoy tactics succeeded and Northern Group did proceed unmolested toward their own specific objectives.
As the year (1942) came to an end, 1 Column was brought up to strength with the arrival of some new blood, in the shape of Medical Officer Captain Norman Stocks, RAF Liaison Officer John Redman, the Animal Transport Officer Lt. John Fowler with the rest of the mules, and two young subalterns, 2nd Lieutenants Harvey and Wormell. They had to learn quickly as there were two river-crossing exercises planned and wireless training to be carried out by the newly arrived Signal Section.
Major Dunlop and his officers were called to Brigade Headquarters at Imphal and given their instructions by Wingate, which were short and very much to the point:
a) Together with 2 Column, they were to create a diversion to the south of the main objectives to be performed by Columns 3,4,5,7 and 8 (Northern Group). Their orders were to operate openly in the area to the east of Auktaung in order to draw off as many Japanese patrols as possible.
b) To then meet Brigadier Wingate, in the low ground beyond Tagaung on the east side of the Irrawaddy River in early March.
c) Or, having failed to make this meeting, to travel to Mongmit and encourage a rebellion amongst the Burmese against the Japanese occupation.
On the 6th January 1943, the Chindit Brigade boarded a succession of special trains at Jhansi in preparation for their journey up to Dimapur in Assam. Some personnel from 1 Column under the temporary command of Brigade-Major G. Menzies-Anderson were loaded on to train SA 5 at Jhansi, included amongst the passengers on this train were Medical Officer Captain Norman Stocks and Lieutenant John Fowler. In a rather amusing movement order written for the transfer of the Brigade, it was stated that officers must be prepared to travel in 2nd or even 3rd Class carriages for the duration of the journey, as there was a severe shortage of 1st Class accommodation available.
From Dimapur, the Brigade marched along the Manipur Road towards Imphal. They marched only at night in order to allow normal Army traffic to use the road during daylight hours, but also to keep their presence and direction of travel as secretive as they possibly could. After reaching Imphal 77th Brigade assembled for the very last time as one unit, before setting off for the Chindwin River by column formation and crossing into Burma.
Southern Group crossed the Chindwin on 15/16th February 1943 at a place called Auktaung. Their orders were to march toward their prime objective, the rail station at Kyaikthin. They marched openly along well known local trails and paths and also received a large supply drop from the air, which must have announced their presence in the area to the Japanese. The decoy group were accompanied at this time by a Company of Sikh Mountain Artillery and a section of Seaforth Highlanders. These supplementary units were to create a further diversion for Wingate by attacking the town of Pantha, alerting the enemy to the possibility that there might well be a full-scale re-invasion taking place. To all intents and purposes these decoy tactics succeeded and Northern Group did proceed unmolested toward their own specific objectives.
Map of the area around Auktaung, the crossing point for Southern Group in 1943.
From the personal diary of Lt. Robert Peter Wormell, assistant Animal Transport officer for No. 1 Column:
At dusk we marched down to the Chindwin River bank. It was getting light again by the time we were all over on the east bank, with the mules being the cause of the delay. Our crossing was partially protected by the men of the Patiala State Forces, who had formed a bridgehead on the east bank. There was no sign of the Japanese and we marched clear of the bank and made our first bivouac a few miles into the jungle and rested until evening. I was now appointed assistant ATO under Lt. John Fowler. Altogether we had about 120 mules, which included 70 in the second-line baggage section. I became officer in charge of the second-line and was also responsible for the inspection and care of any sick animals. We took another supply drop shortly afterwards and then headed for the railway at Kyaikthin our main objective.
Kyaikthin would prove the undoing of Southern Section in 1943, as the Japanese had become aware of their presence in the area and prepared an ambush for the Chindit group as it marched along the rail tracks on the night of the 2nd March.
Robert Wormell recalled:
We crossed the escarpment and had our second supply dropping ten days after crossing the Chindwin. We were supplied short, only receiving half the quantity asked for. We had to make do on half rations for the next twelve days until we had crossed the Irrawaddy. Between the escarpment and the Irrawaddy was our target; the railway line which runs between Myitkhina and Mandalay. Our job was to blow up a bridge north of Kawlin and then proceed to the Irrawaddy. The Commando Section under Lt. John Nealon accomplished this task whilst being covered by a platoon led by Captain Vivian Weatherall. Southern Group HQ and No. 2 Column had left us during the last supply drop and were a few miles further south towards Kyaikthin. Their attack on the railway was thwarted by the Japanese, who surprised them just before their own attack was to begin. No. 2 Column split up, with half returning to the Chindwin, whilst the remainder, including Group HQ joined up with us several days later and continued with us for the rest of the campaign.
No. 1 Column and the remnants of Southern Group crossed the Irrawaddy around the 9th March and pushed further east in an attempt to join up with the other Chindit columns already assembled beyond the rivers eastern banks. After two more weeks of meandering, No. 1 Column found themselves in the area around the Burmese town of Mong Mit. It was from this position that the column learned that Wingate had called-off the operation and had given the order for all columns to return to India.
Shortly after dispersal had been called, No. 1 Column were travelling east towards the Shweli River when they became aware that they were being tracked by a large Japanese patrol. Major Dunlop gave the order for all heavy equipment to be discarded immediately and also decided to release the remaining column mules with the exception of the animal carrying the wireless set. John Fowler, having lost his animals, was made Column Quartermaster for the journey back to India and was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of all column rations. As supply drops became more and more difficult to arrange, this role involved moving ahead of the main body of 1 Column and purchasing rice and other food stuffs from Burmese villages.
Lt. Ian MacHorton, another young officer present on the journey back to India, remembered John Fowler's valuable contribution in 1943. From his book, Safer than a Known Way:
We had not eaten for several days, when column Quartermaster John Fowler, whose Army equipment always gave the impression it had wound itself around him rather than that it had ever been fitted onto him, arrived with a heaped mess tin of cooked rice and slice of melon for each of us. They were doled out to us as we marched through the archway of the village. John was aided in this most popular duty by Captain George Carne of the Burma Rifles. As an extra delicacy they also produced one chicken between every eight men and we all sat down to eat this wonderful meal.
NB. Another anecdote referring to Lt. Fowler's time as Column Quartermaster on dispersal, tells of how he once returned to column headquarters carrying a half-eaten deer, claiming that it was part of a recent tiger kill and that the men ought to eat it before the original owner returned to the area!
Shown below are two photographs; one of Major George Dunlop, the other of Lt. Ian MacHorton. Please click on either image to bring it forward on the page.
At dusk we marched down to the Chindwin River bank. It was getting light again by the time we were all over on the east bank, with the mules being the cause of the delay. Our crossing was partially protected by the men of the Patiala State Forces, who had formed a bridgehead on the east bank. There was no sign of the Japanese and we marched clear of the bank and made our first bivouac a few miles into the jungle and rested until evening. I was now appointed assistant ATO under Lt. John Fowler. Altogether we had about 120 mules, which included 70 in the second-line baggage section. I became officer in charge of the second-line and was also responsible for the inspection and care of any sick animals. We took another supply drop shortly afterwards and then headed for the railway at Kyaikthin our main objective.
Kyaikthin would prove the undoing of Southern Section in 1943, as the Japanese had become aware of their presence in the area and prepared an ambush for the Chindit group as it marched along the rail tracks on the night of the 2nd March.
Robert Wormell recalled:
We crossed the escarpment and had our second supply dropping ten days after crossing the Chindwin. We were supplied short, only receiving half the quantity asked for. We had to make do on half rations for the next twelve days until we had crossed the Irrawaddy. Between the escarpment and the Irrawaddy was our target; the railway line which runs between Myitkhina and Mandalay. Our job was to blow up a bridge north of Kawlin and then proceed to the Irrawaddy. The Commando Section under Lt. John Nealon accomplished this task whilst being covered by a platoon led by Captain Vivian Weatherall. Southern Group HQ and No. 2 Column had left us during the last supply drop and were a few miles further south towards Kyaikthin. Their attack on the railway was thwarted by the Japanese, who surprised them just before their own attack was to begin. No. 2 Column split up, with half returning to the Chindwin, whilst the remainder, including Group HQ joined up with us several days later and continued with us for the rest of the campaign.
No. 1 Column and the remnants of Southern Group crossed the Irrawaddy around the 9th March and pushed further east in an attempt to join up with the other Chindit columns already assembled beyond the rivers eastern banks. After two more weeks of meandering, No. 1 Column found themselves in the area around the Burmese town of Mong Mit. It was from this position that the column learned that Wingate had called-off the operation and had given the order for all columns to return to India.
Shortly after dispersal had been called, No. 1 Column were travelling east towards the Shweli River when they became aware that they were being tracked by a large Japanese patrol. Major Dunlop gave the order for all heavy equipment to be discarded immediately and also decided to release the remaining column mules with the exception of the animal carrying the wireless set. John Fowler, having lost his animals, was made Column Quartermaster for the journey back to India and was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of all column rations. As supply drops became more and more difficult to arrange, this role involved moving ahead of the main body of 1 Column and purchasing rice and other food stuffs from Burmese villages.
Lt. Ian MacHorton, another young officer present on the journey back to India, remembered John Fowler's valuable contribution in 1943. From his book, Safer than a Known Way:
We had not eaten for several days, when column Quartermaster John Fowler, whose Army equipment always gave the impression it had wound itself around him rather than that it had ever been fitted onto him, arrived with a heaped mess tin of cooked rice and slice of melon for each of us. They were doled out to us as we marched through the archway of the village. John was aided in this most popular duty by Captain George Carne of the Burma Rifles. As an extra delicacy they also produced one chicken between every eight men and we all sat down to eat this wonderful meal.
NB. Another anecdote referring to Lt. Fowler's time as Column Quartermaster on dispersal, tells of how he once returned to column headquarters carrying a half-eaten deer, claiming that it was part of a recent tiger kill and that the men ought to eat it before the original owner returned to the area!
Shown below are two photographs; one of Major George Dunlop, the other of Lt. Ian MacHorton. Please click on either image to bring it forward on the page.
After six arduous weeks of marching on scanty rations and with numerous skirmishes with the Japanese along the way, the remnants of Major Dunlop's column finally reached the eastern banks of the Chindwin River around the 8th May. John Fowler found himself with a small party of men, including Dunlop, Lt. Richard Clarke, Ian MacHorton and some Gurkha Other Ranks. This small party had been separated from the main body of the column after being attacked by a section of the local Burmese Independence Army who were aligned to the Japanese at that time.
Dunlop gave the order to cross the river immediately and slipped into the water alongside Lt. Clarke and began the 800 yard swim to safety.
Lt. MacHorton began to remove his Army belt and gun holster in preparation to follow Dunlop and Clarke into the river. He was in a very weakened condition after the column's long march from the Irrawaddy and was still suffering from the effects of the shrapnel wound he had received back in late March. John Fowler tried to persuade his friend not to attempt the swim but could not hold back MacHorton, who was determined to ford the river and reach the safety of the west bank.
From MacHorton's book, Safer than a Known Way:
"You'll never make it Ian, the current is too strong. Come with us, we are heading north to Auktaung. We should be able to get boats there.
"No", I replied. "I am going over now. You see that river, I'm going to cross it and I'm going now."
"But look at it man. You'll never make it, you are not strong enough," reasoned Fowler.
Fowler then stood up and began to unbuckle his pack. "We are going upstream to Auktaung and we shall cross there. You see Ian, most of my Gurkhas can't swim and to be honest, I can't swim much either." He then pulled from his pack a pair of battered water-wings. He had carried them for fully a thousand miles, ever since Wingate's mission first set out and now he was offering them to me. I thanked John, hardly realising how great was his sacrifice and turned for the water's edge once more.
Before I waded out into deeper water I turned and called back to John on the bank above me. I unclipped my gun belt and threw it up to him, heavy with its loaded revolver. "You might need this," I called.
"Thanks," he replied. "We ran out of ammunition some time ago. Now I can at least take care of half a dozen Japs if needed."
That was the last time I saw him.
John Fowler was captured on the 12th May 1943, still trying to find a way to cross the Chindwin with his Gurkhas. He was held for a time at a POW Camp in Kalewa, before being sent down to Rangoon Jail and placed into solitary confinement for a period of a few weeks during which time he was interrogated by the Japanese secret police, the Kempai-tai. He was then released into Block 6 of the prison, where he met up with many other Chindit prisoners, including some of his former comrades from No. 1 Column.
Lt. Fowler was given the POW number, 41 in Rangoon, a number which he had to repeat in Japanese at both the morning and evening roll calls. Like all of the prisoners in Rangoon, John was forced to work as slave-labour for the Japanese, loading and unloading cargos from ships docked in the city harbour. After two years it became clear that the war was turning against his captors and on the 29th April 1945, John was liberated alongside 400 or so other POW's on the Pegu Road, some 50 miles northeast of Rangoon. After being moved to a safe area by the oncoming 14th Army, these men were transported back to India by air and hospitalised in the first instance at Calcutta. Most Chindits then returned to their individual units for rest, recuperation and reassignment, in John Fowler's case this meant the 2nd Gurkha Rifles based at that time in Dehra Dun.
Dominic Neill mentioned in his memoir, One More River, that after the war John told him that the only post he ever received whilst a prisoner in Rangoon, came from Neill's mother and that these letters had helped him through his ordeal. Other records show, that John joined the Hornsey (London) branch of the Burma Star Association in 1969, although his membership of the Chindit Old comrades Association is unconfirmed. Sadly, John died aged 71 during the last quarter of 1985, with his death being registered at Poole in Dorset.
Seen below is John Fowler's POW index card. This shows all his personal details, plus his date and place of capture and POW number (41). Please click on the image to bring it forward on the page.
Dunlop gave the order to cross the river immediately and slipped into the water alongside Lt. Clarke and began the 800 yard swim to safety.
Lt. MacHorton began to remove his Army belt and gun holster in preparation to follow Dunlop and Clarke into the river. He was in a very weakened condition after the column's long march from the Irrawaddy and was still suffering from the effects of the shrapnel wound he had received back in late March. John Fowler tried to persuade his friend not to attempt the swim but could not hold back MacHorton, who was determined to ford the river and reach the safety of the west bank.
From MacHorton's book, Safer than a Known Way:
"You'll never make it Ian, the current is too strong. Come with us, we are heading north to Auktaung. We should be able to get boats there.
"No", I replied. "I am going over now. You see that river, I'm going to cross it and I'm going now."
"But look at it man. You'll never make it, you are not strong enough," reasoned Fowler.
Fowler then stood up and began to unbuckle his pack. "We are going upstream to Auktaung and we shall cross there. You see Ian, most of my Gurkhas can't swim and to be honest, I can't swim much either." He then pulled from his pack a pair of battered water-wings. He had carried them for fully a thousand miles, ever since Wingate's mission first set out and now he was offering them to me. I thanked John, hardly realising how great was his sacrifice and turned for the water's edge once more.
Before I waded out into deeper water I turned and called back to John on the bank above me. I unclipped my gun belt and threw it up to him, heavy with its loaded revolver. "You might need this," I called.
"Thanks," he replied. "We ran out of ammunition some time ago. Now I can at least take care of half a dozen Japs if needed."
That was the last time I saw him.
John Fowler was captured on the 12th May 1943, still trying to find a way to cross the Chindwin with his Gurkhas. He was held for a time at a POW Camp in Kalewa, before being sent down to Rangoon Jail and placed into solitary confinement for a period of a few weeks during which time he was interrogated by the Japanese secret police, the Kempai-tai. He was then released into Block 6 of the prison, where he met up with many other Chindit prisoners, including some of his former comrades from No. 1 Column.
Lt. Fowler was given the POW number, 41 in Rangoon, a number which he had to repeat in Japanese at both the morning and evening roll calls. Like all of the prisoners in Rangoon, John was forced to work as slave-labour for the Japanese, loading and unloading cargos from ships docked in the city harbour. After two years it became clear that the war was turning against his captors and on the 29th April 1945, John was liberated alongside 400 or so other POW's on the Pegu Road, some 50 miles northeast of Rangoon. After being moved to a safe area by the oncoming 14th Army, these men were transported back to India by air and hospitalised in the first instance at Calcutta. Most Chindits then returned to their individual units for rest, recuperation and reassignment, in John Fowler's case this meant the 2nd Gurkha Rifles based at that time in Dehra Dun.
Dominic Neill mentioned in his memoir, One More River, that after the war John told him that the only post he ever received whilst a prisoner in Rangoon, came from Neill's mother and that these letters had helped him through his ordeal. Other records show, that John joined the Hornsey (London) branch of the Burma Star Association in 1969, although his membership of the Chindit Old comrades Association is unconfirmed. Sadly, John died aged 71 during the last quarter of 1985, with his death being registered at Poole in Dorset.
Seen below is John Fowler's POW index card. This shows all his personal details, plus his date and place of capture and POW number (41). Please click on the image to bring it forward on the page.
FOX, CHARLES JAMES
Rank: Private
Service No: 3779263
Date of Death: 01/03/1943
Age: 22
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1292645/FOX,%20CHARLES%20JAMES
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Charles James Fox was born in Ballinasloe, Republic of Ireland in the summer months of 1912. Charles is recorded by the CWGC as having perished on the 1st March 1943 (see details above), this is also the date given for his death within the official listings for No. 5 Column casualties and this would make him the first casualty incurred by the column on Operation Longcloth. According to the 5 Column War diary, the unit were travelling close to a village named Kundaung on the 1st March and there was an engagement with the Japanese around this time. However, from the pages of Lt. John Kerr's personal diary, it seems that Pte. Fox perished at the battle in Kyaik-in village on the 6th March 1943, just before Fergusson's men carried out their demolitions of the Mandalay-Myitkhina Railway.
John Kerr's diary for the days and weeks after the incident at Kyaik-in were written retrospectively on pieces of scrap paper whilst a prisoner of war. He began to write the diary once he had reached Rangoon Central Jail and towards the end of his time in solitary confinement in Block 5 of the prison. Not surprisingly some of the dates are slightly out, starting with the date of the incident at Kyaik-in village, which Lt. Kerr states as being the 4th, but was in fact the 6th March. Here is the very short transcript that mentions Pte. Fox and the other casualties from the engagement at Kyaik-in:
March 4th. Fight lasted between 11.15-13.00 hours. I was shot whilst moving forward on the left side of the bayonet charge. Fox, Dean, Mercer, Jordan, Lancaster killed. I was left by a fence near the village with Cpl. Dale and Pte. Bell. Patched up my wounds with a field dressing and took two tablets of morphine, but had little effect. Sgt. Drummond and Cpl. Johnson left were fallen, too bad to move. Promise to return to them or send Burmese. Too weak to reach them before captured. Used two rifles as crutches and found straw screens to rest on and under.
NB. Lance Corporal William Robert Jordan was not killed at Kyaik-in and went on with 5 Column up until the engagement with the Japanese at Hintha on the 28th March.
Sadly, we are unlikely to ever discover whether Charles was killed at Kyaik-in as stated in John Kerr's diary, or as suggested by the other sources perished a few days beforehand near Kundaung. Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including part of the official casualty listing for 5 Column on Operation Longcloth. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
From the pages of the Liverpool Echo newspaper dated Tuesday 6th March 1945:
Loving memories of our dear Chuck, killed in action in Burma, March 1943. We will always remember you smiling. From Eth, Jo, Pete, Jack and children. Fondest memories of Uncle Charlie (King's Regiment). Loving, smiling, sincere and true, those are our memories dear Uncle, of you. From Leslie and Doreen.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3779263
Date of Death: 01/03/1943
Age: 22
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1292645/FOX,%20CHARLES%20JAMES
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Charles James Fox was born in Ballinasloe, Republic of Ireland in the summer months of 1912. Charles is recorded by the CWGC as having perished on the 1st March 1943 (see details above), this is also the date given for his death within the official listings for No. 5 Column casualties and this would make him the first casualty incurred by the column on Operation Longcloth. According to the 5 Column War diary, the unit were travelling close to a village named Kundaung on the 1st March and there was an engagement with the Japanese around this time. However, from the pages of Lt. John Kerr's personal diary, it seems that Pte. Fox perished at the battle in Kyaik-in village on the 6th March 1943, just before Fergusson's men carried out their demolitions of the Mandalay-Myitkhina Railway.
John Kerr's diary for the days and weeks after the incident at Kyaik-in were written retrospectively on pieces of scrap paper whilst a prisoner of war. He began to write the diary once he had reached Rangoon Central Jail and towards the end of his time in solitary confinement in Block 5 of the prison. Not surprisingly some of the dates are slightly out, starting with the date of the incident at Kyaik-in village, which Lt. Kerr states as being the 4th, but was in fact the 6th March. Here is the very short transcript that mentions Pte. Fox and the other casualties from the engagement at Kyaik-in:
March 4th. Fight lasted between 11.15-13.00 hours. I was shot whilst moving forward on the left side of the bayonet charge. Fox, Dean, Mercer, Jordan, Lancaster killed. I was left by a fence near the village with Cpl. Dale and Pte. Bell. Patched up my wounds with a field dressing and took two tablets of morphine, but had little effect. Sgt. Drummond and Cpl. Johnson left were fallen, too bad to move. Promise to return to them or send Burmese. Too weak to reach them before captured. Used two rifles as crutches and found straw screens to rest on and under.
NB. Lance Corporal William Robert Jordan was not killed at Kyaik-in and went on with 5 Column up until the engagement with the Japanese at Hintha on the 28th March.
Sadly, we are unlikely to ever discover whether Charles was killed at Kyaik-in as stated in John Kerr's diary, or as suggested by the other sources perished a few days beforehand near Kundaung. Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including part of the official casualty listing for 5 Column on Operation Longcloth. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
From the pages of the Liverpool Echo newspaper dated Tuesday 6th March 1945:
Loving memories of our dear Chuck, killed in action in Burma, March 1943. We will always remember you smiling. From Eth, Jo, Pete, Jack and children. Fondest memories of Uncle Charlie (King's Regiment). Loving, smiling, sincere and true, those are our memories dear Uncle, of you. From Leslie and Doreen.
FRESHNEY, MALCOLM ALFRED
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: ABRO 44
Age: Not known
Regiment/Service: 2nd Burma Rifles
Chindit Column: 1
Other details:
Malcolm Freshney was an officer with the 2nd Burma Rifles on Operation Longcloth, serving in the Recce Platoon of No. 1 Column under the overall command of Major George Dunlop MC. He had been issued the service number ABRO 44 at the beginning of his Army service in Burma and had worked in close conjunction with Captain George Carne during the early weeks of the first Wingate expedition. His main role in No. 1 Column was to scout ahead of the main group, seeking out information from the Burmese villages encountered along the journey in regards Japanese positions and strength in the area.
From the war diary narrative written by Major Dunlop on Operation Longcloth:
Bivouac on the 17th February close to the Pabaing Chaung. During the night runners came back from Freshney's platoon, saying that there were 250 Japanese in the vicinity of Maingnyaung and more at Pahe. The track crossing and re-crossing a small stream near Maingnyaung was an ideal site for an ambush, particularly as it went through thick scrub on the valley floor.
Just after midday, another runner came in from Freshney to report that the enemy were coming our way; annoyingly he told me that he had bumped into them and shots had been fired. On receipt of this news I pushed one platoon of Gurkhas forward into a good ambush position and placed a second platoon in an enfilade location under the leadership of Captain Weatherall. At 15.30 hours the leading group of enemy walked into the ambush. Fighting flared up and subsided, then flared again. The Japanese began to withdraw and Weatherall asked permission to push around their flank, which he did. The enemy then opened up with their own mortars and this encouraged the Gurkha Jemadar at the scene to order his mules to be taken back to a safe harbour. This confused the entire platoon and they all began to retreat, all advantage was lost and the ambush was closed down.
On dispersal, Lt. Freshney played a vital role as the column made its long and arduous return to the Chindwin River. His Recce Platoon were continuously in advance of the beleaguered Chindits from Southern Group, sorting out food supplies and discovering information about the enemy's whereabouts from the Burmese villages along the way. He had also been given another task; to lead out the Burmese elephant drivers (Oozies) that had stayed with the column after giving up their animals when the Brigade had crossed the Chindwin on the way in. One such Oozie, was Maung Chit Gyi, who had carried the Brigade Head Quarters' wireless set and battery engine on his elephant ten weeks previously. Another was U Po Sine, who had crossed the Chindiwin in February 1943 with No. 3 Column.
After returning to India, Lt. Freshney spent several weeks in the hill station of Dehra Dun enjoying a period of rest and recuperation. According to the war diary of the 2nd Burma Rifles, he was present at Jhansi in June, but was sent on special war leave on the 13th July 1943. This may have had something to do with the preparations for the second Chindit expedition planned for the following year? Freshney did take part on Operation Thursday in 1944, but his unit is not known at the present time. It is known that he was at some point during Operation Thursday, present at the Chindit stronghold codenamed, White City. Malcolm Freshney was promoted to Major in the latter period of WW2 and served with the 2nd Battalion, The Kachin Levies, as Allied forces continued their bid to expel the Japanese from Burma.
Malcolm Freshney was a member of the Burma Star Association after the war and from Dekho, the Association magazine, I learned that his wife, Nancy was a member of the Women's Auxiliary Service in Burma during the war and that in 1954, Malcolm had left England and taken up new employment in Colombia, working for a company called Listers. By 1970, Malcolm was living in Killiney, approximately 15 miles southeast of Dublin. According to the obituary lists in Dekho magazine, he sadly passed away in 1992.
Seen below is a photograph of the officers from the 2nd Battalion, the Burma Rifles, taken at Dehra Dun in 1944. Malcolm Freshney can be seen in the front row, 8th from the left as we look on. Please click on the image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: ABRO 44
Age: Not known
Regiment/Service: 2nd Burma Rifles
Chindit Column: 1
Other details:
Malcolm Freshney was an officer with the 2nd Burma Rifles on Operation Longcloth, serving in the Recce Platoon of No. 1 Column under the overall command of Major George Dunlop MC. He had been issued the service number ABRO 44 at the beginning of his Army service in Burma and had worked in close conjunction with Captain George Carne during the early weeks of the first Wingate expedition. His main role in No. 1 Column was to scout ahead of the main group, seeking out information from the Burmese villages encountered along the journey in regards Japanese positions and strength in the area.
From the war diary narrative written by Major Dunlop on Operation Longcloth:
Bivouac on the 17th February close to the Pabaing Chaung. During the night runners came back from Freshney's platoon, saying that there were 250 Japanese in the vicinity of Maingnyaung and more at Pahe. The track crossing and re-crossing a small stream near Maingnyaung was an ideal site for an ambush, particularly as it went through thick scrub on the valley floor.
Just after midday, another runner came in from Freshney to report that the enemy were coming our way; annoyingly he told me that he had bumped into them and shots had been fired. On receipt of this news I pushed one platoon of Gurkhas forward into a good ambush position and placed a second platoon in an enfilade location under the leadership of Captain Weatherall. At 15.30 hours the leading group of enemy walked into the ambush. Fighting flared up and subsided, then flared again. The Japanese began to withdraw and Weatherall asked permission to push around their flank, which he did. The enemy then opened up with their own mortars and this encouraged the Gurkha Jemadar at the scene to order his mules to be taken back to a safe harbour. This confused the entire platoon and they all began to retreat, all advantage was lost and the ambush was closed down.
On dispersal, Lt. Freshney played a vital role as the column made its long and arduous return to the Chindwin River. His Recce Platoon were continuously in advance of the beleaguered Chindits from Southern Group, sorting out food supplies and discovering information about the enemy's whereabouts from the Burmese villages along the way. He had also been given another task; to lead out the Burmese elephant drivers (Oozies) that had stayed with the column after giving up their animals when the Brigade had crossed the Chindwin on the way in. One such Oozie, was Maung Chit Gyi, who had carried the Brigade Head Quarters' wireless set and battery engine on his elephant ten weeks previously. Another was U Po Sine, who had crossed the Chindiwin in February 1943 with No. 3 Column.
After returning to India, Lt. Freshney spent several weeks in the hill station of Dehra Dun enjoying a period of rest and recuperation. According to the war diary of the 2nd Burma Rifles, he was present at Jhansi in June, but was sent on special war leave on the 13th July 1943. This may have had something to do with the preparations for the second Chindit expedition planned for the following year? Freshney did take part on Operation Thursday in 1944, but his unit is not known at the present time. It is known that he was at some point during Operation Thursday, present at the Chindit stronghold codenamed, White City. Malcolm Freshney was promoted to Major in the latter period of WW2 and served with the 2nd Battalion, The Kachin Levies, as Allied forces continued their bid to expel the Japanese from Burma.
Malcolm Freshney was a member of the Burma Star Association after the war and from Dekho, the Association magazine, I learned that his wife, Nancy was a member of the Women's Auxiliary Service in Burma during the war and that in 1954, Malcolm had left England and taken up new employment in Colombia, working for a company called Listers. By 1970, Malcolm was living in Killiney, approximately 15 miles southeast of Dublin. According to the obituary lists in Dekho magazine, he sadly passed away in 1992.
Seen below is a photograph of the officers from the 2nd Battalion, the Burma Rifles, taken at Dehra Dun in 1944. Malcolm Freshney can be seen in the front row, 8th from the left as we look on. Please click on the image to bring it forward on the page.
Officers of the 2nd Burma Rifles, Dehra Dun 1944.
Update 17/08/2024.
In late April 2024, I was delighted to receive the following email from Penny Tyler:
My father, Malcolm Freshney fought in Burma with the Burma Rifles and after the war remained in touch with Neville Hogan and Mike Calvert. He met my mum in Bassein (now Pathein) some 190 miles west of Rangoon, when she was with the Woman's Auxillary Service. She had travelled to Burma from Melbourne in Australia. I believe my father was dropped twice behind Japanese lines during the war and had been working in Rangoon when war broke out. I was absolutely thrilled with the information you have placed up on the website regarding my Dad, thank you so very much. I will be forwarding this information on to my children, so they also know about and remember the brave deeds performed by their grandparents. I am going to try and collate some more information for you, albeit a bit sketchy as he did not talk about the war very much at all – which is understandable. Thanks once again for all your fantastic work, I really appreciate it. Kind regards, Penny.
In late April 2024, I was delighted to receive the following email from Penny Tyler:
My father, Malcolm Freshney fought in Burma with the Burma Rifles and after the war remained in touch with Neville Hogan and Mike Calvert. He met my mum in Bassein (now Pathein) some 190 miles west of Rangoon, when she was with the Woman's Auxillary Service. She had travelled to Burma from Melbourne in Australia. I believe my father was dropped twice behind Japanese lines during the war and had been working in Rangoon when war broke out. I was absolutely thrilled with the information you have placed up on the website regarding my Dad, thank you so very much. I will be forwarding this information on to my children, so they also know about and remember the brave deeds performed by their grandparents. I am going to try and collate some more information for you, albeit a bit sketchy as he did not talk about the war very much at all – which is understandable. Thanks once again for all your fantastic work, I really appreciate it. Kind regards, Penny.
1st Punjabi Regiment badge.
FREW, J.S.W.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: Not known
Age: Not known
Regiment/Service: 1st Punjabi Regiment, attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Lt. JSW. Frew was an officer with the 1st Punjabi Regiment before being posted across to the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade on the 23rd December 1942. He joined the pre-Christmas celebrations for the Brigade at their base in Jhansi alongside four other young officers from India Army Regiments that day and was posted to No. 7 Column under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes.
Nothing more is known about Lt. Frew other than his column placement on Operation Longcloth, so it must be presumed that he successfully made the return journey to India after the expedition was closed in March/April 1943. We do know that he was commissioned into the India Army on the 13th June 1942 and took up his posting with the 1st Punjabi Regiment in the first instance. Seen below is the only piece of documentation in reference to Lt. Frew; a nominal roll of officers composing No. 7 Column, taken from the 13th King's war diary in January 1943.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: Not known
Age: Not known
Regiment/Service: 1st Punjabi Regiment, attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Lt. JSW. Frew was an officer with the 1st Punjabi Regiment before being posted across to the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade on the 23rd December 1942. He joined the pre-Christmas celebrations for the Brigade at their base in Jhansi alongside four other young officers from India Army Regiments that day and was posted to No. 7 Column under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes.
Nothing more is known about Lt. Frew other than his column placement on Operation Longcloth, so it must be presumed that he successfully made the return journey to India after the expedition was closed in March/April 1943. We do know that he was commissioned into the India Army on the 13th June 1942 and took up his posting with the 1st Punjabi Regiment in the first instance. Seen below is the only piece of documentation in reference to Lt. Frew; a nominal roll of officers composing No. 7 Column, taken from the 13th King's war diary in January 1943.
George Fulton.
FULTON, GEORGE
The story of George Fulton has a slightly different context to most of the others told on these website pages. This soldier did not take part on Operation Longcloth, but his WW2 experiences had a profound influence on all Chindit matters, as will become clear when reading on.
George was born on the 10th September 1919 at Hadden Street, located in the centre of Aberdeen. His own father, who worked as a shore porter at the city docks, had served in the Royal Navy during WW1. George left school at fourteen and took up an apprenticeship with Aberdeen City Council working as a painter and decorator.
As war became imminent, George decided to enlist into the Territorial Army, hoping as his first choice to serve with the Royal Corps of Signals. He was unsuccessful in joining the Signals, but instead was posted to the Royal Army Medical Corps. His initial training included a spell at the Cruden Bay Hotel in Aberdeen, which had been requisitioned by the Army in 1940 and had become No. 1 Scottish General Hospital.
Originally attached to the 51st Highland Division, George's medical unit missed the Division's battle in June 1940 at St. Valery in France, where many of the men were captured by the advancing German Forces. In late June 1940, George sailed to Egypt aboard the troopship 'Aquitaine', as part of a team of medical staff destined for the 15th Scottish General Hospital in Cairo. It was whilst working in this hospital that George was to have his first meeting with Orde Charles Wingate.
Wingate was recuperating in Cairo after his successful campaign in Abyssinia, where he had assisted in driving Mussolini's Italian Army out of the country, whilst at the same time replacing Emperor Haile Selassie back on his throne. There is much conjecture over what exactly happened next, but Wingate, suffering at that time from malaria ended up a patient in the 15th Scottish General Hospital and was tended in the first instance by George Fulton.
Wingate recovered from his hospitalisation in 1941 and went on from there to India, where he formed the first Chindit Brigade at Saugor in the summer of 1942. George Fulton continued to serve in the North African and then the Middle Eastern theatres of war, until he too was called upon to move across to India. As fate would have it, George was to become a Chindit himself, serving in Brigadier Tom Brodie's, 14th British Infantry Brigade. During the second Chindit operation in 1944, he was flown into Burma and helped set up one of the Field Casualty Clearing Stations at the Chindit Stronghold nicknamed of all things 'Aberdeen'.
After his service in the Burmese jungle was over, George spent a period of rest and recuperation in the hill stations of Northern India. Later, whilst on leave in Calcutta in September 1944, he received orders that he was to return to Britain. After the war he returned home to his wife Jean and his old job with the Aberdeen City Council, eventually in 1954 they decided to emigrate to Canada, setting up home in Toronto. Although now living many thousands of miles away, George still kept up his membership of the Aberdeen Branch of the Burma Star Association.
As with so many veterans who witness the horrors of war, George did not speak freely about his experiences in Burma or elsewhere during the long years of WW2. Putting all the negative aspects to one side and whilst speaking with author Tony Redding, George stated:
"Today, I have mixed feelings about Burma. On the positive side I remember the friendship, the warm comradeship and that I met so many wonderful people."
George Fulton sadly passed away on the 14th August 2013.
To read more about the life of George Fulton, please click on the following link to his obituary in the 'The Scotsman' newspaper written by Alison Shaw.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-george-fulton-chindit-and-painter-and-decorator-1-3085549
Seen below is a photograph of the triumphant return of Emperor Haile Selassie and his forces to the Abyssinian capital of Addis Ababa in May 1941. In the foreground and riding on the white horse is Lieutenant-Colonel Orde Charles Wingate, who was to receive a bar to his Distinguished Service Order for his efforts in Abyssinia.
The story of George Fulton has a slightly different context to most of the others told on these website pages. This soldier did not take part on Operation Longcloth, but his WW2 experiences had a profound influence on all Chindit matters, as will become clear when reading on.
George was born on the 10th September 1919 at Hadden Street, located in the centre of Aberdeen. His own father, who worked as a shore porter at the city docks, had served in the Royal Navy during WW1. George left school at fourteen and took up an apprenticeship with Aberdeen City Council working as a painter and decorator.
As war became imminent, George decided to enlist into the Territorial Army, hoping as his first choice to serve with the Royal Corps of Signals. He was unsuccessful in joining the Signals, but instead was posted to the Royal Army Medical Corps. His initial training included a spell at the Cruden Bay Hotel in Aberdeen, which had been requisitioned by the Army in 1940 and had become No. 1 Scottish General Hospital.
Originally attached to the 51st Highland Division, George's medical unit missed the Division's battle in June 1940 at St. Valery in France, where many of the men were captured by the advancing German Forces. In late June 1940, George sailed to Egypt aboard the troopship 'Aquitaine', as part of a team of medical staff destined for the 15th Scottish General Hospital in Cairo. It was whilst working in this hospital that George was to have his first meeting with Orde Charles Wingate.
Wingate was recuperating in Cairo after his successful campaign in Abyssinia, where he had assisted in driving Mussolini's Italian Army out of the country, whilst at the same time replacing Emperor Haile Selassie back on his throne. There is much conjecture over what exactly happened next, but Wingate, suffering at that time from malaria ended up a patient in the 15th Scottish General Hospital and was tended in the first instance by George Fulton.
Wingate recovered from his hospitalisation in 1941 and went on from there to India, where he formed the first Chindit Brigade at Saugor in the summer of 1942. George Fulton continued to serve in the North African and then the Middle Eastern theatres of war, until he too was called upon to move across to India. As fate would have it, George was to become a Chindit himself, serving in Brigadier Tom Brodie's, 14th British Infantry Brigade. During the second Chindit operation in 1944, he was flown into Burma and helped set up one of the Field Casualty Clearing Stations at the Chindit Stronghold nicknamed of all things 'Aberdeen'.
After his service in the Burmese jungle was over, George spent a period of rest and recuperation in the hill stations of Northern India. Later, whilst on leave in Calcutta in September 1944, he received orders that he was to return to Britain. After the war he returned home to his wife Jean and his old job with the Aberdeen City Council, eventually in 1954 they decided to emigrate to Canada, setting up home in Toronto. Although now living many thousands of miles away, George still kept up his membership of the Aberdeen Branch of the Burma Star Association.
As with so many veterans who witness the horrors of war, George did not speak freely about his experiences in Burma or elsewhere during the long years of WW2. Putting all the negative aspects to one side and whilst speaking with author Tony Redding, George stated:
"Today, I have mixed feelings about Burma. On the positive side I remember the friendship, the warm comradeship and that I met so many wonderful people."
George Fulton sadly passed away on the 14th August 2013.
To read more about the life of George Fulton, please click on the following link to his obituary in the 'The Scotsman' newspaper written by Alison Shaw.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-george-fulton-chindit-and-painter-and-decorator-1-3085549
Seen below is a photograph of the triumphant return of Emperor Haile Selassie and his forces to the Abyssinian capital of Addis Ababa in May 1941. In the foreground and riding on the white horse is Lieutenant-Colonel Orde Charles Wingate, who was to receive a bar to his Distinguished Service Order for his efforts in Abyssinia.
Lieutenant-Colonel Wingate DSO, leads Emperor Haile Selassie into Addis Ababa in May 1941.
FYFE, SGT.
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: Not known
Age: Not known
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
This soldier (seen in the photograph opposite in the dark shorts) was an experienced NCO and posted to No. 7 Column on Operation Longcloth. The photograph was given to me by Fred Thompson who also served with No. 7 Column in Burma. The image shows Sgt. Fyfe congratulating Sgt. J. MacKenzie after their game of tennis at the Napier Barracks in Karachi during the summer of 1944.
Very little is known about Sgt. Fyfe, other than he had obviously survived his time on the first Wingate expedition and had re-joined the remnants of the beleaguered 13th battalion at their new base in Karachi. However, one of the officers from No. 7 Column on Operation Longcloth, Captain Leslie Cottrell, did write this passage in his memoir about a Sgt. F. who had become separated from the line of march in Burma. Could this refer to Sgt. Fyfe?
Leslie Cottrell: Word came to me near the head of the column that Sgt F. had fallen out of the line of march and had been left behind. He was a good soldier, an exemplary soldier in fact, and I wanted to know what was wrong with him. I had to go quite some distance back the way we had come before I found him. He was lying on the ground clutching his stomach. He appeared very sick, probably from acute dysentery.
How bad are you, Sergeant? I asked. There was no reply, and for a moment I wondered whether he had lost consciousness. I repeated my question. Pretty bad, sir, he replied. How am I going to get you away from here, then Sergeant? You and I are staying together and yet we are not staying here. I am not waiting to be picked up, starved, tortured and possibly shot by the first Jap patrol that happens along. My parents have already lost one son in this war and if I know anything about it they are not going to lose me as well. So, it's up to you.
Sgt F. moved his head and looked at me. Word had got around the column that your brother had been killed in the Med sir. Were you close to him? Yes, I replied. Now give me your pack and stand up. We are going to do a hundred yards and rest, then we'll do two hundred yards and rest, and so on.
The column was in bivouac when we caught up with it some hours later. I sought out the Medical Officer and he treated the Sergeant with chlorodine and he recovered somewhat and was able to march with the rest of the column and reach China and safety about a month later. However, more of our men were to get gastric upsets, diarrhoea and dysentery, and through no fault of theirs they slowed the column down. I have often thought of the episode with Sgt F., and there keeps coming into my mind a saying that mother used occasionally when I was young - sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind!
NB. Captain Cottrell's brother, Roy Penrose Cottrell died on the 21st March 1942, when his ship HMML 129 was lost during the attempted relief of Malta in the Mediterranean. Sub-Lieutenant Cottrell is remembered upon the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: Not known
Age: Not known
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
This soldier (seen in the photograph opposite in the dark shorts) was an experienced NCO and posted to No. 7 Column on Operation Longcloth. The photograph was given to me by Fred Thompson who also served with No. 7 Column in Burma. The image shows Sgt. Fyfe congratulating Sgt. J. MacKenzie after their game of tennis at the Napier Barracks in Karachi during the summer of 1944.
Very little is known about Sgt. Fyfe, other than he had obviously survived his time on the first Wingate expedition and had re-joined the remnants of the beleaguered 13th battalion at their new base in Karachi. However, one of the officers from No. 7 Column on Operation Longcloth, Captain Leslie Cottrell, did write this passage in his memoir about a Sgt. F. who had become separated from the line of march in Burma. Could this refer to Sgt. Fyfe?
Leslie Cottrell: Word came to me near the head of the column that Sgt F. had fallen out of the line of march and had been left behind. He was a good soldier, an exemplary soldier in fact, and I wanted to know what was wrong with him. I had to go quite some distance back the way we had come before I found him. He was lying on the ground clutching his stomach. He appeared very sick, probably from acute dysentery.
How bad are you, Sergeant? I asked. There was no reply, and for a moment I wondered whether he had lost consciousness. I repeated my question. Pretty bad, sir, he replied. How am I going to get you away from here, then Sergeant? You and I are staying together and yet we are not staying here. I am not waiting to be picked up, starved, tortured and possibly shot by the first Jap patrol that happens along. My parents have already lost one son in this war and if I know anything about it they are not going to lose me as well. So, it's up to you.
Sgt F. moved his head and looked at me. Word had got around the column that your brother had been killed in the Med sir. Were you close to him? Yes, I replied. Now give me your pack and stand up. We are going to do a hundred yards and rest, then we'll do two hundred yards and rest, and so on.
The column was in bivouac when we caught up with it some hours later. I sought out the Medical Officer and he treated the Sergeant with chlorodine and he recovered somewhat and was able to march with the rest of the column and reach China and safety about a month later. However, more of our men were to get gastric upsets, diarrhoea and dysentery, and through no fault of theirs they slowed the column down. I have often thought of the episode with Sgt F., and there keeps coming into my mind a saying that mother used occasionally when I was young - sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind!
NB. Captain Cottrell's brother, Roy Penrose Cottrell died on the 21st March 1942, when his ship HMML 129 was lost during the attempted relief of Malta in the Mediterranean. Sub-Lieutenant Cottrell is remembered upon the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
Pte. Frank Garbett.
GARBETT, FRANK
Frank was a Wingate Commando
Thirty-one year old Private Frank Garbett will have a great tale to tell when he returns home to Bury Old Road, Heaton Park, Manchester. For he was one of Wingate's Follies, the men who followed Brigadier Orde Wingate on the famous, three month commando expedition behind the Japanese lines in Burma.
On their return, Garbett was one of the men brought to the microphone by his commanding officer to broadcast home the story of their epic feat. Poor reception prevented the re-broadcast on the Home Program Service, but his mother, Mrs. Sophia Garbett and his three sisters, Emily, Esther and Beatrice, are shortly to be invited to a private listening in the studio. Frank, who worked at a bleacher and dyers in his pre-war days, has another brother, Harry, who is serving with the garrison in Malta.
Article from the pages of the Manchester Evening News, dated 12th June 1943.
Frank was a Wingate Commando
Thirty-one year old Private Frank Garbett will have a great tale to tell when he returns home to Bury Old Road, Heaton Park, Manchester. For he was one of Wingate's Follies, the men who followed Brigadier Orde Wingate on the famous, three month commando expedition behind the Japanese lines in Burma.
On their return, Garbett was one of the men brought to the microphone by his commanding officer to broadcast home the story of their epic feat. Poor reception prevented the re-broadcast on the Home Program Service, but his mother, Mrs. Sophia Garbett and his three sisters, Emily, Esther and Beatrice, are shortly to be invited to a private listening in the studio. Frank, who worked at a bleacher and dyers in his pre-war days, has another brother, Harry, who is serving with the garrison in Malta.
Article from the pages of the Manchester Evening News, dated 12th June 1943.
GARDINER, H.
Rank: Private (Lance Corporal)
Service No: 3852169
Age: Unknown.
Regiment/Service: The Loyal Regiment att. The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 2
Other details:
Pte. H. Gardiner (christian name unknown) was sent overseas to India in mid-1942, arriving at the Chindit training camp in Saugor on the 30th September that year. It is not clear if he had already had commando experience during his WW2 service, but at Saugor he was posted across to the 142 Commando section and was placed at that time with the men who would go on to form the Commando platoon for No. 2 Column on Operation Longcloth.
What we do know is that Pte. Gardiner (also listed on documents as Lance Corporal) was injured during a training accident on the 2nd October 1942, when an explosive charge went off unexpectedly during a demonstration at Saugor. This accident resulted in the death of Pte. Ronald Braithwaite (also from the Loyal Regiment) and a full enquiry was held to determine the cause of the unfortunate incident.
Generally speaking, the training exercise was being overseen by Lieutenant Vivian Earle, who 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 which included Pte. Gardiner had made the mistake of priming their charge incorrectly 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, Ptes. Mason, Gardiner and Braithwaite and Lance Corporal Collier. Seen below are two sections of the enquiry papers, one showing witness statements from men present that day 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 Pte. Gardiner and Lance Corporal Collier escaped with fairly minor injuries from the blast. However, as far as I can tell, none of these men crossed the Chindwin River in February 1943 and therefore took no part in the first Wingate expedition, although Pte. Gardiner was on the standby list right up until the very last minute.
Seen below are images in relation to this narrative including the above mentioned enquiry papers explaining the events leading up to the accident and Pte. Gardiner's injuries to his left shoulder and thigh. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private (Lance Corporal)
Service No: 3852169
Age: Unknown.
Regiment/Service: The Loyal Regiment att. The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 2
Other details:
Pte. H. Gardiner (christian name unknown) was sent overseas to India in mid-1942, arriving at the Chindit training camp in Saugor on the 30th September that year. It is not clear if he had already had commando experience during his WW2 service, but at Saugor he was posted across to the 142 Commando section and was placed at that time with the men who would go on to form the Commando platoon for No. 2 Column on Operation Longcloth.
