The Devonshire's Journey
Convoy WS 20 left Liverpool docks on June 21st 1942, amongst the tightly packed British Other ranks aboard these ships were a small group of soldiers from the Devonshire Regiment. These men were heading for India, which is probably all they really knew at that point in time. There follows below a very short description of the personalities and events that when combined, led to this group becoming part of the first Chindit operation.
Pictured left is the troopship SS Orion which was just one of the vessels that formed part of the 1942 convoy.
The 13th battalion King’s Liverpool Regiment was originally formed in Scotland in the early 1940’s. Their number was made up of the workingmen of Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow. Mostly in their late twenties, or mid-thirties these men were trained to perform coastal defence duties along the eastern side of the British Isles (ironically in much the same areas as many of the Devonshire’s had also been, places like Rayleigh in Essex). The first twist of fate to befall the King’s battalion were the orders to form fresh garrison troops, required to help quell the civil unrest emerging in India in 1941.
At the same point in time, General Archibald Wavell and a man called Orde Wingate were trying to persuade the powers that be in India that some kind of positive action was needed against the Japanese. Their idea was to place troops behind enemy lines in Burma, and for these men to create havoc amongst the Japanese, blowing up their railways and destroying their lines of communication.
So it was then that the King’s became part of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in June 1942, and began their jungle craft training in the Central Provinces of India. The soldiers were trained near the town of Saugor, walking many hard miles each day in the surrounding scrubland and hills. Here they learned to live off the land, how to search out water, and generally make the jungle their friend and home. This took its toll on some and by the late summer of 1942 there was a need for reinforcements to fill gaps in the 3000 strong brigade, as it prepared for the first Chindit operation, named Longcloth.
This is how a party of Devon’s got to join the Chindits in the Abchand Forest, India on the 26th September 1942. The roll of soldiers included in the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade shows that the Devon’s draft numbers were 5608001 through 5662000, and included men from the 1st, 6th, 9th and 12th battalions. These men supplemented the already established Chindit columns and had to find their feet quickly as the operation date of early February loomed large on the Burmese horizon. One of these men was my Grandfather, Arthur Leslie Howney, an interior decorator in his mid-thirties from Hampstead, North London.
Here are some of the others:
Shown below are two of the men from the Devonshire Regiment that eventually found themselves on the first Chindit operation in 1943. Left is Frank Watts from New Cross, London and right Fred Hartnell, from Witheridge in Devon. Both men were placed in column 7 under Major Ken Gilkes, both attempted to disperse with Lieutenant Rex Walker in April 1943, they were captured and died in June and July respectively.
Pictured left is the troopship SS Orion which was just one of the vessels that formed part of the 1942 convoy.
The 13th battalion King’s Liverpool Regiment was originally formed in Scotland in the early 1940’s. Their number was made up of the workingmen of Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow. Mostly in their late twenties, or mid-thirties these men were trained to perform coastal defence duties along the eastern side of the British Isles (ironically in much the same areas as many of the Devonshire’s had also been, places like Rayleigh in Essex). The first twist of fate to befall the King’s battalion were the orders to form fresh garrison troops, required to help quell the civil unrest emerging in India in 1941.
At the same point in time, General Archibald Wavell and a man called Orde Wingate were trying to persuade the powers that be in India that some kind of positive action was needed against the Japanese. Their idea was to place troops behind enemy lines in Burma, and for these men to create havoc amongst the Japanese, blowing up their railways and destroying their lines of communication.
So it was then that the King’s became part of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in June 1942, and began their jungle craft training in the Central Provinces of India. The soldiers were trained near the town of Saugor, walking many hard miles each day in the surrounding scrubland and hills. Here they learned to live off the land, how to search out water, and generally make the jungle their friend and home. This took its toll on some and by the late summer of 1942 there was a need for reinforcements to fill gaps in the 3000 strong brigade, as it prepared for the first Chindit operation, named Longcloth.