What we do know is that Pte. Gardiner (also listed on documents as Lance Corporal) was injured during a training accident on the 2nd October 1942, when an explosive charge went off unexpectedly during a demonstration at Saugor. This accident resulted in the death of Pte. Ronald Braithwaite (also from the Loyal Regiment) and a full enquiry was held to determine the cause of the unfortunate incident.
Generally speaking, the training exercise was being overseen by Lieutenant Vivian Earle, who 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 which included Pte. Gardiner had made the mistake of priming their charge incorrectly 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, Ptes. Mason, Gardiner and Braithwaite and Lance Corporal Collier. Seen below are two sections of the enquiry papers, one showing witness statements from men present that day 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 Pte. Gardiner and Lance Corporal Collier escaped with fairly minor injuries from the blast. However, as far as I can tell, none of these men crossed the Chindwin River in February 1943 and therefore took no part in the first Wingate expedition, although Pte. Gardiner was on the standby list right up until the very last minute.
Seen below are images in relation to this narrative including the above mentioned enquiry papers explaining the events leading up to the accident and Pte. Gardiner's injuries to his left shoulder and thigh. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
The nominal roll shown in the above gallery lists soldiers ordered to be on standby for Operation Longcloth, as of 24th January 1943, approximately two weeks before 77 Brigade crossed the river Chindwin and began their time behind enemy lines. It is not known whether these men took part on the first Wingate expedition, but I believe they deserve a mention nonetheless. I have listed them as they appear on the 142 (Commando) Company roll:
Sgt. 6202187 A. Seton, formerly of the Middlesex Regiment. Listed on the Rear Party roll after being posted to the 13th King's from the Deolali Reinforcement Centre in September 1942.
Corporal 1871726 Clifford George Underwood of the Royal Engineers. Part of the Rear Party reserve having arrived at the Abchand training camp (Patharia) on the 8th September 1942. Clifford was an active member of the Burma Star Association after the war at the Felixstowe branch in Suffolk.
Pte. 3534873 Alex Baggaley, formerly of the Loyal Regiment. Listed on the Rear Party roll after being posted to the 13th King's from the Deolali Reinforcement Centre in September 1942.
Pte. 3253058 W. Baillie of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Regiment. Listed on the Rear Party roll and subsequently sent back to the Deolali Reinforcement Centre in order to regain his fitness.
Pte. 5046258 J. Bradley of the West Yorkshire Regiment. Sent back to the Deolali Reinforcement Centre in December 1942 and then back to his former unit, the West Yorks.
Gunner 2292815 J. Gerhard of the Royal Artillery. Placed on the Rear Party reserve list for Operation Longcloth, one of only a handful of Royal Artillery soldiers to be considered for the first Chindit expedition.
Pte. 4469200 H. Gosling formerly of the Durham Light Infantry Regiment. Placed on the Rear Party reserve list as of 24th January 1943 and later served with the 1st Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment and possibly took part on the second Wingate expedition in 1944.
Pte. 3864290 J. Laven, another soldier formerly with the Loyal Regiment. Arrived at the Saugor training camp on the 30th September 1942 and was subsequently placed on the Rear Party reserve list.
CSM 5730384 C. Macklen of the Essex Regiment. Listed on the Rear Party roll after being posted to the 13th King's from the Deolali Reinforcement Centre in September 1942.
Lance Sergeant 5730384 T. Griffin of the Dorsetshire Regiment. Listed on the Rear Party roll, but actually served at the Chindit Rear Base in Agartala during Operation Longcloth. Sgt. Griffin was also a witness to the Army Will of Pte. Ernest Belcher, a soldier with No. 1 Column Commando on the first Chindit expedition.
Although not listed on the Rear Party Roll shown above, another soldier also spent some time on a reserve standing leading up to the first Wingate Expedition:
Corporal 6202189 J. Geist formerly of the Middlesex Regiment. This soldier had come to Chindit training from the Bush Warfare School at Maymyo in the autumn of 1942, but was subsequently sent back to the Deolali Reinforcement Centre in order to regain his fitness.
Corporal 1871726 Clifford George Underwood of the Royal Engineers. Part of the Rear Party reserve having arrived at the Abchand training camp (Patharia) on the 8th September 1942. Clifford was an active member of the Burma Star Association after the war at the Felixstowe branch in Suffolk.
Pte. 3534873 Alex Baggaley, formerly of the Loyal Regiment. Listed on the Rear Party roll after being posted to the 13th King's from the Deolali Reinforcement Centre in September 1942.
Pte. 3253058 W. Baillie of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Regiment. Listed on the Rear Party roll and subsequently sent back to the Deolali Reinforcement Centre in order to regain his fitness.
Pte. 5046258 J. Bradley of the West Yorkshire Regiment. Sent back to the Deolali Reinforcement Centre in December 1942 and then back to his former unit, the West Yorks.
Gunner 2292815 J. Gerhard of the Royal Artillery. Placed on the Rear Party reserve list for Operation Longcloth, one of only a handful of Royal Artillery soldiers to be considered for the first Chindit expedition.
Pte. 4469200 H. Gosling formerly of the Durham Light Infantry Regiment. Placed on the Rear Party reserve list as of 24th January 1943 and later served with the 1st Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment and possibly took part on the second Wingate expedition in 1944.
Pte. 3864290 J. Laven, another soldier formerly with the Loyal Regiment. Arrived at the Saugor training camp on the 30th September 1942 and was subsequently placed on the Rear Party reserve list.
CSM 5730384 C. Macklen of the Essex Regiment. Listed on the Rear Party roll after being posted to the 13th King's from the Deolali Reinforcement Centre in September 1942.
Lance Sergeant 5730384 T. Griffin of the Dorsetshire Regiment. Listed on the Rear Party roll, but actually served at the Chindit Rear Base in Agartala during Operation Longcloth. Sgt. Griffin was also a witness to the Army Will of Pte. Ernest Belcher, a soldier with No. 1 Column Commando on the first Chindit expedition.
Although not listed on the Rear Party Roll shown above, another soldier also spent some time on a reserve standing leading up to the first Wingate Expedition:
Corporal 6202189 J. Geist formerly of the Middlesex Regiment. This soldier had come to Chindit training from the Bush Warfare School at Maymyo in the autumn of 1942, but was subsequently sent back to the Deolali Reinforcement Centre in order to regain his fitness.
Pte. Frederick Gauge, Bombay 1942.
GAUGE, FREDERICK
Rank: Private
Service No: 5116876
Date of Death: 22/03/1943
Age: 27
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2509435/GAUGE,%20FREDERICK
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Frederick Gauge was born on the 5th June 1915, he was the son of Frederick Senior and Rose Gauge from Biggleswade in Bedfordshire. He had four brothers and two sisters. Two of his brothers served during WW2, one surviving Dunkirk in the early summer of 1940, the other, Jack Gauge, was wounded in North Africa and sent back home to England. Frederick, a railway station porter by trade, was called up into the Army on the 18th April 1940 and originally served with the Royal Artillery, before being posted to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. On his arrival in India, Fred was transferred to the 13th King's at their Chindit training camp in Saugor on the 26th September 1942.
Pte. Gauge was a member of Chindit Column 7 in Burma, under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes. He is not mentioned in any of the war diaries or books that I have read, but he does feature in the missing in action listings for 7 Column. According to these lists, Fred died on the 22nd March 1943; the cause of death was stated as heart failure with the added complication of dysentery. This is the only piece of information known about this soldier that I have seen.
At the time of his death 7 Column were working in close cooperation with Brigadier Wingate's Brigade Head Quarters and Major Scott's Column No. 8. They had travelled with these two Chindit units for the vast majority of the operation and at the time of Frederick's death were bivouaced close the Salin Chaung (stream or small river), in preparation to receive a very large supply drop at a place called Baw. Please refer to the map in the gallery below.
Pte. Gauge, having died of natural causes, so to speak, would have been in the care of the column Medical Officer, Captain Alfred Henry Snalam of the R.A.M.C. I am sure that he would have been given a proper Christian burial at the time of his death, but sadly, it was impossible to relocate his grave after the war was over. For this reason, Frederick is now remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery which situated on the outskirts of Rangoon. This memorial was built to honour all those casualties from the Burma campaign that have no known grave and contains some 26,000 names.
In July 1943, Pte. Gauge's family were informed of the circumstances surrounding his sad demise in Burma. From the pages of the Biggleswade Chronicle and Bedfordshire Gazette dated Friday 23rd July 1943:
Mrs. F. Gauge of 75 Sun Street, Biggleswade, has received official intimation from the War Office stating that, according to a report received from the Indian Authorities her son, Pte. Frederick Gauge (King's Regiment) died in the Indian theatre of war on March 22nd this year. Death was due to heart failure caused by dysentery. Before joining the forces in April 1940, Pte. Gauge was employed as a station porter at Biggleswade L.N.E.R. Station. His younger brother, Jack was wounded in the left leg some time ago in the Middle East.
In March 2015, I was contacted by Frederick's great-niece, Kate. I would like to thank her for all the information she was able to add to her great uncle's story.
Update 24/04/2017.
From the pages of the Biggleswade Chronicle and Bedfordshire Gazette dated Friday 22nd March 1946, comes this heartfelt memorial for Frederick Gauge on the third anniversary of his death in Burma. The family repeated this homage to Fred three years later in 1949 (see Gallery below):
In loving memory of my dear son, Pte. Frederick Gauge, who died whilst on active service in Burma on March 22nd 1943. From his loving Mum, sisters and brothers. 75 Sun Street, Biggleswade.
Rank: Private
Service No: 5116876
Date of Death: 22/03/1943
Age: 27
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2509435/GAUGE,%20FREDERICK
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Frederick Gauge was born on the 5th June 1915, he was the son of Frederick Senior and Rose Gauge from Biggleswade in Bedfordshire. He had four brothers and two sisters. Two of his brothers served during WW2, one surviving Dunkirk in the early summer of 1940, the other, Jack Gauge, was wounded in North Africa and sent back home to England. Frederick, a railway station porter by trade, was called up into the Army on the 18th April 1940 and originally served with the Royal Artillery, before being posted to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. On his arrival in India, Fred was transferred to the 13th King's at their Chindit training camp in Saugor on the 26th September 1942.
Pte. Gauge was a member of Chindit Column 7 in Burma, under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes. He is not mentioned in any of the war diaries or books that I have read, but he does feature in the missing in action listings for 7 Column. According to these lists, Fred died on the 22nd March 1943; the cause of death was stated as heart failure with the added complication of dysentery. This is the only piece of information known about this soldier that I have seen.
At the time of his death 7 Column were working in close cooperation with Brigadier Wingate's Brigade Head Quarters and Major Scott's Column No. 8. They had travelled with these two Chindit units for the vast majority of the operation and at the time of Frederick's death were bivouaced close the Salin Chaung (stream or small river), in preparation to receive a very large supply drop at a place called Baw. Please refer to the map in the gallery below.
Pte. Gauge, having died of natural causes, so to speak, would have been in the care of the column Medical Officer, Captain Alfred Henry Snalam of the R.A.M.C. I am sure that he would have been given a proper Christian burial at the time of his death, but sadly, it was impossible to relocate his grave after the war was over. For this reason, Frederick is now remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery which situated on the outskirts of Rangoon. This memorial was built to honour all those casualties from the Burma campaign that have no known grave and contains some 26,000 names.
In July 1943, Pte. Gauge's family were informed of the circumstances surrounding his sad demise in Burma. From the pages of the Biggleswade Chronicle and Bedfordshire Gazette dated Friday 23rd July 1943:
Mrs. F. Gauge of 75 Sun Street, Biggleswade, has received official intimation from the War Office stating that, according to a report received from the Indian Authorities her son, Pte. Frederick Gauge (King's Regiment) died in the Indian theatre of war on March 22nd this year. Death was due to heart failure caused by dysentery. Before joining the forces in April 1940, Pte. Gauge was employed as a station porter at Biggleswade L.N.E.R. Station. His younger brother, Jack was wounded in the left leg some time ago in the Middle East.
In March 2015, I was contacted by Frederick's great-niece, Kate. I would like to thank her for all the information she was able to add to her great uncle's story.
Update 24/04/2017.
From the pages of the Biggleswade Chronicle and Bedfordshire Gazette dated Friday 22nd March 1946, comes this heartfelt memorial for Frederick Gauge on the third anniversary of his death in Burma. The family repeated this homage to Fred three years later in 1949 (see Gallery below):
In loving memory of my dear son, Pte. Frederick Gauge, who died whilst on active service in Burma on March 22nd 1943. From his loving Mum, sisters and brothers. 75 Sun Street, Biggleswade.
He left his home in health and strength
To answer his country's call:
He gave his life, he gave his best,
For you, for us, for all.
No one he loved was by his side
To hear his parting sigh,
Or whisper just a loving word,
Or even say goodbye.
We longed for his returning,
To clasp his loving hand,
But God has postponed that meeting
Till we meet in the better land.
To answer his country's call:
He gave his life, he gave his best,
For you, for us, for all.
No one he loved was by his side
To hear his parting sigh,
Or whisper just a loving word,
Or even say goodbye.
We longed for his returning,
To clasp his loving hand,
But God has postponed that meeting
Till we meet in the better land.
Seen below are some more images in relation to this story, including the map showing the Salin Chaung and the Burmese village of Baw. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Cap badge 3rd Madras Regiment.
GILLOW, JOSEPH MICHAEL
Lieutenant Joseph Michael Gillow was born on the 24th June 1921 in Bowden, Cheshire and was one of six children. He joined the Army early in 1940, eventually being posted to the East Lancashire Regiment in 1941. He was later commissioned into the Indian Army, joining the 3rd Madras Regiment at Poona.
On the 23rd December 1942, he was posted along with four other British officers from Indian Regiments, to the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, who at that time were stationed at Jhansi. The war diary for the 13th King's states:
A draft of eleven officers joined us today to supplement our numbers. In addition to these, five officers also arrived from Indian units to be attached to us for training purposes, presumably to learn about our type of warfare so they can train others.
In actual fact, all five of these young recruits were to take their place in the various Chindit Columns and within six weeks, were over 100 miles behind enemy lines in Burma. Joseph was placed into 8 Column under the command of Major Walter Purcell Scott and was given command of his own section of men within the column. In the book 'Beyond the Chindwin', Bernard Fergusson, commander of 5 Column in 1943 remembers bumping into Lieutenant Gillow near the Burmese village of Tonmakeng. This amusing quote from the book is one of the few mentions of Joseph Gillow from the writings about Operation Longcloth:
The next few days were without incident, except that we met Gillow, a young officer who had joined Scotty's column at Jhansi, more or less wringing his hands. Scotty had somewhere picked up four elephants shortly before crossing the Chindwin, complete with oozys. Exclaiming at his good fortune, he had piled all his men's blankets on them, and given them to Gillow and a section of infantry as escort, to move in rear of the column.
The previous evening Gillow had become benighted before catching up the column, and not certain that he was on the right track, bedded down where he was, to wish for the day. The day came, but the oozys went: they had got off their mark in the night, leaving their elephants. Although Gillow addressed them in every language of which he was a master; although he said: Gee-up, Chelo, Iggiri and Come hup; although he pushed them and prodded them and held hay in front of them, and even stuck them with bayonets, those elephants were just not moving, and he had to abandon both them and their loads. I admit I was a bit sorry for Gillow.
Lieutenant Joseph Michael Gillow was born on the 24th June 1921 in Bowden, Cheshire and was one of six children. He joined the Army early in 1940, eventually being posted to the East Lancashire Regiment in 1941. He was later commissioned into the Indian Army, joining the 3rd Madras Regiment at Poona.
On the 23rd December 1942, he was posted along with four other British officers from Indian Regiments, to the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, who at that time were stationed at Jhansi. The war diary for the 13th King's states:
A draft of eleven officers joined us today to supplement our numbers. In addition to these, five officers also arrived from Indian units to be attached to us for training purposes, presumably to learn about our type of warfare so they can train others.
In actual fact, all five of these young recruits were to take their place in the various Chindit Columns and within six weeks, were over 100 miles behind enemy lines in Burma. Joseph was placed into 8 Column under the command of Major Walter Purcell Scott and was given command of his own section of men within the column. In the book 'Beyond the Chindwin', Bernard Fergusson, commander of 5 Column in 1943 remembers bumping into Lieutenant Gillow near the Burmese village of Tonmakeng. This amusing quote from the book is one of the few mentions of Joseph Gillow from the writings about Operation Longcloth:
The next few days were without incident, except that we met Gillow, a young officer who had joined Scotty's column at Jhansi, more or less wringing his hands. Scotty had somewhere picked up four elephants shortly before crossing the Chindwin, complete with oozys. Exclaiming at his good fortune, he had piled all his men's blankets on them, and given them to Gillow and a section of infantry as escort, to move in rear of the column.
The previous evening Gillow had become benighted before catching up the column, and not certain that he was on the right track, bedded down where he was, to wish for the day. The day came, but the oozys went: they had got off their mark in the night, leaving their elephants. Although Gillow addressed them in every language of which he was a master; although he said: Gee-up, Chelo, Iggiri and Come hup; although he pushed them and prodded them and held hay in front of them, and even stuck them with bayonets, those elephants were just not moving, and he had to abandon both them and their loads. I admit I was a bit sorry for Gillow.
Ampleforth College, North yorkshire.
Whilst searching on line and looking for information about another Chindit officer entirely, I stumbled across an alumni newsletter for Ampleforth College, see photograph above. Within the journal was an obituary article about former pupil, Joseph Michael Gillow:
THE AMPLEFORTH JOURNAL VOLUME 114
JOSEPH MICHAEL GILLOW. 24th June 1921- 8th December 2009, known as Michael, worked in the brewing industry, fought with the Chindits in Burma and was briefly an amateur jockey, before returning to brewing.
He was born in Bowdon, Cheshire, the fifth of six children. Michael followed his brothers Harry and Bill to St Cuthbert's House at Ampleforth under Friar Sebastian Lambert. His surviving younger brother Brian followed. After Ampleforth, Michael joined his older brothers and their father at Walker & Homfray Brewery, Salford.
In May 1940 he joined the Local Defence Volunteers and in early 1941 joined the East Lancashire Fusiliers. That autumn he travelled to India as a Second Lieutenant in the Indian Army, being posted to the Madras Regiment who were then sent to Poona where they performed coastal defence. After Japan invaded Burma in 1942 he volunteered to join Wingate's First Chindit Expedition. The Chindits operated in columns, each large enough to inflict serious damage on the enemy, but small enough to withdraw if outnumbered. In January 1943 Michael joined No. 8 Column under Major Walter Scott at Jhansi. The Chindits advanced into Burma, crossing the Chindwin River on 13th February 1943.
On 24th March Wingate was ordered to withdraw. By then the Chindits were at the limit for supply by air, lacked water and were near exhaustion. Only 2,182 of 3,000 officers and men returned from Burma some four months later having covered up to 1,500 miles deep in enemy territory. Michael returned in June 1943 weighing only six stone. However, in 1944 he was promoted to Captain in the Madras Regiment and continued his war service.
On leaving the Army in 1945, he joined the Red Tower Lager Brewery in Moss Side, Manchester, where Michael showed a flair for production and distribution. A spell as an amateur jockey ended after a serious fall. Michael's future bride, Maivis Aynsley, watched him fall that day. They married in 1949. In the mid 1950's, Michael moved to John Aynsley and Sons, becoming Managing Director from 1959 when the firm grew consistently. He introduced modern tunnel ovens to replace bottle ovens in the early 1960's, also replacing barrels with lockable containers to cut transport losses and established distribution facilities in the USA to safeguard delivery dates. He also patented a new combined pouring and shaking utensil.
He never complained about injury or illness. Once, while cutting wood, a chainsaw struck a nail, bounced back and hit his face and neck. Though needing some twenty-five stitches, Michael was back at his desk next morning. In 1968, John Aynsley and Sons acquired Denton China. In 1970, the firm was acquired by Waterford Glass heralding further expansion. Michael had no time for accountants, regarding them as drones, and was always careful with the firm's money. He retired in 1986 as Chairman and a Director of Waterford Glass.
Michael Gillow always loved his horses and racing and enjoyed an active retirement. In 2009, Michael and Maivis celebrated their Diamond Wedding with daughter Annabel and son-in-law, John. His grandchildren, Georgia and Harry, brought Michael much happiness. His family and friends will remember a man of courage and principle, achievement and humility and faith and fortitude.
Returning to his war service, the next mention of Lieutenant Gillow in regards to Operation Longcloth comes on the 3rd April 1943, in the form of an entry from 8 Column's war diary. The column had not long left Brigadier Wingate and 7 Column after an aborted attempt to re-cross the Irrawaddy on the 29th March near the riverside town of Inywa. Wingate had already decided that it was time to return to India and had instructed his column commanders to commence dispersal, where he recommended the breaking down of each column into smaller dispersal groups of 25-30 men. Major Scott was not so keen on this idea in the first instance and kept his men together, marching away from Inywa in a south-easterly direction towards the Shweli River.
It is at the Shweli on the 3rd April that the diary mentions Joseph and another man, Flight-Lieutenant Kenneth Wheatley of the RAF:
Signal sent to Corps asking for two RAF dinghies and two Recce boats to be dropped to us. The building of rafts continued and orders were issued for a crossing to be carried out at all costs if no supply drop of boats could be made. At 18.00 hours the boats and 200 lifebelts and two days rations per man were delivered.
At dusk the crossing began and continued on until 09.00 hours the following day. All ranks and our two mules went over. Excellent work had been done by F/Lt. Wheatley and Lt. Gillow in swimming the river and preparing the far bank.
After ten days of constant marching and having bumped the Japanese on at least two occasions, Major Scott realised that the chances of getting his column back to India as one unit were no longer practicable. On the 15th April he broke his column down into dispersal groups and then called for one last supply drop from Rear Base, before making north in search of the Irrawaddy once more.
From the book 'Wingate's Lost Brigade', by Philip Chinnery:
On 15th April, Captain Whitehead and his dispersal group, together with the stretcher party under Sergeant Parsons and the Medical Officer, Captain Heathcote, left the column. They planned to move to the east of Bhamo, thence north of Myitkyina to Fort Hertz. If this plan failed they would cross the Irrawaddy north of Bhamo and then go west towards the Chindwin. On the way they intended to leave the wounded at a friendly Kachin village.
Captain Whitehead's party had great difficulty getting down the eastern slopes of the mountains to the Bhamo Plain and the first villages they visited were deserted. The escort party under Lieutenant Hamilton-Bryant returned after a couple of days, anxious not to lose contact with the main body of the column. The decision of the Medical Officer to remain with Whitehead's group was rather controversial as it left the bulk of the column without a doctor.
Meanwhile the column received their supply drop on 17th April: four days' rations, corned beef and mutton, and another charged radio battery. The following day Lieutenants Neill, Sprague and Gillow left with their dispersal group, intending to drop on to the plain before heading for Myale where they proposed to cross the Irrawaddy.
Lieutenants Pickering, Pearce and Bennett and their group left for Watto on the Irrawaddy, and half an hour later Major Scott and the rest of the column continued on their journey to Sinkan. It had been decided that Lieutenant Colonel Cooke's dispersal group, together with that of Lieutenant Carroll, would remain with Scott for the time being, making a large party of six officers and 170 men, plus one mule with the wireless set.
Seen below is a map of the Irrawaddy River area from whence 8 Column began their dispersal from Burma.
THE AMPLEFORTH JOURNAL VOLUME 114
JOSEPH MICHAEL GILLOW. 24th June 1921- 8th December 2009, known as Michael, worked in the brewing industry, fought with the Chindits in Burma and was briefly an amateur jockey, before returning to brewing.
He was born in Bowdon, Cheshire, the fifth of six children. Michael followed his brothers Harry and Bill to St Cuthbert's House at Ampleforth under Friar Sebastian Lambert. His surviving younger brother Brian followed. After Ampleforth, Michael joined his older brothers and their father at Walker & Homfray Brewery, Salford.
In May 1940 he joined the Local Defence Volunteers and in early 1941 joined the East Lancashire Fusiliers. That autumn he travelled to India as a Second Lieutenant in the Indian Army, being posted to the Madras Regiment who were then sent to Poona where they performed coastal defence. After Japan invaded Burma in 1942 he volunteered to join Wingate's First Chindit Expedition. The Chindits operated in columns, each large enough to inflict serious damage on the enemy, but small enough to withdraw if outnumbered. In January 1943 Michael joined No. 8 Column under Major Walter Scott at Jhansi. The Chindits advanced into Burma, crossing the Chindwin River on 13th February 1943.
On 24th March Wingate was ordered to withdraw. By then the Chindits were at the limit for supply by air, lacked water and were near exhaustion. Only 2,182 of 3,000 officers and men returned from Burma some four months later having covered up to 1,500 miles deep in enemy territory. Michael returned in June 1943 weighing only six stone. However, in 1944 he was promoted to Captain in the Madras Regiment and continued his war service.
On leaving the Army in 1945, he joined the Red Tower Lager Brewery in Moss Side, Manchester, where Michael showed a flair for production and distribution. A spell as an amateur jockey ended after a serious fall. Michael's future bride, Maivis Aynsley, watched him fall that day. They married in 1949. In the mid 1950's, Michael moved to John Aynsley and Sons, becoming Managing Director from 1959 when the firm grew consistently. He introduced modern tunnel ovens to replace bottle ovens in the early 1960's, also replacing barrels with lockable containers to cut transport losses and established distribution facilities in the USA to safeguard delivery dates. He also patented a new combined pouring and shaking utensil.
He never complained about injury or illness. Once, while cutting wood, a chainsaw struck a nail, bounced back and hit his face and neck. Though needing some twenty-five stitches, Michael was back at his desk next morning. In 1968, John Aynsley and Sons acquired Denton China. In 1970, the firm was acquired by Waterford Glass heralding further expansion. Michael had no time for accountants, regarding them as drones, and was always careful with the firm's money. He retired in 1986 as Chairman and a Director of Waterford Glass.
Michael Gillow always loved his horses and racing and enjoyed an active retirement. In 2009, Michael and Maivis celebrated their Diamond Wedding with daughter Annabel and son-in-law, John. His grandchildren, Georgia and Harry, brought Michael much happiness. His family and friends will remember a man of courage and principle, achievement and humility and faith and fortitude.
Returning to his war service, the next mention of Lieutenant Gillow in regards to Operation Longcloth comes on the 3rd April 1943, in the form of an entry from 8 Column's war diary. The column had not long left Brigadier Wingate and 7 Column after an aborted attempt to re-cross the Irrawaddy on the 29th March near the riverside town of Inywa. Wingate had already decided that it was time to return to India and had instructed his column commanders to commence dispersal, where he recommended the breaking down of each column into smaller dispersal groups of 25-30 men. Major Scott was not so keen on this idea in the first instance and kept his men together, marching away from Inywa in a south-easterly direction towards the Shweli River.
It is at the Shweli on the 3rd April that the diary mentions Joseph and another man, Flight-Lieutenant Kenneth Wheatley of the RAF:
Signal sent to Corps asking for two RAF dinghies and two Recce boats to be dropped to us. The building of rafts continued and orders were issued for a crossing to be carried out at all costs if no supply drop of boats could be made. At 18.00 hours the boats and 200 lifebelts and two days rations per man were delivered.
At dusk the crossing began and continued on until 09.00 hours the following day. All ranks and our two mules went over. Excellent work had been done by F/Lt. Wheatley and Lt. Gillow in swimming the river and preparing the far bank.
After ten days of constant marching and having bumped the Japanese on at least two occasions, Major Scott realised that the chances of getting his column back to India as one unit were no longer practicable. On the 15th April he broke his column down into dispersal groups and then called for one last supply drop from Rear Base, before making north in search of the Irrawaddy once more.
From the book 'Wingate's Lost Brigade', by Philip Chinnery:
On 15th April, Captain Whitehead and his dispersal group, together with the stretcher party under Sergeant Parsons and the Medical Officer, Captain Heathcote, left the column. They planned to move to the east of Bhamo, thence north of Myitkyina to Fort Hertz. If this plan failed they would cross the Irrawaddy north of Bhamo and then go west towards the Chindwin. On the way they intended to leave the wounded at a friendly Kachin village.
Captain Whitehead's party had great difficulty getting down the eastern slopes of the mountains to the Bhamo Plain and the first villages they visited were deserted. The escort party under Lieutenant Hamilton-Bryant returned after a couple of days, anxious not to lose contact with the main body of the column. The decision of the Medical Officer to remain with Whitehead's group was rather controversial as it left the bulk of the column without a doctor.
Meanwhile the column received their supply drop on 17th April: four days' rations, corned beef and mutton, and another charged radio battery. The following day Lieutenants Neill, Sprague and Gillow left with their dispersal group, intending to drop on to the plain before heading for Myale where they proposed to cross the Irrawaddy.
Lieutenants Pickering, Pearce and Bennett and their group left for Watto on the Irrawaddy, and half an hour later Major Scott and the rest of the column continued on their journey to Sinkan. It had been decided that Lieutenant Colonel Cooke's dispersal group, together with that of Lieutenant Carroll, would remain with Scott for the time being, making a large party of six officers and 170 men, plus one mule with the wireless set.
Seen below is a map of the Irrawaddy River area from whence 8 Column began their dispersal from Burma.
8 Column dispersal at the Irrawaddy 15th April 1943.
Lieutenant Dominic Neill was the officer in charge of the Gurkha platoon in 8 Column and Thomas Sprague the leader of the 142 Commando unit for Major Scott's column. Together with Joseph Gillow they moved quickly towards the Irrawaddy and crossed, not at Myale where they first hoped, but some miles further west, at a place called Zibyugon. Several days later they had reached the Kaukkwe Chaung and were camped outside another Burmese village called Thayetta.
A Burma Rifleman named Tun Tin was attached to Gillow's dispersal group and he had entered the village one morning to arrange food and water for the men. The Headman of Thayetta, although fairly generous in supplying the beleaguered Chindits with some chickens and rice, was clearly nervous about having these soldiers in his village as he feared reprisals from the Japanese should they find out. Later that afternoon, as the dispersal group was moving along the Kaukkwe Chaung, it was ambushed by a large patrol of Japanese and the group became separated with several men being wounded and even killed.
It is not clear how, but after the ambush and confusion caused, Lieutenant Gillow managed somehow to meet up with the dispersal party of Captain John Swafer Pickering and it was with this group that he made his way back to India in 1943. Dominic Neill and Thomas Sprague, along with some of their Gurkhas and Commandos also reached the safety of the Chindwin after four more gruelling weeks of marching. An entry in the 13th King's War diary dated 27th May 1943 confirms the safe arrival of Lieutenant Gillow and Captain Pickering's party:
Reports have been received that the dispersal party of Number 2 Group HQ under the command of Lieutenant J. Pickering has arrived at Layshi. The party contained Lieutenants Bennett, Gillow and Pearce, with 28 British Other Ranks, 21 Gurkhas and others. It is also known that Lieutenant Hamilton-Bryan, RSM Livingstone and a CSM from 8 Column (Delaney) were following on independently.
After reaching the safety of Allied lines, Joseph and the other Chindits spent some time recuperating at the 19th Casualty Clearing Station at Imphal. This small hospital was run by Senior Matron Agnes McGeary and it was mainly due to her great efforts that so many of the returning Chindits were brought back to good health.
Shown below is a gallery of images in relation to the story of Lieutenant Joseph Michael Gillow, please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
A Burma Rifleman named Tun Tin was attached to Gillow's dispersal group and he had entered the village one morning to arrange food and water for the men. The Headman of Thayetta, although fairly generous in supplying the beleaguered Chindits with some chickens and rice, was clearly nervous about having these soldiers in his village as he feared reprisals from the Japanese should they find out. Later that afternoon, as the dispersal group was moving along the Kaukkwe Chaung, it was ambushed by a large patrol of Japanese and the group became separated with several men being wounded and even killed.
It is not clear how, but after the ambush and confusion caused, Lieutenant Gillow managed somehow to meet up with the dispersal party of Captain John Swafer Pickering and it was with this group that he made his way back to India in 1943. Dominic Neill and Thomas Sprague, along with some of their Gurkhas and Commandos also reached the safety of the Chindwin after four more gruelling weeks of marching. An entry in the 13th King's War diary dated 27th May 1943 confirms the safe arrival of Lieutenant Gillow and Captain Pickering's party:
Reports have been received that the dispersal party of Number 2 Group HQ under the command of Lieutenant J. Pickering has arrived at Layshi. The party contained Lieutenants Bennett, Gillow and Pearce, with 28 British Other Ranks, 21 Gurkhas and others. It is also known that Lieutenant Hamilton-Bryan, RSM Livingstone and a CSM from 8 Column (Delaney) were following on independently.
After reaching the safety of Allied lines, Joseph and the other Chindits spent some time recuperating at the 19th Casualty Clearing Station at Imphal. This small hospital was run by Senior Matron Agnes McGeary and it was mainly due to her great efforts that so many of the returning Chindits were brought back to good health.
Shown below is a gallery of images in relation to the story of Lieutenant Joseph Michael Gillow, please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
As mentioned in his Ampleforth College obituary, Michael Gillow had a life-long love for horses and horse racing. In 1982, as part of a series of Aynsley bone-China, he designed a commemorative plate in celebration of the Grand National (shown above). The centre piece of the plate was a poem written by Michael, surrounded by beautiful painted studies of Grand National scenes by artist Margaret Barrett.
Michael Gillow sadly passed away on the 8th December 2009, I can think of nothing more fitting to end this story, than to place here his poem in honour of the Grand National.
Michael Gillow sadly passed away on the 8th December 2009, I can think of nothing more fitting to end this story, than to place here his poem in honour of the Grand National.
As Regiments of Horse, have charged the gates of hell, so heroes long gone hence from here have battled just as well.
Across the Melling Road they go, full gallop in a line, to take the mighty fences that chill us to the spine.
At Bechers Brook they lengthen stride to try and meet it right, for those in front who galloped on have disappeared from sight.
The Turn is now upon them, they'll swing their horse in line for across the turf of Aintree lies the famous Valentine.
The open ditch gives none to spare, the next will take its toll and then there is the famous Chair where horse and jockeys roll.
Four miles and more they have to go with stamina and pace, but only one will write his name and win this famous race.
Across the Melling Road they go, full gallop in a line, to take the mighty fences that chill us to the spine.
At Bechers Brook they lengthen stride to try and meet it right, for those in front who galloped on have disappeared from sight.
The Turn is now upon them, they'll swing their horse in line for across the turf of Aintree lies the famous Valentine.
The open ditch gives none to spare, the next will take its toll and then there is the famous Chair where horse and jockeys roll.
Four miles and more they have to go with stamina and pace, but only one will write his name and win this famous race.
Charles Gilmartin in 1940.
GILMARTIN, CHARLES
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 3779348
Date of Death: 04/04/1943
Age: 30
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3069802/GILMARTIN,%20CHARLES
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Charles Gilmartin was born in June 1912, at the coastal town of Sligo in the Republic of Ireland. After moving to Liverpool, where he worked as a barman, he married Minnie Smith at Christ's Church, Bootle in December 1940. Lance Corporal Charles Gilmartin featured prominently within the ranks of 5 Column during Operation Longcloth and his actions and overall contribution have been widely recognised in diaries, books and personal anecdotal references. He served as Captain Alexander MacDonald's batman from late training up until MacDonald's tragic death during the engagement at Hintha.
The two men had grown close during training and on the operation proper and respected each other's abilities in soldiering. According to Bernard Fergusson, Charles Gilmartin had been absolutely inconsolable after Captain MacDonald's death in late March 1943. He (Fergusson) believed that this sadness of heart contributed to Gilmartin's own death just a few days later in the village of Zibyugin, where the Lance Corporal had accompanied Lieutenant Duncan Campbell Menzies in an ill-fated search for food and supplies.
To read more about Captain Alexander Inglis MacDonald, please click on the link below:
Alexander MacDonald
After Hintha the remnants of Column 5 had dispersed to a previously agreed rendezvous point in a chaung or large stream, two or three miles north east of the village. The exhausted and dispirited Chindits slumped down by the chaung and contemplated the grave cost of the action fought at Hintha and remembered the dear friends they had lost.
A few days later the column were approaching the western banks of the Shweli River, on the 1st April the men crossed to what they assumed to be the east bank. Unfortunately, they had only succeeded in reaching a huge sandbank lying in the middle of the fast flowing river. Between them and the other side was approximately 80 yards of treacherous and rapidly moving water. This short leap of faith proved too much for 40 or so men, who, exhausted and fearful, refused to cross.
Fergusson, Lieutenant Campbell Menzies and Lance Corporal Gilmartin tried to cajole the non-swimmers across, but when one of the Burma Riflemen suddenly lost his footing and was washed away downstream the die was cast. Bernard Fergusson had often commented that the decision to leave the 40 on the Shweli sandbank, most of whom eventually perished as prisoners of war, had haunted him for many years after the war.
Three days march after crossing the Shweli River, the column reached an area of jungle situated between Kundaw and the villages of Pumpri and Lonpu. The men had run low on rations and the need to find a friendly village in which to buy food now became vital. From his book, 'Beyond the Chindwin', Bernard Fergusson takes up the story outside the village of Zibyugin:
We had got enough food for two meals, and a little information, but we wanted much more of both. We had learned that the village, which was not shown on the map, was called Zibyugin; that the Japs were in Pumpri and Lonpu: but it was essential to know more than that before we pushed on. We wanted information on which to decide, not only our immediate future, but our whole future policy: whether to go east or north, to China or Fort Hertz or Myitkyina or Bhamo.
As we left the village, I had waved a fistful of money to pay for the food, and put it down very obviously by a house; at the same time I had shouted "Guide! Guide!" in what I hoped was understandable Burmese. There was every hope that the Japs would not discover that we had been in the village at all, although unfortunately one of the sentries had failed to rejoin us. There was a good chance that the Kachins would have shuffled him into hiding.
John Fraser, Duncan and I discussed for an hour what our best course was to be, and we came to the conclusion that we must get more information, and if possible more food, from the village. If their reports about the country farther east were favourable, then we could pass from village to village all through the Kachin country, with no worries about food, and with continuous information about enemy movements and dispositions.
We agreed that it was more than likely that the Japs would not have tumbled to our presence in the neighbourhood, and that they were unlikely to come into the village so early in the morning unless they were going to move on elsewhere. We thought that a patrol should go into the village, and that one o'clock would be the best time for it.
Duncan volunteered to go, and to my grief I let him. We had some tea about half-past twelve, and then Duncan got up and slowly prepared for the patrol. He had chosen to accompany him Burma Rifleman Maung Kyan, Gilmartin, who had brooded inconsolably since Alec MacDonald's death, and one of the Commando Platoon, Pte. Stevenson.
Duncan left behind his maps, but took his pack: he had always disapproved of people leaving their packs behind when they went on patrol, and had his conviction strengthened by my adventure with Jameson a few nights before.
NB. Fergusson and Rifleman Jameson had gone in search of a rendezvous point without their packs and had become lost in some thickset jungle. It was only through good fortune that they stumbled upon the column once more, otherwise they would have been adrift, without compass, map or rations.
Fergusson continues:
I watched, lying on my back but propped up on my elbows. At last he was ready. "Well, I'm off," Duncan said. "If I get into trouble, I'll fire my rifle. So long!"
"Good luck," I said; and off he went. The hands of my watch seemed to turn desperately slowly during the next hour. They showed two o'clock when Pte. Pepper, who was sentry, burst through the bushes. "I just heard two shots, sir," he said. I leaped to my feet and listened. There was a moment's silence, and then with terrible distinctness we heard three more.
We stood a long time, but heard nothing. Ages later I said to John Fraser, "They might have been killing a couple of pigs." "It's possible," he said; "but do you really think so?" It was at five o'clock that Maung Kyan and Stevenson got back. They had been wandering round in circles. I talked to Stevenson, and John to Maung Kyan.
The patrol had gone into the village, and advanced cautiously to the first house. All was quiet. Duncan climbed the steps and disappeared into the building. He had come out again almost immediately with a Kachin who, by agitated gesture was urging silence on them all.
At that moment a Burmese, probably a Jap guide, came round the corner, and seeing the patrol began shouting. Duncan and the others ran for the jungle, and reached a chaung on the fringe of it. There he faced the village, from which the Japs were running towards them, and threw himself on to the ground in a firing position. "You run on back," he said to Gilmartin. "I'll cover you and join you later." Gilmartin flung himself down beside Duncan, and that was the last they saw.
I waited till dawn next morning, and then marched miserably away to the north-west. I had stopped being a passenger and become the column commander again.
NB: The man mentioned by Bernard Fergusson as Pte. Stevenson, was in fact Pte. 4469350 Harry Powell Stephenson, a soldier with the Durham Light Infantry before his transfer to the 13th King's in September 1942.
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 3779348
Date of Death: 04/04/1943
Age: 30
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3069802/GILMARTIN,%20CHARLES
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Charles Gilmartin was born in June 1912, at the coastal town of Sligo in the Republic of Ireland. After moving to Liverpool, where he worked as a barman, he married Minnie Smith at Christ's Church, Bootle in December 1940. Lance Corporal Charles Gilmartin featured prominently within the ranks of 5 Column during Operation Longcloth and his actions and overall contribution have been widely recognised in diaries, books and personal anecdotal references. He served as Captain Alexander MacDonald's batman from late training up until MacDonald's tragic death during the engagement at Hintha.
The two men had grown close during training and on the operation proper and respected each other's abilities in soldiering. According to Bernard Fergusson, Charles Gilmartin had been absolutely inconsolable after Captain MacDonald's death in late March 1943. He (Fergusson) believed that this sadness of heart contributed to Gilmartin's own death just a few days later in the village of Zibyugin, where the Lance Corporal had accompanied Lieutenant Duncan Campbell Menzies in an ill-fated search for food and supplies.
To read more about Captain Alexander Inglis MacDonald, please click on the link below:
Alexander MacDonald
After Hintha the remnants of Column 5 had dispersed to a previously agreed rendezvous point in a chaung or large stream, two or three miles north east of the village. The exhausted and dispirited Chindits slumped down by the chaung and contemplated the grave cost of the action fought at Hintha and remembered the dear friends they had lost.
A few days later the column were approaching the western banks of the Shweli River, on the 1st April the men crossed to what they assumed to be the east bank. Unfortunately, they had only succeeded in reaching a huge sandbank lying in the middle of the fast flowing river. Between them and the other side was approximately 80 yards of treacherous and rapidly moving water. This short leap of faith proved too much for 40 or so men, who, exhausted and fearful, refused to cross.
Fergusson, Lieutenant Campbell Menzies and Lance Corporal Gilmartin tried to cajole the non-swimmers across, but when one of the Burma Riflemen suddenly lost his footing and was washed away downstream the die was cast. Bernard Fergusson had often commented that the decision to leave the 40 on the Shweli sandbank, most of whom eventually perished as prisoners of war, had haunted him for many years after the war.
Three days march after crossing the Shweli River, the column reached an area of jungle situated between Kundaw and the villages of Pumpri and Lonpu. The men had run low on rations and the need to find a friendly village in which to buy food now became vital. From his book, 'Beyond the Chindwin', Bernard Fergusson takes up the story outside the village of Zibyugin:
We had got enough food for two meals, and a little information, but we wanted much more of both. We had learned that the village, which was not shown on the map, was called Zibyugin; that the Japs were in Pumpri and Lonpu: but it was essential to know more than that before we pushed on. We wanted information on which to decide, not only our immediate future, but our whole future policy: whether to go east or north, to China or Fort Hertz or Myitkyina or Bhamo.
As we left the village, I had waved a fistful of money to pay for the food, and put it down very obviously by a house; at the same time I had shouted "Guide! Guide!" in what I hoped was understandable Burmese. There was every hope that the Japs would not discover that we had been in the village at all, although unfortunately one of the sentries had failed to rejoin us. There was a good chance that the Kachins would have shuffled him into hiding.
John Fraser, Duncan and I discussed for an hour what our best course was to be, and we came to the conclusion that we must get more information, and if possible more food, from the village. If their reports about the country farther east were favourable, then we could pass from village to village all through the Kachin country, with no worries about food, and with continuous information about enemy movements and dispositions.
We agreed that it was more than likely that the Japs would not have tumbled to our presence in the neighbourhood, and that they were unlikely to come into the village so early in the morning unless they were going to move on elsewhere. We thought that a patrol should go into the village, and that one o'clock would be the best time for it.
Duncan volunteered to go, and to my grief I let him. We had some tea about half-past twelve, and then Duncan got up and slowly prepared for the patrol. He had chosen to accompany him Burma Rifleman Maung Kyan, Gilmartin, who had brooded inconsolably since Alec MacDonald's death, and one of the Commando Platoon, Pte. Stevenson.
Duncan left behind his maps, but took his pack: he had always disapproved of people leaving their packs behind when they went on patrol, and had his conviction strengthened by my adventure with Jameson a few nights before.
NB. Fergusson and Rifleman Jameson had gone in search of a rendezvous point without their packs and had become lost in some thickset jungle. It was only through good fortune that they stumbled upon the column once more, otherwise they would have been adrift, without compass, map or rations.
Fergusson continues:
I watched, lying on my back but propped up on my elbows. At last he was ready. "Well, I'm off," Duncan said. "If I get into trouble, I'll fire my rifle. So long!"
"Good luck," I said; and off he went. The hands of my watch seemed to turn desperately slowly during the next hour. They showed two o'clock when Pte. Pepper, who was sentry, burst through the bushes. "I just heard two shots, sir," he said. I leaped to my feet and listened. There was a moment's silence, and then with terrible distinctness we heard three more.
We stood a long time, but heard nothing. Ages later I said to John Fraser, "They might have been killing a couple of pigs." "It's possible," he said; "but do you really think so?" It was at five o'clock that Maung Kyan and Stevenson got back. They had been wandering round in circles. I talked to Stevenson, and John to Maung Kyan.
The patrol had gone into the village, and advanced cautiously to the first house. All was quiet. Duncan climbed the steps and disappeared into the building. He had come out again almost immediately with a Kachin who, by agitated gesture was urging silence on them all.
At that moment a Burmese, probably a Jap guide, came round the corner, and seeing the patrol began shouting. Duncan and the others ran for the jungle, and reached a chaung on the fringe of it. There he faced the village, from which the Japs were running towards them, and threw himself on to the ground in a firing position. "You run on back," he said to Gilmartin. "I'll cover you and join you later." Gilmartin flung himself down beside Duncan, and that was the last they saw.
I waited till dawn next morning, and then marched miserably away to the north-west. I had stopped being a passenger and become the column commander again.
NB: The man mentioned by Bernard Fergusson as Pte. Stevenson, was in fact Pte. 4469350 Harry Powell Stephenson, a soldier with the Durham Light Infantry before his transfer to the 13th King's in September 1942.
Map showing route after Hintha, across the Shweli sandbank, then Kundaw and the area in which Zibyugin was situated.
There has been much deliberation, conjecture and opinion expressed in regards to the circumstances of Lieutenant Menzies and therefore Charles Gilmartin's death at Zibyugin. In the appendices for 'Beyond the Chindwin', Fergusson offers up perhaps the most definitive of these theories in his notes for that time:
"On the 4th April, the day after Duncan failed to return from his patrol, the Burma Rifle Headquarters, about 100 strong, reached Zibyugin and attacked it. The small number of Japanese in the village withdrew, and Jemadar Lader (now Captain Lader, B.G.M.) penetrated into the village. Here he found Duncan and Gilmartin, both dressed in Japanese clothes, with their beards shaved, and tied to trees.
Gilmartin was dead, and Duncan dying. Both had been shot, when the Burma Rifle attack came in. Duncan was still conscious, and told Colonel Wheeler (the Senior Burma Rifles Officer on Longcloth) and Peter Buchanan about the movements of No. 5 Column, and described how the bulk of the Japanese had left the village, presumably in search of my party.
He gave Wheeler his watch, to be sent to his parents if Wheeler reached India safely. Wheeler gave him some morphia but he was obviously near the end, and he died before the Burrifs left the village. One minute after Wheeler gave him the morphia, he was himself killed by a stray bullet from a Japanese sniper.
It has always seemed to me the saddest and strangest fate that Wheeler and Duncan, two of the finest men in the force, should both meet their end in this small and hitherto unknown village, unmarked on any map. They had the greatest admiration for each other, and Wheeler was much moved when he found Duncan in that condition. The news of Wheeler's own death spread through the Kachin Hills like wildfire, and he was widely mourned for the great figure and friend of the Kachins that he was."
To read more about the story of Duncan Campbell Menzies MC, please click on the following link:
Duncan Campbell Menzies
Lance Corporal Gilmartin's body was never recovered after the war and presumably still lies somewhere close to where he fell in the village of Zibyugin. It is likely that the village no longer exists due to the employment of crop rotation farming in Burma at that time. This is the system of exhausting an area of land and draining it of all nutrients, before moving the settlement, lock, stock and barrel to another location a few miles away.
Recently, a relative of Duncan Campbell Menzies has returned to Burma in an attempt to locate the village of Zibyugin, to read about his experiences, please click on the link below. My thanks go to Sian Powell for permission to link to her article about Hugh Menzies and his family pilgrimage.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-the-footsteps-of-a-hero/story-fni6um63-1226815013590
Charles Gilmartin is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial in Taukkyan War Cemetery. Seen below are some images pertinent to his Longcloth story.
Update 18/05/2017.
From the pages of the Liverpool Echo dated Friday 5th November 1943 and under the headline: Local Casualties
Lance Corporal Charles Gilmartin, aged 32 of 310 Hawthorn Road, Bootle, is believed killed in the Indian theatre of war. He was educated in County Mayo (Ireland) and was a barman.
"On the 4th April, the day after Duncan failed to return from his patrol, the Burma Rifle Headquarters, about 100 strong, reached Zibyugin and attacked it. The small number of Japanese in the village withdrew, and Jemadar Lader (now Captain Lader, B.G.M.) penetrated into the village. Here he found Duncan and Gilmartin, both dressed in Japanese clothes, with their beards shaved, and tied to trees.
Gilmartin was dead, and Duncan dying. Both had been shot, when the Burma Rifle attack came in. Duncan was still conscious, and told Colonel Wheeler (the Senior Burma Rifles Officer on Longcloth) and Peter Buchanan about the movements of No. 5 Column, and described how the bulk of the Japanese had left the village, presumably in search of my party.
He gave Wheeler his watch, to be sent to his parents if Wheeler reached India safely. Wheeler gave him some morphia but he was obviously near the end, and he died before the Burrifs left the village. One minute after Wheeler gave him the morphia, he was himself killed by a stray bullet from a Japanese sniper.
It has always seemed to me the saddest and strangest fate that Wheeler and Duncan, two of the finest men in the force, should both meet their end in this small and hitherto unknown village, unmarked on any map. They had the greatest admiration for each other, and Wheeler was much moved when he found Duncan in that condition. The news of Wheeler's own death spread through the Kachin Hills like wildfire, and he was widely mourned for the great figure and friend of the Kachins that he was."
To read more about the story of Duncan Campbell Menzies MC, please click on the following link:
Duncan Campbell Menzies
Lance Corporal Gilmartin's body was never recovered after the war and presumably still lies somewhere close to where he fell in the village of Zibyugin. It is likely that the village no longer exists due to the employment of crop rotation farming in Burma at that time. This is the system of exhausting an area of land and draining it of all nutrients, before moving the settlement, lock, stock and barrel to another location a few miles away.
Recently, a relative of Duncan Campbell Menzies has returned to Burma in an attempt to locate the village of Zibyugin, to read about his experiences, please click on the link below. My thanks go to Sian Powell for permission to link to her article about Hugh Menzies and his family pilgrimage.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-the-footsteps-of-a-hero/story-fni6um63-1226815013590
Charles Gilmartin is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial in Taukkyan War Cemetery. Seen below are some images pertinent to his Longcloth story.
Update 18/05/2017.
From the pages of the Liverpool Echo dated Friday 5th November 1943 and under the headline: Local Casualties
Lance Corporal Charles Gilmartin, aged 32 of 310 Hawthorn Road, Bootle, is believed killed in the Indian theatre of war. He was educated in County Mayo (Ireland) and was a barman.
GLASGOW, ROBERT CLARK
Rank: Colour Sergeant
Service No: 3192553
Date of Death: 30/04/1943
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3069841/GLASGOW,%20ROBERT%20CLARK
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Colour Sergeant Robert Glasgow was the son Alexander and Cecilia Glasgow and husband of Margaret Glasgow from Kirkhill in Midlothian, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Robert was with the original battalion of the 13th King's Regiment, that travelled to India in December 1941 aboard the troopship Oronsay, although he had begun his Army service with the King's Own Scottish Borderer's. During the first half of 1942, the 13th King's performed internal security and garrison duties at Secunderabad, before being given over to Brigadier Orde Wingate to make up the British Infantry section of the newly raised 77th Indian Infantry Brigade.
The 13th King's began their Chindit training at the Saugor Camp in the Central Provinces of India. Robert was posted to the ranks of 8 Column, commanded by Major Walter Purcell Scott and was to become a well loved and respected NCO within this unit. 8 Column had a fairly quiet time in the early weeks of the operation inside Burma, involved in the odd skirmish around places such as Pinlebu and Kame. For most of the time they shadowed Wingate and his Brigade Head Quarters, missing contact with the Japanese by small margins of time on several occasions. By late April 1943 the column had begun their return journey to India when disaster struck near small, but fast flowing river, called the Kaukkwe Chaung. Scott's men were caught out by a Japanese patrol on the 30th April, when the enemy attacked the rear of the column as it tried to ferry its non-swimmers over the chaung. A number of the more experienced NCO's including Colour Sergeant Glasgow, had set defensive positions on the near side bank in order to protect the stragglers as they struggled to get across.
During the fierce fighting at Kaukkwe, Robert Glasgow was severely wounded in his left leg, making it impossible for him to move back with the rest of the column. From the book Wingate’s Lost Brigade, by Phil Chinnery:
As Major Scott collected up the stragglers in the area, he came across Colour Sergeant Glasgow, who had received a serious wound, which resulted in a shattered knee. He refused all offers of help and asked Scott and some of the other men to shoot him. He knew that in his condition the Japanese would not bother to take him prisoner and would most likely have bayoneted him. Scott told him to lie low until after dark, when he would send some men back to collect him, Glasgow told the commander to give him some grenades and to leave him be. He was never seen again.
In his recorded interview at the Imperial War Museum in November 1991, Walter Purcell Scott remembered his trustworthy Colour Sergeant, although and presumably in order to protect the family, he did not refer to him by name:
The Japanese got in amongst us, but what they were doing, they were throwing grenades at us rather than coming in with the bayonet at all. And they crippled my Colour Sergeant, who was an outstanding soldier. He had his left knee shot right through, the bullet had hit him and shattered his knee cap on his left leg. I went to lift him on, and he said no sir, you will never make it, your duty is to get the rest of these men out and I must stay here and see what happens. I again lifted him, but he was hurt, it was hurting too much and he said please, please leave me. And this was one of the saddest times of my life, I had to leave him. He was there on the bank, we left him food, but he was never heard of again. So it would appear that the Japanese just came in and he had either died or they killed him.
To emphasise the tone of Brigadier Scott's recollection of the incident at the Kaukkwe Chaung, I have recorded his words myself in the audio file featured below. I have tried to be true to the emotion of the original recording, but please forgive me if I have failed in this attempt.
Rank: Colour Sergeant
Service No: 3192553
Date of Death: 30/04/1943
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3069841/GLASGOW,%20ROBERT%20CLARK
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Colour Sergeant Robert Glasgow was the son Alexander and Cecilia Glasgow and husband of Margaret Glasgow from Kirkhill in Midlothian, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Robert was with the original battalion of the 13th King's Regiment, that travelled to India in December 1941 aboard the troopship Oronsay, although he had begun his Army service with the King's Own Scottish Borderer's. During the first half of 1942, the 13th King's performed internal security and garrison duties at Secunderabad, before being given over to Brigadier Orde Wingate to make up the British Infantry section of the newly raised 77th Indian Infantry Brigade.
The 13th King's began their Chindit training at the Saugor Camp in the Central Provinces of India. Robert was posted to the ranks of 8 Column, commanded by Major Walter Purcell Scott and was to become a well loved and respected NCO within this unit. 8 Column had a fairly quiet time in the early weeks of the operation inside Burma, involved in the odd skirmish around places such as Pinlebu and Kame. For most of the time they shadowed Wingate and his Brigade Head Quarters, missing contact with the Japanese by small margins of time on several occasions. By late April 1943 the column had begun their return journey to India when disaster struck near small, but fast flowing river, called the Kaukkwe Chaung. Scott's men were caught out by a Japanese patrol on the 30th April, when the enemy attacked the rear of the column as it tried to ferry its non-swimmers over the chaung. A number of the more experienced NCO's including Colour Sergeant Glasgow, had set defensive positions on the near side bank in order to protect the stragglers as they struggled to get across.
During the fierce fighting at Kaukkwe, Robert Glasgow was severely wounded in his left leg, making it impossible for him to move back with the rest of the column. From the book Wingate’s Lost Brigade, by Phil Chinnery:
As Major Scott collected up the stragglers in the area, he came across Colour Sergeant Glasgow, who had received a serious wound, which resulted in a shattered knee. He refused all offers of help and asked Scott and some of the other men to shoot him. He knew that in his condition the Japanese would not bother to take him prisoner and would most likely have bayoneted him. Scott told him to lie low until after dark, when he would send some men back to collect him, Glasgow told the commander to give him some grenades and to leave him be. He was never seen again.
In his recorded interview at the Imperial War Museum in November 1991, Walter Purcell Scott remembered his trustworthy Colour Sergeant, although and presumably in order to protect the family, he did not refer to him by name:
The Japanese got in amongst us, but what they were doing, they were throwing grenades at us rather than coming in with the bayonet at all. And they crippled my Colour Sergeant, who was an outstanding soldier. He had his left knee shot right through, the bullet had hit him and shattered his knee cap on his left leg. I went to lift him on, and he said no sir, you will never make it, your duty is to get the rest of these men out and I must stay here and see what happens. I again lifted him, but he was hurt, it was hurting too much and he said please, please leave me. And this was one of the saddest times of my life, I had to leave him. He was there on the bank, we left him food, but he was never heard of again. So it would appear that the Japanese just came in and he had either died or they killed him.
To emphasise the tone of Brigadier Scott's recollection of the incident at the Kaukkwe Chaung, I have recorded his words myself in the audio file featured below. I have tried to be true to the emotion of the original recording, but please forgive me if I have failed in this attempt.
Seen below are some other documents in relation to this story. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Update 07/05/2017.
From the pages of the book, Wingate's Phantom Army, written by war correspondent, W.G. Burchett in Bombay during early 1944, comes this extract describing Robert Glasgow and his final moments at the Kaukkwe Chaung:
Two Irish Sergeants, Cheevers and Delaney, had sections amongst the bridgeheads established in the jungle, and they began fighting back desperately. A subaltern (Lt. David McDonald Rowland) alongside Cheevers dropped dead, and a Jap poked his head through the undergrowth to make sure of his kill. Cheevers stitched him to a tree with his Tommy-gun, shouting "Take that, ye black-hearted bastard."
Seven Japs rushed to drag back the body, and Cheevers swearing profusely cut four of them down; the rest ran back. Scott ordered the men to try and break through to the left, but the Japs were strongly entrenched there with heavy machine-guns, and there was no chance that way. The Japs formed up for a bayonet charge—as far as I know the only one during the whole of the Wingate expedition—to wipe out Delaney's section on the left flank. Delaney quickly shoved a Bren gun into position. The Japs rushed them, howling and screaming, but stopped after 5 yards as suddenly as if they had hit a brick wall when the Bren opened up. Those who survived yelled even louder as they turned tail and dashed for cover.
Scott tried edging round to the right flank, and found it was unguarded so word was passed back and the dispersal signal given. While Cheevers and Delaney held the Japs at bay, the rest at the water's edge hugged the bank and with their heads well down, worked around to the right. Scott found a company sergeant major wounded by the bank, and started to lift him on to his back, but the C.S.M. (Robert Glasgow) begged not to be moved.
"I'll be back for you with a stretcher after dark," whispered Scott, but the wounded man shook his head. "It's no guid sir. Ye'd not carry me a half mile in this country. Ma knee's shot right away and that's a fact. It's best to put a bullet in me right now and finish it."
Scott gave him some morphia and left to get the rest of the men away. Delaney, who commanded one of the dispersal groups dropped down from the bank later, and tried to shift the wounded man, but was it impossible, and he fiercely ordered Delaney to leave him. "Man, 'tis your job tae get the lads away tae safety. As many as mebbe of them. There's nothing tae be done for me." He took out a compass and map, and gave Delaney exact instructions for the route to the rendezvous, and when he was still loathed to go, said : 'Delaney, I'm your superior officer. I order you tae march your men awa. But gie me anaether shot a that morphia before ye go."
Delaney stayed with him till nearly daylight, then picked up his other wounded and marched his fifty men away. The battle at Kaukkwe Chaung was the end of Scott's column as one unit. Their next rendezvous existed on the map only, and none of the parties ever found it. Delaney took one party out to India, the regimental sergeant major William Livingstone another, and Major Scott a third. Most of the men had lost their packs at the river. By the time they had divided up what was left, instead of 14 days' good rations, they only had 2 days' per man, and no possibility of further droppings.
Scott believed the Japs would soon be after them when the Kaukkwe battle was reported to headquarters, so they marched almost non-stop for the next few days. Over very mountainous country, marching night and day, through the jungle or along unused paths, carrying wounded with them, they covered 70 miles in 60 hours with a total of about 6 hours sleep.
From the pages of the book, Wingate's Phantom Army, written by war correspondent, W.G. Burchett in Bombay during early 1944, comes this extract describing Robert Glasgow and his final moments at the Kaukkwe Chaung:
Two Irish Sergeants, Cheevers and Delaney, had sections amongst the bridgeheads established in the jungle, and they began fighting back desperately. A subaltern (Lt. David McDonald Rowland) alongside Cheevers dropped dead, and a Jap poked his head through the undergrowth to make sure of his kill. Cheevers stitched him to a tree with his Tommy-gun, shouting "Take that, ye black-hearted bastard."
Seven Japs rushed to drag back the body, and Cheevers swearing profusely cut four of them down; the rest ran back. Scott ordered the men to try and break through to the left, but the Japs were strongly entrenched there with heavy machine-guns, and there was no chance that way. The Japs formed up for a bayonet charge—as far as I know the only one during the whole of the Wingate expedition—to wipe out Delaney's section on the left flank. Delaney quickly shoved a Bren gun into position. The Japs rushed them, howling and screaming, but stopped after 5 yards as suddenly as if they had hit a brick wall when the Bren opened up. Those who survived yelled even louder as they turned tail and dashed for cover.
Scott tried edging round to the right flank, and found it was unguarded so word was passed back and the dispersal signal given. While Cheevers and Delaney held the Japs at bay, the rest at the water's edge hugged the bank and with their heads well down, worked around to the right. Scott found a company sergeant major wounded by the bank, and started to lift him on to his back, but the C.S.M. (Robert Glasgow) begged not to be moved.
"I'll be back for you with a stretcher after dark," whispered Scott, but the wounded man shook his head. "It's no guid sir. Ye'd not carry me a half mile in this country. Ma knee's shot right away and that's a fact. It's best to put a bullet in me right now and finish it."
Scott gave him some morphia and left to get the rest of the men away. Delaney, who commanded one of the dispersal groups dropped down from the bank later, and tried to shift the wounded man, but was it impossible, and he fiercely ordered Delaney to leave him. "Man, 'tis your job tae get the lads away tae safety. As many as mebbe of them. There's nothing tae be done for me." He took out a compass and map, and gave Delaney exact instructions for the route to the rendezvous, and when he was still loathed to go, said : 'Delaney, I'm your superior officer. I order you tae march your men awa. But gie me anaether shot a that morphia before ye go."
Delaney stayed with him till nearly daylight, then picked up his other wounded and marched his fifty men away. The battle at Kaukkwe Chaung was the end of Scott's column as one unit. Their next rendezvous existed on the map only, and none of the parties ever found it. Delaney took one party out to India, the regimental sergeant major William Livingstone another, and Major Scott a third. Most of the men had lost their packs at the river. By the time they had divided up what was left, instead of 14 days' good rations, they only had 2 days' per man, and no possibility of further droppings.
Scott believed the Japs would soon be after them when the Kaukkwe battle was reported to headquarters, so they marched almost non-stop for the next few days. Over very mountainous country, marching night and day, through the jungle or along unused paths, carrying wounded with them, they covered 70 miles in 60 hours with a total of about 6 hours sleep.
Update 05/11/2020.
In September this year (2020), I was delighted to receive the following email contact from Paul Glasgow, the grandson of Robert Clark Glasgow:
Hi Steve, would it be possible to add a photograph of my grandfather to his story on your website. My sister is trying to gather some more information about his life before the war, so hopefully I’ll be able to forward that to you soon, but in the meantime please find attached two photographs of Robert. The first is a photo of him and my grandmother Margaret on their wedding day and the second was found in a secret compartment inside a powder compact that he gave to my Gran. We have also included a poem he sent to her during the war.
Many thanks, Paul.
In September this year (2020), I was delighted to receive the following email contact from Paul Glasgow, the grandson of Robert Clark Glasgow:
Hi Steve, would it be possible to add a photograph of my grandfather to his story on your website. My sister is trying to gather some more information about his life before the war, so hopefully I’ll be able to forward that to you soon, but in the meantime please find attached two photographs of Robert. The first is a photo of him and my grandmother Margaret on their wedding day and the second was found in a secret compartment inside a powder compact that he gave to my Gran. We have also included a poem he sent to her during the war.
Many thanks, Paul.
Robert and Margaret Glasgow on their wedding day.
|
I am soldiering now for my country like many young lads of today,
I was called from my home and my loved ones to fight in strange lands far away. It was sad when it came to the parting, there was many a tear in the eye, A handshake, a kiss and a cuddle, it was just cheerio not goodbye. The lads here are never downhearted, they're British right through to the core, They certainly have the right spirit, like their Father's who've done this before. So darling, please keep up your spirits, remember now be sure and try, I'll be back home with you dear forever, just as soon as the dark clouds roll by. |
GOODWIN, RALPH WILSON
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 189168
Date of Death: 02/04/1943
Age: 23
Regiment/Service: The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) 7th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3069911/ralph-wilson-goodwin/
Chindit Column: 77 Brigade Head Quarters
Other details:
Ralph Wilson Goodwin was the son of Hugh and Margaret Goodwin from Great Crosby in Lancashire. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) on the 31st May 1941 and then posted to the 7th Battalion of the KORR and sent overseas to India. Lt. Goodwin arrived at the Saugor training camp on the 12th September 1942 as part of a large party of reinforcements collectively known as Draft RZGHA. He is not mentioned in any books or diaries in relation to the first Wingate expedition, but according to his details on the CWGC website, was attached to the Head Quarters of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade.
Around the time of his death (2nd April 1943), the Brigade had just recently broken up into small dispersal parties in the vicinity of the town of Inywa located at the confluence of the Irrawaddy and Shweli rivers. Nothing more was ever reported in regards to Lt. Goodwin's demise, leading to the family placing a plea for information to this end in the Liverpool Echo newspaper dated 30th July 1943. Ralph Goodwin is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery. This memorial is the centre piece of the cemetery and commemorates over 26,000 casualties from the Burma campaign that have no known grave.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 189168
Date of Death: 02/04/1943
Age: 23
Regiment/Service: The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) 7th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3069911/ralph-wilson-goodwin/
Chindit Column: 77 Brigade Head Quarters
Other details:
Ralph Wilson Goodwin was the son of Hugh and Margaret Goodwin from Great Crosby in Lancashire. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) on the 31st May 1941 and then posted to the 7th Battalion of the KORR and sent overseas to India. Lt. Goodwin arrived at the Saugor training camp on the 12th September 1942 as part of a large party of reinforcements collectively known as Draft RZGHA. He is not mentioned in any books or diaries in relation to the first Wingate expedition, but according to his details on the CWGC website, was attached to the Head Quarters of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade.
Around the time of his death (2nd April 1943), the Brigade had just recently broken up into small dispersal parties in the vicinity of the town of Inywa located at the confluence of the Irrawaddy and Shweli rivers. Nothing more was ever reported in regards to Lt. Goodwin's demise, leading to the family placing a plea for information to this end in the Liverpool Echo newspaper dated 30th July 1943. Ralph Goodwin is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery. This memorial is the centre piece of the cemetery and commemorates over 26,000 casualties from the Burma campaign that have no known grave.
The inner cloisters of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery.
Cap badge of the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles.
GOULDSBURY, JOHN COLPOYS
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: EC-3798
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: 3/5 Royal Gurkha Rifles Frontier Force
Chindit Column: N/A
Other details:
John Colpoys Gouldsbury received his Indian Army commission on the 10th September 1941 and was posted to the 5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force). By early 1943 he was serving with the 3rd Battalion of this regiment on the Assam/Burma borders, close to the Chindwin River. In mid-February 1943 the 3/5th Gurkha Rifles were given the task of aiding Brigadier Wingate and his Long Range Penetration Force, as they prepared to cross the River Chindwin and begin their operations behind Japanese lines. The Gurkha battalion had paved the way for the Chindit Brigade, checking on enemy garrisons and positions on the eastern side of the Chindwin and then accompanying Wingate's men across the river to guide them safely through the first few miles of jungle trails.
Here are some extracts from the battalion's War diary for that period, illustrating their contribution and experience in guiding the Chindit Brigade across the Chindwin and into Burma:
Thursday 11th February 1943.
Lt. Gouldsbury and Lt. Martin left today with nineteen men each, to go on separate patrols with the Commando Brigade (Chindits) into Burma. Their role is to bring back any wounded, important messages, or even enemy prisoners.
Sunday 14th February 1943.
A Commando Brigade is now passing through our positions and are leaving masses of equipment on the roads, including maps, bombs, blankets, ropes, grenades, ammo, picks and showels etc. We have been lucky in getting the great bulk of this stuff and it means extensive field firing for every one with all weapons and a great deal over for use in action, all our men are now being given one grenade each.
Monday 15th February 1943.
Capt. Buchanan, officer commanding A' Company, left with a small escort to act as Liaison Officer to the Commando Brigade and observe their crossing over the Chindwin
Wednesday 17th February 1943.
Capt. Buchanan returned from patrol to observe the Commando Brigade's crossing over the Chindwin. He reports there was no enemy opposition.
Sunday 28th February 1943.
Lt. Gouldsbury returned from the patrol with the Commando Brigade, they were about fifty miles inside Burma when he left them. His patrol is still based at the village of Morei.
Having successfully seen the Chindits over the Chindwin, the 3/5 Gurkhas continued to operate in the area around the eastern banks of the river for the next period. This included assisting the returning Chindits after Operation Longcloth was closed around the end of March 1943. The Gurkha battalion were responsible for gathering up many of Wingate's men in April and early May as they scrambled and staggered back from their endeavours against the Japanese. Later during the Burma campaign, the battalion, now part of the 23rd Indian Infantry Division, fought the Japanese around the Imphal-Tiddim-Tamu Road in March/August 1944. Lt. Gouldsbury was awarded the Military Cross (London Gazette 28th June 1945) for his efforts at this time, especially during the battles for the hilltop positions codenamed Saddle and Scraggy on the Shenam Range.
Seen below are the pages from Lt. Gouldsbury's MC recommendation, as officially drawn up in late 1944. Also shown is a photograph of the Scraggy position on the Shenam Ridge. Please click on either image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: EC-3798
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: 3/5 Royal Gurkha Rifles Frontier Force
Chindit Column: N/A
Other details:
John Colpoys Gouldsbury received his Indian Army commission on the 10th September 1941 and was posted to the 5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force). By early 1943 he was serving with the 3rd Battalion of this regiment on the Assam/Burma borders, close to the Chindwin River. In mid-February 1943 the 3/5th Gurkha Rifles were given the task of aiding Brigadier Wingate and his Long Range Penetration Force, as they prepared to cross the River Chindwin and begin their operations behind Japanese lines. The Gurkha battalion had paved the way for the Chindit Brigade, checking on enemy garrisons and positions on the eastern side of the Chindwin and then accompanying Wingate's men across the river to guide them safely through the first few miles of jungle trails.
Here are some extracts from the battalion's War diary for that period, illustrating their contribution and experience in guiding the Chindit Brigade across the Chindwin and into Burma:
Thursday 11th February 1943.
Lt. Gouldsbury and Lt. Martin left today with nineteen men each, to go on separate patrols with the Commando Brigade (Chindits) into Burma. Their role is to bring back any wounded, important messages, or even enemy prisoners.
Sunday 14th February 1943.
A Commando Brigade is now passing through our positions and are leaving masses of equipment on the roads, including maps, bombs, blankets, ropes, grenades, ammo, picks and showels etc. We have been lucky in getting the great bulk of this stuff and it means extensive field firing for every one with all weapons and a great deal over for use in action, all our men are now being given one grenade each.
Monday 15th February 1943.
Capt. Buchanan, officer commanding A' Company, left with a small escort to act as Liaison Officer to the Commando Brigade and observe their crossing over the Chindwin
Wednesday 17th February 1943.
Capt. Buchanan returned from patrol to observe the Commando Brigade's crossing over the Chindwin. He reports there was no enemy opposition.
Sunday 28th February 1943.
Lt. Gouldsbury returned from the patrol with the Commando Brigade, they were about fifty miles inside Burma when he left them. His patrol is still based at the village of Morei.
Having successfully seen the Chindits over the Chindwin, the 3/5 Gurkhas continued to operate in the area around the eastern banks of the river for the next period. This included assisting the returning Chindits after Operation Longcloth was closed around the end of March 1943. The Gurkha battalion were responsible for gathering up many of Wingate's men in April and early May as they scrambled and staggered back from their endeavours against the Japanese. Later during the Burma campaign, the battalion, now part of the 23rd Indian Infantry Division, fought the Japanese around the Imphal-Tiddim-Tamu Road in March/August 1944. Lt. Gouldsbury was awarded the Military Cross (London Gazette 28th June 1945) for his efforts at this time, especially during the battles for the hilltop positions codenamed Saddle and Scraggy on the Shenam Range.
Seen below are the pages from Lt. Gouldsbury's MC recommendation, as officially drawn up in late 1944. Also shown is a photograph of the Scraggy position on the Shenam Ridge. Please click on either image to bring it forward on the page.
Cap badge of the 2nd Burma Rifles.
GOURLIE, KENNETH RAYMOND
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 189648
Age: 28
Regiment/Service: 2nd Battalion, the Burma Rifles
Chindit Column: 3
Other details:
Kenneth Gourlie was born on the 8th September 1915 and was the son of Herbert Rishton and Marie Hellen Gourlie from Gourock in Scotland. Prior to the war, he had worked as a Mercantile Assistant with the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in Burma. Kenneth fought with the Burma Rifles during the infamous retreat in the face of the Japanese in 1942 and after a period of recuperation in India, had volunteered for renewed service with the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade commanded by Brigadier Orde Charles Wingate.
Lt. Gourlie was posted to the Burma Rifles section of No. 3 Column during the training period at Saugor, located in the Central Provinces of India. This Chindit column was made up mostly from Gurkha Riflemen and was commanded by Major Mike Calvert of the Royal Engineers. Kenneth Gourlie served under Captain Taffy Griffiths and led his platoon of Karen Riflemen at the vanguard of the column for almost the entire expedition, scouting ahead for news of the Japanese and contacting local villages for intelligence about the enemy and on occasions extra rations.
In late March 1943, the decision was made to end the expedition and return to India. Major Calvert broke down his column into small dispersal groups of around 30 personnel in each. Taffy Griffiths teamed up with Lt. Harold James and most of his Gurkha platoon, while Kenneth Gourlie and his Karen Riflemen joined up with Lt. Alec Gibson and some of his Gurkhas from the column Head Quarters. Although the vast majority of No. 3 Column succeeded in making the return trip to India in 1943, both Kenneth Gourlie and Alec Gibson failed to cross the Irrawaddy in the middle of April that year, having attempted to swim the mile-wide river and subsequently being reported as having drowned. Both men, alongside some of their riflemen were taken prisoner by the Japanese; with Gibson captured close to the village of Tagaung and Gourlie slightly further north at Oksan.
The dispersal group had been moving backwards and forwards for over two weeks, trying to force a crossing of the Irrawaddy and then the Shweli River, but without success. One of the Gurkha soldiers with the dispersal group, Rifleman Tek Bahadur Rai recalled:
Major Calvert then ordered the column to split into smaller groups and return to India independently. We spilt up as ordered and headed once more for the Irrawaddy. A small party, of which I was one, went into the jungle to collect some concealed rations, which we had cached during our earlier advance. Fortunately, we found these rations.
Circumstances did not allow us to cross the Irrawaddy and so once more we turned east towards the Shweli. Here Major Calvert constructed rafts and tried to cross the river, but this ended in failure. We then ordered by wireless for more rations to be dropped to us, these came in the evening. With our new rations we marched down river to see if it was possible to cross anywhere else.
We met another party on this journey, commanded by Major Conron and Subadar Khumbasing Gurung. New platoons were formed and my Platoon Commander was a Burmese officer (likely to be Lt. Kenneth Gourlie) who had three Burmese soldiers with him. Lieutenants McKenzie and Gibson were also attached to this platoon. We reconnoitred the river for about twelve days hoping somehow to get across. Eventually, Major Conron managed to find some boats from a Burmese village. Major Conron got into the first boat with the following men:
Subadar Khumbasing Gurung
Rfm. Motilal Rana (Subadar's Orderly)
Major Conron's Orderly (name unknown)
Rfm. Gyalbosing Tamang
The Burmese boatmen from the village rowed this party to the middle of the river. Suddenly they turned the boat over and swam away. Subadar Khumbasing, Motilal Rana and Major Conron's Orderly all managed to swim ashore, but Major Conron and Gyalbosing Tamang were not seen again.
After witnessing this treachery on the part of the Burmese we decided not to rely upon them anymore and made for the jungle where we wandered for about two weeks. As we now had no rations left, we decided that each man should go his own way. On the verge of starvation I decided to go to a village and ask for some food. Here several villagers caught hold of me, took away my rifle and ammunition, bound me with ropes, put me into a bullock cart and took me to the Katha Camp, where they handed me over to the Japanese. Through lack of food and hardships, I suddenly became very ill. I remained at Katha for about one week, before being transferred to Maymyo.
There was an improvement in rations at Maymyo, but the treatment meted out by the Japanese was cruel in the extreme. I was beaten unmercifully with sticks and forced to work as a coolie. I stayed here two months and was then sent to a village in Chinese territory, stopping one day at Myitkhina en route.
Seen below is a map of the area around the Irrawaddy River where Lt. Gourlie and Lt. Gibson were eventually captured. Please click on the map to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 189648
Age: 28
Regiment/Service: 2nd Battalion, the Burma Rifles
Chindit Column: 3
Other details:
Kenneth Gourlie was born on the 8th September 1915 and was the son of Herbert Rishton and Marie Hellen Gourlie from Gourock in Scotland. Prior to the war, he had worked as a Mercantile Assistant with the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in Burma. Kenneth fought with the Burma Rifles during the infamous retreat in the face of the Japanese in 1942 and after a period of recuperation in India, had volunteered for renewed service with the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade commanded by Brigadier Orde Charles Wingate.
Lt. Gourlie was posted to the Burma Rifles section of No. 3 Column during the training period at Saugor, located in the Central Provinces of India. This Chindit column was made up mostly from Gurkha Riflemen and was commanded by Major Mike Calvert of the Royal Engineers. Kenneth Gourlie served under Captain Taffy Griffiths and led his platoon of Karen Riflemen at the vanguard of the column for almost the entire expedition, scouting ahead for news of the Japanese and contacting local villages for intelligence about the enemy and on occasions extra rations.
In late March 1943, the decision was made to end the expedition and return to India. Major Calvert broke down his column into small dispersal groups of around 30 personnel in each. Taffy Griffiths teamed up with Lt. Harold James and most of his Gurkha platoon, while Kenneth Gourlie and his Karen Riflemen joined up with Lt. Alec Gibson and some of his Gurkhas from the column Head Quarters. Although the vast majority of No. 3 Column succeeded in making the return trip to India in 1943, both Kenneth Gourlie and Alec Gibson failed to cross the Irrawaddy in the middle of April that year, having attempted to swim the mile-wide river and subsequently being reported as having drowned. Both men, alongside some of their riflemen were taken prisoner by the Japanese; with Gibson captured close to the village of Tagaung and Gourlie slightly further north at Oksan.
The dispersal group had been moving backwards and forwards for over two weeks, trying to force a crossing of the Irrawaddy and then the Shweli River, but without success. One of the Gurkha soldiers with the dispersal group, Rifleman Tek Bahadur Rai recalled:
Major Calvert then ordered the column to split into smaller groups and return to India independently. We spilt up as ordered and headed once more for the Irrawaddy. A small party, of which I was one, went into the jungle to collect some concealed rations, which we had cached during our earlier advance. Fortunately, we found these rations.
Circumstances did not allow us to cross the Irrawaddy and so once more we turned east towards the Shweli. Here Major Calvert constructed rafts and tried to cross the river, but this ended in failure. We then ordered by wireless for more rations to be dropped to us, these came in the evening. With our new rations we marched down river to see if it was possible to cross anywhere else.
We met another party on this journey, commanded by Major Conron and Subadar Khumbasing Gurung. New platoons were formed and my Platoon Commander was a Burmese officer (likely to be Lt. Kenneth Gourlie) who had three Burmese soldiers with him. Lieutenants McKenzie and Gibson were also attached to this platoon. We reconnoitred the river for about twelve days hoping somehow to get across. Eventually, Major Conron managed to find some boats from a Burmese village. Major Conron got into the first boat with the following men:
Subadar Khumbasing Gurung
Rfm. Motilal Rana (Subadar's Orderly)
Major Conron's Orderly (name unknown)
Rfm. Gyalbosing Tamang
The Burmese boatmen from the village rowed this party to the middle of the river. Suddenly they turned the boat over and swam away. Subadar Khumbasing, Motilal Rana and Major Conron's Orderly all managed to swim ashore, but Major Conron and Gyalbosing Tamang were not seen again.
After witnessing this treachery on the part of the Burmese we decided not to rely upon them anymore and made for the jungle where we wandered for about two weeks. As we now had no rations left, we decided that each man should go his own way. On the verge of starvation I decided to go to a village and ask for some food. Here several villagers caught hold of me, took away my rifle and ammunition, bound me with ropes, put me into a bullock cart and took me to the Katha Camp, where they handed me over to the Japanese. Through lack of food and hardships, I suddenly became very ill. I remained at Katha for about one week, before being transferred to Maymyo.
There was an improvement in rations at Maymyo, but the treatment meted out by the Japanese was cruel in the extreme. I was beaten unmercifully with sticks and forced to work as a coolie. I stayed here two months and was then sent to a village in Chinese territory, stopping one day at Myitkhina en route.
Seen below is a map of the area around the Irrawaddy River where Lt. Gourlie and Lt. Gibson were eventually captured. Please click on the map to bring it forward on the page.
Map of the area around the Irrawaddy River and the location of Kenneth Gourlie's capture on the 16th April 1943.
Kenneth Gourlie and Alec Gibson, alongside several of their riflemen were also taken to the Maymyo Concentration Camp, which was located just to the east of the railway station. As mentioned by Tek Bahadur Rai in his testimony, conditions at the camp were extremely harsh. To read more about the Maymyo Camp, please click on the following link: Maymyo POW Camp
After two or three weeks at Maymyo, the majority of Chindit POW's were transported by train to Rangoon Central Jail. On the 30th May 1943, Lt. Gourlie, in the company of eight other prisoners, mostly captured Chindit officers, were transported by air to Singapore and housed at the old Maternity Hospital on the island. It can only be assumed that the men chosen to be flown to Singapore, were deemed of special interest to the Japanese secret police, the Kempai-tai and had been transported to the Changi Prison cantonment for further interrogation.
One of the other Chindit officers moved to Changi was Captain Tommy Roberts of the 13th King's. In his memoirs, Roberts recalls how Kenneth struggled with his health during his time as a prisoner of war and that his eyesight began to fail him in the latter part of 1944. It was eventually discovered that this was due to the lack of Vitamin B in the prisoner's diet. The Medical Officer present, recommended that Gourlie eat at least one egg per day from then on, supplemented with Vegimite, the Australian version of Marmite.
In the end, all of the Chindit officers transported to Changi survived their ordeal as prisoners of war. Roberts, Gourlie and the other men were liberated in late August 1945, when the Japanese gave up control of the camp and the Allied prisoners took over the running of Changi. Food rations were increased and the health of the men improved greatly, although sadly there were still deaths in the camp. According to Kenneth's POW Index card, he and the men held at Changi were eventually released from their incarceration on the 2nd November 1945.
According to records held on Ancestry.com, Kenneth, his wife Patricia and their son Hamish, voyaged to New Zealand in July 1953 aboard the passenger ship, Rangitane. After qualifying for naturalisation, the family settled down at Karori near Wellington on the countries North Island. Sadly, the families new life in New Zealand was thrown into doubt, when Kenneth died on the 14th January 1959.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including a photograph of the POW Index card for Kenneth Gourlie. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
GRAY, GEORGE HARRY
Rank: Private
Service No: 5627646
Date of Death: 17/03/1943
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link:
www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2510145/GRAY,%20GEORGE%20HARRY/
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
George Henry Gray was a french polisher from east London. He was sent overseas to India in early 1942 as part of a draft of soldiers from the Devonshire Regiment. This draft were posted to the Chindit training camp at Saugor in the Central Provinces of India on the 26th September 1942 and George was allocated to No. 5 Column commanded by Major Bernard Fergusson.
According to official Army documents, he was lost to his unit whilst marching through the jungle on the 17th March 1943, somewhere close to the Burmese village of Taungmaw and after the column had crossed the Irrawaddy River heading east. In his book, Wild Green Earth, Bernard Fergusson recalls:
I lost three men altogether on the expedition, lost in the literal sense, that is on the line of march. The first was a private soldier (5627646 Pte. George Harry Gray) who was found to be missing after a midday halt: he was never heard of again. The second man (3780147 Lance Corporal Dennis Walmsley) was a man who walked out of the perimeter to fetch water from a waterhole a hundred yards away, and failed to return: he was probably lost, it was easy to lose your bearings even so close to the bivouac. The third (3779403 Pte. T.P. Byrne) I lost only one day later: he too nipped out of the column when it had moved only a short distance from the bivouac in search of some lost equipment, he never returned.
Both the last two were lost in an area remote from villages and I am quite certain miles from any Japanese; yet both fell into enemy hands, the first after wandering for a day, the second after only 5 minutes. The first (Walmsley) died in Rangoon Jail, like most of the others; the second (Byrne) survived and it is from him that we know what happened.
Another soldier from No. 5 Column, Pte. James Zorn from Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, gave a short witness statement in relation to George Gray after Zorn had been released as a prisoner of war from Rangoon Jail:
5627646 G.H. Grey: was ordered to stay behind near a village named, Taungmaw and guide Lt. Kerr back up to our column. That was about the 5th March. Lt. Kerr caught us up, but Grey was not with him. Grey was about 5’9” and came from East London and once told me that his trade was a French polisher.
NB. James Zorn mis-spells George's surname with the letter 'e' rather than the correct spelling with an 'a'. However, all other details are accurate, including George's Army service number. The witness statement given well over two years later in November 1945, does throw up one other query, that being the date of Pte. Gray's disappearance in 1943. Zorn has this down as the 5th March, which is twelve days before the official missing date of the 17th March. It is possible that over his period of incarceration at Rangoon, Pte. Zorn has mis-remembered the date that George was lost to the column? It should also be noted that Lt. John Kerr, the officer mentioned by James Zorn in his short statement was himself captured by the Japanese one day later on the 6th March 1943 and spent just over two years inside Rangoon Jail.
The final resting place of George Gray was never discovered after the war and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial the centre-piece structure at Taukkyan War Cemetery. The Rangoon Memorial commemorates over 26,000 Allied soldiers from the Burma campaign who have no known grave.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including a photograph of Pte. Zorn's witness statement and George Gray's inscription on Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 5627646
Date of Death: 17/03/1943
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link:
www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2510145/GRAY,%20GEORGE%20HARRY/
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
George Henry Gray was a french polisher from east London. He was sent overseas to India in early 1942 as part of a draft of soldiers from the Devonshire Regiment. This draft were posted to the Chindit training camp at Saugor in the Central Provinces of India on the 26th September 1942 and George was allocated to No. 5 Column commanded by Major Bernard Fergusson.
According to official Army documents, he was lost to his unit whilst marching through the jungle on the 17th March 1943, somewhere close to the Burmese village of Taungmaw and after the column had crossed the Irrawaddy River heading east. In his book, Wild Green Earth, Bernard Fergusson recalls:
I lost three men altogether on the expedition, lost in the literal sense, that is on the line of march. The first was a private soldier (5627646 Pte. George Harry Gray) who was found to be missing after a midday halt: he was never heard of again. The second man (3780147 Lance Corporal Dennis Walmsley) was a man who walked out of the perimeter to fetch water from a waterhole a hundred yards away, and failed to return: he was probably lost, it was easy to lose your bearings even so close to the bivouac. The third (3779403 Pte. T.P. Byrne) I lost only one day later: he too nipped out of the column when it had moved only a short distance from the bivouac in search of some lost equipment, he never returned.
Both the last two were lost in an area remote from villages and I am quite certain miles from any Japanese; yet both fell into enemy hands, the first after wandering for a day, the second after only 5 minutes. The first (Walmsley) died in Rangoon Jail, like most of the others; the second (Byrne) survived and it is from him that we know what happened.
Another soldier from No. 5 Column, Pte. James Zorn from Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, gave a short witness statement in relation to George Gray after Zorn had been released as a prisoner of war from Rangoon Jail:
5627646 G.H. Grey: was ordered to stay behind near a village named, Taungmaw and guide Lt. Kerr back up to our column. That was about the 5th March. Lt. Kerr caught us up, but Grey was not with him. Grey was about 5’9” and came from East London and once told me that his trade was a French polisher.
NB. James Zorn mis-spells George's surname with the letter 'e' rather than the correct spelling with an 'a'. However, all other details are accurate, including George's Army service number. The witness statement given well over two years later in November 1945, does throw up one other query, that being the date of Pte. Gray's disappearance in 1943. Zorn has this down as the 5th March, which is twelve days before the official missing date of the 17th March. It is possible that over his period of incarceration at Rangoon, Pte. Zorn has mis-remembered the date that George was lost to the column? It should also be noted that Lt. John Kerr, the officer mentioned by James Zorn in his short statement was himself captured by the Japanese one day later on the 6th March 1943 and spent just over two years inside Rangoon Jail.
The final resting place of George Gray was never discovered after the war and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial the centre-piece structure at Taukkyan War Cemetery. The Rangoon Memorial commemorates over 26,000 Allied soldiers from the Burma campaign who have no known grave.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including a photograph of Pte. Zorn's witness statement and George Gray's inscription on Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Madras (St. Mary's ) Cemetery, Chennai.
GREENBERG, HARRY
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 3781716
Date of Death: 12/08/1943
Age: 30
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Plot 19 Grave 134, Madras (St. Mary's) Cemetery, Chennai.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2173284/GREENBERG,%20HARRY
Chindit Column: Unknown.
Other details:
Lance Corporal Harry Greenburg was with the original battalion of the 13th King's in December 1941 as they embarked from Liverpool Docks aboard the troopship 'Oronsay' and headed out for India. Harry came from the Higher Broughton district of Salford in Lancashire and was the son of Soloman and Emmeline Greenberg. Not much is known about his time in Chindit training or on the operation itself, in fact it is quite possible that he was one of the older men from the original battalion that dropped out of Chindit training and returned to regimental and garrison duties in the autumn of 1942.
Harry Greenberg is featured in Martin Sugarman's book, 'Fighting Back', which honours the British Jewry and their considerable contribution during WW2. I have had some very useful correspondence with Martin over the past five or six years and he has helped me in my research into a number of Jewish soldiers. Martin had found mention of Harry Greenberg from a Jewish Book of Honour in regards to World War Two, but no Jewish Chaplain's card existed for the soldier on the AJEX database. From Greenberg's credentials, Martin had assumed that the soldier had died from wounds or disease after returning from Operation Longcloth. Many men in 1943 did make it back to India after the operation, only to perish in hospital from their exertions and disease picked up during their time in Burma.
For more information on the subject of Jewish Chaplain's Cards, please follow the link below, also found below is a link to Martin's book 'Fighting Back':
http://www.ajexroh.org.uk/recordAbout.php
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighting-Back-Military-Contribution-Anglo-Jewrys/dp/0853039100/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397497058&sr=8-2&keywords=martin+sugarman
After some more research into the circumstances of Lance Corporal Greenberg's death, I discovered that he had accidentally drowned on 12th August 1943. From his Army Death Certificate I learned that he had died from asphyxiation, which of course is consistent with someone who has drowned. However, on reading his Army Will it seems quite likely that he was conscious for a short time before he passed away, because the will was termed 'nuncupative', which I understand refers to an orally given testament by a mortally wounded serviceman as opposed to a written will.
The actual documented will states:
"My darling mother, I want you and Mirian to see that everything is alright and that my girls are looked after. Everything I have is willed to you.
Your ever loving son, Harry."
The document is then addressed:
33 Indian Corps Provost Unit
C.M.P. (1)
India Command
As seems to often happen with the men of 13th Battalion in 1943, in regards to Lance Corporal Greenberg there are more questions than answers. Did he serve on Operation Longcloth? If not, where did he go after leaving Chindit training in 1942 and of course, how did he come to drown on 12th of August 1943? Harry Greenberg was buried in Plot 19, Grave 134, at the Madras (St. Mary's) Cemetery. He will be remembered.
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Harry Greenberg had actually transferred to the Corps of Military Police at some point in 1942 and it now seems unlikely that he took part in Operation Longcloth. These records confirm that he had drowned and was then buried at Coimbatore Kolare Gold Field Cemetery in Ramipet, Tanjore. His funeral service was conducted by Basil Stratton.
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 3781716
Date of Death: 12/08/1943
Age: 30
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Plot 19 Grave 134, Madras (St. Mary's) Cemetery, Chennai.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2173284/GREENBERG,%20HARRY
Chindit Column: Unknown.
Other details:
Lance Corporal Harry Greenburg was with the original battalion of the 13th King's in December 1941 as they embarked from Liverpool Docks aboard the troopship 'Oronsay' and headed out for India. Harry came from the Higher Broughton district of Salford in Lancashire and was the son of Soloman and Emmeline Greenberg. Not much is known about his time in Chindit training or on the operation itself, in fact it is quite possible that he was one of the older men from the original battalion that dropped out of Chindit training and returned to regimental and garrison duties in the autumn of 1942.
Harry Greenberg is featured in Martin Sugarman's book, 'Fighting Back', which honours the British Jewry and their considerable contribution during WW2. I have had some very useful correspondence with Martin over the past five or six years and he has helped me in my research into a number of Jewish soldiers. Martin had found mention of Harry Greenberg from a Jewish Book of Honour in regards to World War Two, but no Jewish Chaplain's card existed for the soldier on the AJEX database. From Greenberg's credentials, Martin had assumed that the soldier had died from wounds or disease after returning from Operation Longcloth. Many men in 1943 did make it back to India after the operation, only to perish in hospital from their exertions and disease picked up during their time in Burma.
For more information on the subject of Jewish Chaplain's Cards, please follow the link below, also found below is a link to Martin's book 'Fighting Back':
http://www.ajexroh.org.uk/recordAbout.php
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighting-Back-Military-Contribution-Anglo-Jewrys/dp/0853039100/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397497058&sr=8-2&keywords=martin+sugarman
After some more research into the circumstances of Lance Corporal Greenberg's death, I discovered that he had accidentally drowned on 12th August 1943. From his Army Death Certificate I learned that he had died from asphyxiation, which of course is consistent with someone who has drowned. However, on reading his Army Will it seems quite likely that he was conscious for a short time before he passed away, because the will was termed 'nuncupative', which I understand refers to an orally given testament by a mortally wounded serviceman as opposed to a written will.