This is how a party of Devon’s got to join the Chindits in the Abchand Forest, India on the 26th September 1942. The roll of soldiers included in the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade shows that the Devon’s draft numbers were 5608001 through 5662000, and included men from the 1st, 6th, 9th and 12th battalions. These men supplemented the already established Chindit columns and had to find their feet quickly as the operation date of early February loomed large on the Burmese horizon. One of these men was my Grandfather, Arthur Leslie Howney, an interior decorator in his mid-thirties from Hampstead, North London.
Here are some of the others:
Shown below are two of the men from the Devonshire Regiment that eventually found themselves on the first Chindit operation in 1943. Left is Frank Watts from New Cross, London and right Fred Hartnell, from Witheridge in Devon. Both men were placed in column 7 under Major Ken Gilkes, both attempted to disperse with Lieutenant Rex Walker in April 1943, they were captured and died in June and July respectively.
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Pte. 5627575 John Richard Anstee. This soldier died on the 29th April 1943 heading out with Column 7 toward the Chinese borders. He was originally with the 12th Devon’s and lived in Wembley, North London.
Pte. 5623744 Albert Ernest Bayliss. Missing on 10th April with Tommy Roberts’s dispersal party, this Column 5 soldier died on the 26th February 1944 in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail. His POW number was 460.
Pte. 5623121 Leonard Coffin. This man was a member of Northern Group Head Quarters on Operation Longcloth, which was the command centre for Columns 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 within the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade and was led by Lieutenant-Colonel S.A. Cooke, formerly of the Lincolnshire Regiment. When the time came to return to India, Colonel Cooke decided to disperse with Column 8 and the two groups merged to form one large unit of approximately 400 personnel. However, Leonard Coffin did not go with them, teaming up instead with Captain Hosegood and the twenty or so men in his dispersal party.
After spending the best part of the next four weeks moving up and down the eastern banks of the Irrawaddy hoping to find a suitable crossing point, Hosegood and his men, by now totally exhausted, were forced to give themselves up to the Japanese. Leonard was taken prisoner near the Burmese village of Tigyaing on the 2nd May. He ended up spending the next two years as a prisoner of war inside Rangoon Central Jail, before his liberation in late April 1945 close to the Burmese town of Pegu. To read more about his time in India and Burma during 1942-43, please click on the following link: Pte. Leonard Coffin
There are some wonderful photographs of Leonard and some of his Chindit comrades in the ID Parade Gallery linked here: Gallery-ID Parade
Pte. 5627646 George Harry Gray. Part of Philip Stibbe’s platoon in column 5, this man was lost to his unit on 17th March 1943. He was given the task of locating Lieutenant John Kerr’s platoon and to guide them back to the main group from a place called Taungmaw. He never made contact with Kerr and was never seen or heard of again.
Pte. 5627647 Thomas Charles Grigg. This soldier from Leytonstone in London died on 18th September 1943 and was buried in Karachi War Cemetery. Nothing is actually known about this man or his time in Burma, but it must be presumed that he subsequently died after returning from the operation.
Update 18/09/2014. Although there is still no documentary evidence available to show that Thomas took part in Operation Longcloth, I do now know how he died. From information found in the India Office records for burials, it now transpires 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.
To read more about Thomas Grigg and his time in India during WW2, please follow the link below and scroll down the page alphabetically:
Roll Call F-J
Pte. 5627651 Frederick Hannaford. This man was a member of Column 7 on Operation Longcloth in 1943 and part of Rex Walker’s dispersal party. Frederick was lost along with many other men on the 10th April that year and became a POW in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail. Liberated in early May 1945 he returned home to his family in Ruislip, Middlesex. To read more about his time in Burma, please click on the following link:
Rex Walker's Dispersal Group 4
Pte. 5621068 Fred John Hartnell. Missing on the same day as Hannaford and with the same dispersal party, this Column 7 soldier died on 2nd July 1943 from malnutrition and malaria in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail. His POW number was 508 and Fred, whose full story can be viewed by following the link below, was originally with the 6th Devon’s.
Fred Hartnell. Second story on the page.