The actual documented will states:
"My darling mother, I want you and Mirian to see that everything is alright and that my girls are looked after. Everything I have is willed to you.
Your ever loving son, Harry."
The document is then addressed:
33 Indian Corps Provost Unit
C.M.P. (1)
India Command
As seems to often happen with the men of 13th Battalion in 1943, in regards to Lance Corporal Greenberg there are more questions than answers. Did he serve on Operation Longcloth? If not, where did he go after leaving Chindit training in 1942 and of course, how did he come to drown on 12th of August 1943? Harry Greenberg was buried in Plot 19, Grave 134, at the Madras (St. Mary's) Cemetery. He will be remembered.
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Harry Greenberg had actually transferred to the Corps of Military Police at some point in 1942 and it now seems unlikely that he took part in Operation Longcloth. These records confirm that he had drowned and was then buried at Coimbatore Kolare Gold Field Cemetery in Ramipet, Tanjore. His funeral service was conducted by Basil Stratton.
Cap badge of the 9th Gurkha Rifles.
GRIFFITHS, JOHN
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: Unknown
Regiment/Service: 9th Gurkha Rifles att. 3/2 Gurkha Rifles.
Chindit Column: 2
Other details:
From the private memoir of Lt. Dominic Neill:
As I entered the officer's mess at Dehra Dun, I remember the radio was switched on and there was a man singing along to the song, I gotta girl from Kalamazoo. He was a young subaltern from the 9th Gurkhas and his name was Griffiths. He had been with No. 2 Column on Longcloth and was biding his time until he could return to his own Regiment.
Lt. John Griffiths had indeed been part of No. 2 Column on the first Wingate expedition, serving under Major Arthur Emmett of the 3/2 Gurkha Rifles in 1943. He had been posted to the deception squad led by Major John Jefferies and Flight Lieutenant John Edmonds of the RAF. This group had the dubious task once inside Burma, of masquerading as Brigadier Wingate's Head Quarters, with Jefferies taking on the lead role. Their main job was to confuse the Japanese garrisoned around Chindwin River and move as a decoy, enabling the other columns penetrating to the north of their position to move unmolested to their objectives.
To read more about Major Jefferies and his decoy party, please click on the following link: Major John B. Jefferies
On the 2nd March, Columns 1 and 2 (with Griffiths now back on strength) had reached the outskirts of Kyaikthin, Major Dunlop the commander of No. 1 Column, was given the order to blow up the railway bridge a few miles to the north, while No. 2 Column marched on towards the railway station close to the village. What neither group realised was that the Japanese had by now closed in on the unsuspecting Chindits and lay in wait just a short way up the tracks. To make matters worse, a problem with No. 1 Column's radio set now meant that the two units could no longer contact each other. Major Emmett's men, in the black of night stumbled into the enemy ambush which straddled both sides of the railway line embankment.
Lt. MacHorton, a young Subaltern with No. 2 Column recalled:
We shuffled to a halt as the guides probed forward. There came the sound of just one bang up front, then an inferno of noise engulfed the world around me. There came the high-pitched staccato scream of a machine gun, then overwhelmingly many others joined in, the crash and ping of rifle bullets, the banging of grenades as the battle reached a fearful crescendo. Men and mules were lying, twisted and contorted, twitching and writhing, others were still erect, stark in the moonlight, heaving and jerking in the midst of this chaos. Then a sinister scuffling noise made by men of all kinds in close combat. The close combat of bayonet and kukri, the fanatical, personal slaughter with blood-dripping cold steel.
Many men from the column were lost or killed at Kyaikthin, but Lt. Griffiths managed to extract himself and a small party of Gurkhas from the engagement with the Japanese and had moved away to the east in order to reach the pre-arranged rendezvous point. He now joined up with No. 1 Column and continued with this unit for the rest of the expedition.
Griffiths is mentioned several times in the book, Safer Than a Known Way, by Ian MacHorton. He is present with No. 1 Column in late April 1943, when the unit re-crossed the Irrawaddy River heading west on the return journey to India. He supported Major Dunlop during this period by taking on the responsibility for the sick and exhausted Chindits from amongst the group. This included taking care of Sgt. Hayes, an RAF Liaison NCO also previously with No. 2 Column.
Sadly, Sgt. Hayes did not survive to see the safety of India in 1943. From the pages of Safer Than a Known Way, by Ian MacHorton:
As I (MacHorton) approached the depleted party I met John Griffiths: "Hullo, Ian. You again," he said. John was sitting beside a large man whose prostrate body seemed still well covered with flesh. The man was panting and the sweat stood out on his brow in great beads. One arm was swollen terribly and was supported in a sling. I now saw that his apparent bulk was nothing to do with the flesh on his bones. His whole body was bloated with the loathsome dropsy of beri-beri. With a shock I realised that it was Sergeant Hayes and it was quite obvious that he was dying. Then the sergeant opened his eyes and as he saw me they lit up bravely and he grinned. Even so near the end, I would not have expected anything but a grin from this RAF Sergeant.
"They can't kill you, can they, sir?" he said in a broken voice. Then, as if the effort had been too much, he closed his eyes. Soon I could see that Sergeant Hayes had dozed off. Out there on the sandbank in the middle of the little river we decided we would all rest for the night. John Griffiths and I lay down one on each side of the sergeant, this brave man who had done so many magnificent deeds all through this expedition.
Almost at the end of the night Sergeant Hayes woke. Both John and I sensed it immediately. He was struggling to do something. I saw that he was pulling his small pack up towards him and I helped him to get it. "Will you take this for me?" he asked, his voice now soft and low. "You will see that my wife gets it, won't you, sir?" I saw that what he was struggling to get out of his pack was a photograph album. John took the book from him and said : "Of course we will, Sergeant, of course we will."
As the sun rose the life of the gallant Sergeant Hayes came to an end. Sadly, I picked up his belt with my pistol attached, still in its holster and buckled it on myself. John Griffiths was flicking through the pages of the battered photograph album. "Photographs—all photographs of his wife," he said with a sob in his voice.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including a map of the area around Kyaikthin, the location of No. 2 Column's skirmish with the Japanese on 2nd March 1943. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: Unknown
Regiment/Service: 9th Gurkha Rifles att. 3/2 Gurkha Rifles.
Chindit Column: 2
Other details:
From the private memoir of Lt. Dominic Neill:
As I entered the officer's mess at Dehra Dun, I remember the radio was switched on and there was a man singing along to the song, I gotta girl from Kalamazoo. He was a young subaltern from the 9th Gurkhas and his name was Griffiths. He had been with No. 2 Column on Longcloth and was biding his time until he could return to his own Regiment.
Lt. John Griffiths had indeed been part of No. 2 Column on the first Wingate expedition, serving under Major Arthur Emmett of the 3/2 Gurkha Rifles in 1943. He had been posted to the deception squad led by Major John Jefferies and Flight Lieutenant John Edmonds of the RAF. This group had the dubious task once inside Burma, of masquerading as Brigadier Wingate's Head Quarters, with Jefferies taking on the lead role. Their main job was to confuse the Japanese garrisoned around Chindwin River and move as a decoy, enabling the other columns penetrating to the north of their position to move unmolested to their objectives.
To read more about Major Jefferies and his decoy party, please click on the following link: Major John B. Jefferies
On the 2nd March, Columns 1 and 2 (with Griffiths now back on strength) had reached the outskirts of Kyaikthin, Major Dunlop the commander of No. 1 Column, was given the order to blow up the railway bridge a few miles to the north, while No. 2 Column marched on towards the railway station close to the village. What neither group realised was that the Japanese had by now closed in on the unsuspecting Chindits and lay in wait just a short way up the tracks. To make matters worse, a problem with No. 1 Column's radio set now meant that the two units could no longer contact each other. Major Emmett's men, in the black of night stumbled into the enemy ambush which straddled both sides of the railway line embankment.
Lt. MacHorton, a young Subaltern with No. 2 Column recalled:
We shuffled to a halt as the guides probed forward. There came the sound of just one bang up front, then an inferno of noise engulfed the world around me. There came the high-pitched staccato scream of a machine gun, then overwhelmingly many others joined in, the crash and ping of rifle bullets, the banging of grenades as the battle reached a fearful crescendo. Men and mules were lying, twisted and contorted, twitching and writhing, others were still erect, stark in the moonlight, heaving and jerking in the midst of this chaos. Then a sinister scuffling noise made by men of all kinds in close combat. The close combat of bayonet and kukri, the fanatical, personal slaughter with blood-dripping cold steel.
Many men from the column were lost or killed at Kyaikthin, but Lt. Griffiths managed to extract himself and a small party of Gurkhas from the engagement with the Japanese and had moved away to the east in order to reach the pre-arranged rendezvous point. He now joined up with No. 1 Column and continued with this unit for the rest of the expedition.
Griffiths is mentioned several times in the book, Safer Than a Known Way, by Ian MacHorton. He is present with No. 1 Column in late April 1943, when the unit re-crossed the Irrawaddy River heading west on the return journey to India. He supported Major Dunlop during this period by taking on the responsibility for the sick and exhausted Chindits from amongst the group. This included taking care of Sgt. Hayes, an RAF Liaison NCO also previously with No. 2 Column.
Sadly, Sgt. Hayes did not survive to see the safety of India in 1943. From the pages of Safer Than a Known Way, by Ian MacHorton:
As I (MacHorton) approached the depleted party I met John Griffiths: "Hullo, Ian. You again," he said. John was sitting beside a large man whose prostrate body seemed still well covered with flesh. The man was panting and the sweat stood out on his brow in great beads. One arm was swollen terribly and was supported in a sling. I now saw that his apparent bulk was nothing to do with the flesh on his bones. His whole body was bloated with the loathsome dropsy of beri-beri. With a shock I realised that it was Sergeant Hayes and it was quite obvious that he was dying. Then the sergeant opened his eyes and as he saw me they lit up bravely and he grinned. Even so near the end, I would not have expected anything but a grin from this RAF Sergeant.
"They can't kill you, can they, sir?" he said in a broken voice. Then, as if the effort had been too much, he closed his eyes. Soon I could see that Sergeant Hayes had dozed off. Out there on the sandbank in the middle of the little river we decided we would all rest for the night. John Griffiths and I lay down one on each side of the sergeant, this brave man who had done so many magnificent deeds all through this expedition.
Almost at the end of the night Sergeant Hayes woke. Both John and I sensed it immediately. He was struggling to do something. I saw that he was pulling his small pack up towards him and I helped him to get it. "Will you take this for me?" he asked, his voice now soft and low. "You will see that my wife gets it, won't you, sir?" I saw that what he was struggling to get out of his pack was a photograph album. John took the book from him and said : "Of course we will, Sergeant, of course we will."
As the sun rose the life of the gallant Sergeant Hayes came to an end. Sadly, I picked up his belt with my pistol attached, still in its holster and buckled it on myself. John Griffiths was flicking through the pages of the battered photograph album. "Photographs—all photographs of his wife," he said with a sob in his voice.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including a map of the area around Kyaikthin, the location of No. 2 Column's skirmish with the Japanese on 2nd March 1943. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
The remnants of No. 1 Column finally reached the Chindwin Valley in early May 1943. After several encounters with the Japanese, the stragglers led by Major Dunlop found themselves beside a stream named the Katun Chaung and lay down in a state of exhaustion and in many cases utter starvation. From the pages of Safer Than a Known Way:
Suddenly some bushes farther downstream began to wave alarmingly. One after the other every firearm our little party possessed was raised to point that way. Then a great clumsy, grey-skinned water buffalo came lumbering out to slummock its way into the languid shallows at the river's edge. "This is where we eat!" exclaimed George Dunlop. "Take him, Sergeant. Just one shot is all we want."
The sergeant fired and the water buffalo keeled over and flopped into the shallow water. As fast as we could we waded across the wide chaung. Then we fell upon the carcass of the buffalo like a pack of emaciated savages, with knives, kukris and bare finger-nails. We hacked and clawed the warm meat and with horrible sounds drank the hot blood as it flowed from the carcass. We were standing there, quite oblivious of caution or of anything but our savage desire to eat, when a high-pitched shout from the other side of the chaung suddenly startled us all into turning round.
There, at the edge of the clearing, we saw a Burmese waving a white flag on a stick. The flag looked ill-omened as it fluttered there raggedly against the deep green wall of the jungle. "All of you stay where you are!" said George Dunlop. Then he stepped out into the water and waded across to where the Burmese had now been joined by two others.
The man waving the white flag was wearing the typical Burmese longyi, but his head was crowned with a Western bowler hat. This dignified headgear no doubt signified he was the headman. "Just keep still and don't move," John Griffiths ordered. "If they are enemies and we scare them they might shoot the Major." We all stood there too obsessed by the possible danger of the situation even to chew the red meat which we still held in our hands. Then we noticed with apprehension that George Dunlop's lips, as he turned and began to wade back, showed no sign of a smile of relief. They were set in a tight, grim line.
"They are Burmese Traitor Army," he said in a low voice, as he came up. "They have just given me a surrender ultimatum. And there are Japs there behind them in the jungle. That headman with the flag told me that they had informed the Japs of our presence."
George Dunlop continued. "Apparently they heard our shot and did not even wait to come and see who we were. They had an idea that there would be British troops in the area and sent word to the Japs at once. They have armed men just behind them in the jungle. They have given us three minutes to surrender. The alternative is death."
The utter despair which we all felt at this latest turn in our fortunes showed clearly on every face. We were now so near the Chindwin and safety, and yet here we were caught in this trap with armed, traitor Burmese and Japs on one side, and more Japs undoubtedly working up the other side. Surrender or death were our alternatives, at a moment when we knew that safety was probably only a few miles farther west. "Every man has a right to decide for himself." Major Dunlop was speaking quickly and earnestly. "We have just one minute left. Those who intend to stay and surrender get down behind that buffalo. Those who do not, follow me!" And even as he finished speaking, he turned and made a dash through the shallow water towards the opposite steep bank which was thick with undergrowth right down to the water's edge.
Immediately bullets were whipping and whining about us. I heard them crash into the foliage beyond us and thud into the sand by our feet. With every ounce of strength left in me I lurched desperately towards the high bank. I never looked back. Once again it was every man for himself, and perhaps by now I was more experienced than any of them at this kind of survival.
Of the men present at the Katun Chaung, we know that several of the officers, including Major Dunlop, John Griffiths and Ian MacHorton made it back to Allied lines within the next few days, whilst other men were killed or captured by the Japanese shortly after the ambush and began their time as prisoners of war. John Griffiths was sent to the 19th Casualty Clearing Station at Imphal and was treated for malnutrition and malaria under the watchful eye of Matron Agnes McGearey. After several weeks recuperation, he was sent on leave to Dehra Dun, before returning to his former unit, the 9th Gurkha Rifles.
Suddenly some bushes farther downstream began to wave alarmingly. One after the other every firearm our little party possessed was raised to point that way. Then a great clumsy, grey-skinned water buffalo came lumbering out to slummock its way into the languid shallows at the river's edge. "This is where we eat!" exclaimed George Dunlop. "Take him, Sergeant. Just one shot is all we want."
The sergeant fired and the water buffalo keeled over and flopped into the shallow water. As fast as we could we waded across the wide chaung. Then we fell upon the carcass of the buffalo like a pack of emaciated savages, with knives, kukris and bare finger-nails. We hacked and clawed the warm meat and with horrible sounds drank the hot blood as it flowed from the carcass. We were standing there, quite oblivious of caution or of anything but our savage desire to eat, when a high-pitched shout from the other side of the chaung suddenly startled us all into turning round.
There, at the edge of the clearing, we saw a Burmese waving a white flag on a stick. The flag looked ill-omened as it fluttered there raggedly against the deep green wall of the jungle. "All of you stay where you are!" said George Dunlop. Then he stepped out into the water and waded across to where the Burmese had now been joined by two others.
The man waving the white flag was wearing the typical Burmese longyi, but his head was crowned with a Western bowler hat. This dignified headgear no doubt signified he was the headman. "Just keep still and don't move," John Griffiths ordered. "If they are enemies and we scare them they might shoot the Major." We all stood there too obsessed by the possible danger of the situation even to chew the red meat which we still held in our hands. Then we noticed with apprehension that George Dunlop's lips, as he turned and began to wade back, showed no sign of a smile of relief. They were set in a tight, grim line.
"They are Burmese Traitor Army," he said in a low voice, as he came up. "They have just given me a surrender ultimatum. And there are Japs there behind them in the jungle. That headman with the flag told me that they had informed the Japs of our presence."
George Dunlop continued. "Apparently they heard our shot and did not even wait to come and see who we were. They had an idea that there would be British troops in the area and sent word to the Japs at once. They have armed men just behind them in the jungle. They have given us three minutes to surrender. The alternative is death."
The utter despair which we all felt at this latest turn in our fortunes showed clearly on every face. We were now so near the Chindwin and safety, and yet here we were caught in this trap with armed, traitor Burmese and Japs on one side, and more Japs undoubtedly working up the other side. Surrender or death were our alternatives, at a moment when we knew that safety was probably only a few miles farther west. "Every man has a right to decide for himself." Major Dunlop was speaking quickly and earnestly. "We have just one minute left. Those who intend to stay and surrender get down behind that buffalo. Those who do not, follow me!" And even as he finished speaking, he turned and made a dash through the shallow water towards the opposite steep bank which was thick with undergrowth right down to the water's edge.
Immediately bullets were whipping and whining about us. I heard them crash into the foliage beyond us and thud into the sand by our feet. With every ounce of strength left in me I lurched desperately towards the high bank. I never looked back. Once again it was every man for himself, and perhaps by now I was more experienced than any of them at this kind of survival.
Of the men present at the Katun Chaung, we know that several of the officers, including Major Dunlop, John Griffiths and Ian MacHorton made it back to Allied lines within the next few days, whilst other men were killed or captured by the Japanese shortly after the ambush and began their time as prisoners of war. John Griffiths was sent to the 19th Casualty Clearing Station at Imphal and was treated for malnutrition and malaria under the watchful eye of Matron Agnes McGearey. After several weeks recuperation, he was sent on leave to Dehra Dun, before returning to his former unit, the 9th Gurkha Rifles.
Karachi War Cemetery.
GRIGG, THOMAS CHARLES WILLIAM
Rank: Private
Service No: 5627647
Date of Death: 18/09/1943
Age: 30
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Karachi War Cemetery, Grave reference 9.B.9.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2178241/GRIGG,%20THOMAS%20CHARLES%20WILLIAM
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
Thomas Grigg was born in 1913 and was the son of Thomas William and Florence Annie Grigg, of Leytonstone, Essex. He was formerly with the Devonshire Regiment before joining Chindit training at the Saugor Camp in late September 1942. Thomas died on the 18th September 1943, several months after the 13th King's Battalion had returned from their time in Burma. In September 1943 the King's were based at the Napier Barracks in Karachi and tasked with performing garrison and internal security duties in the city.
I can only surmise as to the cause of his death. It is possible that he contracted one of the many diseases that plagued all British soldiers whilst serving on the sub-continent during those times. Perhaps he was involved in a training accident, or killed whilst carrying out his policing and garrison duties in Karachi.
One possible cause of death might well have been malaria. Seen below is a short extract from the personal memoir of Pte. Frank Holland who had survived Operation Longcloth whilst serving in Chindit Column 8:
"Malaria was still pestering me, in and out of hospital quite regular. We buried a few of our lads as a result of it. We agreed to have photos taken of their graves and sent back to relatives, small comfort, but we always got letters of thanks back."
NB: By matching up the date of death and with location of burial noted as Karachi War Cemetery, I believe the following men from the 13th King's may well have died from malaria as described in Frank Holland's memoir:
George Alcock
Francis Ball
William George Jones
George Thomas Puckett
John Francis Wright
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Thomas Grigg died partly due to enthesitis, the inflammation of the skeletal muscles attached to bones such as the hip or knee. One can only speculate that he must have been suffering from other conditions or complications at the time, malaria perhaps.
Update 06/06/2015. From the good people at the War Graves Photographic Project, seen below is a photograph of Thomas Grigg's gravestone at Karachi War Cemetery. Please click on either image to bring it forward on the page. Upon the foot of the stone is the following inscription:
Rank: Private
Service No: 5627647
Date of Death: 18/09/1943
Age: 30
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Karachi War Cemetery, Grave reference 9.B.9.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2178241/GRIGG,%20THOMAS%20CHARLES%20WILLIAM
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
Thomas Grigg was born in 1913 and was the son of Thomas William and Florence Annie Grigg, of Leytonstone, Essex. He was formerly with the Devonshire Regiment before joining Chindit training at the Saugor Camp in late September 1942. Thomas died on the 18th September 1943, several months after the 13th King's Battalion had returned from their time in Burma. In September 1943 the King's were based at the Napier Barracks in Karachi and tasked with performing garrison and internal security duties in the city.
I can only surmise as to the cause of his death. It is possible that he contracted one of the many diseases that plagued all British soldiers whilst serving on the sub-continent during those times. Perhaps he was involved in a training accident, or killed whilst carrying out his policing and garrison duties in Karachi.
One possible cause of death might well have been malaria. Seen below is a short extract from the personal memoir of Pte. Frank Holland who had survived Operation Longcloth whilst serving in Chindit Column 8:
"Malaria was still pestering me, in and out of hospital quite regular. We buried a few of our lads as a result of it. We agreed to have photos taken of their graves and sent back to relatives, small comfort, but we always got letters of thanks back."
NB: By matching up the date of death and with location of burial noted as Karachi War Cemetery, I believe the following men from the 13th King's may well have died from malaria as described in Frank Holland's memoir:
George Alcock
Francis Ball
William George Jones
George Thomas Puckett
John Francis Wright
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that Thomas Grigg died partly due to enthesitis, the inflammation of the skeletal muscles attached to bones such as the hip or knee. One can only speculate that he must have been suffering from other conditions or complications at the time, malaria perhaps.
Update 06/06/2015. From the good people at the War Graves Photographic Project, seen below is a photograph of Thomas Grigg's gravestone at Karachi War Cemetery. Please click on either image to bring it forward on the page. Upon the foot of the stone is the following inscription:
Yet Had He Lived
His Normal Span
Could He Have Left
A Finer Record.
His Normal Span
Could He Have Left
A Finer Record.
The Military Medal.
GUEST, CYRIL NORMAN
Rank: Private
Service No: 4203371
Age: 30
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 3
Other details:
Cyril Norman Guest was born on the 30th October 1913 in Cheshire. He enlisted into the British Army and was posted originally into the Royal Welch Fusiliers, before being sent overseas to India and transferred into the 13th King's Liverpool, arriving at their training centre at Saugor on the 30th September 1942, alongside another draft of thirty or so soldiers. Cyril, who was known as an expert in the use of explosives and demolitions was then placed into the 142 Commando platoon for No. 3 Column under the command of Lt. J. G. Lockett and began preparations for Operation Longcloth.
On Operation Longcloth, 3 Column were led by Major Mike Calvert and were responsible for the demolitions of the Mandalay-Myitkhina railway at Nankan on the 6th March 1943.
From the book, Wingate's Raiders, by Charles J. Rolo:
Nankan station was completely deserted when 3 Column arrived. All around were scattered teak logs and other debris from the 1942 retreat; magazine pouches, cans, smashed equipment and one rusty crippled jeep. On a siding stood trucks riddled with bullet-holes and a blown up locomotive rested grotesquely on its side. The station was situated in a small area of completely open ground. Two hundred yards north of it, surrounded by jungle palms, was a Burmese village. The Japanese were based in some strength at Indaw, twenty-five miles to the north and Wuntho, ten miles to the south. The new motor road from Indaw to Wuntho cut across the railway line just beside the station. Calvert fixed a rendezvous several miles to the south-east of the railway, then set his men to the demolitions.
Pte. Guest assisted with the blowing of a steel-girder bridge at Nankan and had to complete this work whilst under fire from the enemy, who had travelled up to meet the Chindits from their garrison at Wuntho. After nearly four hours of work, the demolition groups had destroyed six miles of the railway line and three bridges. Calvert called for dispersal and the various groups moved away from the village at Nankan and headed for their rendezvous location to the south-east.
To read more about another 3 Column Commando present at Nankan, please click on the following link: Pte. Daniel Burns
Rank: Private
Service No: 4203371
Age: 30
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 3
Other details:
Cyril Norman Guest was born on the 30th October 1913 in Cheshire. He enlisted into the British Army and was posted originally into the Royal Welch Fusiliers, before being sent overseas to India and transferred into the 13th King's Liverpool, arriving at their training centre at Saugor on the 30th September 1942, alongside another draft of thirty or so soldiers. Cyril, who was known as an expert in the use of explosives and demolitions was then placed into the 142 Commando platoon for No. 3 Column under the command of Lt. J. G. Lockett and began preparations for Operation Longcloth.
On Operation Longcloth, 3 Column were led by Major Mike Calvert and were responsible for the demolitions of the Mandalay-Myitkhina railway at Nankan on the 6th March 1943.
From the book, Wingate's Raiders, by Charles J. Rolo:
Nankan station was completely deserted when 3 Column arrived. All around were scattered teak logs and other debris from the 1942 retreat; magazine pouches, cans, smashed equipment and one rusty crippled jeep. On a siding stood trucks riddled with bullet-holes and a blown up locomotive rested grotesquely on its side. The station was situated in a small area of completely open ground. Two hundred yards north of it, surrounded by jungle palms, was a Burmese village. The Japanese were based in some strength at Indaw, twenty-five miles to the north and Wuntho, ten miles to the south. The new motor road from Indaw to Wuntho cut across the railway line just beside the station. Calvert fixed a rendezvous several miles to the south-east of the railway, then set his men to the demolitions.
Pte. Guest assisted with the blowing of a steel-girder bridge at Nankan and had to complete this work whilst under fire from the enemy, who had travelled up to meet the Chindits from their garrison at Wuntho. After nearly four hours of work, the demolition groups had destroyed six miles of the railway line and three bridges. Calvert called for dispersal and the various groups moved away from the village at Nankan and headed for their rendezvous location to the south-east.
To read more about another 3 Column Commando present at Nankan, please click on the following link: Pte. Daniel Burns
Sketch of one of the steel girder bridges found at Nankan.
For his efforts on Operation Longcloth and in particular, his role during the column's outward crossing of the Irrawaddy River on the 12th March 1943, Cyril Guest was awarded the Military Medal.
The award of the Military Medal:
4203371 Pte. Cyril Norman Guest, Royal Welch Fusiliers (att. 13th King's Liverpool).
Action for which recommended:- Operations in Burma, February/May 1943.
On 12th March 1943, at the crossing of the River Irrawaddy, the enemy opened fire with mortars and caused considerable confusion among the mules. On his own initiative and regardless of danger, Pte. Guest collected some twenty-five mules with their valuable loads and brought them out of the danger to the river crossing area. On all occasions he showed the best qualities of the British soldier; he took on every type of task willingly and with resource; he was always cheerful and energetic under difficult and trying conditions; and in two separate engagements he took a prominent part, using a Thompson sub-machine gun with good effect.
Recommended by- Major J.M.Calvert, D.S.O. R.E.
3 Column Commander,
77th Indian Infantry Brigade.
London Gazette 16th December 1943.
In his own debrief papers, Lt. Lockett, Cyril's immediate commander remarked:
Finally, I would like to record that throughout the Campaign the men worked very well as a team; their morale was always very high. They gained valuable experience and learnt many lessons in jungle warfare, besides learning the methods of fighting used by the Japanese, which will prove of great benefit when they go in again.
I should like to mention the following men: CSM Blain, Sgt. Chivers and Lance Corporal Cockling, who all did excellent work and showed real initiative and leadership throughout. Corporal Day, who showed great coolness and courage in blowing a bridge whilst under fire on the 6th March and Pte. Guest, who in the action at the Irrawaddy on the 14th March, went back and rescued several mules and other valuable equipment.
It is not known if Cyril Guest recovered enough from his exertions on Operation Longcloth to go in again the following year. However, he was mentioned on two further occasions in the war diaries of the 13th King's Regiment. On the 16th July 1944, the Commander in Chief, (India Command) General Auchinleck visited the King's at the Napier Barracks in Karachi. As part of his duties that day, the General presented the newly promoted, L/Cpl. Guest with his Military Medal alongside other members of the battalion who had been recognised for their service on the first Wingate expedition.
On the 12th June 1945, the battalion diary recorded that L/Cpl. Guest was to be transferred to the Homeward Bound Transit Camp at Deolali, where he was to be repatriated to the United Kingdom on compassionate grounds. Many men had reached the end of their agreed service (time expired) by mid-1945 and were being sent home in organised drafts; it is not known why Cyril was given permission to leave on compassionate grounds.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this short story. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. Sadly, Cyril Norman Guest died at some point in the first quarter of the year 2000.
The award of the Military Medal:
4203371 Pte. Cyril Norman Guest, Royal Welch Fusiliers (att. 13th King's Liverpool).
Action for which recommended:- Operations in Burma, February/May 1943.
On 12th March 1943, at the crossing of the River Irrawaddy, the enemy opened fire with mortars and caused considerable confusion among the mules. On his own initiative and regardless of danger, Pte. Guest collected some twenty-five mules with their valuable loads and brought them out of the danger to the river crossing area. On all occasions he showed the best qualities of the British soldier; he took on every type of task willingly and with resource; he was always cheerful and energetic under difficult and trying conditions; and in two separate engagements he took a prominent part, using a Thompson sub-machine gun with good effect.
Recommended by- Major J.M.Calvert, D.S.O. R.E.
3 Column Commander,
77th Indian Infantry Brigade.
London Gazette 16th December 1943.
In his own debrief papers, Lt. Lockett, Cyril's immediate commander remarked:
Finally, I would like to record that throughout the Campaign the men worked very well as a team; their morale was always very high. They gained valuable experience and learnt many lessons in jungle warfare, besides learning the methods of fighting used by the Japanese, which will prove of great benefit when they go in again.
I should like to mention the following men: CSM Blain, Sgt. Chivers and Lance Corporal Cockling, who all did excellent work and showed real initiative and leadership throughout. Corporal Day, who showed great coolness and courage in blowing a bridge whilst under fire on the 6th March and Pte. Guest, who in the action at the Irrawaddy on the 14th March, went back and rescued several mules and other valuable equipment.
It is not known if Cyril Guest recovered enough from his exertions on Operation Longcloth to go in again the following year. However, he was mentioned on two further occasions in the war diaries of the 13th King's Regiment. On the 16th July 1944, the Commander in Chief, (India Command) General Auchinleck visited the King's at the Napier Barracks in Karachi. As part of his duties that day, the General presented the newly promoted, L/Cpl. Guest with his Military Medal alongside other members of the battalion who had been recognised for their service on the first Wingate expedition.
On the 12th June 1945, the battalion diary recorded that L/Cpl. Guest was to be transferred to the Homeward Bound Transit Camp at Deolali, where he was to be repatriated to the United Kingdom on compassionate grounds. Many men had reached the end of their agreed service (time expired) by mid-1945 and were being sent home in organised drafts; it is not known why Cyril was given permission to leave on compassionate grounds.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this short story. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. Sadly, Cyril Norman Guest died at some point in the first quarter of the year 2000.
Grave of Pte. Alfred Haines.
HAINES, ALFRED JAMES CHARLES
Rank: Private
Service No: 3781461
Date of Death: 07/04/1942
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Grave 4.B.4. Madras War Cemetery, Chennai.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2172723/HAINES,%20ALFRED%20JAMES%20CHARLES
Chindit Column: N/A.
Other details:
Alfred Haines was the son of Alfred and Ethel Haines and the husband of Mildred Haines from Poulton le Fylde in Lancashire. After traveling from home aboard the troopship Oronsay, the 13th King's 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.
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, and 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 dates of death with 13th King's casualties on the CWGC website, I am confident that the driver of the truck was Lance Corporal Douglas Alec Purchase and that the other man killed on the 7th April, was Pte. Alfred James Charles Haines. 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. Both men were buried locally, with Corporal Purchase being laid to rest on the 10th April 1942 at the Cochin Coonoor Cemetery in Bezwada and Alfred Haines being buried on the 8th April at the Ossoor Road Cemetery just a few hundred yard away.
After the war both men were re-interred at Madras War Cemetery located in modern day Chennai. Alfred Haines is also remembered in his home town of Poulton le Fylde, where his name is inscribed upon the war memorial located in the Market Square. In December 2018, Alfred's medals were offered for sale on eBay. The grouping included his Army casualty condolence slip and the Defence and War Medals. The only information given with the auction lot, was that Alfred had died when the truck he was travelling in crashed into a bomb crater and that several others were also injured.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this short story. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. Below the gallery is the epitaph chosen by Alfred's family for his gravestone at Madras War Cemetery.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3781461
Date of Death: 07/04/1942
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Grave 4.B.4. Madras War Cemetery, Chennai.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2172723/HAINES,%20ALFRED%20JAMES%20CHARLES
Chindit Column: N/A.
Other details:
Alfred Haines was the son of Alfred and Ethel Haines and the husband of Mildred Haines from Poulton le Fylde in Lancashire. After traveling from home aboard the troopship Oronsay, the 13th King's 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.
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, and 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 dates of death with 13th King's casualties on the CWGC website, I am confident that the driver of the truck was Lance Corporal Douglas Alec Purchase and that the other man killed on the 7th April, was Pte. Alfred James Charles Haines. 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. Both men were buried locally, with Corporal Purchase being laid to rest on the 10th April 1942 at the Cochin Coonoor Cemetery in Bezwada and Alfred Haines being buried on the 8th April at the Ossoor Road Cemetery just a few hundred yard away.
After the war both men were re-interred at Madras War Cemetery located in modern day Chennai. Alfred Haines is also remembered in his home town of Poulton le Fylde, where his name is inscribed upon the war memorial located in the Market Square. In December 2018, Alfred's medals were offered for sale on eBay. The grouping included his Army casualty condolence slip and the Defence and War Medals. The only information given with the auction lot, was that Alfred had died when the truck he was travelling in crashed into a bomb crater and that several others were also injured.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this short story. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. Below the gallery is the epitaph chosen by Alfred's family for his gravestone at Madras War Cemetery.
TOO FAR THY GRAVE TO SEE BUT NOT TOO FAR TO THINK OF THEE. LOVING WIFE & DAUGHTER
HALLIDAY, A.
Rank: Corporal
Service No: 3187858
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: 142 Commando att. The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 2
Other details:
Corporal Halliday (christian name unknown) was originally posted to the King's Own Scottish Borderers on his enlistment into the British Army. He was transferred to the 13th Battalion, The King's Regiment in September 1942 and allocated to 142 Commando at their training centre at Saugor in the Central Provinces of India. Halliday served as an explosive expert for No. 2 Column at Saugor and was present on the day when Pte. Ronald Braithwaite was injured during an accident with a camofluet charge. Sadly, Pte. Braithwaite later died from his wounds.
A Court of Enquiry was held the following day to ascertain what exactly had happened at the explosives training session. Amongst others, Corporal Halliday was asked to give a witness statement for the Enquiry Panel. He explained:
On the 2nd October 1942, I was instructing No. 2 Squad at the demolition ground, Saugor. I was teaching my squad the use of the earth-augur when I saw Pte. Braithwaite stagger back suddenly. I saw blood spurting fro this leg and went over to him and closed the pressure points above his knee. At the same time I told the squad to prepare some tourniquets. This immediately stopped the bleeding. At the time of the accident my squad was approximately 40 yards from the camofluet tube which had exploded.
To read more about this incident and the fate of Ronald Braithwaite, please click on the following link: Men Who Died During Training
Corporal Halliday went on to serve in D Company of the 13th King's although it is not known if he served on Operation Longcloth. In January 1944, at Karachi he took part in a Battalion shooting competition and took second place alongside Pte. Powell in the pairs event operating a Light Machine Gun.
Rank: Corporal
Service No: 3187858
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: 142 Commando att. The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 2
Other details:
Corporal Halliday (christian name unknown) was originally posted to the King's Own Scottish Borderers on his enlistment into the British Army. He was transferred to the 13th Battalion, The King's Regiment in September 1942 and allocated to 142 Commando at their training centre at Saugor in the Central Provinces of India. Halliday served as an explosive expert for No. 2 Column at Saugor and was present on the day when Pte. Ronald Braithwaite was injured during an accident with a camofluet charge. Sadly, Pte. Braithwaite later died from his wounds.
A Court of Enquiry was held the following day to ascertain what exactly had happened at the explosives training session. Amongst others, Corporal Halliday was asked to give a witness statement for the Enquiry Panel. He explained:
On the 2nd October 1942, I was instructing No. 2 Squad at the demolition ground, Saugor. I was teaching my squad the use of the earth-augur when I saw Pte. Braithwaite stagger back suddenly. I saw blood spurting fro this leg and went over to him and closed the pressure points above his knee. At the same time I told the squad to prepare some tourniquets. This immediately stopped the bleeding. At the time of the accident my squad was approximately 40 yards from the camofluet tube which had exploded.
To read more about this incident and the fate of Ronald Braithwaite, please click on the following link: Men Who Died During Training
Corporal Halliday went on to serve in D Company of the 13th King's although it is not known if he served on Operation Longcloth. In January 1944, at Karachi he took part in a Battalion shooting competition and took second place alongside Pte. Powell in the pairs event operating a Light Machine Gun.
HAMMOND, DEREK JOHN
Derek John Hammond joined the RAF on a short service commission and began his initial training course on 10th July 1939. After completing his flying training he was posted to 4 Ferry Pilot Pool. He went to 7 OTU at Hawarden on 3rd September 1940. After converting to Spitfires he joined 54 Squadron at Catterick on the 24th September. He was immediately sent on to 245 Squadron at Aldergrove to convert to Hurricanes. He then moved to 253 Squadron at Kenley on 16th October. Hammond damaged a Messerschmitt 109 on 5th November 1940.
He was posted overseas and embarked at Liverpool on 17th December 1940 for the Middle East. On 29th January 1941 he flew a Hurricane to Malta and joined 261 Squadron. Before long Hammond was serving with 272 Squadron in Malta. He then went on to serve with the squadron in the Western Desert where he is credited with destroying a Junkers Ju 88 and shared in the downfall of a Heinkel He111.
After a brief period of service in Kenya and Uganda, P/O Hammond was sent to India, with postings in Bengal at places such as Calcutta. In September 1942 he volunteered to join a special force at Saugor in the Central Provinces of the country and began his training as a Liaison officer for Wingate's first Chindit expedition.
From the pages of the newspaper, the Kent and Sussex Courier dated 6th April 1945, and under the headline:
Airman's Thrilling Adventures
"Shot up a bit in the Battle of Britain," to use his own phrase, with the dose repeated when a small but heroic band of pilots lived in their planes almost day and night to save the George Cross Island of Malta. Then on to Burma to join Major-General Wingate's forces, battling in two thrilling expeditions which ended in a 1500 mile trek through mountainous and jungle country without food or water, and then breaking an ankle when slipping out of a taxi back in India to catch boat back home.
These were some of the adventures of an old Tonbridge schoolboy, Squadron Leader Derek John Hammond, who has been staying with old friends, Mr. and Mrs. O. Dunkels, of Breakstones in Langton. Hammond has many friends in the locality and his visits included one to his old school. He left Tonbridge School to join the RAF and was commissioned in 1939. At the time of the Battle of Britain he found himself stationed at Kenley Aerodrome flying Hurricanes. When the first hordes of German planes came over, the few waded into the many.
"It was thrilling all right," commented Hammond to one of our reporters. "It seemed to be an overwhelming task. One simply dived onto the hordes and let rip. Yes, I did get shot up a bit, but it was all so uneventful, except for sending so many enemy planes crashing to earth. I probably tagged a few, but of course the bag goes to the Squadron. There were many occasions when we were fighting over Tunbridge Wells. You people must have got a grandstand view."
Just before Christmas 1940, he went to Malta and had further thrills. "There were very few of us to hold the fort. About a dozen of us, which made it necessary to be in the air at all hours of the day and night. The most heroic time was when the Illustrious, which had come in for a hammering in the Mediterranean put in for repairs. German planes flocked over and let go with all they had. For long stretches we had a hectic time and so did our aerodrome, but we had our revenge by crashing many of those bombers. It was pretty hot weather the whole of the time I spent there, which was from January to June."
In June, Squadron Leader Hammond went to Egypt, then on to Kenya and Uganda and then later on to Singapore, India and Burma. It was in September 1942, that he joined Wingate's crowd. He went into training with the Army and became an Air Liaison Officer. To use his own phrase:
"We walked into Burma in February 1943 and got behind the Japs. There was some hard fighting and after accomplishing our task we split up into small parties and were ordered back to India. I was in charge of our party. We had no food supplies or water. We just had to exist the best way we could. Sometimes we managed to get a little food from the Chinese and some of the friendly disposed hill tribes in Burma, but it was very tough on the wounded and the sick. Wherever we could trust the Headman of a village, we left the sick and wounded in their care and later on when that territory was re-taken, some of those men were brought back to life."
1500 Mile Trek-But Knew They Would Make It.
Derek Hammond continued: "There were however, others who fell by the wayside and passed out of the march. It was a trek of thirst and hunger. Everyman was practically starved. We just had to live on what we could find. Whenever we came to a dried up river bed or stream we dug for water. By that method we were able to quench our thirsts, but one had to dig down two or three feet before finding just a cupful of water."
Squadron Leader Hammond added that they had to hack their way through a good deal of the jungle. This would have been hopeless without a stout knife. Sometimes their hopes flagged, but all involved were certain that they would make the journey. They did eventually, after seven or eight weeks of privation. They arrived in Tibet after trekking around 1500 miles.
Their second expedition was in March 1944. It was similar to the first, being dropped behind the Jap lines. Air strips were put down and defended, and Jap communications and stores were wrecked and many Japanese killed. Supplies to Wingate's men were dropped by planes and this was accomplished with a great degree of accuracy. In June 1944, they marched up into Northern Burma to help the Chinese. There was some very bitter fighting. This is how Squadron Leader Hammond described the Japanese:
"They are incredibly tough and very brave, but extremely stupid and fanatical, ruthless and inhuman. The Jap won't be taken prisoner if he can help it. He will fight to the end and rather than be taken prisoner he will place a hand grenade to his head and kill himself."
Alluding to weapons, Squadron Leader Hammond said that the hand grenade was invaluable, and was worth its weight in gold in that theatre of war. Of Wingate he said: "He was a wonderful man. His death amounted to one of the greatest losses of the war. He was a wonderful leader and a wonderful friend. His ideas might have seemed a little revolutionary to some, but they worked admirably."
From Derek Hammond's description in the above newspaper article, it is clear that he served with 7 Column during the first Chindit expedition in 1943. 7 Column under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes MC, formerly of the North Staffordshire Regiment, was the only Chindit column to exit Burma via the Chinese borders that year, trekking far to the North and eventually flying back to India aboard USAAF Dakotas which were based at Kunming. I have no details about Derek's service during the second Chindit expedition (Operation Thursday) in 1944, but it seems most probable that he would have been in great demand for this mission, given the invaluable experience he had gained from the year before.
The only piece of documentary evidence I possess which confirms Derek's participation on Operation Longcloth, comes in the form of a single mention in 7 Column's War diary on the 3rd April 1943. This entry (shown below) describes how the column had struggled to cross the fast flowing Shweli River that day using RAF dinghies dropped to them by a Dakota transport plane from 194 Squadron. It states that a small party of 43 men, including Flight-Lieutenant Hammond had managed to cross the river and had been ordered to set off as an independent group by Major Gilkes. This account matches up fairly well with Derek's own narrative in the newspaper article from the Kent and Sussex Courier.
Update 16/01/2023.
Some confirmation of the above events appears in the pages of the book Wingate's Adventure, written by war correspondent Wilfred Burchett in 1944:
On the 3rd April (1943), Gilkes' column succeeded in getting 40 men across the Shweli. Unfortunately, the second boat was cast adrift after the power-rope severed and the boat was carried away downstream. The current swirled them across to the opposite bank, but a mile distant from the column. Gilkes then gave these men the option of waiting for the rest of the party to cross, or joining up wit the 40 men already over and making their own way out. They chose the latter and Gilkes arranged supply drops for them along the way. Most of the group, led by Lt. George Astell and Flight-Lieutenant Derek Hammond of the RAF came through to Fort Hertz and were then flown back to India from there.
Derek John Hammond left the RAF in 1947 with the rank of Squadron Leader. He sadly died in late 1988. I would like to thank Edward McManus from the Battle of Britain Monument website for his invaluable assistance with this story, including permission to use the photograph of Derek Hammond shown above. Seen below are some other images in relation to this narrative. Please click on any image to being it forward on the page.
Derek John Hammond joined the RAF on a short service commission and began his initial training course on 10th July 1939. After completing his flying training he was posted to 4 Ferry Pilot Pool. He went to 7 OTU at Hawarden on 3rd September 1940. After converting to Spitfires he joined 54 Squadron at Catterick on the 24th September. He was immediately sent on to 245 Squadron at Aldergrove to convert to Hurricanes. He then moved to 253 Squadron at Kenley on 16th October. Hammond damaged a Messerschmitt 109 on 5th November 1940.
He was posted overseas and embarked at Liverpool on 17th December 1940 for the Middle East. On 29th January 1941 he flew a Hurricane to Malta and joined 261 Squadron. Before long Hammond was serving with 272 Squadron in Malta. He then went on to serve with the squadron in the Western Desert where he is credited with destroying a Junkers Ju 88 and shared in the downfall of a Heinkel He111.
After a brief period of service in Kenya and Uganda, P/O Hammond was sent to India, with postings in Bengal at places such as Calcutta. In September 1942 he volunteered to join a special force at Saugor in the Central Provinces of the country and began his training as a Liaison officer for Wingate's first Chindit expedition.
From the pages of the newspaper, the Kent and Sussex Courier dated 6th April 1945, and under the headline:
Airman's Thrilling Adventures
"Shot up a bit in the Battle of Britain," to use his own phrase, with the dose repeated when a small but heroic band of pilots lived in their planes almost day and night to save the George Cross Island of Malta. Then on to Burma to join Major-General Wingate's forces, battling in two thrilling expeditions which ended in a 1500 mile trek through mountainous and jungle country without food or water, and then breaking an ankle when slipping out of a taxi back in India to catch boat back home.
These were some of the adventures of an old Tonbridge schoolboy, Squadron Leader Derek John Hammond, who has been staying with old friends, Mr. and Mrs. O. Dunkels, of Breakstones in Langton. Hammond has many friends in the locality and his visits included one to his old school. He left Tonbridge School to join the RAF and was commissioned in 1939. At the time of the Battle of Britain he found himself stationed at Kenley Aerodrome flying Hurricanes. When the first hordes of German planes came over, the few waded into the many.
"It was thrilling all right," commented Hammond to one of our reporters. "It seemed to be an overwhelming task. One simply dived onto the hordes and let rip. Yes, I did get shot up a bit, but it was all so uneventful, except for sending so many enemy planes crashing to earth. I probably tagged a few, but of course the bag goes to the Squadron. There were many occasions when we were fighting over Tunbridge Wells. You people must have got a grandstand view."
Just before Christmas 1940, he went to Malta and had further thrills. "There were very few of us to hold the fort. About a dozen of us, which made it necessary to be in the air at all hours of the day and night. The most heroic time was when the Illustrious, which had come in for a hammering in the Mediterranean put in for repairs. German planes flocked over and let go with all they had. For long stretches we had a hectic time and so did our aerodrome, but we had our revenge by crashing many of those bombers. It was pretty hot weather the whole of the time I spent there, which was from January to June."
In June, Squadron Leader Hammond went to Egypt, then on to Kenya and Uganda and then later on to Singapore, India and Burma. It was in September 1942, that he joined Wingate's crowd. He went into training with the Army and became an Air Liaison Officer. To use his own phrase:
"We walked into Burma in February 1943 and got behind the Japs. There was some hard fighting and after accomplishing our task we split up into small parties and were ordered back to India. I was in charge of our party. We had no food supplies or water. We just had to exist the best way we could. Sometimes we managed to get a little food from the Chinese and some of the friendly disposed hill tribes in Burma, but it was very tough on the wounded and the sick. Wherever we could trust the Headman of a village, we left the sick and wounded in their care and later on when that territory was re-taken, some of those men were brought back to life."
1500 Mile Trek-But Knew They Would Make It.
Derek Hammond continued: "There were however, others who fell by the wayside and passed out of the march. It was a trek of thirst and hunger. Everyman was practically starved. We just had to live on what we could find. Whenever we came to a dried up river bed or stream we dug for water. By that method we were able to quench our thirsts, but one had to dig down two or three feet before finding just a cupful of water."
Squadron Leader Hammond added that they had to hack their way through a good deal of the jungle. This would have been hopeless without a stout knife. Sometimes their hopes flagged, but all involved were certain that they would make the journey. They did eventually, after seven or eight weeks of privation. They arrived in Tibet after trekking around 1500 miles.
Their second expedition was in March 1944. It was similar to the first, being dropped behind the Jap lines. Air strips were put down and defended, and Jap communications and stores were wrecked and many Japanese killed. Supplies to Wingate's men were dropped by planes and this was accomplished with a great degree of accuracy. In June 1944, they marched up into Northern Burma to help the Chinese. There was some very bitter fighting. This is how Squadron Leader Hammond described the Japanese:
"They are incredibly tough and very brave, but extremely stupid and fanatical, ruthless and inhuman. The Jap won't be taken prisoner if he can help it. He will fight to the end and rather than be taken prisoner he will place a hand grenade to his head and kill himself."
Alluding to weapons, Squadron Leader Hammond said that the hand grenade was invaluable, and was worth its weight in gold in that theatre of war. Of Wingate he said: "He was a wonderful man. His death amounted to one of the greatest losses of the war. He was a wonderful leader and a wonderful friend. His ideas might have seemed a little revolutionary to some, but they worked admirably."
From Derek Hammond's description in the above newspaper article, it is clear that he served with 7 Column during the first Chindit expedition in 1943. 7 Column under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes MC, formerly of the North Staffordshire Regiment, was the only Chindit column to exit Burma via the Chinese borders that year, trekking far to the North and eventually flying back to India aboard USAAF Dakotas which were based at Kunming. I have no details about Derek's service during the second Chindit expedition (Operation Thursday) in 1944, but it seems most probable that he would have been in great demand for this mission, given the invaluable experience he had gained from the year before.
The only piece of documentary evidence I possess which confirms Derek's participation on Operation Longcloth, comes in the form of a single mention in 7 Column's War diary on the 3rd April 1943. This entry (shown below) describes how the column had struggled to cross the fast flowing Shweli River that day using RAF dinghies dropped to them by a Dakota transport plane from 194 Squadron. It states that a small party of 43 men, including Flight-Lieutenant Hammond had managed to cross the river and had been ordered to set off as an independent group by Major Gilkes. This account matches up fairly well with Derek's own narrative in the newspaper article from the Kent and Sussex Courier.
Update 16/01/2023.
Some confirmation of the above events appears in the pages of the book Wingate's Adventure, written by war correspondent Wilfred Burchett in 1944:
On the 3rd April (1943), Gilkes' column succeeded in getting 40 men across the Shweli. Unfortunately, the second boat was cast adrift after the power-rope severed and the boat was carried away downstream. The current swirled them across to the opposite bank, but a mile distant from the column. Gilkes then gave these men the option of waiting for the rest of the party to cross, or joining up wit the 40 men already over and making their own way out. They chose the latter and Gilkes arranged supply drops for them along the way. Most of the group, led by Lt. George Astell and Flight-Lieutenant Derek Hammond of the RAF came through to Fort Hertz and were then flown back to India from there.
Derek John Hammond left the RAF in 1947 with the rank of Squadron Leader. He sadly died in late 1988. I would like to thank Edward McManus from the Battle of Britain Monument website for his invaluable assistance with this story, including permission to use the photograph of Derek Hammond shown above. Seen below are some other images in relation to this narrative. Please click on any image to being it forward on the page.
Update 05/09/2019.
I was delighted to receive the following email contact from Sarah Wilson, the daughter of Derek John Hammond:
Dear Stephen,
Thank you so much for your email, it was so fascinating to see the 7 Column diary extract and the courier newspaper article. I was excited to learn that Dad's Chindit campaigns were captured on your website, I really had no idea. It is only since working with Edward McManus, from the Battle of Britain Monument website that I have learned so much about Dad's war career. I recently asked my mother what she knew of Dad and his taking part in the second Wingate expedition. We do know that he admired Wingate very much, so this might have something to do with it?
All of this experience with you and with Edward has really encouraged me to do more research and if possible to create a clearer picture of Dad's war years. I have attached to this email a picture of Dad in his RAF uniform with his Chindit flash on his sleeve. Thank you so much for keeping these brave men's stories alive and do let me know if I can provide any further information.
Very best, Sarah.
The photograph mentioned by Sarah can be seen at the beginning of this story. To read more about Derek John Hammond and his experiences during WW2, please click on the following link to Edward's excellent Battle of Britain Monument website:
www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Hammond.htm
I was delighted to receive the following email contact from Sarah Wilson, the daughter of Derek John Hammond:
Dear Stephen,
Thank you so much for your email, it was so fascinating to see the 7 Column diary extract and the courier newspaper article. I was excited to learn that Dad's Chindit campaigns were captured on your website, I really had no idea. It is only since working with Edward McManus, from the Battle of Britain Monument website that I have learned so much about Dad's war career. I recently asked my mother what she knew of Dad and his taking part in the second Wingate expedition. We do know that he admired Wingate very much, so this might have something to do with it?
All of this experience with you and with Edward has really encouraged me to do more research and if possible to create a clearer picture of Dad's war years. I have attached to this email a picture of Dad in his RAF uniform with his Chindit flash on his sleeve. Thank you so much for keeping these brave men's stories alive and do let me know if I can provide any further information.
Very best, Sarah.
The photograph mentioned by Sarah can be seen at the beginning of this story. To read more about Derek John Hammond and his experiences during WW2, please click on the following link to Edward's excellent Battle of Britain Monument website:
www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Hammond.htm
Pte. Roy Hargreaves.
HARGREAVES, ROY
Rank: Private
Service No: 3780128
Age: 27
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Pte. Roy Hargreaves was born in Manchester on the 30th May 1916 and was the husband of Elsie Hargreaves and father to Joyce Hargreaves of Northolme Gardens, Overlea Drive, Kingsway (Manchester 19). Roy was a paper lapper in civilian life and enlisted into the British Army at Manchester on the 24th July 1940, being posted immediately to the King's Liverpool Regiment.
Evidence for Pte. Hargreaves participation during the first Chindit expedition comes from two different sources. Firstly, his short message home, recorded as part of the 'Calling Blighty' films made during the winter months of 1944 in India, and secondly from his own Army Service Pay Book, which was offered for sale on the Internet in early 2017.
To view Roy Hargreaves Calling Blighty message which he shares with fellow 13th Kingsman, Pte. 3781528 William Wantling from Pendlebury in Salford and Pte. 4200923 Frank Miller of the 2nd King's Own Royal Rifles, please click on the following link:
www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk/blighty/record.php?token=4170cbl2238yKL57311nxZYm97B17699b4Lig7HTy
Fellow WW2 researcher, Simon Jervis noticed the pay book on line and took down some of the details presented. He told me:
The pay book belonged to Pte. 3780128 R. Hargreaves of the Border Regiment. He has a King's Regiment enlistment number and an entry in the book states: 1st Feb - July 31st '42 Wingate Ex, which strongly suggests that he might have been one of your boys. He later served in Burma during April/May 1945, presumably with the Border Regiment. This is a replacement pay book for one presumably lost on Operation Longcloth. Do you have any prior knowledge of him and who he served with in 1943? By the way, his Calling Blighty recording is mentioned in the book and gives the date and place of filming as the 15th December 1944 in Bombay.
Pte. Hargreaves was not a new name to my research, mostly through having viewed his Calling Blighty recording, but from the information discovered within the pages his Army Book, all evidence pointed to him being a member of 7 Column on Operation Longcloth. On the inside cover of the book, there was the signature L.R. Cottrell. This belonged to Captain Leslie Randle Cottrell, who was Adjutant for 7 Column in Burma during the first Wingate expedition. Another signature found in the book was that of Captain Henry C. Cotton, another officer from 7 Column in 1943. Both officers had played a major roll within the ranks of 7 Column in Burma and their signatures were well known to me from the many witness statements for the missing men of Operation Longcloth, which they had either given themselves on their return to India or counter-signed on behalf of other soldiers.
After further examination, I noticed on two separate pages, what looked like the name Kelly, possibly followed by LT. representing the abbreviation for Lieutenant. This could relate to another officer from the first Chindit expedition, namely, Lt. John Thomas Kelly formerly of the Border Regiment, who was one of the 7 Column officers that managed to get over the Irrawaddy River on the 29th March 1943, when the Chindit Brigade gathered on the east banks of the river close to the village of Inywa. Kelly's group were sent over as bridgehead protection for the rest of the Brigade, when unexpectedly the Japanese interrupted the crossing, forcing it to be abandoned by Wingate and leaving some sixty men from 7 Column on the west bank. I wonder if Roy Hargreaves was one of these soldiers? I understand that the presence of these three signatures in Pte. Hargreaves' Pay Book is not a 100% guarantee of his Longcloth credentials, but there must be a strong chance that he served with 7 Column in 1943.
Seen below is a Gallery of images in relation to this story, including some of the pages from Roy Hargreaves' Army Pay Book. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. I would like to thank Simon Jervis for his invaluable contribution to the above narrative. Roy Hargreaves sadly passed away in Warrington during the autumn of 1992.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3780128
Age: 27
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Pte. Roy Hargreaves was born in Manchester on the 30th May 1916 and was the husband of Elsie Hargreaves and father to Joyce Hargreaves of Northolme Gardens, Overlea Drive, Kingsway (Manchester 19). Roy was a paper lapper in civilian life and enlisted into the British Army at Manchester on the 24th July 1940, being posted immediately to the King's Liverpool Regiment.
Evidence for Pte. Hargreaves participation during the first Chindit expedition comes from two different sources. Firstly, his short message home, recorded as part of the 'Calling Blighty' films made during the winter months of 1944 in India, and secondly from his own Army Service Pay Book, which was offered for sale on the Internet in early 2017.
To view Roy Hargreaves Calling Blighty message which he shares with fellow 13th Kingsman, Pte. 3781528 William Wantling from Pendlebury in Salford and Pte. 4200923 Frank Miller of the 2nd King's Own Royal Rifles, please click on the following link:
www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk/blighty/record.php?token=4170cbl2238yKL57311nxZYm97B17699b4Lig7HTy
Fellow WW2 researcher, Simon Jervis noticed the pay book on line and took down some of the details presented. He told me:
The pay book belonged to Pte. 3780128 R. Hargreaves of the Border Regiment. He has a King's Regiment enlistment number and an entry in the book states: 1st Feb - July 31st '42 Wingate Ex, which strongly suggests that he might have been one of your boys. He later served in Burma during April/May 1945, presumably with the Border Regiment. This is a replacement pay book for one presumably lost on Operation Longcloth. Do you have any prior knowledge of him and who he served with in 1943? By the way, his Calling Blighty recording is mentioned in the book and gives the date and place of filming as the 15th December 1944 in Bombay.
Pte. Hargreaves was not a new name to my research, mostly through having viewed his Calling Blighty recording, but from the information discovered within the pages his Army Book, all evidence pointed to him being a member of 7 Column on Operation Longcloth. On the inside cover of the book, there was the signature L.R. Cottrell. This belonged to Captain Leslie Randle Cottrell, who was Adjutant for 7 Column in Burma during the first Wingate expedition. Another signature found in the book was that of Captain Henry C. Cotton, another officer from 7 Column in 1943. Both officers had played a major roll within the ranks of 7 Column in Burma and their signatures were well known to me from the many witness statements for the missing men of Operation Longcloth, which they had either given themselves on their return to India or counter-signed on behalf of other soldiers.
After further examination, I noticed on two separate pages, what looked like the name Kelly, possibly followed by LT. representing the abbreviation for Lieutenant. This could relate to another officer from the first Chindit expedition, namely, Lt. John Thomas Kelly formerly of the Border Regiment, who was one of the 7 Column officers that managed to get over the Irrawaddy River on the 29th March 1943, when the Chindit Brigade gathered on the east banks of the river close to the village of Inywa. Kelly's group were sent over as bridgehead protection for the rest of the Brigade, when unexpectedly the Japanese interrupted the crossing, forcing it to be abandoned by Wingate and leaving some sixty men from 7 Column on the west bank. I wonder if Roy Hargreaves was one of these soldiers? I understand that the presence of these three signatures in Pte. Hargreaves' Pay Book is not a 100% guarantee of his Longcloth credentials, but there must be a strong chance that he served with 7 Column in 1943.
Seen below is a Gallery of images in relation to this story, including some of the pages from Roy Hargreaves' Army Pay Book. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. I would like to thank Simon Jervis for his invaluable contribution to the above narrative. Roy Hargreaves sadly passed away in Warrington during the autumn of 1992.
Cap badge of the Cheshire Regiment.
HARVEY, JAMES
Rank: Private
Service No: 4131381
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Pte. James Harvey had begun his WW2 service with the Cheshire Regiment before being transferred to the 13th King's in India. He was allocated to No. 5 Column during the training period at Saugor and went into Burma with this unit in February 1943. James was listed as missing shortly after 5 Column's engagement with the Japanese on the 28/29th March at the village of Hintha. Over 100 men from Fergusson's column became separated on the night of the 29th March and headed east away from the enemy in penny packets. Most, including James Harvey were fortunate to bump into No. 7 Column on the banks of the Shweli River on the 3rd April. Major Giles, commander of No. 7 Column took these men under his wing and placed them across his own pre-arranged dispersal groups.
Pte. Harvey and some of his comrades from 5 Column were allocated to the dispersal party led by Lt. Campbell-Paterson. This group moved across the Shweli River with the intention of marching through the Kachin Hills and exiting Burma via the Chinese borders (Yunnan Province). Lt. Campbell-Paterson's party had an engagement with the enemy around the 18th April 1943 at a place called Namlau and some men, including Pte. Harvey were lost to the group. Sadly, most of the party led by Campbell-Paterson were taken prisoner around that time. Nothing much is known about Pte. Harvey's journey after the ambush on the 18th April, but he did manage to escape Burma and return to India. Whether he did this alone or with a small party of other soldiers is unclear.
Pte. James Harvey gave a series of witness statements after his return to Allied lines in May 1943, in regards to some of the other Chindits who had not returned that year.
The first one was given on the 24th July 1943 and refers in the main to Lance Corporal Maurice John Dwyer of No. 7 Column:
I was originally in Column 5 of Brigadier Wingate's operation in 1943, on dispersal I became attached to Column 7 under Captain CottrelI. I was in Chinese hands in the village of Lima, when on 2nd June Lance Corporal Dwyer died. I believe he was suffering from malaria, but he was not wounded.
The second statement in regards to four other Chindits who had made their way into the Burma/Chinese borders was given on the 12th February 1944:
I was a member of a group commanded by Lt. Campbell-Patterson on the Wingate Expedition into Burma. We made our way out through China. On approximately the 24th April 1943, Ptes. Fitzpatrick and Fairhurst and Cpl. McGee left our group 20 miles east of Mongmit to go with CSM McIntyre. They had a little food, but no rifles or ammunition and they have not been heard of since.
Many Chindits having become separated from their commanding officer during dispersal, decided to turn west and attempt to reach India by the most direct route. This was rarely successful and so it proved for the four men mentioned by Pte. Harvey. To read more about Maurice Dwyer, Robert McIntyre, Cyril Fairhurst, Joseph Fitzpatrick and William McGee, simply enter their names in the search box found in the top right hand corner of any page on this website and follow the links provided.
After the war James Harvey joined the Burma Star Association whilst living at 7 Bath Street in Southport. According to the obituary listings in the Burma Star Association's magazine, Dekho, James passed away in 1985.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story including photographs of James Harvey's two witness statements given after Operation Longcloth had ended. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 4131381
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Pte. James Harvey had begun his WW2 service with the Cheshire Regiment before being transferred to the 13th King's in India. He was allocated to No. 5 Column during the training period at Saugor and went into Burma with this unit in February 1943. James was listed as missing shortly after 5 Column's engagement with the Japanese on the 28/29th March at the village of Hintha. Over 100 men from Fergusson's column became separated on the night of the 29th March and headed east away from the enemy in penny packets. Most, including James Harvey were fortunate to bump into No. 7 Column on the banks of the Shweli River on the 3rd April. Major Giles, commander of No. 7 Column took these men under his wing and placed them across his own pre-arranged dispersal groups.
Pte. Harvey and some of his comrades from 5 Column were allocated to the dispersal party led by Lt. Campbell-Paterson. This group moved across the Shweli River with the intention of marching through the Kachin Hills and exiting Burma via the Chinese borders (Yunnan Province). Lt. Campbell-Paterson's party had an engagement with the enemy around the 18th April 1943 at a place called Namlau and some men, including Pte. Harvey were lost to the group. Sadly, most of the party led by Campbell-Paterson were taken prisoner around that time. Nothing much is known about Pte. Harvey's journey after the ambush on the 18th April, but he did manage to escape Burma and return to India. Whether he did this alone or with a small party of other soldiers is unclear.
Pte. James Harvey gave a series of witness statements after his return to Allied lines in May 1943, in regards to some of the other Chindits who had not returned that year.
The first one was given on the 24th July 1943 and refers in the main to Lance Corporal Maurice John Dwyer of No. 7 Column:
I was originally in Column 5 of Brigadier Wingate's operation in 1943, on dispersal I became attached to Column 7 under Captain CottrelI. I was in Chinese hands in the village of Lima, when on 2nd June Lance Corporal Dwyer died. I believe he was suffering from malaria, but he was not wounded.
The second statement in regards to four other Chindits who had made their way into the Burma/Chinese borders was given on the 12th February 1944:
I was a member of a group commanded by Lt. Campbell-Patterson on the Wingate Expedition into Burma. We made our way out through China. On approximately the 24th April 1943, Ptes. Fitzpatrick and Fairhurst and Cpl. McGee left our group 20 miles east of Mongmit to go with CSM McIntyre. They had a little food, but no rifles or ammunition and they have not been heard of since.
Many Chindits having become separated from their commanding officer during dispersal, decided to turn west and attempt to reach India by the most direct route. This was rarely successful and so it proved for the four men mentioned by Pte. Harvey. To read more about Maurice Dwyer, Robert McIntyre, Cyril Fairhurst, Joseph Fitzpatrick and William McGee, simply enter their names in the search box found in the top right hand corner of any page on this website and follow the links provided.
After the war James Harvey joined the Burma Star Association whilst living at 7 Bath Street in Southport. According to the obituary listings in the Burma Star Association's magazine, Dekho, James passed away in 1985.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story including photographs of James Harvey's two witness statements given after Operation Longcloth had ended. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Dekho magazine Spring 1975.
HASSALL, JACK
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 3781166
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Unknown
Other details:
Jack Hassall, from the Salford area of Greater Manchester came to my attention from reading the pages of the Burma Star Association's Dekho magazine for Spring 1975. This describes his meeting with Lola Blyth, a comrade from his ENSA days in India and Burma 30 years previously, at the Manchester and Salford Christmas get-together. Jack had served with the 13th King's prior to him moving over to ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) after returning from Burma in 1943. The pair greeted each other warmly with a kiss and went on to reminisce about their time in India, including shows such as Sunny Rhythm performed for a wide audience across the SEAC theatre. Seen below is a photograph from the Manchester and Salford Christmas party, showing Jack and Lola saying hello.
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 3781166
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Unknown
Other details:
Jack Hassall, from the Salford area of Greater Manchester came to my attention from reading the pages of the Burma Star Association's Dekho magazine for Spring 1975. This describes his meeting with Lola Blyth, a comrade from his ENSA days in India and Burma 30 years previously, at the Manchester and Salford Christmas get-together. Jack had served with the 13th King's prior to him moving over to ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) after returning from Burma in 1943. The pair greeted each other warmly with a kiss and went on to reminisce about their time in India, including shows such as Sunny Rhythm performed for a wide audience across the SEAC theatre. Seen below is a photograph from the Manchester and Salford Christmas party, showing Jack and Lola saying hello.
142 Commando insignia.
HATCH, W.
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 3861009
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 3
Other details:
Lance Corporal Hatch (christian name unknown) was moved across to the 142 Commando section of 77 Brigade in September 1942 after originally serving with the Loyal (North Lancashire) Regiment. He was allocated to No. 3 Column commando under the overall command of Lt. J.G. Lockett, formerly of the Seaforth Highlanders Regiment. Lance Corporal Hatch, noted as an expert in handling explosives, served with No. 3 Column in Burma, most notably during the railway demolitions at Nankan on the 6th March 1943. This was No. 3 Column's main contribution to the destruction of Japanese infrastructure and personnel during Operation Longcloth and was deemed a success. Just before the dispersal journey back to India in late March 1943, the official debrief report for Operation Longcloth states that L/Cpl. Hatch alongside other members of the Commando Platoon laid a multitude of booby-traps and other explosive devices in protection of a large supply dump containing unused arms, ammunition and foodstuffs. This had been stockpiled on the 23rd March in the event that No. 3 Column's return journey westward should be unsuccessful and the need to restock became necessary after retracing their steps.
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 3861009
Age: Unknown
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 3
Other details:
Lance Corporal Hatch (christian name unknown) was moved across to the 142 Commando section of 77 Brigade in September 1942 after originally serving with the Loyal (North Lancashire) Regiment. He was allocated to No. 3 Column commando under the overall command of Lt. J.G. Lockett, formerly of the Seaforth Highlanders Regiment. Lance Corporal Hatch, noted as an expert in handling explosives, served with No. 3 Column in Burma, most notably during the railway demolitions at Nankan on the 6th March 1943. This was No. 3 Column's main contribution to the destruction of Japanese infrastructure and personnel during Operation Longcloth and was deemed a success. Just before the dispersal journey back to India in late March 1943, the official debrief report for Operation Longcloth states that L/Cpl. Hatch alongside other members of the Commando Platoon laid a multitude of booby-traps and other explosive devices in protection of a large supply dump containing unused arms, ammunition and foodstuffs. This had been stockpiled on the 23rd March in the event that No. 3 Column's return journey westward should be unsuccessful and the need to restock became necessary after retracing their steps.
Newspaper caption and photo.
HAYES, EDWARD
Rank: Private
Service No: Not known
Age: 22
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Not known
Other details:
Edward Hayes' participation on the first Wingate expedition was confirmed by a small newspaper caption and photograph in the Liverpool Evening Express dated 30th December 1943. Entitled Of Wingate's Follies, the caption (shown left) reads:
Private Edward Hayes (22), King's Regiment Liverpool, sends this picture home from India to his mother, Mrs. Hayes of 39 Mazzini Street, Everton. Pte. Hayes (seen to the right) and his Merseyside friends, Len (left) and Bill (centre), were with Wingate's Follies in the famous infiltration attack on the Japanese in Burma. Pte. Hayes is an old boy of St. Peter's School, Sackville Street, Everton.
Rank: Private
Service No: Not known
Age: 22
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Not known
Other details:
Edward Hayes' participation on the first Wingate expedition was confirmed by a small newspaper caption and photograph in the Liverpool Evening Express dated 30th December 1943. Entitled Of Wingate's Follies, the caption (shown left) reads:
Private Edward Hayes (22), King's Regiment Liverpool, sends this picture home from India to his mother, Mrs. Hayes of 39 Mazzini Street, Everton. Pte. Hayes (seen to the right) and his Merseyside friends, Len (left) and Bill (centre), were with Wingate's Follies in the famous infiltration attack on the Japanese in Burma. Pte. Hayes is an old boy of St. Peter's School, Sackville Street, Everton.
Pte. Thomas Hazeldine.
HAZELDINE, THOMAS JAMES
Rank: Private
Service No: 3780130
Date of Death: 19/07/1943
Age: 32
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Grave Reference Special Memorial 9. A. 10. Rangoon War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2260065/HAZELDINE,%20THOMAS%20JAMES
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Thomas Hazeldine was the son of Thomas James Hazeldine and Margaret Hazeldine, from Cross Heath in Staffordshire. He was part of D' Company from within the 13th Battalion of the King's Regiment and was therefore given over to Column No. 8 for the purposes of Chindit training, under the command of Major Walter Purcell Scott. According to a witness statement (see gallery below) given after the operation by Major Scott and dated 24th July 1943, Thomas was one of a group of men lost to the column directly after the battle with the Japanese at the Kaukkwe Chaung, located close to the Burmese village of Okthaik.
Major Scott recalled:
The men mentioned were with me during the battle at Okthaik on April 30th. After the battle was broken off, and our forces were re-collected it was found that they were missing. No further information is available, as they have not been heard of since.
Nothing is known about Pte. Hazeldine's capture, but we do know that he fell into Japanese hands at some point over the coming days and ended up a prisoner of war inside Block 6 of Rangoon Central Jail. Sadly, Thomas, whose POW number was 438, did not last long in the jail and died on the 19th July 1943 suffering from advanced malnutrition. He was originally buried at the English Cantonment Cemetery, close to the Royal Lakes in the eastern sector of the city. After the war, all the burials at this Cemetery were transferred to the newly constructed Rangoon War Cemetery.
Rangoon War Cemetery was first used as a burial ground immediately following the recapture of Rangoon in May 1945. Later, the Army Graves Service moved in graves from several burial sites in and around Rangoon, including those of the men who died at Rangoon Jail as prisoners of war. Today there are 1,381 Commonwealth servicemen from the Second World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. Eighty-six of the burials are unidentified and there are special memorials to more than sixty casualties, including Pte. Hazeldine, whose graves could not be precisely located on re-burial. These graves have the words buried near this spot written on the memorial plaques, one of which belongs to my own grandfather.
From the pages of the Manchester Evening News, dated 9th June 1945 and under the headline, Roll of Honour :
Thomas Hazeldine. Treasured memories of our dear brother, Tommy (King's Regiment), died July 19th 1943 in Japanese hands in Burma. We cannot forget him, we loved him so well. He was one of the best. From his ever-loving sister Annie and Mr. and Mrs. Allen, Billie and Hazel of 22 Dorset Avenue, Manchester 14.
Seen below is a Gallery of images in relation to this sad story. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3780130
Date of Death: 19/07/1943
Age: 32
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Grave Reference Special Memorial 9. A. 10. Rangoon War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2260065/HAZELDINE,%20THOMAS%20JAMES
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Thomas Hazeldine was the son of Thomas James Hazeldine and Margaret Hazeldine, from Cross Heath in Staffordshire. He was part of D' Company from within the 13th Battalion of the King's Regiment and was therefore given over to Column No. 8 for the purposes of Chindit training, under the command of Major Walter Purcell Scott. According to a witness statement (see gallery below) given after the operation by Major Scott and dated 24th July 1943, Thomas was one of a group of men lost to the column directly after the battle with the Japanese at the Kaukkwe Chaung, located close to the Burmese village of Okthaik.
Major Scott recalled:
The men mentioned were with me during the battle at Okthaik on April 30th. After the battle was broken off, and our forces were re-collected it was found that they were missing. No further information is available, as they have not been heard of since.
Nothing is known about Pte. Hazeldine's capture, but we do know that he fell into Japanese hands at some point over the coming days and ended up a prisoner of war inside Block 6 of Rangoon Central Jail. Sadly, Thomas, whose POW number was 438, did not last long in the jail and died on the 19th July 1943 suffering from advanced malnutrition. He was originally buried at the English Cantonment Cemetery, close to the Royal Lakes in the eastern sector of the city. After the war, all the burials at this Cemetery were transferred to the newly constructed Rangoon War Cemetery.
Rangoon War Cemetery was first used as a burial ground immediately following the recapture of Rangoon in May 1945. Later, the Army Graves Service moved in graves from several burial sites in and around Rangoon, including those of the men who died at Rangoon Jail as prisoners of war. Today there are 1,381 Commonwealth servicemen from the Second World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. Eighty-six of the burials are unidentified and there are special memorials to more than sixty casualties, including Pte. Hazeldine, whose graves could not be precisely located on re-burial. These graves have the words buried near this spot written on the memorial plaques, one of which belongs to my own grandfather.
From the pages of the Manchester Evening News, dated 9th June 1945 and under the headline, Roll of Honour :
Thomas Hazeldine. Treasured memories of our dear brother, Tommy (King's Regiment), died July 19th 1943 in Japanese hands in Burma. We cannot forget him, we loved him so well. He was one of the best. From his ever-loving sister Annie and Mr. and Mrs. Allen, Billie and Hazel of 22 Dorset Avenue, Manchester 14.
Seen below is a Gallery of images in relation to this sad story. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Tommy Hazeldine (centre) with two pals in Durban, South Africa.
Update 23/12/2018.
In late November 2018, I was delighted to receive the following email message from Phil Allen, the great nephew of Tommy Hazeldine:
Hi Steve,
I have just spent an emotional couple of hours reading through your website in regards my great uncle Tommy (Thomas James Hazeldine). My own father Billie, was only eleven years old when Tommy died in Burma. We have some photographs of him in uniform from when he was in India we think, in one he sitting alongside a couple of his colleagues. It would be amazing if these other men could be identified. I would like to submit this photograph to your website, so it can be added to his story.
One of the other photos is a small and grainy contact print of him in uniform, pictured against an old wall from no. 111 Upper Lloyd Street in Manchester, where his mother had a greengrocers shop. I call him Tommy because although I never met him, my grandmother and great aunt would often talk about him, and they always called him Tommy. I actually never knew he was a Chindit until my Aunt told me quite recently. The family did not know what happened to him until very late on, and I'm sure that my Great Grandmother always knew in her heart of hearts that Tommy had died in Burma and was not coming home. Cheers Phil.
NB. The photograph sent by Phil and shown above is from the 13th King's shore leave in the city of Durban, South Africa on their outward journey to India. This would have been taken in early January 1942 and features Tommy and two of his pals from the King's battalion seated in a rickshaw carriage, alongside the Zulu Warrior driver and two local lads. The 13th King's spent a memorable five days in Durban, where they were treated royally by the local townsfolk who often took them into their own homes for home-cooked meals. The soldiers were amazed at the array of foods still readily available in South Africa, many of which had long since disappeared from the dinner tables back home, due to wartime rationing.
I would like to thank Phil for the above photograph and for the additional information he has been able to pass on to me about his Great Uncle Tommy Hazeldine. As always, please click on the photograph to bring it forward on the page.
In late November 2018, I was delighted to receive the following email message from Phil Allen, the great nephew of Tommy Hazeldine:
Hi Steve,
I have just spent an emotional couple of hours reading through your website in regards my great uncle Tommy (Thomas James Hazeldine). My own father Billie, was only eleven years old when Tommy died in Burma. We have some photographs of him in uniform from when he was in India we think, in one he sitting alongside a couple of his colleagues. It would be amazing if these other men could be identified. I would like to submit this photograph to your website, so it can be added to his story.
One of the other photos is a small and grainy contact print of him in uniform, pictured against an old wall from no. 111 Upper Lloyd Street in Manchester, where his mother had a greengrocers shop. I call him Tommy because although I never met him, my grandmother and great aunt would often talk about him, and they always called him Tommy. I actually never knew he was a Chindit until my Aunt told me quite recently. The family did not know what happened to him until very late on, and I'm sure that my Great Grandmother always knew in her heart of hearts that Tommy had died in Burma and was not coming home. Cheers Phil.
NB. The photograph sent by Phil and shown above is from the 13th King's shore leave in the city of Durban, South Africa on their outward journey to India. This would have been taken in early January 1942 and features Tommy and two of his pals from the King's battalion seated in a rickshaw carriage, alongside the Zulu Warrior driver and two local lads. The 13th King's spent a memorable five days in Durban, where they were treated royally by the local townsfolk who often took them into their own homes for home-cooked meals. The soldiers were amazed at the array of foods still readily available in South Africa, many of which had long since disappeared from the dinner tables back home, due to wartime rationing.
I would like to thank Phil for the above photograph and for the additional information he has been able to pass on to me about his Great Uncle Tommy Hazeldine. As always, please click on the photograph to bring it forward on the page.
Update 28/11/2022.
I was pleased to receive a second contact from Phil Allen in November 2022:
Hi Steve, I hope you are well. It has been a while since I last contacted you and I hope the following will be of interest. My Aunt Mildred, Tommy Hazeldine’s niece, sadly passed away in August and in clearing the house I found a number of items to do with Tommy. In a letter home from India dated November 1942, Tommy describes the jungle has his home!
There is a photograph of Tommy with around 30-40 other soldiers by a river bank in the jungle somewhere. Most of the men are bare chested, except for the Commanding Officer of course. Perhaps the other men may be recognisable to you? There are a number of other photos too, which were contained in what I believe was Tommy's wallet (it is monogrammed T.H.). I guess the men left all of their personal possessions back in India when they went into Burma and these were sent back to the families in due course.
I also found Tommy’s family grave in Manchester Southern Cemetery, the resting place of his parents and two young sisters. The memorial stone includes Tommy’s name and that he died as a prisoner of war. The date of his death is incorrect however, and I’m hoping to restore the stone, which has slumped badly. I also visited the Chindit Memorial in London recently, which was sobering experience. If this is still of interest to you, I would be very pleased to forward scans of the photographs to you, as I’m keen that Tommy’s memory and bravery is celebrated alongside his Chindit colleagues.
Kind Regards, Phil.
Seen below is a gallery containing some of the photographs mentioned by Phil in his latest email contact. Sadly, we have been unable to identify the men that feature alongside Tommy Hazeldine in these images, apart from the commanding officer in the larger group photograph. This was Lt. Gordon Gordon Foulds, who travelled to India with the 13th King's in late 1941 and was part of No. 5 Column for a period during training at Saugor. The last photograph in the gallery is Tommy's original gravestone at Rangoon War Cemetery, this was later replaced with the bronze plaque already shown in the gallery above. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
I was pleased to receive a second contact from Phil Allen in November 2022:
Hi Steve, I hope you are well. It has been a while since I last contacted you and I hope the following will be of interest. My Aunt Mildred, Tommy Hazeldine’s niece, sadly passed away in August and in clearing the house I found a number of items to do with Tommy. In a letter home from India dated November 1942, Tommy describes the jungle has his home!
There is a photograph of Tommy with around 30-40 other soldiers by a river bank in the jungle somewhere. Most of the men are bare chested, except for the Commanding Officer of course. Perhaps the other men may be recognisable to you? There are a number of other photos too, which were contained in what I believe was Tommy's wallet (it is monogrammed T.H.). I guess the men left all of their personal possessions back in India when they went into Burma and these were sent back to the families in due course.
I also found Tommy’s family grave in Manchester Southern Cemetery, the resting place of his parents and two young sisters. The memorial stone includes Tommy’s name and that he died as a prisoner of war. The date of his death is incorrect however, and I’m hoping to restore the stone, which has slumped badly. I also visited the Chindit Memorial in London recently, which was sobering experience. If this is still of interest to you, I would be very pleased to forward scans of the photographs to you, as I’m keen that Tommy’s memory and bravery is celebrated alongside his Chindit colleagues.
Kind Regards, Phil.
Seen below is a gallery containing some of the photographs mentioned by Phil in his latest email contact. Sadly, we have been unable to identify the men that feature alongside Tommy Hazeldine in these images, apart from the commanding officer in the larger group photograph. This was Lt. Gordon Gordon Foulds, who travelled to India with the 13th King's in late 1941 and was part of No. 5 Column for a period during training at Saugor. The last photograph in the gallery is Tommy's original gravestone at Rangoon War Cemetery, this was later replaced with the bronze plaque already shown in the gallery above. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Bombardier Richard Hedges.
HEDGES, RICHARD
Rank: Bombardier Quarter Master
Service No: Not known.
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery att. The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
I discovered the following article about Richard Hedges and his possible participation on the first Wingate expedition within the pages of the Burma Star Association magazine, Dekho, Winter 2010 edition. The appeal for information was in the Old Pals section of the magazine and came from his grandson, James Hedges:
I'm trying to find out information about my grandfather, BQM Sergeant Richard (Dick) Hedges, Royal Artillery. I'm not sure what Battery he was in, but he was a Territorial before the war, in a TA Artillery Regiment based in Fulham. He served in North Africa before being posted to India to acclimatise for service in Burma. As far as I am aware he went into Burma during Operation Longcloth and was invalided out with malaria. I would be very grateful if any one has any information about him and his time in Burma and for anyone who knew, served or fought with him.
I did attempt to make contact with James back in 2010, but sadly my email did not get through. During my research into the men of Operation Longcloth, I have not come across BQM Sergeant Hedges in any books, diaries or other documents.
Another soldier from the Royal Artillery, that is suggested to have served on Operation Longcloth was Gunner 1111578 Bernard Sonenfield from Bishopsgate in East London. He features on the Jewish Virtual Library web page for men that served with General Wingate in Burma. Bernard is said to have been with No. 5 Column in 1943, with this column being led by Major Bernard Fergusson of the Black Watch Regiment.
Rank: Bombardier Quarter Master
Service No: Not known.
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery att. The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
I discovered the following article about Richard Hedges and his possible participation on the first Wingate expedition within the pages of the Burma Star Association magazine, Dekho, Winter 2010 edition. The appeal for information was in the Old Pals section of the magazine and came from his grandson, James Hedges:
I'm trying to find out information about my grandfather, BQM Sergeant Richard (Dick) Hedges, Royal Artillery. I'm not sure what Battery he was in, but he was a Territorial before the war, in a TA Artillery Regiment based in Fulham. He served in North Africa before being posted to India to acclimatise for service in Burma. As far as I am aware he went into Burma during Operation Longcloth and was invalided out with malaria. I would be very grateful if any one has any information about him and his time in Burma and for anyone who knew, served or fought with him.
I did attempt to make contact with James back in 2010, but sadly my email did not get through. During my research into the men of Operation Longcloth, I have not come across BQM Sergeant Hedges in any books, diaries or other documents.
Another soldier from the Royal Artillery, that is suggested to have served on Operation Longcloth was Gunner 1111578 Bernard Sonenfield from Bishopsgate in East London. He features on the Jewish Virtual Library web page for men that served with General Wingate in Burma. Bernard is said to have been with No. 5 Column in 1943, with this column being led by Major Bernard Fergusson of the Black Watch Regiment.
Cap badge of the King's Own Scottish Borderers.
HENDERSON, ERNEST
Ernest Godfrey Henderson was born in Edinburgh on the 22nd May 1914. A miner by trade, Ernest lived in the village of Newtongrange, situated in Midlothian, one of the thirty-two council areas of Scotland. In May 1933 Ernest married Sarah Ann Ward at Newbattle, also in the County of Midlothian.
According to his Army records, Ernest Henderson enlisted into the King's Own Scottish Borderers on the 4th December 1939 at Berwick-upon-Tweed. He presumably completed his initial Army training with this unit, then on the 6th July 1940 he transferred to the 13th King's Liverpool. The battalion were about to take up residence at the Jordan Hill Barracks in Glasgow at this time and Ernest was posted in to A' Company.
The 13th King's were soon on the move and at first performed coastal defence duties in the south of England at places such as Felixstowe in Suffolk. In late 1941 the battalion was ordered to prepare for overseas service and on the 8th December that year travelled to India aboard the troopship 'Oronsay'.
The original intention was for the battalion to serve as garrison troops in Secunderabad, looking after internal security and policing the streets of the area and dealing with the increasing civil unrest amongst the Indian population. This all changed in June 1942, when the battalion was unexpectedly given over to Orde Wingate and became the British Infantry element of his newly formed 77th Indian Infantry Brigade.
By this time Ernest Henderson was a NCO (non-commissioned officer) and was placed into Chindit Column 5 commanded by Major Bernard Fergusson 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 did on the 6th March 1943.
Moving quickly on 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 asked for from their air supply drops.
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.
After the battle of Hintha on 28th March, Ernest moved away from the village with Flight Lieutenant Sharp's dispersal group. This unit was cut in two when it was ambushed by a Japanese patrol. One hundred men including Henderson 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 the Shweli River.
In February 1944, Ernest, by now a Company Quartermaster Sergeant 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:
"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 are the three witness statement made by Ernest Henderson after Operation Longcloth including the one transcribed above showing the names of the men involved. After meeting up with Column 7 at the Shweli River, Major Gilkes took the stragglers from Column 5 under his wing. He allocated these men into his already pre-arranged dispersal groups and the men headed towards the Yunnan Borders of China in order to exit Burma. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Ernest Godfrey Henderson was born in Edinburgh on the 22nd May 1914. A miner by trade, Ernest lived in the village of Newtongrange, situated in Midlothian, one of the thirty-two council areas of Scotland. In May 1933 Ernest married Sarah Ann Ward at Newbattle, also in the County of Midlothian.
According to his Army records, Ernest Henderson enlisted into the King's Own Scottish Borderers on the 4th December 1939 at Berwick-upon-Tweed. He presumably completed his initial Army training with this unit, then on the 6th July 1940 he transferred to the 13th King's Liverpool. The battalion were about to take up residence at the Jordan Hill Barracks in Glasgow at this time and Ernest was posted in to A' Company.
The 13th King's were soon on the move and at first performed coastal defence duties in the south of England at places such as Felixstowe in Suffolk. In late 1941 the battalion was ordered to prepare for overseas service and on the 8th December that year travelled to India aboard the troopship 'Oronsay'.
The original intention was for the battalion to serve as garrison troops in Secunderabad, looking after internal security and policing the streets of the area and dealing with the increasing civil unrest amongst the Indian population. This all changed in June 1942, when the battalion was unexpectedly given over to Orde Wingate and became the British Infantry element of his newly formed 77th Indian Infantry Brigade.
By this time Ernest Henderson was a NCO (non-commissioned officer) and was placed into Chindit Column 5 commanded by Major Bernard Fergusson 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 did on the 6th March 1943.
Moving quickly on 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 asked for from their air supply drops.
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.
After the battle of Hintha on 28th March, Ernest moved away from the village with Flight Lieutenant Sharp's dispersal group. This unit was cut in two when it was ambushed by a Japanese patrol. One hundred men including Henderson 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 the Shweli River.
In February 1944, Ernest, by now a Company Quartermaster Sergeant 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:
"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 are the three witness statement made by Ernest Henderson after Operation Longcloth including the one transcribed above showing the names of the men involved. After meeting up with Column 7 at the Shweli River, Major Gilkes took the stragglers from Column 5 under his wing. He allocated these men into his already pre-arranged dispersal groups and the men headed towards the Yunnan Borders of China in order to exit Burma. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
It is possible that Ernest was allocated to the dispersal group led by Captain Musgrave-Wood formerly of the Sherwood Foresters. This was the group that also included my own grandfather up until he left this party at the village of Lonsa on about the 12th May. During the long and arduous march out through the Yunnan Borders many Chindits fell by the wayside suffering from disease, starvation or simply finding that they were too exhausted to continue.
As seen from the above statements, Ernest Henderson became ill on the march out, close to the garrison town of Sima, also known as Fort Morton and located on the Burma/Chinese borders. He remained in a village called Nahpaw for 12 days in order to recuperate. After recovering somewhat he moved off again and must of made the Chinese city of Paoshan, where help was at hand in the form of the United States Airforce, who transported the men from Column 7 safely back to India in their Dakota planes.
Pte. James Donovan, the soldier present at Nahpaw with Ernest Henderson sadly died on the 11th May 1943, he was almost certainly buried at Nahpaw. His grave was never relocated after the war and therefore he is remembered upon the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery.
To view James Donovan's CWGC details, please click on the following link:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1291842/DONOVAN,%20JAMES%20EDWARD%20MICHAEL
The other soldier mentioned in the witness statements given by CQMS. Henderson was Pte. Kenneth Webb. This man was definitely part of the dispersal group led by Captain Musgrave-Wood. He was left in the village of Ying-Pu in early June and it is almost certain that he perished in the village having suffered with dysentery for many days. He was last seen by his commanding officer on the 28th April 1943 and this is the recorded date of death on his CWGC details, however, it is clear that Kenneth Webb had pushed himself and his poor body on for several more weeks, before ultimately succumbing in early June.
Kenneth Webb is also remembered upon the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery. To view his CWGC details, please click on the following link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2528367/WEBB,%20KENNETH%20DALRYMPLE
The Column 5 missing in action lists state that Ernest Henderson was located at Dinjan in Assam (see map below). This is possibly where the USAAF Dakotas carrying the remnants of Column 7 landed, or perhaps where he was hospitalised in order to recover from the trials and tribulations of the operation. After a period of recuperation, most 13th King's were sent to the Napier Barracks in Karachi for reorganisation and the continuation of their service in India.
Seen below are a selection of maps in relation to the story of Ernest Henderson, including one of the village of Nahpaw where he remained for 12 days in 1943 recuperating from the exhaustive march out. Also shown is the missing in action list which states his re-location after arriving back in India. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
As seen from the above statements, Ernest Henderson became ill on the march out, close to the garrison town of Sima, also known as Fort Morton and located on the Burma/Chinese borders. He remained in a village called Nahpaw for 12 days in order to recuperate. After recovering somewhat he moved off again and must of made the Chinese city of Paoshan, where help was at hand in the form of the United States Airforce, who transported the men from Column 7 safely back to India in their Dakota planes.
Pte. James Donovan, the soldier present at Nahpaw with Ernest Henderson sadly died on the 11th May 1943, he was almost certainly buried at Nahpaw. His grave was never relocated after the war and therefore he is remembered upon the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery.
To view James Donovan's CWGC details, please click on the following link:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1291842/DONOVAN,%20JAMES%20EDWARD%20MICHAEL
The other soldier mentioned in the witness statements given by CQMS. Henderson was Pte. Kenneth Webb. This man was definitely part of the dispersal group led by Captain Musgrave-Wood. He was left in the village of Ying-Pu in early June and it is almost certain that he perished in the village having suffered with dysentery for many days. He was last seen by his commanding officer on the 28th April 1943 and this is the recorded date of death on his CWGC details, however, it is clear that Kenneth Webb had pushed himself and his poor body on for several more weeks, before ultimately succumbing in early June.
Kenneth Webb is also remembered upon the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery. To view his CWGC details, please click on the following link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2528367/WEBB,%20KENNETH%20DALRYMPLE
The Column 5 missing in action lists state that Ernest Henderson was located at Dinjan in Assam (see map below). This is possibly where the USAAF Dakotas carrying the remnants of Column 7 landed, or perhaps where he was hospitalised in order to recover from the trials and tribulations of the operation. After a period of recuperation, most 13th King's were sent to the Napier Barracks in Karachi for reorganisation and the continuation of their service in India.
Seen below are a selection of maps in relation to the story of Ernest Henderson, including one of the village of Nahpaw where he remained for 12 days in 1943 recuperating from the exhaustive march out. Also shown is the missing in action list which states his re-location after arriving back in India. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Ernest Henderson gave information about several other men from the Chindit operation in 1943, including those who had become prisoners of war. I wonder if his rank of Company Quartermaster Sergeant, was such that he was privy to incoming details and news regarding the fate of these men, especially those who became POW's and survived. Either way he definitely tried his best to assist with these matters.
In mid-1945 the 13th King's were repatriated back to the United Kingdom. From what I can gather Ernest Henderson remained in the British Army after the war and according to his service records re-joined the King's Own Scottish Borderers on the 4th September 1948.
In later life, Ernest had taken up a place at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea and this is where he passed away in August 1995 aged 81.
I would like to thank Ian Thomson for providing me with most of the information about Ernest's early life and his Army service details. Seen below are some final images in relation to this story, including an Indian Red Cross Searchers Form compiled by Ernest in relation to a group of men missing from Column 5 in 1943. Also shown are the inscriptions for Ptes. Donovan and Webb upon Faces 5 and 6 of the Rangoon Memorial. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
In mid-1945 the 13th King's were repatriated back to the United Kingdom. From what I can gather Ernest Henderson remained in the British Army after the war and according to his service records re-joined the King's Own Scottish Borderers on the 4th September 1948.