Pte. 5619756 Lawrence F. Hill. Another column 7 man to disperse with Lieutenant Rex Walker. Stated as having died on 1st June 1943, this would place him amongst a small group of men who were buried at the Chindit POW holding camp in Maymyo.
Pte. 5620996 Reginald Hooper. This soldier from No. 7 Column was killed in action on 29th March 1943. A witness statement by Pte. George Whalley confirms that Hooper (a Vickers machine gunner) was part of a boat attempting to form a bridgehead on the western bank of the Irrawaddy River, but was met with overwhelming enemy fire. After the war his body was never recovered and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 6 of the Rangoon Memorial. Reginald is also remembered on the War Memorial at All Saints Church in Okehampton.
Reginald had completed his Army Will on the 8th April 1942, whilst still a member of his former unit, the 6th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. This document was held at the Regimental Paymaster's Depot at Exeter and had been signed in front of two witnesses one of which was Pte. L. Haycroft from Yelverton and also of the 6th Devons. In his will Reginald Hooper left all his worldly possessions to his mother Mary Ann Hooper.
From the newspaper, The Western Times, dated Thursday 25th March 1948 and under the headline:
In Memoriam
In loving memory of our dear son and brother, Reginald Hooper, killed in action in Burma on March 26th 1943.
Pte. 5623744 Albert Ernest Bayliss. Missing on 10th April with Tommy Roberts’s dispersal party, this Column 5 soldier died on the 26th February 1944 in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail. His POW number was 460.
Pte. 5623121 Leonard Coffin. This man was a member of Northern Group Head Quarters on Operation Longcloth, which was the command centre for Columns 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 within the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade and was led by Lieutenant-Colonel S.A. Cooke, formerly of the Lincolnshire Regiment. When the time came to return to India, Colonel Cooke decided to disperse with Column 8 and the two groups merged to form one large unit of approximately 400 personnel. However, Leonard Coffin did not go with them, teaming up instead with Captain Hosegood and the twenty or so men in his dispersal party.
After spending the best part of the next four weeks moving up and down the eastern banks of the Irrawaddy hoping to find a suitable crossing point, Hosegood and his men, by now totally exhausted, were forced to give themselves up to the Japanese. Leonard was taken prisoner near the Burmese village of Tigyaing on the 2nd May. He ended up spending the next two years as a prisoner of war inside Rangoon Central Jail, before his liberation in late April 1945 close to the Burmese town of Pegu. To read more about his time in India and Burma during 1942-43, please click on the following link: Pte. Leonard Coffin
There are some wonderful photographs of Leonard and some of his Chindit comrades in the ID Parade Gallery linked here: Gallery-ID Parade
Pte. 5627646 George Harry Gray. Part of Philip Stibbe’s platoon in column 5, this man was lost to his unit on 17th March 1943. He was given the task of locating Lieutenant John Kerr’s platoon and to guide them back to the main group from a place called Taungmaw. He never made contact with Kerr and was never seen or heard of again.
Pte. 5627647 Thomas Charles Grigg. This soldier from Leytonstone in London died on 18th September 1943 and was buried in Karachi War Cemetery. Nothing is actually known about this man or his time in Burma, but it must be presumed that he subsequently died after returning from the operation.
Update 18/09/2014. Although there is still no documentary evidence available to show that Thomas took part in Operation Longcloth, I do now know how he died. From information found in the India Office records for burials, it now transpires 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.
To read more about Thomas Grigg and his time in India during WW2, please follow the link below and scroll down the page alphabetically:
Roll Call F-J
Pte. 5627651 Frederick Hannaford. This man was a member of Column 7 on Operation Longcloth in 1943 and part of Rex Walker’s dispersal party. Frederick was lost along with many other men on the 10th April that year and became a POW in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail. Liberated in early May 1945 he returned home to his family in Ruislip, Middlesex. To read more about his time in Burma, please click on the following link:
Rex Walker's Dispersal Group 4
Pte. 5621068 Fred John Hartnell. Missing on the same day as Hannaford and with the same dispersal party, this Column 7 soldier died on 2nd July 1943 from malnutrition and malaria in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail. His POW number was 508 and Fred, whose full story can be viewed by following the link below, was originally with the 6th Devon’s.