In later life, Ernest had taken up a place at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea and this is where he passed away in August 1995 aged 81.
I would like to thank Ian Thomson for providing me with most of the information about Ernest's early life and his Army service details. Seen below are some final images in relation to this story, including an Indian Red Cross Searchers Form compiled by Ernest in relation to a group of men missing from Column 5 in 1943. Also shown are the inscriptions for Ptes. Donovan and Webb upon Faces 5 and 6 of the Rangoon Memorial. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
General Service Medal, Malaya clasp.
Update 06/04/2019.
From the pages of the Burma Star magazine, Dekho in 1996:
WO2 E.G. Henderson
Ernie Henderson was the last Borderer In-Pensioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Ernie sadly died on the 2nd August (1995), having been at the Hospital since 1987. Ernie, who was 81years old enlisted into the King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1939. After his recruit training at Berwick, he was transferred to the King's Regiment and saw service with them in Burma, where his battalion formed part of Brigadier Wingate's first long range penetration group. At the end of these operations his battalion were broken into small survival groups of four in order that they could withdraw to India. Ernie took charge of one such a party, all of whom died en route. Ernie was found in a very poor state by a Chinese patrol which helped him back to their own HQ, from where he was hospitalised for a period before being flown back to Assam. He had been posted missing for six weeks.
In 1944, he converted his emergency engagement to a Regular commission and was posted back to the KOSB in 1948. He was a Physical Training Instructor with the Territorial Army until 1949, after which he was once again posted to the Far East, where he became the Garrison CSM with the Cameron Highlanders and was later posted to the Malay Regiment at Port Dickson, where he was the Assistant Barracks Officer. In 1952, Ernie was awarded the C-in-C's Certificate for Good Service and posted to the Federation Regiment in Taiping as RQMS. On his return to the UK in 1955 he joined the 4th Battalion KOSB (TA) as a Physical Training Instructor, working at both Kelso and Hawick. In 1957, he was posted to the Far East for a third time with the 1st Battalion KOSB as RQMS. Ernie was a very enthusiastic member of the London and Southern Counties Branch of the Burma Star Association and will be sadly missed by all those who knew him.
From the pages of the Burma Star magazine, Dekho in 1996:
WO2 E.G. Henderson
Ernie Henderson was the last Borderer In-Pensioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Ernie sadly died on the 2nd August (1995), having been at the Hospital since 1987. Ernie, who was 81years old enlisted into the King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1939. After his recruit training at Berwick, he was transferred to the King's Regiment and saw service with them in Burma, where his battalion formed part of Brigadier Wingate's first long range penetration group. At the end of these operations his battalion were broken into small survival groups of four in order that they could withdraw to India. Ernie took charge of one such a party, all of whom died en route. Ernie was found in a very poor state by a Chinese patrol which helped him back to their own HQ, from where he was hospitalised for a period before being flown back to Assam. He had been posted missing for six weeks.
In 1944, he converted his emergency engagement to a Regular commission and was posted back to the KOSB in 1948. He was a Physical Training Instructor with the Territorial Army until 1949, after which he was once again posted to the Far East, where he became the Garrison CSM with the Cameron Highlanders and was later posted to the Malay Regiment at Port Dickson, where he was the Assistant Barracks Officer. In 1952, Ernie was awarded the C-in-C's Certificate for Good Service and posted to the Federation Regiment in Taiping as RQMS. On his return to the UK in 1955 he joined the 4th Battalion KOSB (TA) as a Physical Training Instructor, working at both Kelso and Hawick. In 1957, he was posted to the Far East for a third time with the 1st Battalion KOSB as RQMS. Ernie was a very enthusiastic member of the London and Southern Counties Branch of the Burma Star Association and will be sadly missed by all those who knew him.
HEMPENSTALL (HEPPENSTALL) GEORGE
Rank: Private
Service No: 3781462
Date of Death: 29/06/1946
Age: 35
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Manchester Southern Cemetery, Section I (RC). Grave 1914.
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
This man and his Longcloth participation came to my attention whilst reading the book, There Was a Man of Genius, by Alice Ivy Hay. On page 123 of her book, the author recalls her conversations with Brigadier Derek Tulloch, a long-time friend of the family and effectively Wingate's second in command and confidant during Operation Thursday in 1944. On the question of the ordinary soldiers' devotion to Wingate and his methods, she recalled:
What Brigadier Tulloch told us of the grief of the Chindits and all ranks at the loss of their leader, revealed the profound affection and admiration in which they held him. Some of his officers and men, with their Chaplain, the Reverend Christopher Perowne, marched many miles into enemy territory to conduct a service at the place where Wingate and his companions were killed. There they erected a wooden cross, made by the Chindits themselves, on which they carved their emblem. I always wished that his remains had been allowed to rest there.
In trying to make a selection of the many stories about Orde in India and Burma which we heard from his friends (mostly from Matron MacGeary and Brigadier Tulloch) I think perhaps one of the most memorable is a story of a visit to the hospital after the first expedition. It was his custom to make a tour of all Chindit casualties as soon as he left the field of action and he did this as often as he could. On this particular day he had finished his visit and as he was leaving he asked Matron MacGeary if he had seen all of his men present at her station. She replied that there was a soldier named Heppinstall, who was dying, and who had been unconscious for days, and added that it was therefore pointless to visit him.
Orde insisted on seeing the man. He stood by his bedside and concentrated all his attention upon him. Heppinstall was lying on his back with one arm outstretched to receive an injection into the vein. Orde bent over him, and in a commanding voice he called Heppinstall! There was no response.Then he repeated Heppinstall and to the amazement of the little group gathered round the bed, the soldier's eyelids fluttered. Once more Orde called his name. The soldier's eyes fully opened; he looked at his leader and trying to bring his arm to the salute he said Oh, Sir, I didn't know it was you. Heppinstall said Orde, you are to get well quickly, because I need you. Yes, sir, replied the sick man, I shall be there. His recovery dated from that hour.
Update 20/11/2023.
Inspired by a letter written by Orde Wingate to Matron Agnes McGearey, dated 5th January 1944 and sent to me by Agnes' great nieces, Kathy Kelly and Ruth Metz, I have been able to finally identify the soldier referred to in both this letter and the book, There Was a Man of Genius. The last few lines of the letter from Wingate express his support for Agnes and her new posting to the 88th Indian General Hospital in January 1944. After which Wingate states:
I am sorry that you will no longer be associated with 19 C.C.S. of which we all have such pleasant memories. Did you hear the fate of Hempinstall (Hempenstall)? I hope he got home.
George Hempenstall was born on the 31st January 1910 and was the son of Thomas and Mary Ellen Hempenstall from Manchester. George was a plasterer's labourer in civilian life and married Annie Walker, a textile dye operative from Hulme, in the summer of 1933. They lived, according to the 1939 Register, at 37 Phoenix Street, Manchester 15. Sadly, George died on the 29th June 1946 at the New Hospital in Llandudno, North Wales, suffering from the effects of a lung abscess, pyaemia (blood poisoning) and bronchiectasis. He was later buried at the Manchester Southern Cemetery, near Chorlton-cum-Hardy, leaving behind both Ann his wife and their son, George (Junior).
His family decided upon the following epitaph for his gravestone: Sadly missed by his loving wife Ann and son George. For Ever in Our Hearts.
Ann married Herbert Hanesworth in 1955, but upon her on own death in 1985, was buried alongside George Hempenstall at Manchester Southern Cemetery. Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including a photograph of George's grave and his CWGC information. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3781462
Date of Death: 29/06/1946
Age: 35
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Manchester Southern Cemetery, Section I (RC). Grave 1914.
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
This man and his Longcloth participation came to my attention whilst reading the book, There Was a Man of Genius, by Alice Ivy Hay. On page 123 of her book, the author recalls her conversations with Brigadier Derek Tulloch, a long-time friend of the family and effectively Wingate's second in command and confidant during Operation Thursday in 1944. On the question of the ordinary soldiers' devotion to Wingate and his methods, she recalled:
What Brigadier Tulloch told us of the grief of the Chindits and all ranks at the loss of their leader, revealed the profound affection and admiration in which they held him. Some of his officers and men, with their Chaplain, the Reverend Christopher Perowne, marched many miles into enemy territory to conduct a service at the place where Wingate and his companions were killed. There they erected a wooden cross, made by the Chindits themselves, on which they carved their emblem. I always wished that his remains had been allowed to rest there.
In trying to make a selection of the many stories about Orde in India and Burma which we heard from his friends (mostly from Matron MacGeary and Brigadier Tulloch) I think perhaps one of the most memorable is a story of a visit to the hospital after the first expedition. It was his custom to make a tour of all Chindit casualties as soon as he left the field of action and he did this as often as he could. On this particular day he had finished his visit and as he was leaving he asked Matron MacGeary if he had seen all of his men present at her station. She replied that there was a soldier named Heppinstall, who was dying, and who had been unconscious for days, and added that it was therefore pointless to visit him.
Orde insisted on seeing the man. He stood by his bedside and concentrated all his attention upon him. Heppinstall was lying on his back with one arm outstretched to receive an injection into the vein. Orde bent over him, and in a commanding voice he called Heppinstall! There was no response.Then he repeated Heppinstall and to the amazement of the little group gathered round the bed, the soldier's eyelids fluttered. Once more Orde called his name. The soldier's eyes fully opened; he looked at his leader and trying to bring his arm to the salute he said Oh, Sir, I didn't know it was you. Heppinstall said Orde, you are to get well quickly, because I need you. Yes, sir, replied the sick man, I shall be there. His recovery dated from that hour.
Update 20/11/2023.
Inspired by a letter written by Orde Wingate to Matron Agnes McGearey, dated 5th January 1944 and sent to me by Agnes' great nieces, Kathy Kelly and Ruth Metz, I have been able to finally identify the soldier referred to in both this letter and the book, There Was a Man of Genius. The last few lines of the letter from Wingate express his support for Agnes and her new posting to the 88th Indian General Hospital in January 1944. After which Wingate states:
I am sorry that you will no longer be associated with 19 C.C.S. of which we all have such pleasant memories. Did you hear the fate of Hempinstall (Hempenstall)? I hope he got home.
George Hempenstall was born on the 31st January 1910 and was the son of Thomas and Mary Ellen Hempenstall from Manchester. George was a plasterer's labourer in civilian life and married Annie Walker, a textile dye operative from Hulme, in the summer of 1933. They lived, according to the 1939 Register, at 37 Phoenix Street, Manchester 15. Sadly, George died on the 29th June 1946 at the New Hospital in Llandudno, North Wales, suffering from the effects of a lung abscess, pyaemia (blood poisoning) and bronchiectasis. He was later buried at the Manchester Southern Cemetery, near Chorlton-cum-Hardy, leaving behind both Ann his wife and their son, George (Junior).
His family decided upon the following epitaph for his gravestone: Sadly missed by his loving wife Ann and son George. For Ever in Our Hearts.
Ann married Herbert Hanesworth in 1955, but upon her on own death in 1985, was buried alongside George Hempenstall at Manchester Southern Cemetery. Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including a photograph of George's grave and his CWGC information. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
HILL, F.J.
Rank: Private
Service No: Not known.
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
From pages 168-69 of Orde Wingate Unconventional Warrior by Simon Anglim, in relation to the idiosyncrasies Brigadier Orde Wingate was known for:
With raw onion eating, Wingate led by example, reporting in official correspondence that he ate up to six per day, a practice begun in Palestine: Mr. F.J. Hill, who served as a muleteer on Operation Longcloth, has confirmed an oft-repeated Wingate story, being one of a group of Chindits who had raw turtle eggs forced upon them by their Force Commander in person.
The above, amongst many other examples made Wingate unpopular back at GHQ India and of course antagonised his superiors and indeed some colleagues during the training period for Operation Longcloth. Wingate himself revelled in not being tactful or politic and seemingly took great delight in annoying a certain type of officer found in India at that time.
Rank: Private
Service No: Not known.
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
From pages 168-69 of Orde Wingate Unconventional Warrior by Simon Anglim, in relation to the idiosyncrasies Brigadier Orde Wingate was known for:
With raw onion eating, Wingate led by example, reporting in official correspondence that he ate up to six per day, a practice begun in Palestine: Mr. F.J. Hill, who served as a muleteer on Operation Longcloth, has confirmed an oft-repeated Wingate story, being one of a group of Chindits who had raw turtle eggs forced upon them by their Force Commander in person.
The above, amongst many other examples made Wingate unpopular back at GHQ India and of course antagonised his superiors and indeed some colleagues during the training period for Operation Longcloth. Wingate himself revelled in not being tactful or politic and seemingly took great delight in annoying a certain type of officer found in India at that time.
Cap badge of the Middlesex Regiment.
HILL, JACK
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 6203526
Date of Death: 23/09/1944
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Grave 6.A.1. Rangoon War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2260076/jack-hill/
Chindit Column: 1
Other details:
Jack Hill was born on the 5th September 1919 and came originally from the Sydenham area of London. He enlisted into the British Army early on in the war and was posted in the first instance to the Middlesex Regiment. Sgt. Hill was a trained commando and had undergone jungle tactical training at the Bush Warfare School (run at that time by Mike Calvert) in Maymyo, Burma. He was posted across to the 142 Commando (77 Brigade) on the 31st July 1942 and was allocated to No. 1 Column at the Saugor Camp as senior NCO for the unit's Commando Platoon.
No. 1 Column was predominantly a Gurkha unit, with only a smattering of British Officers, Signalmen and Radio operators serving amongst the men from Nepal. The 142 Commando Platoon was the only unit in the column made up entirely from British personnel. Major George Dunlop was chosen as commander of No. 1 Column in late 1942, replacing Gurkha Officer Vivian Weatherall at almost the last minute before entering Burma. Dunlop had worked with Mike Calvert during the British retreat from Burma the year before (1942), performing acts of sabotage against the advancing Japanese Army. He too had learned the trade of jungle warfare at the clandestine Bush Warfare School located at the hill station town of Maymyo.
Major Dunlop's unit formed part of Southern Group on Operation Longcloth, which consisted of Gurkha Columns 1 and 2, and Southern Group Head Quarters. Southern Group (commanded by Lt-Colonel L.A. Alexander) was used by Wingate as a decoy on the operation, the intention being for them to draw attention away from the main Chindit columns of Northern Group whilst they crossed the Chindwin River and moved quickly east toward their targets along the Mandalay-Myitkhina railway.
Southern Group crossed the Chindwin on 15/16th February 1943 at a place called Auktang. Their orders were to march toward their own prime objective, the rail station at Kyaikthin. They marched openly along well known local trails and paths and also received a large supply drop from the air, which must have announced their presence in the area to the Japanese. The decoy group were accompanied at this time by a Company of Sikh Mountain Artillery and a section of Seaforth Highlanders. These supplementary units were to create a further diversion for Wingate by attacking the town of Pantha, alerting the enemy to the possibility that there might well be a full-scale re-invasion taking place. To all intents and purposes these tactics succeeded and Northern Group did proceed unmolested toward their objectives.
To read in more detail about Southern Group's experiences on Operation Longcloth, please click on the following link: Lieutenant-Colonel L.A. Alexander
Sgt. Hill had remained with No. 1 Column throughout the expedition and worked closely with his commander, Major Dunlop for most of their time behind enemy lines. On the dispersal journey out of Burma in 1943, Dunlop's column had experienced several false starts. At one time hoping to exit Burma via the Chinese Borders, the group had come into contact with a large Japanese force close to the Shweli River and had to abandon this plan and turn westward towards India. Having crossed the Irrawaddy River after yet another engagement with the enemy at a place called Sinhnyat, Dunlop, Alexander and the remainder of their men faced the final push for the banks of the Chindwin and the safety of Allied held lines.
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 6203526
Date of Death: 23/09/1944
Age: 25
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Grave 6.A.1. Rangoon War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2260076/jack-hill/
Chindit Column: 1
Other details:
Jack Hill was born on the 5th September 1919 and came originally from the Sydenham area of London. He enlisted into the British Army early on in the war and was posted in the first instance to the Middlesex Regiment. Sgt. Hill was a trained commando and had undergone jungle tactical training at the Bush Warfare School (run at that time by Mike Calvert) in Maymyo, Burma. He was posted across to the 142 Commando (77 Brigade) on the 31st July 1942 and was allocated to No. 1 Column at the Saugor Camp as senior NCO for the unit's Commando Platoon.
No. 1 Column was predominantly a Gurkha unit, with only a smattering of British Officers, Signalmen and Radio operators serving amongst the men from Nepal. The 142 Commando Platoon was the only unit in the column made up entirely from British personnel. Major George Dunlop was chosen as commander of No. 1 Column in late 1942, replacing Gurkha Officer Vivian Weatherall at almost the last minute before entering Burma. Dunlop had worked with Mike Calvert during the British retreat from Burma the year before (1942), performing acts of sabotage against the advancing Japanese Army. He too had learned the trade of jungle warfare at the clandestine Bush Warfare School located at the hill station town of Maymyo.
Major Dunlop's unit formed part of Southern Group on Operation Longcloth, which consisted of Gurkha Columns 1 and 2, and Southern Group Head Quarters. Southern Group (commanded by Lt-Colonel L.A. Alexander) was used by Wingate as a decoy on the operation, the intention being for them to draw attention away from the main Chindit columns of Northern Group whilst they crossed the Chindwin River and moved quickly east toward their targets along the Mandalay-Myitkhina railway.
Southern Group crossed the Chindwin on 15/16th February 1943 at a place called Auktang. Their orders were to march toward their own prime objective, the rail station at Kyaikthin. They marched openly along well known local trails and paths and also received a large supply drop from the air, which must have announced their presence in the area to the Japanese. The decoy group were accompanied at this time by a Company of Sikh Mountain Artillery and a section of Seaforth Highlanders. These supplementary units were to create a further diversion for Wingate by attacking the town of Pantha, alerting the enemy to the possibility that there might well be a full-scale re-invasion taking place. To all intents and purposes these tactics succeeded and Northern Group did proceed unmolested toward their objectives.
To read in more detail about Southern Group's experiences on Operation Longcloth, please click on the following link: Lieutenant-Colonel L.A. Alexander
Sgt. Hill had remained with No. 1 Column throughout the expedition and worked closely with his commander, Major Dunlop for most of their time behind enemy lines. On the dispersal journey out of Burma in 1943, Dunlop's column had experienced several false starts. At one time hoping to exit Burma via the Chinese Borders, the group had come into contact with a large Japanese force close to the Shweli River and had to abandon this plan and turn westward towards India. Having crossed the Irrawaddy River after yet another engagement with the enemy at a place called Sinhnyat, Dunlop, Alexander and the remainder of their men faced the final push for the banks of the Chindwin and the safety of Allied held lines.
Roll for the members of No. 1 Column Commando Platoon.
On the morning of the 26th April the party bivouacked in the teak forest close to the Mu River. The group were now some 350 in number and were roughly speaking re-tracing their outbound steps. George Dunlop takes up the story:
At about 1100 hours, Lieutenant Clarke roused me to say that there were villagers below us. I ordered out a patrol to collect them for questioning. On sight of the patrol they ran away. After a short while reports came back that there were Japanese coming up the hill. I did not take this too seriously at first, but it did turn out to be true, the next thing I saw was my Gurkha patrol running past me.
In the confusion both Gurkha Rifles and enemy troops had raced past the unsuspecting commander and chaos ensued. After things had settled down somewhat, Dunlop collected what men he could find and decided to move forward toward the nearby chaung (stream). Several of his officers were now missing from the main party. With the Burma Rifle Scouts now leading, the group pushed into some thick scrub on the other side of the chaung, for 10 minutes or so they moved slowly forward in the hope that the missing men might catch up, suddenly firing broke out to the rear. George Dunlop continues:
As it turned out a party of the enemy had come up the river just in time to see the last of our men enter the jungle. They opened up at random, though with heavy fire. I gave the order for everyone to keep moving. The enemy began a sort of searching fire and several mortar bombs landed nearby. One landed so close I could feel the blast and hear the splinters, a RAF Sergeant (Kenneth Wyse) marching next to me was hit.
Coming to open ground I gave the order to extend by platoons and we doubled across in quite good order. After reaching good cover on the other side I halted to check up on things. It was then that Clarke came up to me looking ghastly. I asked him what was wrong and he told me that the last mortar bomb had blown away most of the Colonel's (Alexander) and officer De La Rue's legs. Edmonds (Column 1 RAF Liaison officer) and some orderlies had carried them away into the jungle, but that no one could now be found who knew of their whereabouts. The news had taken all this time to reach Clarke who spoke a fair amount of Gurkhali, and had never reached me at all, although the Colonel's party were within twenty five yards of me in the thick scrub.
My old friend Sergeant Hill of the Middlesex Regiment, who was my Guerrilla Platoon Sergeant had disappeared too. He had been just infont of me in the scrub and after this last explosion I had noticed a small spot of blood on his cardigan under the right shoulder. He did not seem worried about it, but it was nevertheless the probable cause of his disappearance. This was just about our worst day so far. Five officers and 80 men missing. We were pretty gloomy in bivouac that night.
Many of the missing men were later captured by the Japanese, including RAF Sergeant Kenneth Wyse, Flight Lieutenant Edmonds and Sgt. Hill, the latter on the 28th April. Colonel Alexander and Lt. De La Rue both died where they fell and were quickly buried by Flight Lieutenant John Edmonds before his own capture alongside Kenneth Wyse. All the Chindits captured by the Japanese at the Mu River ended up at the main civilian prison in Rangoon.
Sgt. Jack Hill (POW No. 112) survived for over a year as a prisoner of war, but sadly died in Block 3 of Rangoon Jail on the 23rd September 1944 after suffering from starvation, exhaustion and the effects of the disease beri beri. He was buried in the first instance at the English Cantonment Cemetery (Grave 208) situated in the eastern sector of the city close to the Royal Lakes. After the war the Imperial War Graves Commission moved all burials from the Cantonment Cemetery across to the newly constructed Rangoon War Cemetery and this is where Sgt. Hill still lies today.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story including Jack Hill's POW index card and photographs of Rangoon War Cemetery. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
HIRST, JACK
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 4689084
Date of Death: 16/05/1943
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: KOYLI attached attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 16 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2511447/jack-hirst/
Chindit Column: Not known
Other details:
Information from a roll of honour in the book, Memories of a Retreat by D.S. Tanner, suggests that Sergeant Jack Hirst took part on Operation Longcloth and was captured by the Japanese in Burma. Originally a soldier with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (2nd Battalion), Hirst is recorded on the lists of deaths for Block 3 of Rangoon Jail as having died on the 16th May 1943 suffering from the effects of beri beri. No other information exists to support the claim that Jack Hirst served on the first Wingate expedition, added to the fact, that many men from the 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry were already incarcerated at the jail having been captured the year before on the infamous retreat from Burma.
Another soldier from the 2nd KOYLI, Pte. Norman Mills has a similar story to Sergeant Hirst's, but once again, no real evidence exists to prove his participation on Operation Longcloth. There had been a fair number of reinforcements from the 2nd KOYLI, ordered to the Chindit training camp at Saugor during the latter months of 1942, but neither of these men featured on any nominal rolls for this period.
Norman Mills was the son of Henry and Annetta Mills from Barnsley in Yorkshire and also perished inside Block 3 of Rangoon Jail on the 18th August 1943 aged 29. He is also recorded as having died from the effects of beri beri and is remembered upon Face 16 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery. Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to these two soldiers, including POW index cards for both men and the front cover page of the book, Memories of a Retreat, by D.S. Tanner. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 4689084
Date of Death: 16/05/1943
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: KOYLI attached attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 16 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2511447/jack-hirst/
Chindit Column: Not known
Other details:
Information from a roll of honour in the book, Memories of a Retreat by D.S. Tanner, suggests that Sergeant Jack Hirst took part on Operation Longcloth and was captured by the Japanese in Burma. Originally a soldier with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (2nd Battalion), Hirst is recorded on the lists of deaths for Block 3 of Rangoon Jail as having died on the 16th May 1943 suffering from the effects of beri beri. No other information exists to support the claim that Jack Hirst served on the first Wingate expedition, added to the fact, that many men from the 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry were already incarcerated at the jail having been captured the year before on the infamous retreat from Burma.
Another soldier from the 2nd KOYLI, Pte. Norman Mills has a similar story to Sergeant Hirst's, but once again, no real evidence exists to prove his participation on Operation Longcloth. There had been a fair number of reinforcements from the 2nd KOYLI, ordered to the Chindit training camp at Saugor during the latter months of 1942, but neither of these men featured on any nominal rolls for this period.
Norman Mills was the son of Henry and Annetta Mills from Barnsley in Yorkshire and also perished inside Block 3 of Rangoon Jail on the 18th August 1943 aged 29. He is also recorded as having died from the effects of beri beri and is remembered upon Face 16 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery. Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to these two soldiers, including POW index cards for both men and the front cover page of the book, Memories of a Retreat, by D.S. Tanner. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Edward William Hobday.
HOBDAY, EDWARD WILLIAM
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 261362
Date of Death: 17/04/1943
Age: 31
Regiment/Service: Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 13 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2511502/hobday,-edward-william/
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Lieutenant Edward William Hobday was the son of Edward and Lillian Hobday and husband of Eva Hobday from Reading in Berkshire. He had joined the 13th King's almost at the very last minute during Chindit training on the 23rd December 1942 from his former regiment, the Duke of Wellington (West Riding Regiment). The CWGC website states that he was killed in action on the 17th April 1943, however, there is documentary evidence in the form of a witness statement given by a Gurkha Rifleman in 1944, that he was in fact a prisoner of war for a short period of time after this date.
Edward was posted to No. 8 Column on Operation Longcloth under the command of Major Walter Purcell Scott and was one of seventeen British officers in the column. On the 1st April 1943, he was part of the group of soldiers led by Captain Raymond Williams, that gained the far bank of the Shweli River before the power rope they were using was cut accidentally, leaving the rest of the column stranded on the other side. Captain Williams had no alternative but to lead his men away and attempt to reach the safety of India by his own methods. A few weeks later, as the group were preparing to cross the Irrawaddy close to the village of Zinbon, they suffered an enemy ambush and several men were lost including Lt. Hobday.
To read extensively about Captain Williams' party and their journey from the Shweli to the Irrawaddy River, please click on the following link: Captain Williams and Platoon 18
Nothing more is known about the fate of Edward Hobday, except for an account written by three Indian personnel, two formerly with Major Scott's No. 8 Column and one Gurkha other rank from Mike Calvert's No. 3 Column, in the War Diary for the 77th Indian infantry Brigade for operations in 1944. They were recovered by the advance of 111th Brigade in 1944 and had information from the previous year confirming the POW status of two 13th King's officers, Lieutenants Horncastle and Hobday and another soldier, Sgt. Samuel Quick. There are no official records that show Edward Hobday was ever a POW, but it is possible that he could have been wounded or suffering from disease by the time he was captured in April 1943 and sadly died before reaching Rangoon Jail.
Seen below is an image of the witness report given by Nursing Orderly Dustum Ali, a member of No. 8 Column on Operation Longcloth. The information given is unusual in that it suggests that Lts. Horncastle and Hobday were flown down to Rangoon after capture. This is the only instance I have come across where Chindit prisoners were transported in this way.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 261362
Date of Death: 17/04/1943
Age: 31
Regiment/Service: Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face 13 of the Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2511502/hobday,-edward-william/
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Lieutenant Edward William Hobday was the son of Edward and Lillian Hobday and husband of Eva Hobday from Reading in Berkshire. He had joined the 13th King's almost at the very last minute during Chindit training on the 23rd December 1942 from his former regiment, the Duke of Wellington (West Riding Regiment). The CWGC website states that he was killed in action on the 17th April 1943, however, there is documentary evidence in the form of a witness statement given by a Gurkha Rifleman in 1944, that he was in fact a prisoner of war for a short period of time after this date.
Edward was posted to No. 8 Column on Operation Longcloth under the command of Major Walter Purcell Scott and was one of seventeen British officers in the column. On the 1st April 1943, he was part of the group of soldiers led by Captain Raymond Williams, that gained the far bank of the Shweli River before the power rope they were using was cut accidentally, leaving the rest of the column stranded on the other side. Captain Williams had no alternative but to lead his men away and attempt to reach the safety of India by his own methods. A few weeks later, as the group were preparing to cross the Irrawaddy close to the village of Zinbon, they suffered an enemy ambush and several men were lost including Lt. Hobday.
To read extensively about Captain Williams' party and their journey from the Shweli to the Irrawaddy River, please click on the following link: Captain Williams and Platoon 18
Nothing more is known about the fate of Edward Hobday, except for an account written by three Indian personnel, two formerly with Major Scott's No. 8 Column and one Gurkha other rank from Mike Calvert's No. 3 Column, in the War Diary for the 77th Indian infantry Brigade for operations in 1944. They were recovered by the advance of 111th Brigade in 1944 and had information from the previous year confirming the POW status of two 13th King's officers, Lieutenants Horncastle and Hobday and another soldier, Sgt. Samuel Quick. There are no official records that show Edward Hobday was ever a POW, but it is possible that he could have been wounded or suffering from disease by the time he was captured in April 1943 and sadly died before reaching Rangoon Jail.
Seen below is an image of the witness report given by Nursing Orderly Dustum Ali, a member of No. 8 Column on Operation Longcloth. The information given is unusual in that it suggests that Lts. Horncastle and Hobday were flown down to Rangoon after capture. This is the only instance I have come across where Chindit prisoners were transported in this way.
Extract from the 1944 77th Brigade Diary showing the details concerning Lt. Horncastle and Hobday.
In December 2013, I was very pleased to receive an email enquiry from Chris McIvor in relation to the story of Lieutenant Edward William Hobday. Chris, who is the son-in-law of Edward Hobday's son Ted, was interested in learning as much as possible about Edward's time with the Chindits and was hoping to produce a short biography of his exploits in Burma.
Ironically, around the time of Chris' email, I was already searching for a way to contact the Hobday family, after reading a family request for information on the Burma Star website, by grandson, Neil Hobday:
My grandfather was 261362 Lieutenant Edward William Hobday. He was a regular soldier and was in the 13th Battalion the King's Liverpool Regiment. He was a Chindit and was involved in the first expedition serving in Major Scott's Column. He was sadly killed during the action on 17/04/43, having been ambushed by the Japanese whilst trying to cross the Irrawaddy River on the return journey to India.
I was able to furnish Chris with some information about Edward and in particular his time in Captain Williams' platoon in April 1943. Edward had joined Chindit training almost at the last minute on the 23rd December 1942, catching up with 77 Brigade during their final training exercise at Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. He had previously served with the Duke of Wellington Regiment and possibly voyaged to India aboard the troopship the Dominion Monarch, which I know carried over a draft of men from the DWR in mid-1942.
In a phone conversation with Ted Hobday in June 2014, I was told that the family had been given very little information about Edward after he was listed as missing in action. There had been some details sent back that had suggested that he had fallen into Japanese hands and might possibly be a prisoner of war. As it turned out, this rumour had some element of accuracy within it, reflected in the witness report about Edward being flown down to Rangoon as a POW with Lieutenant Horncastle. As a rather regretful consequence of this rumour, the Hobday family used to travel up to Reading rail station when the POW's began to return from the Far East, in the hope of Edward's return. Sadly, this was not to be.
Ted said that his father was considered an 'oldie' on Operation Longcloth, with him being 31 years old at the time. He told me that he had also served in the British Army as a soldier with the Royal Berkshire Regiment. He remarked that George Bromhead, Wingate's Brigade-Major in 1943, was Second in Command of the Berkshire's at the time of his own service and that he wished he had known this and possibly spoken to him about his father's time with the Chindits.
The family kindly sent me the photograph of Edward Hobday which is shown at the beginning of this story. Several more images in relation to this story can be viewed below. Including Edward's promotion to 2nd Lieutenant on the 22nd November 1942 as published in the London Gazette on the 5th February 1943 and a part listing for officers stated as missing in action during the first Wingate expedition. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Ironically, around the time of Chris' email, I was already searching for a way to contact the Hobday family, after reading a family request for information on the Burma Star website, by grandson, Neil Hobday:
My grandfather was 261362 Lieutenant Edward William Hobday. He was a regular soldier and was in the 13th Battalion the King's Liverpool Regiment. He was a Chindit and was involved in the first expedition serving in Major Scott's Column. He was sadly killed during the action on 17/04/43, having been ambushed by the Japanese whilst trying to cross the Irrawaddy River on the return journey to India.
I was able to furnish Chris with some information about Edward and in particular his time in Captain Williams' platoon in April 1943. Edward had joined Chindit training almost at the last minute on the 23rd December 1942, catching up with 77 Brigade during their final training exercise at Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. He had previously served with the Duke of Wellington Regiment and possibly voyaged to India aboard the troopship the Dominion Monarch, which I know carried over a draft of men from the DWR in mid-1942.
In a phone conversation with Ted Hobday in June 2014, I was told that the family had been given very little information about Edward after he was listed as missing in action. There had been some details sent back that had suggested that he had fallen into Japanese hands and might possibly be a prisoner of war. As it turned out, this rumour had some element of accuracy within it, reflected in the witness report about Edward being flown down to Rangoon as a POW with Lieutenant Horncastle. As a rather regretful consequence of this rumour, the Hobday family used to travel up to Reading rail station when the POW's began to return from the Far East, in the hope of Edward's return. Sadly, this was not to be.
Ted said that his father was considered an 'oldie' on Operation Longcloth, with him being 31 years old at the time. He told me that he had also served in the British Army as a soldier with the Royal Berkshire Regiment. He remarked that George Bromhead, Wingate's Brigade-Major in 1943, was Second in Command of the Berkshire's at the time of his own service and that he wished he had known this and possibly spoken to him about his father's time with the Chindits.
The family kindly sent me the photograph of Edward Hobday which is shown at the beginning of this story. Several more images in relation to this story can be viewed below. Including Edward's promotion to 2nd Lieutenant on the 22nd November 1942 as published in the London Gazette on the 5th February 1943 and a part listing for officers stated as missing in action during the first Wingate expedition. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
HOGAN, NEVILLE GRAHAM
Rank: Major
Service No: ABRO 912
Age: 20
Regiment/Service: 2nd Battalion, The Burma Rifles
Chindit Column: Unknown
Other details:
Neville Hogan was a leading light in the Chindit Old Comrades and the Burma Star Associations for many years. He was one of my first points of call during the early days of my research into my grandfather and the men of the first Wingate expedition. He assisted me greatly back in 2008, sending me documents, names of Longcloth soldiers and inviting me to the Chindit Old Comrades annual dinner in June 2009.
Neville's inclusion on these website pages is to thank and honour him for all his encouragement and help during my initial steps to discover what had happened to my grandfather (Arthur Leslie Howney) on Operation Longcloth. He always mentioned that although he did not take part on the first expedition into Burma, he and his Subedar, Htoo Johnny were present in the area around the Chindwin River in April/May 1943 and had helped bring in some of the stragglers from 77 Brigade, as they made their way back to the safety of Allied held territory.
From the pages of the Best of British magazine (November 2016):
Major Neville Hogan MBE
Born in Burma to an Irish father and a Burmese mother, Neville Hogan fought in both Burma campaigns. A keen boy scout, Neville enlisted in the Territorial Army on the 15th August 1939 at the tender age of 16. When war broke out in Europe no one thought that it would ever come to Burma. Everything changed when the Japanese captured Singapore and Burma became their next target. The retreat from Burma in 1942 was a grueling affair, with much of the route badly affected by the monsoon rains, in some cases the journey took many weeks to complete.
Once he arrived back in India, Neville was sent to Jhansi for infantry training. It was shortly after, that he received a commission and was promoted from the ranks to officer status. By the time of the second campaign, Neville was an officer in the Burma Rifles which went on to form the backbone of the Chindits.
Lt. Hogan worked as a Reconnaissance Platoon commander in 46 Column on the second Chindit expedition in 1944. Everyday he went ahead with his men, looking for the best locations for supply drops, the next night’s bivouac or organising assistance from local villages in the area.
46 Column was made up mostly from the men of the 2nd Battalion, the King’s Own Royal Regiment and formed part of 111th Brigade. Neville’s fondest memories from this time were the camaraderie and friendships he forged with his comrades, knowing that they were all in it together. Operation Thursday
was an exhausting experience, with the men often going without sleep and adequate food for long periods. They were bitten by mosquitos and suffered from leeches getting inside their clothing. On many occasions Lt. Hogan was involved in close combat with the Japanese, up until his unit exited Burma in June 1944.
After the war, Neville met and married his wonderful wife, Glory in April 1949. However, the political tensions of a newly independent Burma, as well as strong anti- British sentiment, led to a decision to leave the country in 1950. Neville moved to England, eventually settling in Hemel Hempstead with Glory and his family. Major Neville Hogan was awarded the MBE in 2004 for his services to the Chindit Old Comrades Association. Sadly, he passed away in April 2012.
Rank: Major
Service No: ABRO 912
Age: 20
Regiment/Service: 2nd Battalion, The Burma Rifles
Chindit Column: Unknown
Other details:
Neville Hogan was a leading light in the Chindit Old Comrades and the Burma Star Associations for many years. He was one of my first points of call during the early days of my research into my grandfather and the men of the first Wingate expedition. He assisted me greatly back in 2008, sending me documents, names of Longcloth soldiers and inviting me to the Chindit Old Comrades annual dinner in June 2009.
Neville's inclusion on these website pages is to thank and honour him for all his encouragement and help during my initial steps to discover what had happened to my grandfather (Arthur Leslie Howney) on Operation Longcloth. He always mentioned that although he did not take part on the first expedition into Burma, he and his Subedar, Htoo Johnny were present in the area around the Chindwin River in April/May 1943 and had helped bring in some of the stragglers from 77 Brigade, as they made their way back to the safety of Allied held territory.
From the pages of the Best of British magazine (November 2016):
Major Neville Hogan MBE
Born in Burma to an Irish father and a Burmese mother, Neville Hogan fought in both Burma campaigns. A keen boy scout, Neville enlisted in the Territorial Army on the 15th August 1939 at the tender age of 16. When war broke out in Europe no one thought that it would ever come to Burma. Everything changed when the Japanese captured Singapore and Burma became their next target. The retreat from Burma in 1942 was a grueling affair, with much of the route badly affected by the monsoon rains, in some cases the journey took many weeks to complete.
Once he arrived back in India, Neville was sent to Jhansi for infantry training. It was shortly after, that he received a commission and was promoted from the ranks to officer status. By the time of the second campaign, Neville was an officer in the Burma Rifles which went on to form the backbone of the Chindits.
Lt. Hogan worked as a Reconnaissance Platoon commander in 46 Column on the second Chindit expedition in 1944. Everyday he went ahead with his men, looking for the best locations for supply drops, the next night’s bivouac or organising assistance from local villages in the area.
46 Column was made up mostly from the men of the 2nd Battalion, the King’s Own Royal Regiment and formed part of 111th Brigade. Neville’s fondest memories from this time were the camaraderie and friendships he forged with his comrades, knowing that they were all in it together. Operation Thursday
was an exhausting experience, with the men often going without sleep and adequate food for long periods. They were bitten by mosquitos and suffered from leeches getting inside their clothing. On many occasions Lt. Hogan was involved in close combat with the Japanese, up until his unit exited Burma in June 1944.
After the war, Neville met and married his wonderful wife, Glory in April 1949. However, the political tensions of a newly independent Burma, as well as strong anti- British sentiment, led to a decision to leave the country in 1950. Neville moved to England, eventually settling in Hemel Hempstead with Glory and his family. Major Neville Hogan was awarded the MBE in 2004 for his services to the Chindit Old Comrades Association. Sadly, he passed away in April 2012.
The Memorial Bench for Neville Hogan at the Chindit Corner of the National Arboretum, Alrewas.
Pte. Douglas Holland.
HOLLAND, DOUGLAS
Rank: Private
Service No: 3773055
Date of Death: 05/08/1943
Age: 33
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon War Cemetery Grave Reference: 9. A. 12.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2260086/HOLLAND,%20DOUGLAS
Chindit Column: Northern Group Head Quarters.
Other details:
In civilian life, Douglas Holland worked for Keiser's glass works in St. Anne Street in Liverpool and had served with the Territorial Army before enlisting into the Army proper at the outset of WW2. Pte. Douglas Holland was a member of Northern Group Head Quarters on Operation Longcloth, commanded by Lt-Colonel S.A. Cooke of the King's Regiment. Very little is known about this soldiers pathway in 1943. It is highly likely that Douglas was still with his unit at the aborted crossing of the Irrawaddy River on the 29th March and that he was allocated to a dispersal party on that day. From a listing (seen below) of men missing from that time, it is possible that he was separated from his dispersal group not long after the 29th March and that he frequented the area to the east of the Irrawaddy for several days before falling into enemy hands. His prisoner of war documents are scant in detail, but we do know that his POW number inside Rangoon Jail was 585 and that sadly, he perished inside Block 6 of the prison suffering from chronic enteritis and exhaustion, on the 25th August 1943, although his CWGC records state a different date, the 5th August.
Pte. Holland was originally buried at the English Cantonment Cemetery, situated close to the Royal Lakes in the eastern sector of Rangoon. After the was was over, all burials from the Cantonment Cemetery were moved over to the newly constructed Rangoon War Cemetery, situated close to the dockland area of the city. Douglas Holland's grave plaque at Rangoon War Cemetery bears the epitaph, buried near this spot, which relates to some 60 burials at the cemetery whose exact identification was not possible to ascertain at the time of re-internment.
Back home in Liverpool Pte. Holland's family placed the following announcement in the Liverpool Echo newspaper, dated 30th July 1943 and under the headline: Reported Missing
Among those posted as missing in the Indian theatre of war, is Private Douglas Holland of the King's Regiment, aged 34 and whose home is at 4 Wimborne Place, Liverpool 14. A Territorial, he joined up at the outbreak of war, and he went to India about 12 months ago. In civil life he was employed by Messrs. Keiser's, St. Anne Street, Liverpool.
In the Liverpool Echo newspaper dated the 17th August 1945, the following information was posted:
The death is reported of Private Douglas (Kelly) Holland, King's Regiment of Huyton near Liverpool. He joined up some three years ago and in July 1943 was reported missing. Later it was announced that he was a prisoner in Japanese hands and afterwards that he had died. Any information concerning his time in Burma gladly received at 28 Barnes Street, Liverpool.
Seen in the Gallery below are some images in relation to this story. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3773055
Date of Death: 05/08/1943
Age: 33
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon War Cemetery Grave Reference: 9. A. 12.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2260086/HOLLAND,%20DOUGLAS
Chindit Column: Northern Group Head Quarters.
Other details:
In civilian life, Douglas Holland worked for Keiser's glass works in St. Anne Street in Liverpool and had served with the Territorial Army before enlisting into the Army proper at the outset of WW2. Pte. Douglas Holland was a member of Northern Group Head Quarters on Operation Longcloth, commanded by Lt-Colonel S.A. Cooke of the King's Regiment. Very little is known about this soldiers pathway in 1943. It is highly likely that Douglas was still with his unit at the aborted crossing of the Irrawaddy River on the 29th March and that he was allocated to a dispersal party on that day. From a listing (seen below) of men missing from that time, it is possible that he was separated from his dispersal group not long after the 29th March and that he frequented the area to the east of the Irrawaddy for several days before falling into enemy hands. His prisoner of war documents are scant in detail, but we do know that his POW number inside Rangoon Jail was 585 and that sadly, he perished inside Block 6 of the prison suffering from chronic enteritis and exhaustion, on the 25th August 1943, although his CWGC records state a different date, the 5th August.
Pte. Holland was originally buried at the English Cantonment Cemetery, situated close to the Royal Lakes in the eastern sector of Rangoon. After the was was over, all burials from the Cantonment Cemetery were moved over to the newly constructed Rangoon War Cemetery, situated close to the dockland area of the city. Douglas Holland's grave plaque at Rangoon War Cemetery bears the epitaph, buried near this spot, which relates to some 60 burials at the cemetery whose exact identification was not possible to ascertain at the time of re-internment.
Back home in Liverpool Pte. Holland's family placed the following announcement in the Liverpool Echo newspaper, dated 30th July 1943 and under the headline: Reported Missing
Among those posted as missing in the Indian theatre of war, is Private Douglas Holland of the King's Regiment, aged 34 and whose home is at 4 Wimborne Place, Liverpool 14. A Territorial, he joined up at the outbreak of war, and he went to India about 12 months ago. In civil life he was employed by Messrs. Keiser's, St. Anne Street, Liverpool.
In the Liverpool Echo newspaper dated the 17th August 1945, the following information was posted:
The death is reported of Private Douglas (Kelly) Holland, King's Regiment of Huyton near Liverpool. He joined up some three years ago and in July 1943 was reported missing. Later it was announced that he was a prisoner in Japanese hands and afterwards that he had died. Any information concerning his time in Burma gladly received at 28 Barnes Street, Liverpool.
Seen in the Gallery below are some images in relation to this story. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
HOLLAND, HARRY
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 149226
Age: Not known.
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
Harry Holland had been an officer with the 13th King's since at least September 1941 and became the battalion's ship's security officer on the voyage out to India aboard the troopship Oronsay in December that year. He remained with the 13th King's for the first half of 1942, when the unit was based at Secunderabad, but did not travel with the battalion to Saugor and commence Chindit training. He reappears in the war diary of the 1st Battalion, The King's (Liverpool) Regiment in December 1942 when they were based at Ferozepore in the Punjab District of India. He remained with the 1st King's throughout the first there months of 1943, but sadly the diary ends in March, which is approximately when the battalion moved over to train for the second Chindit expedition, Operation Thursday (1944).
Lt. Holland then re-appears in the war diary for the 13th King's in September 1943 with the rank of Temporary Captain. The 13th Battalion were by then in barracks at Karachi after reorganisation post Operation Longcloth. On March 21st 1945, Captain Holland alongside Captain William Edge were allocated to the Reinforcement Centre, Comilla for an active service posting. During the month of March 1945, many of the remaining officers and other ranks from the 13th Battalion who had served on Operation Longcloth were sent over to Comilla to offer up their experiences and advice in the art of Long Range Penetration. No further entries exist for Lt. Holland after this date.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 149226
Age: Not known.
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
Harry Holland had been an officer with the 13th King's since at least September 1941 and became the battalion's ship's security officer on the voyage out to India aboard the troopship Oronsay in December that year. He remained with the 13th King's for the first half of 1942, when the unit was based at Secunderabad, but did not travel with the battalion to Saugor and commence Chindit training. He reappears in the war diary of the 1st Battalion, The King's (Liverpool) Regiment in December 1942 when they were based at Ferozepore in the Punjab District of India. He remained with the 1st King's throughout the first there months of 1943, but sadly the diary ends in March, which is approximately when the battalion moved over to train for the second Chindit expedition, Operation Thursday (1944).
Lt. Holland then re-appears in the war diary for the 13th King's in September 1943 with the rank of Temporary Captain. The 13th Battalion were by then in barracks at Karachi after reorganisation post Operation Longcloth. On March 21st 1945, Captain Holland alongside Captain William Edge were allocated to the Reinforcement Centre, Comilla for an active service posting. During the month of March 1945, many of the remaining officers and other ranks from the 13th Battalion who had served on Operation Longcloth were sent over to Comilla to offer up their experiences and advice in the art of Long Range Penetration. No further entries exist for Lt. Holland after this date.
CWGC certificate for Ernest Holt.
HOLT, ERNEST
Rank: Private
Service No: 3445372
Date of Death: 01/06/1943
Age: 31
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face Panel 5, Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2511548/ernest-holt/
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
From looking at Ernest Holt's Army service number, it is likely that he was first posted to the Lancashire Fusiliers Regiment during the years of WW2, before being transferred to the 13th battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment. He was allocated to No. 5 Column during Chindit training in India, commanded by Major Bernard Fergusson formerly of the Black Watch Regiment.