Fred Hartnell. Second story on the page.
Pte. 5619756 Lawrence F. Hill. Another column 7 man to disperse with Lieutenant Rex Walker. Stated as having died on 1st June 1943, this would place him amongst a small group of men who were buried at the Chindit POW holding camp in Maymyo.
Pte. 5620996 Reginald Hooper. This soldier from No. 7 Column was killed in action on 29th March 1943. A witness statement by Pte. George Whalley confirms that Hooper (a Vickers machine gunner) was part of a boat attempting to form a bridgehead on the western bank of the Irrawaddy River, but was met with overwhelming enemy fire. After the war his body was never recovered and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 6 of the Rangoon Memorial. Reginald is also remembered on the War Memorial at All Saints Church in Okehampton.
Reginald had completed his Army Will on the 8th April 1942, whilst still a member of his former unit, the 6th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. This document was held at the Regimental Paymaster's Depot at Exeter and had been signed in front of two witnesses one of which was Pte. L. Haycroft from Yelverton and also of the 6th Devons. In his will Reginald Hooper left all his worldly possessions to his mother Mary Ann Hooper.
From the newspaper, The Western Times, dated Thursday 25th March 1948 and under the headline:
In Memoriam
In loving memory of our dear son and brother, Reginald Hooper, killed in action in Burma on March 26th 1943.
There are some who miss you sadly
In the home where you used to be
You are resting in a foreign grave
Which we may never see
May God watch over that dear spot
The only memory.
From Mum, Brothers and Sisters at 24 Victoria Street, Okehampton.
In the home where you used to be
You are resting in a foreign grave
Which we may never see
May God watch over that dear spot
The only memory.
From Mum, Brothers and Sisters at 24 Victoria Street, Okehampton.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to Pte. Reginald Hooper including his name upon Face 6 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery and the War Memorial at All Saints Church, Okehampton.
Pte. 5629998 Arthur Leslie Howney. My Grandfather who along with my Nan is the inspiration for this website. This column 5 soldier was attempting to disperse with a larger group of mainly column 7 men in late April 1943. His group became separated fro the main unit and were captured near a village called Lonsa on the Burma/China borders. He died from malnutrition and the ravages of his Chindit experience in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail. His POW number was 420.
Sgt. 5622106 Gilbert Brendon Josling. This column 7 soldier was lost on the line of march on 4th April 1943 along with fellow Chindit James Beattie. Both men had been part of platoon 14 under the command of Lieutenant Oakes. Josling died in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on 11th January 1944, his POW number was 339 and he was buried in the English Cantonment Cemetery located near the Royal Lakes in Rangoon city. It is reported that Gilbert (from Chigwell in Essex) died literally in the arms of another Devon soldier and comrade Fred Morgan.
Pte. 5625272 Robert V. Hyner. A tall man at 6' 1" and originally from London, Hyner found himself in Exeter for his initial Infantry training. Army life seemed to suit the witty and forthright new squaddy. On Longcloth he formed part of a Bren gun team in Platoon 14 of Column 7. His platoon was part of the bridgehead for the opposed crossing of the Irrawaddy on 29th March. The rest of the columns failed to get across that day and Hyner and around 40 other men made their way back to India without the use of maps, compasses or wireless set. Here is how he remembered that fateful river crossing:
"Going back and forth in threes and fours in those Burmese canoes, well, it was just like being at Southend on a busy weekend in June. Of course the illusion was shattered when the Japs opened up."
To read Robert Hyner's full story, please click on the link below:
Robert Valentine Hyner
Sgt. 5622106 Gilbert Brendon Josling. This column 7 soldier was lost on the line of march on 4th April 1943 along with fellow Chindit James Beattie. Both men had been part of platoon 14 under the command of Lieutenant Oakes. Josling died in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on 11th January 1944, his POW number was 339 and he was buried in the English Cantonment Cemetery located near the Royal Lakes in Rangoon city. It is reported that Gilbert (from Chigwell in Essex) died literally in the arms of another Devon soldier and comrade Fred Morgan.