Sadly, not much is known about Pte. Holt's experiences in Burma during Operation Longcloth and no witness statements exist explaining what happened to him in 1943. He is listed as having been last seen on the on the river bank close to the village Okthaik. This is unusual in itself as this would indicate that he was more likely with No. 8 Column or Northern Group Head Quarters, as this location was the scene of these units greatest battle with the Japanese on the 30th April 1943. It is of course possible that he was transferred from 5 Column to 8 Column or Northern Group HQ at some point before the operation began, or that he had been separated from 5 Column early on during the expedition and was picked up by another column.
The official missing lists for Operation Longcloth place Ernest Holt with No. 5 Column and note his missing date as 1st June 1943. During my research it has come to light that this particular date (01/061943), has become synonymous with those men captured by the Japanese on the first Wingate expedition, but who do not survive their time in enemy hands long enough to reach Rangoon Central Jail, the final destination for Chindit POWs. In some cases, the date relates to those who perish in other short-term POW Camps used to hold captured Chindits, such as Kalaw and Maymyo.
After the war, no grave or resting place could be found for Pte. Holt and so he is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Tauukyan War Cemetery. This memorial is the centre-piece of the cemetery and holds the names of over 26,000 casualties from the Burma campaign who have no known grave. Ernest Holt is also remembered on his hometown war memorial at Littleborough in Rochdale.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story including photographs of Ernest Holt's inscriptions upon both the Rangoon and Littleborough memorials. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3445372
Date of Death: 01/06/1943
Age: 31
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face Panel 5, Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2511548/ernest-holt/
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
From looking at Ernest Holt's Army service number, it is likely that he was first posted to the Lancashire Fusiliers Regiment during the years of WW2, before being transferred to the 13th battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment. He was allocated to No. 5 Column during Chindit training in India, commanded by Major Bernard Fergusson formerly of the Black Watch Regiment.
Sadly, not much is known about Pte. Holt's experiences in Burma during Operation Longcloth and no witness statements exist explaining what happened to him in 1943. He is listed as having been last seen on the on the river bank close to the village Okthaik. This is unusual in itself as this would indicate that he was more likely with No. 8 Column or Northern Group Head Quarters, as this location was the scene of these units greatest battle with the Japanese on the 30th April 1943. It is of course possible that he was transferred from 5 Column to 8 Column or Northern Group HQ at some point before the operation began, or that he had been separated from 5 Column early on during the expedition and was picked up by another column.
The official missing lists for Operation Longcloth place Ernest Holt with No. 5 Column and note his missing date as 1st June 1943. During my research it has come to light that this particular date (01/061943), has become synonymous with those men captured by the Japanese on the first Wingate expedition, but who do not survive their time in enemy hands long enough to reach Rangoon Central Jail, the final destination for Chindit POWs. In some cases, the date relates to those who perish in other short-term POW Camps used to hold captured Chindits, such as Kalaw and Maymyo.
After the war, no grave or resting place could be found for Pte. Holt and so he is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial at Tauukyan War Cemetery. This memorial is the centre-piece of the cemetery and holds the names of over 26,000 casualties from the Burma campaign who have no known grave. Ernest Holt is also remembered on his hometown war memorial at Littleborough in Rochdale.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story including photographs of Ernest Holt's inscriptions upon both the Rangoon and Littleborough memorials. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Eric Horton (left) with John Bromley.
HORTON, ERIC
Rank: Private
Service No: 5114474
Date of Death: 17/04/1943
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face Panel 5, Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2511582/HORTON,%20ERIC
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Pte. Eric Horton was born in the county of Warwickshire in 1919 and had originally seen service with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment during the early part of WW2. He was posted to the 13th King's shortly after his arrival in India, joining the battalion on the 26th September 1942 at the training camp of Saugor. Eric was attached to D' Company of the King's and eventually became part of Chindit Column 8 under the overall command of Major Walter Purcell Scott.
Pte. Horton's Chindit story is irrevocably linked to that of Pte. John Bromley, who, judging by the above photograph taken aboard the troopship 'Oronsay' in 1942, was one of Horton's best mates throughout their time in India and Burma. Both men were to serve in Column 8 on Operation Longcloth and after dispersal was called in late March, both men were members of a platoon of soldiers commanded by Captain Raymond Edward Williams.
In early April this group had forded the Shweli River as the bridgehead protection platoon for Column 8 in order to cover the further crossing by the rest of the unit. The boats which were ferrying the other men across were lost and swept away down stream, leaving Captain Williams and his men stranded on the opposite bank.
As daylight was running out and the chance of enemy interference was high, Williams moved his men away in to the jungle scrub a few yards from the river, where they remained overnight. The next morning there was no sign of Major Scott, or the rest of Column 8, so Williams decided to push on with his men in the general direction previously agreed amongst the officers of Column 8. They never saw Major Scott or the main group again.
After several days march the group reached the banks of the Irrawaddy River near the town of Zinbon (see map in the photograph gallery below) here they deiced to attempt a crossing. The story is now taken up by the only surviving member of Captain Williams party to reach the safety of India that year, Corporal A. McCann of the 13th King's. McCann informed the investigation bureau for Operation Longcloth about the fate of Captain Williams platoon in the form of a witness statement, which is shown below. Please click on the image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 5114474
Date of Death: 17/04/1943
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Face Panel 5, Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2511582/HORTON,%20ERIC
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Pte. Eric Horton was born in the county of Warwickshire in 1919 and had originally seen service with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment during the early part of WW2. He was posted to the 13th King's shortly after his arrival in India, joining the battalion on the 26th September 1942 at the training camp of Saugor. Eric was attached to D' Company of the King's and eventually became part of Chindit Column 8 under the overall command of Major Walter Purcell Scott.
Pte. Horton's Chindit story is irrevocably linked to that of Pte. John Bromley, who, judging by the above photograph taken aboard the troopship 'Oronsay' in 1942, was one of Horton's best mates throughout their time in India and Burma. Both men were to serve in Column 8 on Operation Longcloth and after dispersal was called in late March, both men were members of a platoon of soldiers commanded by Captain Raymond Edward Williams.
In early April this group had forded the Shweli River as the bridgehead protection platoon for Column 8 in order to cover the further crossing by the rest of the unit. The boats which were ferrying the other men across were lost and swept away down stream, leaving Captain Williams and his men stranded on the opposite bank.
As daylight was running out and the chance of enemy interference was high, Williams moved his men away in to the jungle scrub a few yards from the river, where they remained overnight. The next morning there was no sign of Major Scott, or the rest of Column 8, so Williams decided to push on with his men in the general direction previously agreed amongst the officers of Column 8. They never saw Major Scott or the main group again.
After several days march the group reached the banks of the Irrawaddy River near the town of Zinbon (see map in the photograph gallery below) here they deiced to attempt a crossing. The story is now taken up by the only surviving member of Captain Williams party to reach the safety of India that year, Corporal A. McCann of the 13th King's. McCann informed the investigation bureau for Operation Longcloth about the fate of Captain Williams platoon in the form of a witness statement, which is shown below. Please click on the image to bring it forward on the page.
The witness statement of Corporal A. McCann.
Ironically, by the time the men had reached the smaller tributary of the Irrawaddy mentioned in McCann's report and had been ambushed by the Japanese, they were only a few miles south of Major Scott and the rest of Column 8. From McCann's witness statement, we can see that Eric Horton was present at the Irrawaddy crossing on the 18th April, although not mentioned in McCann's statement it is known that the group were attacked by a Japanese patrol at this location and this is probably where Eric was killed. His date of death on the CWGC website is stated as the 17th April 1943, this is of course quite possible as this period would have been very confused and lacking in eye-witness accounts to verify the exact place and time of death.
In the book 'With Wingate in Burma' by David Halley, Corporal McCann provides a more detailed description of the incident on the 23rd April. McCann was discovered by another dispersal party from Column 8 a few weeks later on in a deserted Burmese village where he had been hiding out:
"Just at first, we had our doubts about his reality, but we soon recognised him. He was a Corporal who had been with Captain Williams at the crossing of the Shweli, on the occasion when the rope had parted, and they had been safely over the river, while we were left on the far bank.
He told us the story of that ill-fated party. They had gone, as arranged, to the rendezvous on the mountain top, and had waited there forty-eight hours for us to arrive. When we hadn't come by then, they made up their minds that either the Shweli had been too much for us, or the Japs had got us, and they decided to proceed independently.
We must have reached the rendezvous only a short time after they had pulled out. They proceeded northwards for two days, and then struck west, towards the Irrawaddy. They were, you will remember, about thirty-five strong, and at that time they were well-off for food. They made good time, and they found no traces of the enemy.
On the fourth day after leaving the mountain top, they struck a deep river-bed, with rocky and precipitous sides and still a fair-sized body of water flowing along it. This cut their path at right angles, and as they were anxious to keep as straight a path to the Irrawaddy as they could, they decided to cross it, there and then. They tied their packs on their heads, slung their rifles, hung their boots round their necks, and proceeded to ford the river.
It was not very deep, they found, and the current, though strong, was not strong enough to make their foothold insecure. Everything went merrily as a marriage-bell, until they were in mid-stream. Then the Japs opened fire on them from cover on the opposite bank. Light machine guns and rifles blazed at them, and about half of them were killed by the first burst. They were absolutely helpless. The only cover available to them was the water, and if they made use of that, they would drown.
Their rifles were slung. Before they could get at them, they would all be massacred. The position was utterly hopeless. Captain Williams did the only possible thing, he surrendered. The Japs held their fire, and the party or what was left of it moved dejectedly across the stream to give itself up. But apparently, one or two men on one of the flanks thought they saw a chance of making a break.
Probably they thought that anything was to be preferred to a Japanese prison camp, or Japanese playfulness. They never thought what their attempt might mean to the rest. They made a sudden dash for freedom. At the first move, the enemy opened fire again on the whole party, and in a few seconds it was all over. There was not a single survivor, except this Corporal, who had been the last man into the river-bed, and had managed to regain the shelter of the jungle on his own side. He saw the whole thing happen, before making his own getaway, with a bullet hole through both cheeks."
To read more about John Bromley, please click on the following link and scroll down the page alphabetically until you reach his story:
Pte. John Bromley
Featured below are some more photographs and images which help enhance the story of Pte. Eric Horton and his time with the Chindits in 1942-43. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
In the book 'With Wingate in Burma' by David Halley, Corporal McCann provides a more detailed description of the incident on the 23rd April. McCann was discovered by another dispersal party from Column 8 a few weeks later on in a deserted Burmese village where he had been hiding out:
"Just at first, we had our doubts about his reality, but we soon recognised him. He was a Corporal who had been with Captain Williams at the crossing of the Shweli, on the occasion when the rope had parted, and they had been safely over the river, while we were left on the far bank.
He told us the story of that ill-fated party. They had gone, as arranged, to the rendezvous on the mountain top, and had waited there forty-eight hours for us to arrive. When we hadn't come by then, they made up their minds that either the Shweli had been too much for us, or the Japs had got us, and they decided to proceed independently.
We must have reached the rendezvous only a short time after they had pulled out. They proceeded northwards for two days, and then struck west, towards the Irrawaddy. They were, you will remember, about thirty-five strong, and at that time they were well-off for food. They made good time, and they found no traces of the enemy.
On the fourth day after leaving the mountain top, they struck a deep river-bed, with rocky and precipitous sides and still a fair-sized body of water flowing along it. This cut their path at right angles, and as they were anxious to keep as straight a path to the Irrawaddy as they could, they decided to cross it, there and then. They tied their packs on their heads, slung their rifles, hung their boots round their necks, and proceeded to ford the river.
It was not very deep, they found, and the current, though strong, was not strong enough to make their foothold insecure. Everything went merrily as a marriage-bell, until they were in mid-stream. Then the Japs opened fire on them from cover on the opposite bank. Light machine guns and rifles blazed at them, and about half of them were killed by the first burst. They were absolutely helpless. The only cover available to them was the water, and if they made use of that, they would drown.
Their rifles were slung. Before they could get at them, they would all be massacred. The position was utterly hopeless. Captain Williams did the only possible thing, he surrendered. The Japs held their fire, and the party or what was left of it moved dejectedly across the stream to give itself up. But apparently, one or two men on one of the flanks thought they saw a chance of making a break.
Probably they thought that anything was to be preferred to a Japanese prison camp, or Japanese playfulness. They never thought what their attempt might mean to the rest. They made a sudden dash for freedom. At the first move, the enemy opened fire again on the whole party, and in a few seconds it was all over. There was not a single survivor, except this Corporal, who had been the last man into the river-bed, and had managed to regain the shelter of the jungle on his own side. He saw the whole thing happen, before making his own getaway, with a bullet hole through both cheeks."
To read more about John Bromley, please click on the following link and scroll down the page alphabetically until you reach his story:
Pte. John Bromley
Featured below are some more photographs and images which help enhance the story of Pte. Eric Horton and his time with the Chindits in 1942-43. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
HOWARD, STANLEY
Rank: Private
Service No: 3718524
Date of Death: 26/02/1943
Age: 28
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery, Face 5.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2511605/stanley-howard/
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Stanley Howard was the son of Mr. & Mrs. S. Howard and the husband of E. Howard from Rochdale in Lancashire. He was allocated to No. 7 Column on Operation Longcloth under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes. Stanley, described as of medium height and strong build was lost to his column on the 26th February 1943, just over one week into the expedition. The only information I have discovered about this man, is that he was last seen close to the village of Didauk on the Pinbon-Pinlebu Road.
Both Nos. 7 & 8 columns were working closely together at this juncture and had recently taken their first full supply drop at a place called Tonmakeng. There had been minor skirmishes with the Japanese during this time, but not on the 26th February, which makes Pte. Howard's disappearance all the more intriguing.
Sadly, nothing more was ever heard of Stanley and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial located at Taukkyan War Cemetery. The Rangoon Memorial is the centre-piece structure at Taukkyan and holds the names of over 26,000 casualties from the Burma campaign that have no known grave.
Seen below is a photograph of Stanley Howard and three of his Chindit comrades aboard the troopship Oronsay in January 1943, just before their arrival at Bombay. Please click on the image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3718524
Date of Death: 26/02/1943
Age: 28
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery, Face 5.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2511605/stanley-howard/
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Stanley Howard was the son of Mr. & Mrs. S. Howard and the husband of E. Howard from Rochdale in Lancashire. He was allocated to No. 7 Column on Operation Longcloth under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes. Stanley, described as of medium height and strong build was lost to his column on the 26th February 1943, just over one week into the expedition. The only information I have discovered about this man, is that he was last seen close to the village of Didauk on the Pinbon-Pinlebu Road.
Both Nos. 7 & 8 columns were working closely together at this juncture and had recently taken their first full supply drop at a place called Tonmakeng. There had been minor skirmishes with the Japanese during this time, but not on the 26th February, which makes Pte. Howard's disappearance all the more intriguing.
Sadly, nothing more was ever heard of Stanley and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial located at Taukkyan War Cemetery. The Rangoon Memorial is the centre-piece structure at Taukkyan and holds the names of over 26,000 casualties from the Burma campaign that have no known grave.
Seen below is a photograph of Stanley Howard and three of his Chindit comrades aboard the troopship Oronsay in January 1943, just before their arrival at Bombay. Please click on the image to bring it forward on the page.
L-R: Eric Horton, John Bromley (8 Column) and Ernest Williams, Stanley Howard (7 Column).
HULM, ROBERT
Rank: Private
Service No: 3777998
Date of Death: 29/03/1943
Age: 28
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery, Face 5.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2511664/HULM,%20ROBERT
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Robert Hulm was the son of Thomas and Ada Hulm and husband of Florence Hulm, from Dingle in Liverpool. NB. In some of the Army documents found in relation to Robert, his surname is sometimes given as Hulme. However, on all official paperwork, including his details on the CWGC website, his surname is given as Hulm and this is the name I have chosen to use in relation to this short story.
In July 1942 during Chindit training at Saugor, Robert was allocated to 5 Column commanded by Major Bernard Fergusson of the Black Watch Regiment. Once inside Burma, 5 Column were 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 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 5 Column, who by then had only received half the rations asked for from their air supply drops during the operation.
During the third week of March, Fergusson 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 to the north and west and the Mongmit-Myitson motor road to the south. Brigadier Wingate 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 5 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.
After the battle at Hintha the column moved away from the village with the intention of re-joining the rest of the Brigade at the Irrawaddy. Unfortunately, they were ambushed by the Japanese for a second time in the early hours of the 29th and around 100 men were separated from the main body of the column. It seems highly likely that Robert Hulm was amongst the section cut adrift at this point. From within the listings for the missing on Operation Longcloth, Pte. Hulm is recorded as last seen on the 29th March 1943, approximately two and half miles northeast of Hintha.
In February 1944, CQMS. Ernest Henderson also a member of 5 Column on Operation Longcloth gave the following witness statement in relation to a large group of casualties, including Robert Hulm, who had been presumed lost during the second ambush at Hintha:
3777480 Pte. F. Townson
3777998 Pte. R. Hulm(e)
4195166 Pte. E. Kenna
5114059 Pte. N.J. Fowler
3781718 Pte. E. Hodnett
5114104 Pte. J. Powell
3779270 Pte. W.C. Parry
5119069 L. Corporal T. Jones
3523186 Pte. F.C. Fairhurst
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
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 four 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.
Pte. Robert Hulm was listed as presumed killed in action on the outskirts of Hintha village on the 29th March 1943. His body was never recovered after the war and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, located within the grounds of Taukkyan War Cemetery in Burma.
From the pages of the Liverpool Echo newspaper dated 30th July 1943 and under the headline, Reported Missing:
Private Robert Hulm, aged 28, husband of Mrs. F. Hulm of 127 Kilshaw Street, Liverpool 6, is missing in the Indian theatre of war.
Seen below is a Gallery of images in relation to this story, please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3777998
Date of Death: 29/03/1943
Age: 28
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery, Face 5.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2511664/HULM,%20ROBERT
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Robert Hulm was the son of Thomas and Ada Hulm and husband of Florence Hulm, from Dingle in Liverpool. NB. In some of the Army documents found in relation to Robert, his surname is sometimes given as Hulme. However, on all official paperwork, including his details on the CWGC website, his surname is given as Hulm and this is the name I have chosen to use in relation to this short story.
In July 1942 during Chindit training at Saugor, Robert was allocated to 5 Column commanded by Major Bernard Fergusson of the Black Watch Regiment. Once inside Burma, 5 Column were 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 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 5 Column, who by then had only received half the rations asked for from their air supply drops during the operation.
During the third week of March, Fergusson 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 to the north and west and the Mongmit-Myitson motor road to the south. Brigadier Wingate 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 5 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.
After the battle at Hintha the column moved away from the village with the intention of re-joining the rest of the Brigade at the Irrawaddy. Unfortunately, they were ambushed by the Japanese for a second time in the early hours of the 29th and around 100 men were separated from the main body of the column. It seems highly likely that Robert Hulm was amongst the section cut adrift at this point. From within the listings for the missing on Operation Longcloth, Pte. Hulm is recorded as last seen on the 29th March 1943, approximately two and half miles northeast of Hintha.
In February 1944, CQMS. Ernest Henderson also a member of 5 Column on Operation Longcloth gave the following witness statement in relation to a large group of casualties, including Robert Hulm, who had been presumed lost during the second ambush at Hintha:
3777480 Pte. F. Townson
3777998 Pte. R. Hulm(e)
4195166 Pte. E. Kenna
5114059 Pte. N.J. Fowler
3781718 Pte. E. Hodnett
5114104 Pte. J. Powell
3779270 Pte. W.C. Parry
5119069 L. Corporal T. Jones
3523186 Pte. F.C. Fairhurst
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
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 four 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.
Pte. Robert Hulm was listed as presumed killed in action on the outskirts of Hintha village on the 29th March 1943. His body was never recovered after the war and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 5 of the Rangoon Memorial, located within the grounds of Taukkyan War Cemetery in Burma.
From the pages of the Liverpool Echo newspaper dated 30th July 1943 and under the headline, Reported Missing:
Private Robert Hulm, aged 28, husband of Mrs. F. Hulm of 127 Kilshaw Street, Liverpool 6, is missing in the Indian theatre of war.
Seen below is a Gallery of images in relation to this story, please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
John Irving at Secunderabad in 1942.
IRVING, JOHN
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 3779425
Age: 23
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Unknown
Other details:
In January 2022, I was delighted to receive the following email from Kirsty Irving:
Hi, I'm looking for info on my grandad. He served with the King's Regiment, 13th battalion in India then with the Paras. I can't find him in the roll call on your website, but he is on two of your photographs, firstly the one of Head Quarters Company at Secunderabad and the second one on the photograph of the band. His name was John Irving date of birth 15th May 1920 and Army number 3779425. Do you have any information please, or any pointers on where to look? Many thanks, Kirsty Irving.
I replied:
Dear Kirsty,
Thank you for your email contact via my website in relation to your grandfather. I have to say that I have never come across his name before during my research. This to me is quite exciting because I am aware that several men from the 13th Battalion have gone under the radar in terms of mentions in books and war diaries.
If he features in the photographs of the battalion at Secunderabad and the band, then I would imagine he was part of the original battalion that voyaged to India in December 1941. Any men that came in as a reinforcement, like my own grandfather, came to the battalion after they had moved to Saugor for Chindit training in June 1942.
In regards to the Paras, after the second Chindit operation was over in August 1944, many soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the King's volunteered for parachute training and formed the 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion at Malthone in India. Over that period many men from the 13th Battalion switched to the 1st Battalion to strengthen the numbers and this is probably how he came to join the paras. There is a website which has some information about and photographs of the 15th Parachute Battalion. Here is a link:
https://www.paradata.org.uk/unit/15th-kings-parachute-battalion
I have attached a copy of the Company Band photo to this email. You did not say which man was your grandfather in this photograph, I would be very interested to see which man he is. I would also very much like to learn more about him and his life. It would be great to add him to the Roll Call if that is agreeable, alongside any photos of him that you would be willing to share.
Kirsty replied:
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for getting back in touch with me so quickly. I am not surprised you have nothing about him in your records, he was apparently a quiet man and very rarely spoke about the war. He sadly died aged just 50. My grandad is the man in the second row, second left of the Company Band photograph. I have attached the three photos we have, one of which is also of the Company Band in India. The portrait photo is a printed version of an original image that my Nan has. These attachments are just photos of the photos, so I could have them scanned and would be able to send a better version of them to you.
I know he was in the 13th Kings from one of his letters home, but there is no other mention of India in the paperwork we have. He was also in the Parachute Regiment as we have his certificate of service which he requested from the Army prior to him passing away and my cousin has his Paras badge. He landed at Arnhem, avoided capture for approximately eleven days, but was eventually captured and held in a Stalag prison camp and we have the original card where he wrote home to tell us he was a POW. We also have various bits and pieces including his soldiers book which says he enlisted on the 17th July 1940.
It was actually my cousin (also John Irving) who started the research, as he was trying to find out if grandad was in the Chindits, Operation Longcloth. He asked me to look through the papers my nan still has and I've now become just as fascinated and we are collaborating to try and get a better picture of his history. Thank you for the information you have been able to tells us already.
I replied again:
Hi Kirsty,
Thanks for sending over the photos of John, I spotted him in the two from my website without any difficulty. I'm including the large group photo of the Head Quarters Company at Secunderabad to this email. It is quite high in resolution, so you will be able to zoom in quite a bit. I also found him in some online lists for men captured by the Germans in WW2 (also attached) and was interested to hear he was at Arnhem. With him being back in Europe by the time of the Arnhem action, September 1944, and then being taken prisoner, this would discount him from being part of the 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion in India, as this was only formed in January 1945.
I would hesitate a guess that he came back to England to train for the Arnhem drop in late 1943 or early 1944, but this is really only guesswork on my part. His full service records should be available from the MOD offices at Glasgow if you wish to apply as next of kin. I should warn you that Covid-19 has severely affected the application process, which can now take over a year. To apply you will need his full name, date of birth and proof of death in the form of a copy of his death certificate.
If you would like to write out a short biography of John's life as you know it and the details you do know about him, I would be honoured to add him to the website alongside his comrades from the 13th King's in 1942/43.
Kirsty replied once more:
Thank you Stephen,
My grandad was definitely back in the UK by late 1943 as he married my nan in Liverpool on the 27th December 1943 and as you say was a POW before 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion was formed. We've also been chatting to nan today and she can remember him being in Manchester prior to Arnhem, so we think he did his training there, my cousin believes with the 1st Parachute Regiment at RAF Ringway.
We will try and find out a little more then put something together as we would be delighted if you could include something about him on your website. Thank you again and as soon as I get a chance I'll get the original photographs scanned and send out to you. Kind regards Kirsty.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including many of the photographs mentioned in the above narrative. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. I would like to thank Kirsty for her initial contact and for the photographs and information about her grandfather, John Irving.
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 3779425
Age: 23
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Unknown
Other details:
In January 2022, I was delighted to receive the following email from Kirsty Irving:
Hi, I'm looking for info on my grandad. He served with the King's Regiment, 13th battalion in India then with the Paras. I can't find him in the roll call on your website, but he is on two of your photographs, firstly the one of Head Quarters Company at Secunderabad and the second one on the photograph of the band. His name was John Irving date of birth 15th May 1920 and Army number 3779425. Do you have any information please, or any pointers on where to look? Many thanks, Kirsty Irving.
I replied:
Dear Kirsty,
Thank you for your email contact via my website in relation to your grandfather. I have to say that I have never come across his name before during my research. This to me is quite exciting because I am aware that several men from the 13th Battalion have gone under the radar in terms of mentions in books and war diaries.
If he features in the photographs of the battalion at Secunderabad and the band, then I would imagine he was part of the original battalion that voyaged to India in December 1941. Any men that came in as a reinforcement, like my own grandfather, came to the battalion after they had moved to Saugor for Chindit training in June 1942.
In regards to the Paras, after the second Chindit operation was over in August 1944, many soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the King's volunteered for parachute training and formed the 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion at Malthone in India. Over that period many men from the 13th Battalion switched to the 1st Battalion to strengthen the numbers and this is probably how he came to join the paras. There is a website which has some information about and photographs of the 15th Parachute Battalion. Here is a link:
https://www.paradata.org.uk/unit/15th-kings-parachute-battalion
I have attached a copy of the Company Band photo to this email. You did not say which man was your grandfather in this photograph, I would be very interested to see which man he is. I would also very much like to learn more about him and his life. It would be great to add him to the Roll Call if that is agreeable, alongside any photos of him that you would be willing to share.
Kirsty replied:
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for getting back in touch with me so quickly. I am not surprised you have nothing about him in your records, he was apparently a quiet man and very rarely spoke about the war. He sadly died aged just 50. My grandad is the man in the second row, second left of the Company Band photograph. I have attached the three photos we have, one of which is also of the Company Band in India. The portrait photo is a printed version of an original image that my Nan has. These attachments are just photos of the photos, so I could have them scanned and would be able to send a better version of them to you.
I know he was in the 13th Kings from one of his letters home, but there is no other mention of India in the paperwork we have. He was also in the Parachute Regiment as we have his certificate of service which he requested from the Army prior to him passing away and my cousin has his Paras badge. He landed at Arnhem, avoided capture for approximately eleven days, but was eventually captured and held in a Stalag prison camp and we have the original card where he wrote home to tell us he was a POW. We also have various bits and pieces including his soldiers book which says he enlisted on the 17th July 1940.
It was actually my cousin (also John Irving) who started the research, as he was trying to find out if grandad was in the Chindits, Operation Longcloth. He asked me to look through the papers my nan still has and I've now become just as fascinated and we are collaborating to try and get a better picture of his history. Thank you for the information you have been able to tells us already.
I replied again:
Hi Kirsty,
Thanks for sending over the photos of John, I spotted him in the two from my website without any difficulty. I'm including the large group photo of the Head Quarters Company at Secunderabad to this email. It is quite high in resolution, so you will be able to zoom in quite a bit. I also found him in some online lists for men captured by the Germans in WW2 (also attached) and was interested to hear he was at Arnhem. With him being back in Europe by the time of the Arnhem action, September 1944, and then being taken prisoner, this would discount him from being part of the 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion in India, as this was only formed in January 1945.
I would hesitate a guess that he came back to England to train for the Arnhem drop in late 1943 or early 1944, but this is really only guesswork on my part. His full service records should be available from the MOD offices at Glasgow if you wish to apply as next of kin. I should warn you that Covid-19 has severely affected the application process, which can now take over a year. To apply you will need his full name, date of birth and proof of death in the form of a copy of his death certificate.
If you would like to write out a short biography of John's life as you know it and the details you do know about him, I would be honoured to add him to the website alongside his comrades from the 13th King's in 1942/43.
Kirsty replied once more:
Thank you Stephen,
My grandad was definitely back in the UK by late 1943 as he married my nan in Liverpool on the 27th December 1943 and as you say was a POW before 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion was formed. We've also been chatting to nan today and she can remember him being in Manchester prior to Arnhem, so we think he did his training there, my cousin believes with the 1st Parachute Regiment at RAF Ringway.
We will try and find out a little more then put something together as we would be delighted if you could include something about him on your website. Thank you again and as soon as I get a chance I'll get the original photographs scanned and send out to you. Kind regards Kirsty.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including many of the photographs mentioned in the above narrative. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. I would like to thank Kirsty for her initial contact and for the photographs and information about her grandfather, John Irving.
Cap badge of the Royal Scots.
JAMES, A.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3060380
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: 142 Commando, attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Pte. A. James (christian name unknown) was posted in the first instance to the Royal Scots Regiment, before being transferred to the 13th King's at the Saugor training camp on the 30th September 1942. He was then allocated to the 142 Commando section and placed originally into the Company Head Quarters platoon under Lt. Vivian Earle. However, on the first Wingate expedition, Pte. James served in the Commando section for No. 8 Column and according to anecdotal testimony was in a party led by Captain Nigel Whitehead of the Burma Rifles on the 12th April 1943.
To read more about Captain Whitehead and his time on Operation Longcloth, please click on the following link: Captain Nigel Whitehead
Rank: Private
Service No: 3060380
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: 142 Commando, attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Pte. A. James (christian name unknown) was posted in the first instance to the Royal Scots Regiment, before being transferred to the 13th King's at the Saugor training camp on the 30th September 1942. He was then allocated to the 142 Commando section and placed originally into the Company Head Quarters platoon under Lt. Vivian Earle. However, on the first Wingate expedition, Pte. James served in the Commando section for No. 8 Column and according to anecdotal testimony was in a party led by Captain Nigel Whitehead of the Burma Rifles on the 12th April 1943.
To read more about Captain Whitehead and his time on Operation Longcloth, please click on the following link: Captain Nigel Whitehead
Roll for the personnel of 142 Commando Head Quarters section, January 1943.
JEFFERY, HARRY
Rank: Craftsman
Service No: 7654145
Date of Death: 29/12//1943
Age: 36
Regiment/Service: REME attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon War Cemetery, 6.F.3.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2260153/harry-jeffery/
Chindit Column: Unknown
Other details:
Harry Jeffery was the son of Harry and Mabel Jeffery and husband of Irene Jeffery from Seven King's in Essex. Very little is known about Harry and his time in Burma with the first Wingate expedition. He was a soldier with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and attached to the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in late December 1942 at the Saugor training camp in the Central Provinces of India. It is not known which column Harry belonged to on Operation Longcloth, but we do know he was listed as missing on the 10th July 1943, a date which was used to collate all the missing men from the expedition who have no witness statements to verify their last known whereabouts during Operation Longcloth.
We do know that Harry was captured by the Japanese in Burma and became a prisoner of war. He ended up at Rangoon Jail alongside many other soldiers from the first Wingate expedition. He was given the POW number 495 inside the jail which he would have recite in Japanese at each morning and evening roll call, known as Tenkos by the prisoners.
Sadly, Harry Jeffery died in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 29th December 1943 and was buried in the first instance at the English Cantonment Cemetery (grave no. 138), located in the eastern sector of the city, close to the Royal Lakes. After the war was over, the Imperial War Graves Commission built Rangoon War Cemetery and all of the graves from the Cantonment Cemetery were transferred across to this more permanent location. Harry Jeffery was re-buried at Rangoon Cemetery on the 14th June 1946. After an invitation by the Imperial War Graves Commission, the Jeffery family added this epitaph to his grave plaque at Rangoon:
Rank: Craftsman
Service No: 7654145
Date of Death: 29/12//1943
Age: 36
Regiment/Service: REME attached The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon War Cemetery, 6.F.3.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2260153/harry-jeffery/
Chindit Column: Unknown
Other details:
Harry Jeffery was the son of Harry and Mabel Jeffery and husband of Irene Jeffery from Seven King's in Essex. Very little is known about Harry and his time in Burma with the first Wingate expedition. He was a soldier with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and attached to the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in late December 1942 at the Saugor training camp in the Central Provinces of India. It is not known which column Harry belonged to on Operation Longcloth, but we do know he was listed as missing on the 10th July 1943, a date which was used to collate all the missing men from the expedition who have no witness statements to verify their last known whereabouts during Operation Longcloth.
We do know that Harry was captured by the Japanese in Burma and became a prisoner of war. He ended up at Rangoon Jail alongside many other soldiers from the first Wingate expedition. He was given the POW number 495 inside the jail which he would have recite in Japanese at each morning and evening roll call, known as Tenkos by the prisoners.
Sadly, Harry Jeffery died in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 29th December 1943 and was buried in the first instance at the English Cantonment Cemetery (grave no. 138), located in the eastern sector of the city, close to the Royal Lakes. After the war was over, the Imperial War Graves Commission built Rangoon War Cemetery and all of the graves from the Cantonment Cemetery were transferred across to this more permanent location. Harry Jeffery was re-buried at Rangoon Cemetery on the 14th June 1946. After an invitation by the Imperial War Graves Commission, the Jeffery family added this epitaph to his grave plaque at Rangoon:
A Loving Father and Husband Gone to Rest, We'll Leave to Him Who Knew Him Best
Seen below is a photograph of Craftsman Harry Jeffery's grave at Rangoon War Cemetery, where he still lies to this day.
The grave plaque for Harry Jeffery at Rangoon War Cemetery.
JONES, ALFRED RONALD
Rank: Private
Service No: 4192665
Date of Death: 24/11/1943
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: Army Catering Corps, att.The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon War Cemetery, Grave 5.F.5.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2260165/jones,-alfred-ronald/
Chindit Column: Unknown
Other details:
Alfred Ronald Jones was the son of David and Phyllis Jones from Tonyrefail in Glamorganshire, South Wales. From his Army service number we know that Alfred had been posted originally into the 1st Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, before being transferred to the Army Catering Corps and then to the 13th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment after travelling to India. His Chindit placement cannot be confirmed at present, but it is possible that he served with Brigade Head Quarters on Operation Longcloth.
Very little documentation survives in relation to Alfred's Chindit journey, but we do know that he was reported missing on the 31st March 1943, a date usually associated with the failed crossing of the Irrawaddy River involving Brigade HQ and Nos. 7 & 8 Columns. There are thankfully surviving documents that confirm that he became a prisoner of war at some point after the 31st March and that he spent several months in Rangoon Central Jail. Alfred was given the POW number 459 by the Japanese and spent his time alongside the other captured Chindits in Block 6 of the prison.
Sadly, Alfred perished inside Rangoon Jail on the 24th November 1943 and was buried in the first instance at the English Cantonment Cemetery (Grave no. 132), which was located in the eastern sector of the city, close to the Royal Lakes. Most, if not all of the Chindit casualties from Rangoon Jail were buried at the Cantonment Cemetery, before being moved over to Rangoon War Cemetery after the war, in Alfred's case on the 14th June 1946. To read more about the Chindit POW experience, please click on the following link: Chindit POW's
When his remains were re-interred at Rangoon War Cemetery, Alfred's family were asked if they would like to nominate an epitaph for his memorial plaque. This they agreed to do and decided upon the rather emotive words:
Rank: Private
Service No: 4192665
Date of Death: 24/11/1943
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: Army Catering Corps, att.The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon War Cemetery, Grave 5.F.5.
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2260165/jones,-alfred-ronald/
Chindit Column: Unknown
Other details:
Alfred Ronald Jones was the son of David and Phyllis Jones from Tonyrefail in Glamorganshire, South Wales. From his Army service number we know that Alfred had been posted originally into the 1st Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, before being transferred to the Army Catering Corps and then to the 13th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment after travelling to India. His Chindit placement cannot be confirmed at present, but it is possible that he served with Brigade Head Quarters on Operation Longcloth.
Very little documentation survives in relation to Alfred's Chindit journey, but we do know that he was reported missing on the 31st March 1943, a date usually associated with the failed crossing of the Irrawaddy River involving Brigade HQ and Nos. 7 & 8 Columns. There are thankfully surviving documents that confirm that he became a prisoner of war at some point after the 31st March and that he spent several months in Rangoon Central Jail. Alfred was given the POW number 459 by the Japanese and spent his time alongside the other captured Chindits in Block 6 of the prison.
Sadly, Alfred perished inside Rangoon Jail on the 24th November 1943 and was buried in the first instance at the English Cantonment Cemetery (Grave no. 132), which was located in the eastern sector of the city, close to the Royal Lakes. Most, if not all of the Chindit casualties from Rangoon Jail were buried at the Cantonment Cemetery, before being moved over to Rangoon War Cemetery after the war, in Alfred's case on the 14th June 1946. To read more about the Chindit POW experience, please click on the following link: Chindit POW's
When his remains were re-interred at Rangoon War Cemetery, Alfred's family were asked if they would like to nominate an epitaph for his memorial plaque. This they agreed to do and decided upon the rather emotive words:
SLEEP IN PEACE, MY SON, YOUR WORK IS DONE. ALWAYS YOU WILL BE IN MY THOUGHTS. MAM
Pte. Alfred Jones' grave plaque at Rangoon War Cemetery.
Alfred Jones is also remembered upon the Tonyrefail War Memorial, located in the Trane Cemetery on the Gilfach Road back home in Glamorganshire. In October 1941, Alfred completed his official Army Will whilst serving with the 1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers:
I hereby revoke all wills, hereto for made by me at any time, and declare this to be my last will. After payment of any debts and funeral expenses, I give all my effects and everything that I can give or dispose of to my fiancé: Miss Belly Ashby from Bridlington in Yorkshire.
Alfred Jones was one of two men from the Army Catering Corps that became attached to the 13th King's on Operation Longcloth, the other being: Pte. 3781619 Fred Bertenshaw from Abbey Hay in Manchester. Once again, very little is known about Pte. Bertenshaw other than he was listed as missing in action as of the 30th April 1943. This date is associated with No. 8 Column's engagement with the Japanese at the Kaukkwe Chaung during their return journey to India that year. However, it cannot be confirmed that Fred was part of this unit on the first Wingate expedition.
Fred Bertenshaw is buried today at Taukkyan War Cemetery, located on the northern outskirts of Rangoon. From documents found on the CWGC website, I discovered that he was originally buried at Mandalay War Cemetery. Several Chindits were interred at this cemetery after their original burial locations in northern Burma were deemed unsustainable for care and maintenance by the War Graves Commission. All graves from Mandalay War Cemetery were brought down to Taukkyan in the early 1950's.
To view Fred Bertenshaw's CWGC details, please click on the following link:
www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2084311/bertenshaw,-fred/#&gid=null&pid=2
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including the Tonyrefail War Memorial and Fred Bertenshaw's grave at Taukkyan War Cemetery. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
I hereby revoke all wills, hereto for made by me at any time, and declare this to be my last will. After payment of any debts and funeral expenses, I give all my effects and everything that I can give or dispose of to my fiancé: Miss Belly Ashby from Bridlington in Yorkshire.
Alfred Jones was one of two men from the Army Catering Corps that became attached to the 13th King's on Operation Longcloth, the other being: Pte. 3781619 Fred Bertenshaw from Abbey Hay in Manchester. Once again, very little is known about Pte. Bertenshaw other than he was listed as missing in action as of the 30th April 1943. This date is associated with No. 8 Column's engagement with the Japanese at the Kaukkwe Chaung during their return journey to India that year. However, it cannot be confirmed that Fred was part of this unit on the first Wingate expedition.
Fred Bertenshaw is buried today at Taukkyan War Cemetery, located on the northern outskirts of Rangoon. From documents found on the CWGC website, I discovered that he was originally buried at Mandalay War Cemetery. Several Chindits were interred at this cemetery after their original burial locations in northern Burma were deemed unsustainable for care and maintenance by the War Graves Commission. All graves from Mandalay War Cemetery were brought down to Taukkyan in the early 1950's.
To view Fred Bertenshaw's CWGC details, please click on the following link:
www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2084311/bertenshaw,-fred/#&gid=null&pid=2
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including the Tonyrefail War Memorial and Fred Bertenshaw's grave at Taukkyan War Cemetery. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rangoon Memorial Face 5.
JONES, DAVID HUMPHREY
Rank: Corporal
Service No: 3775907
Date of Death: 05/05/1944
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery, Face 5.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2513048/JONES,%20DAVID%20HUMPHREY
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Missing in Action witness reports:
Statement extract of Captain Leslie Cottrell: "On the 24th April 1943 it was reported to me that Pte. Critchley and Corporal Jones were missing. We were in Kachin tribal country and the villages were friendly disposed towards us. The two men had arms and ammunition, with six days hard-scale rations and some money. They were at that time eleven days march from Chinese occupied territory."
Amazingly, Critchley and Jones remained with a Kachin village for almost one year.
Statement extract of Pte. John Critchley: "We stayed in the village called Lathaw, where the headman looked after our needs. We were housed in a hut they built for us about 400 yards from the village. We did not see any Japanese or any of our own men during our time there. The whole time we were there both Pte. Jones and I suffered with fever, but I did eventually recover. In mid-March 1944, a villager came to us and told us there were some new British soldiers in the vicinity. We made contact with a Gurkha patrol and were taken to the Column doctor for medical examination."
Sadly, David Jones was suffering from the disease scrub typhus and died shortly after reaching the newly arrived Chindit Column. He was buried in the village of Pumgahtawng. John Critchley had kept Jones's Army identity discs and his AB 64 Army Book which he returned to the appropriate authorities. Seen below is a contemporary map showing the location of the villages of Lathaw, where the two soldiers lived for nearly one year and Pumgahtawng, where Corporal Jones was buried. To read more about this remarkable and yet ultimately sorrowful story please click on the following link: Pte. John S. Critchley
Rank: Corporal
Service No: 3775907
Date of Death: 05/05/1944
Age: 24
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Rangoon Memorial, Taukkyan War Cemetery, Face 5.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2513048/JONES,%20DAVID%20HUMPHREY
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Missing in Action witness reports:
Statement extract of Captain Leslie Cottrell: "On the 24th April 1943 it was reported to me that Pte. Critchley and Corporal Jones were missing. We were in Kachin tribal country and the villages were friendly disposed towards us. The two men had arms and ammunition, with six days hard-scale rations and some money. They were at that time eleven days march from Chinese occupied territory."
Amazingly, Critchley and Jones remained with a Kachin village for almost one year.
Statement extract of Pte. John Critchley: "We stayed in the village called Lathaw, where the headman looked after our needs. We were housed in a hut they built for us about 400 yards from the village. We did not see any Japanese or any of our own men during our time there. The whole time we were there both Pte. Jones and I suffered with fever, but I did eventually recover. In mid-March 1944, a villager came to us and told us there were some new British soldiers in the vicinity. We made contact with a Gurkha patrol and were taken to the Column doctor for medical examination."
Sadly, David Jones was suffering from the disease scrub typhus and died shortly after reaching the newly arrived Chindit Column. He was buried in the village of Pumgahtawng. John Critchley had kept Jones's Army identity discs and his AB 64 Army Book which he returned to the appropriate authorities. Seen below is a contemporary map showing the location of the villages of Lathaw, where the two soldiers lived for nearly one year and Pumgahtawng, where Corporal Jones was buried. To read more about this remarkable and yet ultimately sorrowful story please click on the following link: Pte. John S. Critchley
The Kachin villages of Lathaw and Pumgahtawng.
Cap badge of the Royal Welch Fusiliers.
JONES, ERIC
Rank: Private
Service No: 4202749
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Eric Jones was born on the 7th July 1913 and was the son of Joseph Jones from Bagillt, a small market town in Flintshire, North Wales. From his Army service number, it seems likely that he was posted to the Royal Welch Fusiliers in the first instance on enlistment, before being transferred to the 13th King's probably after travelling to India. Not much is known about Eric's Chindit experience on Operation Longcloth, but we do know from the missing files for the 13th King's that he was a member o No. 7 Column in 1943.
He was listed as missing as of the 2nd April 1943, when his column were deliberating how to cross the fast flowing Shweli River after the order to return to Allied held territory had just been given. Major Gilkes, the commander of No. 7 Column made the decision to exit Burma via the Chinese borders and this is why No. 7 Column were positioned along the western banks of the Shweli in early April that year.
From records in relation to Chindit prisoners of war, we also know that Eric Jones was captured by the Japanese on the 8th April 1943 and was taken to Rangoon Jail. During his time as a prisoner, Eric was allocated the POW number 325 and would have to recite this number at the morning and evening roll calls (known as Tenkos) in the jail. Eric Jones was one of the few Chindit Other Ranks to survive his time as a prisoner of war and was liberated alongside 400 other men at the village of Waw on the Pegu Road on the 29th April 1945. To read more about the Chindit POW experience and the liberation of the 400 prisoners at Waw, please click on the following link: Chindit POW's
Seen below is the POW index card for Pte. Eric Jones, showing amongst other information his next of kin details, POW number and date of capture. Please click on the image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Private
Service No: 4202749
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 7
Other details:
Eric Jones was born on the 7th July 1913 and was the son of Joseph Jones from Bagillt, a small market town in Flintshire, North Wales. From his Army service number, it seems likely that he was posted to the Royal Welch Fusiliers in the first instance on enlistment, before being transferred to the 13th King's probably after travelling to India. Not much is known about Eric's Chindit experience on Operation Longcloth, but we do know from the missing files for the 13th King's that he was a member o No. 7 Column in 1943.
He was listed as missing as of the 2nd April 1943, when his column were deliberating how to cross the fast flowing Shweli River after the order to return to Allied held territory had just been given. Major Gilkes, the commander of No. 7 Column made the decision to exit Burma via the Chinese borders and this is why No. 7 Column were positioned along the western banks of the Shweli in early April that year.
From records in relation to Chindit prisoners of war, we also know that Eric Jones was captured by the Japanese on the 8th April 1943 and was taken to Rangoon Jail. During his time as a prisoner, Eric was allocated the POW number 325 and would have to recite this number at the morning and evening roll calls (known as Tenkos) in the jail. Eric Jones was one of the few Chindit Other Ranks to survive his time as a prisoner of war and was liberated alongside 400 other men at the village of Waw on the Pegu Road on the 29th April 1945. To read more about the Chindit POW experience and the liberation of the 400 prisoners at Waw, please click on the following link: Chindit POW's
Seen below is the POW index card for Pte. Eric Jones, showing amongst other information his next of kin details, POW number and date of capture. Please click on the image to bring it forward on the page.
The POW index card for Pte. Eric Jones.
Eric Edward Jones.
JONES, ERIC EDWARD
Rank: Private
Service No: 3780158
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Eric Jones was born on the 14th April 1912 and was the son of William and Louisa Jones from Blackpool in Lancashire. In April 1946 after returning from Burma, he married Vera Freeman at Wealdstone, a suburb of northwest London and the couple went on to have three children together.
I was sent the small amount of information held about Eric Jones by another WW2 researcher, which he had found on Ancestry.com. From these details it was fairly straightforward to deduce that Eric had been a member of No. 8 Column on Operation Longcloth, commanded by Major Walter Purcell Scott. The actual proof of his column placement came via the presence of his Longcloth participation certificate, which can be seen in the gallery below. These certificates were the idea of Colonel S.A. Cooke, the senior officer from the King's Regiment on the first Wingate expedition and were presented to all survivors of the operation from No. 8 Column and Northern Section Brigade HQ.
Seen below is a small gallery of images from the Ancestry.com website, including a photograph of Eric with two of his King's Regiment pals, stated as Rogerson and Metcalfe. Although I have no details on any soldier named Metcalfe in my files, the other man is likely to be Lance Corporal James Rogerson also of No. 8 Column in 1943. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. Sadly, Eric Jones passed away aged 83 on the 16th February 1996. He was living back home in Blackpool at the time of his death.
Rank: Private
Service No: 3780158
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: 8
Other details:
Eric Jones was born on the 14th April 1912 and was the son of William and Louisa Jones from Blackpool in Lancashire. In April 1946 after returning from Burma, he married Vera Freeman at Wealdstone, a suburb of northwest London and the couple went on to have three children together.
I was sent the small amount of information held about Eric Jones by another WW2 researcher, which he had found on Ancestry.com. From these details it was fairly straightforward to deduce that Eric had been a member of No. 8 Column on Operation Longcloth, commanded by Major Walter Purcell Scott. The actual proof of his column placement came via the presence of his Longcloth participation certificate, which can be seen in the gallery below. These certificates were the idea of Colonel S.A. Cooke, the senior officer from the King's Regiment on the first Wingate expedition and were presented to all survivors of the operation from No. 8 Column and Northern Section Brigade HQ.
Seen below is a small gallery of images from the Ancestry.com website, including a photograph of Eric with two of his King's Regiment pals, stated as Rogerson and Metcalfe. Although I have no details on any soldier named Metcalfe in my files, the other man is likely to be Lance Corporal James Rogerson also of No. 8 Column in 1943. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. Sadly, Eric Jones passed away aged 83 on the 16th February 1996. He was living back home in Blackpool at the time of his death.
Freddie Jones in January 1942.
JONES, FREDERICK WILLIAM
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: Not known
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Not known
Other details:
Very little is known about this officer. He was a member of the original group of officers from the 13th King's who travelled to India together aboard the troopship 'Oronsay' in late 1941. However, Lieutenant Jones does not feature in any of the previous photographs of the same group taken earlier in the war, or in any of the Battalion War diaries. It is possible I suppose, that he was a last minute recruit to the battalion in late 1941, as the unit was made up to strength for their overseas duties.
I do know however, that 'Freddie' Jones, as he was affectionately known by his fellow officers, was good friends with, Captain Graham Hosegood, Lieutenant 'Topper' Thorpe and Captain Tommy Roberts, with whom he shared the six week long voyage to India.
The only written mention of Freddie that I can find is from one of Graham Hosegood's letters, dated 24th January 1942 and sent home to his parents in South Wales. Graham describes the long voyage to India and the battalion's stay in Durban, South Africa, which all the men seemed to enjoy immensely. He then goes on to say:
"At last it was time to pack up and get back to the ship. I don’t know why but we had to change our ship and this time we got onto one which in peace time was a lovely ship, but which had been knocked about so much as a troopship that inside she was almost disgusting. We were packed very tight. However, we set sail and had more or less made up our minds to make the best of things, when suddenly after only a few hours out to sea we had to turn round and head straight back into port.
We were all delighted and thought we would get a few more days leave in Durban, as we found that something had gone wrong with one of the engines. However, next morning we were put onto another ship and we left the same evening. This one is a real beauty: very modern and extremely comfortable.
The cabins are really huge and although there are seven of us in my cabin we are very well off. There is Bill, Brian, Leslie, Blackburne, Neville & another boy called Freddie Jones. The food is I think a bit better even than our original ship. We have plenty of deck space where we can lounge about in deck chairs and play deck games, and there is also a wonderful open air swimming pool where we all spend as much time as we can. We only get certain times to go in as there are so many that want to use it. The water is changed twice every day and when we get it, it is always just fresh."
Although the 13th King's had began their journey to India aboard the troopship 'Oronsay', she was not to transport them to their final destination. The battalion boarded the troopship ‘Duchess of Athol’ on the 14th January for the resumption of their journey, but she developed engine trouble a little way out to sea. So back to Durban they went and here the battalion crammed aboard the ‘Andes’, in which they completed the voyage to India. It must be stated here, that conditions aboard for the ordinary soldier were very different from those of an officer, a fact borne out in Captain Hosegood's letter.
Of the other cabin mates mentioned by Graham Hosegood, I can identify; Bill Edge, Brian Horncastle, Leslie Cottrell, Harold Blackburne and of course Freddie Jones. There were two men with the first name Neville amongst the battalion's officer contingent; Lieutenant Neville Randall and Lieutenant Neville Saffer.
From a nominal roll of Officers present with the 13th King's as of 24/08/1942, Lieutenant Jones is stated as not present with the battalion at their Chindit training camp at Saugor, but working as a Staff Officer elsewhere. It is possible that he was employed in a clerical or administrative capacity in 1942, perhaps working at the Chindit Rear Base at Agartala. Whether Freddie served on Operation Longcloth is not certain, but he did wear his Chindit insignia with pride upon his Army uniform.
It was to my great surprise, while searching for Chindit memorabilia on line, that I stumbled upon Lieutenant Freddie Jones's Army jacket up for auction on eBay. Unfortunately, I did not manage to secure the lot, but did make contact with the wider family as a result of this sale and sent them some information about Frederick and his time in India.
Seen below are some more images in regard to Lieutenant Freddie Jones and his time with the 13th King's in India during the years of WW2. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Many thanks must go to Craig Bradwell for his help with this story.
Update 30/12/2015.
From the 1945 War diary of the 1st King's Liverpool comes mention of Freddie Jones' repatriation order, after serving 3 years and 8 months overseas in India. The battalion were stationed at Clement Town, Dehra Dun at that time and on the 11th July he journeyed by train to the Homeward Bound Transit Camp at Deolali and from here he returned to the United Kingdom by troopship. The war diary also contains monthly Officer Return listings in which Freddie, now holding the rank of Captain seems to suffer a gradual decline in health, with his medical category stated a healthy grade A in February 1945, but declining to grade C by May.
Update 31/05/2020.
In early May 2020, Freddie Jones' medals, Officer's Release Book and other WW2 related papers came up for auction on eBay. Once again I was unable to acquire these items, with my bid falling short by just a small amount on the day. The information included within the auction lot confirmed Freddie's move from the 13th King's across to the 1st King's in 1942 and his continuous service with the 1st Battalion until the very end of the war. Added to the gallery below are images of Captain Jones' Army Officer's Book and mounted medal entitlement for his WW2 service.
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: Not known
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Chindit Column: Not known
Other details:
Very little is known about this officer. He was a member of the original group of officers from the 13th King's who travelled to India together aboard the troopship 'Oronsay' in late 1941. However, Lieutenant Jones does not feature in any of the previous photographs of the same group taken earlier in the war, or in any of the Battalion War diaries. It is possible I suppose, that he was a last minute recruit to the battalion in late 1941, as the unit was made up to strength for their overseas duties.
I do know however, that 'Freddie' Jones, as he was affectionately known by his fellow officers, was good friends with, Captain Graham Hosegood, Lieutenant 'Topper' Thorpe and Captain Tommy Roberts, with whom he shared the six week long voyage to India.
The only written mention of Freddie that I can find is from one of Graham Hosegood's letters, dated 24th January 1942 and sent home to his parents in South Wales. Graham describes the long voyage to India and the battalion's stay in Durban, South Africa, which all the men seemed to enjoy immensely. He then goes on to say:
"At last it was time to pack up and get back to the ship. I don’t know why but we had to change our ship and this time we got onto one which in peace time was a lovely ship, but which had been knocked about so much as a troopship that inside she was almost disgusting. We were packed very tight. However, we set sail and had more or less made up our minds to make the best of things, when suddenly after only a few hours out to sea we had to turn round and head straight back into port.
We were all delighted and thought we would get a few more days leave in Durban, as we found that something had gone wrong with one of the engines. However, next morning we were put onto another ship and we left the same evening. This one is a real beauty: very modern and extremely comfortable.
The cabins are really huge and although there are seven of us in my cabin we are very well off. There is Bill, Brian, Leslie, Blackburne, Neville & another boy called Freddie Jones. The food is I think a bit better even than our original ship. We have plenty of deck space where we can lounge about in deck chairs and play deck games, and there is also a wonderful open air swimming pool where we all spend as much time as we can. We only get certain times to go in as there are so many that want to use it. The water is changed twice every day and when we get it, it is always just fresh."
Although the 13th King's had began their journey to India aboard the troopship 'Oronsay', she was not to transport them to their final destination. The battalion boarded the troopship ‘Duchess of Athol’ on the 14th January for the resumption of their journey, but she developed engine trouble a little way out to sea. So back to Durban they went and here the battalion crammed aboard the ‘Andes’, in which they completed the voyage to India. It must be stated here, that conditions aboard for the ordinary soldier were very different from those of an officer, a fact borne out in Captain Hosegood's letter.
Of the other cabin mates mentioned by Graham Hosegood, I can identify; Bill Edge, Brian Horncastle, Leslie Cottrell, Harold Blackburne and of course Freddie Jones. There were two men with the first name Neville amongst the battalion's officer contingent; Lieutenant Neville Randall and Lieutenant Neville Saffer.
From a nominal roll of Officers present with the 13th King's as of 24/08/1942, Lieutenant Jones is stated as not present with the battalion at their Chindit training camp at Saugor, but working as a Staff Officer elsewhere. It is possible that he was employed in a clerical or administrative capacity in 1942, perhaps working at the Chindit Rear Base at Agartala. Whether Freddie served on Operation Longcloth is not certain, but he did wear his Chindit insignia with pride upon his Army uniform.
It was to my great surprise, while searching for Chindit memorabilia on line, that I stumbled upon Lieutenant Freddie Jones's Army jacket up for auction on eBay. Unfortunately, I did not manage to secure the lot, but did make contact with the wider family as a result of this sale and sent them some information about Frederick and his time in India.
Seen below are some more images in regard to Lieutenant Freddie Jones and his time with the 13th King's in India during the years of WW2. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Many thanks must go to Craig Bradwell for his help with this story.
Update 30/12/2015.
From the 1945 War diary of the 1st King's Liverpool comes mention of Freddie Jones' repatriation order, after serving 3 years and 8 months overseas in India. The battalion were stationed at Clement Town, Dehra Dun at that time and on the 11th July he journeyed by train to the Homeward Bound Transit Camp at Deolali and from here he returned to the United Kingdom by troopship. The war diary also contains monthly Officer Return listings in which Freddie, now holding the rank of Captain seems to suffer a gradual decline in health, with his medical category stated a healthy grade A in February 1945, but declining to grade C by May.
Update 31/05/2020.
In early May 2020, Freddie Jones' medals, Officer's Release Book and other WW2 related papers came up for auction on eBay. Once again I was unable to acquire these items, with my bid falling short by just a small amount on the day. The information included within the auction lot confirmed Freddie's move from the 13th King's across to the 1st King's in 1942 and his continuous service with the 1st Battalion until the very end of the war. Added to the gallery below are images of Captain Jones' Army Officer's Book and mounted medal entitlement for his WW2 service.
Sidney Charles Rupert Jones.
JONES, SIDNEY CHARLES RUPERT
Rank: Lance Serjeant
Service No: 1877652
Date of Death: 09/06/1944
Age: 22
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers, 89 Special (M) Field Coy.
Attached: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Battalion.
Memorial: Gauhati War Cemetery, Grave Reference 4.B.7.
CWGC link: Sidney Charles Rupert Jones
Chindit Column: 2
Other details:
Lance Serjeant Sidney Jones was born in Hawarden in the Welsh county of Flintshire, which is situated close to the city of Chester and was the son of Lloyd and Elizabeth Jones from Rossington in South Yorkshire. Sidney went to school in Rossington, before working at the Rossington Colliery located a few miles south-east of Doncaster.
Sidney enlisted into the British Army in 1939. It is not yet known which unit he was originally posted to, but he eventually joined the Royal Engineers, serving in the 89th Special (M) Field Company in 1941. Family information suggests that he served in both Libya and Iraq during the early years of the war and was reportedly wounded during this time. He travelled to India at some point during the first half of 1942 and was, along with nine other soldiers from the Royal Engineers, attached to 142 Company of the newly formed 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, later to be known as Wingate's first Chindit Brigade.
The new draft of Royal Engineers, including Sapper Jones joined up with the Chindits on the 8th September 1942 at their training camp in Abchand, located in the Central Provinces of India. 142 Company was in effect the nominal title for the Commando section of 77th Brigade and was set up to provide a fighting platoon for each Chindit column. 142 Commando was originally commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel T. Featherstonehaugh of the King's Royal Rifles. Featherstonehaugh had led No. 6 Commando earlier in the war, taking part in various raids against German forces in places such as Norway.
On the 13th July 1942, command of 142 Commando was given over to Major Mike Calvert of the Royal Engineers. The unit was then supplemented by soldiers from the Bush Warfare School which was based at Maymyo and the 204 Chinese Military Mission. Both these units had experience in Special Forces operations behind enemy lines and had only recently returned from expeditions in Burma and the Yunnan Provinces of China. Later in the autumn of 1942, more reinforcements for 142 Commando were brought in from men who had previously served with Special Forces in the Middle East. This matches up perfectly with Sidney's former activities in Libya and Iraq.
The structure of each Chindit Commando platoon was as follows:
1 Commanding Officer, usually a Lieutenant promoted to Acting/Captain.
1 2nd Lieutenant
1 Sergeant
1 Corporal
2 Lance Corporals
1 Sapper from the Royal Engineers
12-14 Privates
Sidney Jones, now promoted to Lance Corporal, was placed into Chindit Column No. 2 as the sole Royal Engineer attachment to the commando platoon. It was around this time that 142 Commando moved to their new Chindit training camp at Saugor, also in the Central Provinces of India. It was whilst at this camp that the newly formed commando platoons began lessons in sabotage, the handling of explosives and the latest hand to hand combat techniques.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including several photographs of other men from Sidney's unit. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Rank: Lance Serjeant
Service No: 1877652
Date of Death: 09/06/1944
Age: 22
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers, 89 Special (M) Field Coy.
Attached: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Battalion.
Memorial: Gauhati War Cemetery, Grave Reference 4.B.7.
CWGC link: Sidney Charles Rupert Jones
Chindit Column: 2
Other details:
Lance Serjeant Sidney Jones was born in Hawarden in the Welsh county of Flintshire, which is situated close to the city of Chester and was the son of Lloyd and Elizabeth Jones from Rossington in South Yorkshire. Sidney went to school in Rossington, before working at the Rossington Colliery located a few miles south-east of Doncaster.
Sidney enlisted into the British Army in 1939. It is not yet known which unit he was originally posted to, but he eventually joined the Royal Engineers, serving in the 89th Special (M) Field Company in 1941. Family information suggests that he served in both Libya and Iraq during the early years of the war and was reportedly wounded during this time. He travelled to India at some point during the first half of 1942 and was, along with nine other soldiers from the Royal Engineers, attached to 142 Company of the newly formed 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, later to be known as Wingate's first Chindit Brigade.
The new draft of Royal Engineers, including Sapper Jones joined up with the Chindits on the 8th September 1942 at their training camp in Abchand, located in the Central Provinces of India. 142 Company was in effect the nominal title for the Commando section of 77th Brigade and was set up to provide a fighting platoon for each Chindit column. 142 Commando was originally commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel T. Featherstonehaugh of the King's Royal Rifles. Featherstonehaugh had led No. 6 Commando earlier in the war, taking part in various raids against German forces in places such as Norway.
On the 13th July 1942, command of 142 Commando was given over to Major Mike Calvert of the Royal Engineers. The unit was then supplemented by soldiers from the Bush Warfare School which was based at Maymyo and the 204 Chinese Military Mission. Both these units had experience in Special Forces operations behind enemy lines and had only recently returned from expeditions in Burma and the Yunnan Provinces of China. Later in the autumn of 1942, more reinforcements for 142 Commando were brought in from men who had previously served with Special Forces in the Middle East. This matches up perfectly with Sidney's former activities in Libya and Iraq.
The structure of each Chindit Commando platoon was as follows:
1 Commanding Officer, usually a Lieutenant promoted to Acting/Captain.
1 2nd Lieutenant
1 Sergeant
1 Corporal
2 Lance Corporals
1 Sapper from the Royal Engineers
12-14 Privates
Sidney Jones, now promoted to Lance Corporal, was placed into Chindit Column No. 2 as the sole Royal Engineer attachment to the commando platoon. It was around this time that 142 Commando moved to their new Chindit training camp at Saugor, also in the Central Provinces of India. It was whilst at this camp that the newly formed commando platoons began lessons in sabotage, the handling of explosives and the latest hand to hand combat techniques.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including several photographs of other men from Sidney's unit. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
To read more about James Boyce and his time in Burma, please click on the following link: James Boyce
To read more about Ernest Bradley and Albert Barnes, please click on the following link and scroll down alphabetically: Roll Call A-E
Column 2 was part of Southern Section on Operation Longcloth and made up of mainly Gurkha troops; Sidney would have been one of only a handful of British soldiers present in the column. Southern Section were designated the role of decoy by Brigadier Wingate in 1943, with orders to march through Burmese villages quite overtly and to purposely attract the attention of the locals. This, Wingate hoped, would draw all Japanese attention to the south of where he and the main section of his Chindits were heading, namely the railway station towns at Nankan and Bonchaung.
Southern Group crossed the Chindwin River on 15/16th February 1943 at a place called Auktang. Their orders were to march toward their own prime target, the rail station at Kyaikthin. They marched openly along well known trails and paths and also received a large supply drop from the air, which must have adequately announced their presence in the area to the Japanese. The decoy group were accompanied at this time by a Company of Sikh Mountain Artillery and a section of Seaforth Highlanders. These supplementary units were to create a further diversion for Wingate, by attacking the town of Pantha and alerting the enemy to the possibility that there might well be a full-scale re-invasion taking place. To all intents and purposes these tactics succeeded and Northern Group did proceed unmolested toward their objectives.
On the 2nd March, Chindit Columns 1 and 2 had reached the outskirts of Kyaikthin; Major Dunlop, commander of Column 1 was given the order to blow up the railway bridge, whilst Column 2 under the command of Major Arthur Emmett, along with Southern Group HQ were to head on towards the rail station itself. What neither group realised was that the Japanese had by now closed in on the unsuspecting Chindits and lay in wait just a short way up the tracks. To make matters even worse the two Gurkha columns had now lost radio contact with each other. Column 2 and Group Head Quarters, now marching in the black of night stumbled into an enemy ambush which straddled both sides of the railway line embankment.
Here is how Lieutenant Ian MacHorton, a young Gurkha officer recalls that moment:
"We shuffled to a halt as the guides probed forward. There came the sound of just one bang up front, then an inferno of noise engulfed the world around me. There came the high-pitched staccato scream of a machine gun, then overwhelmingly many others joined in, the crash and ping of rifle bullets, the banging of grenades as the battle reached a fearful crescendo. Men and mules were lying, twisted and contorted, twitching and writhing, others were still erect, stark in the moonlight, heaving and jerking in the midst of this chaos. Then a sinister scuffling noise made by men of all kinds in close combat. The close combat of bayonet and kukri, the fanatical, personal slaughter with blood-dripping cold steel."
2 Column suffered heavy casualties at Kyaikthin and in the confusion of battle many of the men from the unit misunderstood the dispersal call given and moved away to the west. This group, which included column commander Major Emmett decided to return to India; however, it is suggested that the Commando Platoon alongside other survivors from 2 Column, met up with Column 1 and crossed over the Irrawaddy River on the 10th March, continuing on with their journey behind enemy lines. 2 Column has probably received the least amount of coverage in terms of books and memoirs written about it's time in Burma and I have never been able to find much information about Major Emmett or his subsequent career with the Gurkhas post 1943. All I know is that before the war, he was a tea planter from Ceylon.
It is of course impossible to say for sure what happened to Sidney Jones after the battle at Kyaikthin. His time in Burma during 1943, centres around the ambush at the rail station and whether he returned to India with Major Emmett, or joined up with Column 1 and continued on with the operation. If Sidney teamed up with Column 1 after Kyaikthin, then he stayed behind enemy lines for well over three months, before returning to India in early May 1943. It is possible that he picked up a wound or suffered disease during this time, and would certainly have been in a very poor state of health by the time he finally reached the safety of India.
To read more about Ernest Bradley and Albert Barnes, please click on the following link and scroll down alphabetically: Roll Call A-E
Column 2 was part of Southern Section on Operation Longcloth and made up of mainly Gurkha troops; Sidney would have been one of only a handful of British soldiers present in the column. Southern Section were designated the role of decoy by Brigadier Wingate in 1943, with orders to march through Burmese villages quite overtly and to purposely attract the attention of the locals. This, Wingate hoped, would draw all Japanese attention to the south of where he and the main section of his Chindits were heading, namely the railway station towns at Nankan and Bonchaung.
Southern Group crossed the Chindwin River on 15/16th February 1943 at a place called Auktang. Their orders were to march toward their own prime target, the rail station at Kyaikthin. They marched openly along well known trails and paths and also received a large supply drop from the air, which must have adequately announced their presence in the area to the Japanese. The decoy group were accompanied at this time by a Company of Sikh Mountain Artillery and a section of Seaforth Highlanders. These supplementary units were to create a further diversion for Wingate, by attacking the town of Pantha and alerting the enemy to the possibility that there might well be a full-scale re-invasion taking place. To all intents and purposes these tactics succeeded and Northern Group did proceed unmolested toward their objectives.
On the 2nd March, Chindit Columns 1 and 2 had reached the outskirts of Kyaikthin; Major Dunlop, commander of Column 1 was given the order to blow up the railway bridge, whilst Column 2 under the command of Major Arthur Emmett, along with Southern Group HQ were to head on towards the rail station itself. What neither group realised was that the Japanese had by now closed in on the unsuspecting Chindits and lay in wait just a short way up the tracks. To make matters even worse the two Gurkha columns had now lost radio contact with each other. Column 2 and Group Head Quarters, now marching in the black of night stumbled into an enemy ambush which straddled both sides of the railway line embankment.
Here is how Lieutenant Ian MacHorton, a young Gurkha officer recalls that moment:
"We shuffled to a halt as the guides probed forward. There came the sound of just one bang up front, then an inferno of noise engulfed the world around me. There came the high-pitched staccato scream of a machine gun, then overwhelmingly many others joined in, the crash and ping of rifle bullets, the banging of grenades as the battle reached a fearful crescendo. Men and mules were lying, twisted and contorted, twitching and writhing, others were still erect, stark in the moonlight, heaving and jerking in the midst of this chaos. Then a sinister scuffling noise made by men of all kinds in close combat. The close combat of bayonet and kukri, the fanatical, personal slaughter with blood-dripping cold steel."
2 Column suffered heavy casualties at Kyaikthin and in the confusion of battle many of the men from the unit misunderstood the dispersal call given and moved away to the west. This group, which included column commander Major Emmett decided to return to India; however, it is suggested that the Commando Platoon alongside other survivors from 2 Column, met up with Column 1 and crossed over the Irrawaddy River on the 10th March, continuing on with their journey behind enemy lines. 2 Column has probably received the least amount of coverage in terms of books and memoirs written about it's time in Burma and I have never been able to find much information about Major Emmett or his subsequent career with the Gurkhas post 1943. All I know is that before the war, he was a tea planter from Ceylon.
It is of course impossible to say for sure what happened to Sidney Jones after the battle at Kyaikthin. His time in Burma during 1943, centres around the ambush at the rail station and whether he returned to India with Major Emmett, or joined up with Column 1 and continued on with the operation. If Sidney teamed up with Column 1 after Kyaikthin, then he stayed behind enemy lines for well over three months, before returning to India in early May 1943. It is possible that he picked up a wound or suffered disease during this time, and would certainly have been in a very poor state of health by the time he finally reached the safety of India.
Map showing the area around the railway at Kyaikthin and 1 Column's advance to the Irrawaddy.
Sidney Jones sadly died in Gauhati Hospital on the 9th June 1944 and was subsequently buried at Gauhati War Cemetery located in the Indian State of Assam. With his date of death, it is clear that Sidney survived his time on the first Wingate expedition and returned safely to India in 1943. Most men from Longcloth never recovered their health enough to serve again during the war. But, the fact that he perished so long after the first expedition, well over a year in fact, makes me wonder if Sidney went in again with the second Chindit expedition in 1944. With his specialist knowledge, commando skills and experience gained in 1943, he would be a prime candidate for further service. This of course is pure conjecture on my part.
In April 2016, some valuable information came to light in regards to Lance Serjeant Jones and what had happened to him during his time in Burma. Sidney's niece, Lorraine Hall posted on the WW2Talk forum asking for information about her uncle's wartime experiences:
I am researching information on Sidney Charles Rupert Jones, who was a Lance Serjeant in the 89th Royal Engineers. His Army service number was 1877652 and he was killed on the 9th June 1944. His name is on the Rossington War Memorial and he has been attributed to being in the Chindits. I am trying to find out which group, section or unit he was attached to and if and when he became involved with the Chindits. He is buried at Gauhati War Cemetery.
I have some family information, that he had been shot in the jungle and by the time they could get him back, he had contracted gangrene. We do not know when or where this was. My own mother, Edith May Tyler (nee Jones), was the eldest sister of the four brothers: Sidney, Jack, Frank and Albert. She basically raised these four boys and was devastated to learn that Sidney had died out in India. It sat really hard with her and she mentioned it all again just before she died. One of the reasons why I am trying to find out more details about Sidney, is so that our family can continue to understand and remember his sacrifice.
Lorraine's information in regards to her uncle's death, especially the details about being evacuated from the jungle suffering from a gun-shot wound, but then succumbing to gangrene in hospital, have strengthened my belief that Sidney Jones did indeed take part in the second Chindit expedition in 1944, or at least served again during the wider campaign in Burma that year. His date of death certainly ties in with possible service on Operation Thursday. Also, the fact that he is recorded on the Commonwealth Graves website with the rank of Lance Serjeant, suggests that he served again after Operation Longcloth when he held the lower rank of Lance Corporal. It seems unlikely to me, that he would have been promoted to Serjeant whilst in hospital at Gauhati, if the wound he acquired had been during his time on Operation Longcloth in 1943. Unfortunately, we may never find out the truth.
Seen below is a final gallery of images in relation to this story, including a recent photograph of Sidney's grave at Gauhati War Cemetery. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lorraine Hall for her assistance in bringing the story of Sidney Jones to these website pages and for permission to use the information she has provided. By way of concluding this story, shown below are the words chosen by the Jones family for Sidney's epitaph, as inscribed on his grave plaque at Gauhati War Cemetery.
Sleep on, gallant son, till the day breaks and shadows flee. Peace be thine.
Sleep on, gallant son, till the day breaks and shadows flee. Peace be thine.
Update 19/07/2020.
I was delighted to receive an email contact from another relative of Sidney Jones. Great nephew Dean Corfield told me:
With your permission, I would like to copy some of the information from your excellent site regarding my great uncle Sidney Jones and use it on the Burma Research Group (Facebook), to stimulate more interest and find out how he was killed in the second operation. Thank you for helping the family more than you will ever know, by providing the information on your site. We believe that he served on both Chindit expeditions. The only story that we really know was that he was wounded in the groin quite badly and was left behind with a machine gun and some grenades. His friends came back for him but gangrene had set in and he was taken out to a hospital in India where he died.
Another family story is that he fought at a railway junction or yard which ties in with the first campaign battle at Kyaikthin that you mention. Thank you again for your efforts as this still means a lot to the families involved and really helps to add bits together for those of us trying to discover more. It was about five years ago that I realised he had been in 142 Company. The family have always been very proud of him, but did not know much about what happened. It is incredible that it took 70 years for us to find out we had a commando in the family.
Regards, Dean Corfield.
I was delighted to receive an email contact from another relative of Sidney Jones. Great nephew Dean Corfield told me:
With your permission, I would like to copy some of the information from your excellent site regarding my great uncle Sidney Jones and use it on the Burma Research Group (Facebook), to stimulate more interest and find out how he was killed in the second operation. Thank you for helping the family more than you will ever know, by providing the information on your site. We believe that he served on both Chindit expeditions. The only story that we really know was that he was wounded in the groin quite badly and was left behind with a machine gun and some grenades. His friends came back for him but gangrene had set in and he was taken out to a hospital in India where he died.
Another family story is that he fought at a railway junction or yard which ties in with the first campaign battle at Kyaikthin that you mention. Thank you again for your efforts as this still means a lot to the families involved and really helps to add bits together for those of us trying to discover more. It was about five years ago that I realised he had been in 142 Company. The family have always been very proud of him, but did not know much about what happened. It is incredible that it took 70 years for us to find out we had a commando in the family.
Regards, Dean Corfield.
Update 07/05/2023.
Some more valuable information has been sent to me from Lorraine Hall, in the form of a summary of Sidney's WW2 service. This information was first posted on the WW2Talk forum in April 2023.
Personal particulars-Sidney Jones:
A miner by trade
5 foor 6 inches tall
148 lbs
Complexion - Fresh
Eyes - Hazel
Hair - Brown
Religious denomination - C of E
Age on enlistment - 18 years 3 months
28/08/1939 attested as a Sapper, then remustered as a Pioneer 05/01/1940.
25/06/1940 embarked at Gourock on the Clyde (Scotland) for the Middle East, arriving 05/09/1940. Posted 12th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Served in Syria up until February 1942.
27/02/1942 embarked Port Tewfik (Suez) for India. Disembarking at Bombay on 9th March 1942. Posted to 77th Indian Infantry Brigade with rank of Lance Corporal.
Served with No. 2 Column commandos on Operation Longcloth and again on Operation Thursday in 1944, posted to the Chindits in late 1943 from the 633rd Field Company, Royal Engineers.
Died on 9th June 1944 in India. Stated cause of death-bronchial pneumonia. Rank at death Acting Lance Sergeant.
Medals awarded:
1939-1945 Star
Africa Star
Burma Star
Defence Medal
War Medal 1939-1945
NB. After receiving Lorraine's latest details about Sidney, it prompted me to explore some casualty listings I now possess, in regards the men from the Royal Engineers on Operation Thursday. I did not have these listings in my possession back in 2016, when Lorraine first made contact, but as you can see from the image below, Sidney is listed as having died on the 9th June 1944, having served with the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in Burma that year. At least we now have conclusive evidence that he did actually serve on the second Chindit expedition and from his service records, the official cause of his death.
Some more valuable information has been sent to me from Lorraine Hall, in the form of a summary of Sidney's WW2 service. This information was first posted on the WW2Talk forum in April 2023.
Personal particulars-Sidney Jones:
A miner by trade
5 foor 6 inches tall
148 lbs
Complexion - Fresh
Eyes - Hazel
Hair - Brown
Religious denomination - C of E
Age on enlistment - 18 years 3 months
28/08/1939 attested as a Sapper, then remustered as a Pioneer 05/01/1940.
25/06/1940 embarked at Gourock on the Clyde (Scotland) for the Middle East, arriving 05/09/1940. Posted 12th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Served in Syria up until February 1942.
27/02/1942 embarked Port Tewfik (Suez) for India. Disembarking at Bombay on 9th March 1942. Posted to 77th Indian Infantry Brigade with rank of Lance Corporal.
Served with No. 2 Column commandos on Operation Longcloth and again on Operation Thursday in 1944, posted to the Chindits in late 1943 from the 633rd Field Company, Royal Engineers.
Died on 9th June 1944 in India. Stated cause of death-bronchial pneumonia. Rank at death Acting Lance Sergeant.
Medals awarded:
1939-1945 Star
Africa Star
Burma Star
Defence Medal
War Medal 1939-1945
NB. After receiving Lorraine's latest details about Sidney, it prompted me to explore some casualty listings I now possess, in regards the men from the Royal Engineers on Operation Thursday. I did not have these listings in my possession back in 2016, when Lorraine first made contact, but as you can see from the image below, Sidney is listed as having died on the 9th June 1944, having served with the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in Burma that year. At least we now have conclusive evidence that he did actually serve on the second Chindit expedition and from his service records, the official cause of his death.
Part casualty listing for Royal Engineers on Operation Thursday in 1944, including an entry for L/Sgt. Sidney Jones.
Update 28/07/2024.
Great nephew, Dean Corfield and forum member Skoyen89 added the following information on the WW2 Talk forum in January 2024:
Skoyen89 said:
Dean recently asked about a Sapper Daniel M. Spence (14404017) on the Facebook Burma campaign platform. In a report Spence was said to be serving with L/Sgt. Jones in the 89th Special Mixed Field Company when he was wounded on either 24th or 29th May 1944, when an ordnance dump was blown up. Spence appears on the Casualty List #1484 as being wounded on 29th May 1944. However, a search through the Missing Personnel file for the Royal Engineers in the third campaign (so the battles in 1944 in Arakan, Assam, Chindit 2 etc) shows that both Sapper Spence and L/Sgt. Jones were serving together with 89th Special Mixed Field Company at the Blackpool Block on 25th May 1944.
Dean then added:
I went cold when I saw my great uncles name on the missing report Skoyen89 mentions (seen below) and it has finally given me the place where he was and within a few days of the accidental explosion from which he was wounded. Obviously, they were at the meeting point of the Chindit hell hole known as Blackpool. Sidney died a couple of weeks later in India, probably from a mixture of the explosion injury and malaria/pneumonia. The story of the retreat from Blackpool is horrendous. Many thanks to Skoyen89 for digging this out of his files and almost by accident, as I was chasing another member of the 89th SM Field Company RE as he mentioned. I was helping a family in Toronto research their relative Daniel Spence, also of 89 SM Field Company RE. Talk about finding needles in a haystack! I have had some fantastic people help me find little snippets of information over the last 10 years or so, but it now seems like all the little pieces of the jigsaw are coming together. I almost have a complete story now (much of which the family never knew) and what a fascinating story it has become.
I have also found other references from within Sidney's Army records, that between the two Chindit campaigns he might have been involved with Military Intelligence in India with 6Y Section, which was involved with diplomatic communications and interceptions. I also have information about his Mentioned in Dispatches from when he was wounded in the thigh in North Africa in a fire fight with two Italian machine gun posts. This information was given to me by the grandson of one of the officers with 12 Field Company, Royal Engineers (Sidney's unit) at that time.
From the war diary of the 12th Field Company, RE and dated Tobruk 30/31st October 1941:
Sapper Jones (Sidney Charles Rupert), whilst on night patrol on 30/31st (October) was shot in the thigh by an enemy sentry, suffering a superficial wound. The patrol were challenged by an Italian guard and a searchlight was turned on them. Two other men from the same patrol were wounded. All returned safely to their own lines.
Witness statement made by Sapper Daniel Spence in regards the men last seen at the Blackpool Block on 25th May 1944.
JONES, THOMAS
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 5119069
Date of Death: 25/02/1944
Age: 28
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Grave 5.A.5 Rangoon War Cemetery
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2260174/jones,-thomas/#&gid=null&pid=1
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Thomas Jones was the grandson of Mary Cooke from Salford in Manchester. Thomas enlisted into the British Army and was originally posted to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. In the spring of 1942, he and a large draft of men from his regiment were sent overseas to India and it was from here that they were transferred across to the 13th King's, joining the battalion on the 26th September at the Saugor training camp in the Central Provinces of the country. Thomas was allocated to No. 5 Column under the command of Major Bernard Fergusson formerly of the Black Watch Regiment.
Thomas performed the role of a mule handler (muleteer) on Operation Longcloth and would have been involved at all of No. 5 Column's major engagements with the Japanese on the first Wingate expedition in 1943. These included the demolitions at the Bonchaung Gorge on March 6th, crossing the Irrawaddy River at Tigyaing, the ambush at Hintha village and the subsequent secondary ambush a few miles north of Hintha on the 29th March. Please use the text box located in the top right hand corner of this page to search for information about the places mentioned in this narrative.
It is my belief that Thomas was lost to his column at the second Japanese ambush on the outskirts of Hintha on 29th March 1943. This is sadly not 100% confirmed, but 100 men from No. 5 Column became separated from the main body of troops that day. To read more about the ambush and what happened to many of the men afterwards, please click on the following link: Pte. Bernard Keelan
From a witness statement given by CQMS. E. Henderson after reaching the safety of Allied held territory, comes the following account of the period directly after the second ambush at Hintha.
I was with number five Column of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, during operations in Burma in 1943. The British Other Ranks mentioned below 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, these 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 these 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.
Signed by, CQMS. E.G. Henderson, 13th Kings Regiment.
The men in question did not attempt to find or re-join any of Major Fergusson's three main dispersal parties after they were ambushed, but instead moved away from the area in small parties, where they rather fortuitously met up with Major Gilkes and 7 Column on the banks of the Shweli River. Many of these soldiers never made it out of Burma alive in 1943, some perished on the arduous journey north towards the Chinese Borders, while others became prisoners of war and died in captivity.
Here are the men that Ernest Henderson lists in his witness statement as being part of the ambushed group, including L/Cpl. Thomas Jones:
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 5119069
Date of Death: 25/02/1944
Age: 28
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Grave 5.A.5 Rangoon War Cemetery
CWGC link: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2260174/jones,-thomas/#&gid=null&pid=1
Chindit Column: 5
Other details:
Thomas Jones was the grandson of Mary Cooke from Salford in Manchester. Thomas enlisted into the British Army and was originally posted to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. In the spring of 1942, he and a large draft of men from his regiment were sent overseas to India and it was from here that they were transferred across to the 13th King's, joining the battalion on the 26th September at the Saugor training camp in the Central Provinces of the country. Thomas was allocated to No. 5 Column under the command of Major Bernard Fergusson formerly of the Black Watch Regiment.
Thomas performed the role of a mule handler (muleteer) on Operation Longcloth and would have been involved at all of No. 5 Column's major engagements with the Japanese on the first Wingate expedition in 1943. These included the demolitions at the Bonchaung Gorge on March 6th, crossing the Irrawaddy River at Tigyaing, the ambush at Hintha village and the subsequent secondary ambush a few miles north of Hintha on the 29th March. Please use the text box located in the top right hand corner of this page to search for information about the places mentioned in this narrative.
It is my belief that Thomas was lost to his column at the second Japanese ambush on the outskirts of Hintha on 29th March 1943. This is sadly not 100% confirmed, but 100 men from No. 5 Column became separated from the main body of troops that day. To read more about the ambush and what happened to many of the men afterwards, please click on the following link: Pte. Bernard Keelan
From a witness statement given by CQMS. E. Henderson after reaching the safety of Allied held territory, comes the following account of the period directly after the second ambush at Hintha.
I was with number five Column of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, during operations in Burma in 1943. The British Other Ranks mentioned below 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, these 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 these 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.
Signed by, CQMS. E.G. Henderson, 13th Kings Regiment.
The men in question did not attempt to find or re-join any of Major Fergusson's three main dispersal parties after they were ambushed, but instead moved away from the area in small parties, where they rather fortuitously met up with Major Gilkes and 7 Column on the banks of the Shweli River. Many of these soldiers never made it out of Burma alive in 1943, some perished on the arduous journey north towards the Chinese Borders, while others became prisoners of war and died in captivity.
Here are the men that Ernest Henderson lists in his witness statement as being part of the ambushed group, including L/Cpl. Thomas Jones:
|
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 |
Map showing the separation of No. 5 Column on the outskirts of Hintha village and the direction of the men thereafter.
On meeting up with No. 7 Column at the Shweli River near a village called Ingyinbin, the men from No. 5 Column were immediately allocated to the various dispersal groups which had already been pre-arranged by column commander Major Kenneth Gilkes before he inherited these extra soldiers. Thomas Jones was placed into a party of around 35 men led by Lt. Campbell-Patterson.
L/Cpl. Thomas Jones was officially listed as missing on the 6th April 1943 and is described as having fell out of the line of march in the area along the western banks of the Shweli River. After his return to the safety of Allied lines in 1943, Pte. Richard Delooze, also a former soldier with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and a member of No. 5 Column, gave the following witness report in regards to Thomas Jones:
L/Cpl. Jones and myself were mule leaders in No. 5 Column of the Wingate expedition to Burma in 1943. After the battle of Hintha on the 28th March, we and others of our column became separated from the main body and joined No. 7 Column on the 29th March. We marched with No. 7 Column for several days and on or about the 5th April, it was decided that the body should break up into smaller parties. Up to that time L/Cpl. Jones and myself were together. I remained with the main Column Group (commanded by Major Gilkes) and L/Cpl. Jones was detailed to the party under the command of Lt. Campbell-Patterson. We were in the vicinity of the river Shweli, within seven or eight miles of Moyngin. This was the last time I saw L/Cpl. Jones and he was fit and well.
According to the 7 Column war diary, the date that the agreed dispersal groups separated from the main body of the column was on the 10th April, some five days later than suggested by Pte. Delooze. In any case, the party led by Lt. Campbell-Patterson's group did not fair well, and by the 18th May all men had either been killed, lost or fallen into Japanese hands. To read more about the fate of Lt. Campbell-Patterson and his dispersal party, please click on the following link and scroll alphabetically down the page: Roll Call A-E
Thomas Jones was captured by the Japanese at some point around the 18th April 1943, probably during the period after his dispersal group had ambushed by the enemy in the area around Yemu (see map in the gallery below). In any event, after their initial capture he and many of his Chindit comrades were taken down to Rangoon and imprisoned in Block 6 of the city jail. Thomas was given the POW 427 (shi-ni-shichi) and was required to recite this number in the Japanese language at each morning and evening roll call, known as tenkos at Rangoon.
Sadly, Thomas Jones perished inside Rangoon Jail on the 25th February 1944, his cause of death is unknown, but is likely to have been a combination of exhaustion, malnutrition and possibly the effects of diseases such as malaria and dysentery. He was buried in the first instance at the English Cantonment Cemetery, located in the eastern sector of the city, close to the Royal Lakes. All POW burials were recorded by the senior British officer at Rangoon and Thomas' grave was listed as being no. 156 at the cemetery. After the war, the Imperial Graves Commission moved all burials from the Cantonment Cemetery and placed them in plots at the newly constructed Rangoon War Cemetery and this is where Thomas lies to this day.
On the 7th June 1941, Thomas Jones completed his official Army Will and in this document he appointed his grandmother, Mary Cooke of 9 George Street, Salford to be both his Executor and only beneficiary in terms of his property and effects. When his remains were re-interred at Rangoon War Cemetery, Thomas' family, presumably Mary, were asked if they would like to nominate an epitaph for his memorial plaque. This they agreed to do and decided upon these rather emotive words:
Sweet are the memories silently kept,
Of one we love and will never forget.
Of one we love and will never forget.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this story, including the original witness statement given by Pte. Richard Delooze regarding the last known whereabouts of Thomas Jones and a map of the area where he most probably fell into Japanese hands. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Karachi War Cemetery.
JONES, WILLIAM GEORGE
Rank: Private
Service No: 4194244
Date of Death: 23/06/1944
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Karachi War Cemetery, Grave Reference 6.B.7.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2178323/JONES,%20WILLIAM%20GEORGE
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
William George Jones was the son of Hugh Hughes Jones and Elizabeth Ann Jones, of Conway, Caernarvonshire. William was formerly a soldier with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, before joining the ranks of the 13th King's in India. William George Jones is not mentioned in any documents in relation to Operation Longcloth and it is my guess that he did not take part in the expedition in 1943.
At the time of Pte. Jones death the 13th King's were stationed in Karachi at the Napier Barracks. The only real clue as to how he might of died, comes from the personal memoir of another 13th Kingsman, Pte. Frank Holland. Frank Holland had served on Operation Longcloth as a member of Chindit Column 8 commanded by Major Walter Purcell Scott.
On his return from Burma, Frank mentions in his diary:
"After a month we set off for Karachi. During the journey I developed malaria and by the time we arrived I was an ambulance case and went to hospital. Your first dose of malaria really puts you down, temperatures you’ve never heard of, deliriums and the quinine playing havoc with everything. The hospital in Karachi was a nice place and they did some important operations in the main building. Malaria, jaundice, typhoid and dysentery cases were kept in detached huts, but not isolated from one another.
If you could walk with malaria you had to fetch your bedding and mattress from the store and make the bed. There was one bright thing to it, malaria cases were given one bottle of beer each day for free. Back in barracks you were allowed one bottle per month on a coupon which you paid for. Napier Barracks were old regular Army barracks. They were two storey brick buildings with verandahs upstairs and down to draw the air in, because we had no fans or punkhas. Life was pretty good there, as we so called convalescents had been built up to full fitness."
Some time later Frank Holland recalled:
"Malaria was still pestering me, in and out of hospital quite regular. We buried a few of our lads as a result of it. We agreed to have photos taken of their graves and sent back to relatives, small comfort, but we always got letters of thanks back."
NB: By matching up the date of death and with location of burial noted as Karachi War Cemetery, I believe the following men from the 13th King's may have died from malaria as described in Frank Holland's memoir:
George Alcock
Francis Ball
Thomas Charles Grigg
John Francis Wright
George Thomas Puckett
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that William actually died from the effects of heatstroke in June 1944. According to the burial records he was originally buried at, The Holy Trinity Church, Sialkot in Bengal, his funeral service was conducted by Church of Scotland Chaplain, Leslie Scott.
Seen below is a photograph of William's headstone, as it stands today at Karachi War Cemetery. His family chose to include a cross on his memorial and the following epitaph from Elizabeth, his mother:
Rest In Peace, Until We Meet Again. Mother.
Rank: Private
Service No: 4194244
Date of Death: 23/06/1944
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: The King's Regiment (Liverpool) 13th Bn.
Memorial: Karachi War Cemetery, Grave Reference 6.B.7.
CWGC link: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2178323/JONES,%20WILLIAM%20GEORGE
Chindit Column: Not known.
Other details:
William George Jones was the son of Hugh Hughes Jones and Elizabeth Ann Jones, of Conway, Caernarvonshire. William was formerly a soldier with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, before joining the ranks of the 13th King's in India. William George Jones is not mentioned in any documents in relation to Operation Longcloth and it is my guess that he did not take part in the expedition in 1943.
At the time of Pte. Jones death the 13th King's were stationed in Karachi at the Napier Barracks. The only real clue as to how he might of died, comes from the personal memoir of another 13th Kingsman, Pte. Frank Holland. Frank Holland had served on Operation Longcloth as a member of Chindit Column 8 commanded by Major Walter Purcell Scott.
On his return from Burma, Frank mentions in his diary:
"After a month we set off for Karachi. During the journey I developed malaria and by the time we arrived I was an ambulance case and went to hospital. Your first dose of malaria really puts you down, temperatures you’ve never heard of, deliriums and the quinine playing havoc with everything. The hospital in Karachi was a nice place and they did some important operations in the main building. Malaria, jaundice, typhoid and dysentery cases were kept in detached huts, but not isolated from one another.
If you could walk with malaria you had to fetch your bedding and mattress from the store and make the bed. There was one bright thing to it, malaria cases were given one bottle of beer each day for free. Back in barracks you were allowed one bottle per month on a coupon which you paid for. Napier Barracks were old regular Army barracks. They were two storey brick buildings with verandahs upstairs and down to draw the air in, because we had no fans or punkhas. Life was pretty good there, as we so called convalescents had been built up to full fitness."
Some time later Frank Holland recalled:
"Malaria was still pestering me, in and out of hospital quite regular. We buried a few of our lads as a result of it. We agreed to have photos taken of their graves and sent back to relatives, small comfort, but we always got letters of thanks back."
NB: By matching up the date of death and with location of burial noted as Karachi War Cemetery, I believe the following men from the 13th King's may have died from malaria as described in Frank Holland's memoir:
George Alcock
Francis Ball
Thomas Charles Grigg
John Francis Wright
George Thomas Puckett
Update 12/09/2014. From information found in the India Office records for burials, I now know that William actually died from the effects of heatstroke in June 1944. According to the burial records he was originally buried at, The Holy Trinity Church, Sialkot in Bengal, his funeral service was conducted by Church of Scotland Chaplain, Leslie Scott.
Seen below is a photograph of William's headstone, as it stands today at Karachi War Cemetery. His family chose to include a cross on his memorial and the following epitaph from Elizabeth, his mother:
Rest In Peace, Until We Meet Again. Mother.
The gravestone of William George Jones at Karachi War Cemetery.