Pte. 5625272 Robert V. Hyner. A tall man at 6' 1" and originally from London, Hyner found himself in Exeter for his initial Infantry training. Army life seemed to suit the witty and forthright new squaddy. On Longcloth he formed part of a Bren gun team in Platoon 14 of Column 7. His platoon was part of the bridgehead for the opposed crossing of the Irrawaddy on 29th March. The rest of the columns failed to get across that day and Hyner and around 40 other men made their way back to India without the use of maps, compasses or wireless set. Here is how he remembered that fateful river crossing:
"Going back and forth in threes and fours in those Burmese canoes, well, it was just like being at Southend on a busy weekend in June. Of course the illusion was shattered when the Japs opened up."
To read Robert Hyner's full story, please click on the link below:
Robert Valentine Hyner
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Pictured above are two faces of the Rangoon Memorial found in Taukkyan War Cemetery, Rangoon. The first image shows the inscription of John Anstee from column 7. The other names both Fred Turner and Frank Watts. (Images courtesy of Marc Fogden and Tony B).
Here are some more of the Devon's:
Pte. 5620293 George W. Lee. George Lee was with Northern Group's Head Quarters on operation Longloth. He was last seen during the ill fated attempted crossing of the Irrawaddy on the 30th March 1943. He was taken prisoner at that time, but survived Rangoon Jail and was liberated near Pegu in early May 1945. It is true to say that George made every effort to inform Army authorities about the fate of men he had witnessed killed or taken prisoner. After the war he even wrote to several families, telling them what had happened to their loved one. To read more about his attempts to help the Army authorities after the war, please click on the following link: The Thoughtful Nature of George Walter Lee
Pte. 5619837 Thomas Crowhurst Low. Missing in action on the 12th April 1943, this soldier, the only Scot amongst the Devonshire Draft found himself in Column 8 on Operation Longcloth. Low was part of a recce patrol out checking the perimeter of a forest rest house at a place called Misan. This patrol never rejoined the main column unit. Thomas and his commanding officer Brian Horncastle found themselves prisoners of war. Thomas, who was from Dundee died in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on 5th October 1943, his POW number, was 446.
Update 18/09/2014. A witness statement in relation to the recce group at Misan was given by Lieutenant P.A. Bennett, he stated that Pte. Low was:
Part of a section of men sent out by Captain Whitehead of the 2nd Burma Rifles to recce the area around the Misan Forest Rest House. Whislt this patrol was away the main Column was obliged to withdraw from the area and a patrol was left to guide Lt. Horncastle's party back to the rendezvous point. Neither of these two parties arrived at the RV although further patrols were sent to look for them and the Column remained in the general area for thirty six hours. Pte. Low has not been heard of since.
Thomas was captured around the same time as another man, Corporal Howard Sole, both men were taken to Rangoon Jail. Howard Sole survived his time as a prisoner of war and was liberated in late April 1945. As with the majority of men that perished inside Rangoon Jail, Thomas was originally buried at the English Cantonment Cemetery near the Royal Lakes in the eastern sector of the city. His grave was later removed and re-interred at Rangoon War Cemetery.
To read more about Thomas Low and the group led by Lieutenant Brian Horncastle, please click on the following link: Horncastle's Recce Patrol
Pte. 5628334 Reginald John Milkins. This soldier from column 7 was part of the already ill or wounded dispersal party led by Lieutenant Rex Walker. It is not really known what happened to the group on the 10th April 1943, but some contact with enemy forces is certain, as a number of men are recorded as killed that day. In the case of Milkins, originally from Knowle in Bristol, there is a small clue given. In a witness report by column 7 soldier John Kennedy he states that Reginald Milkins was murdered by a group of Burmese villagers. So it could well be that the dispersal group in an already weakened condition were over powered by a larger group of Burmese on 10th April and then handed over to the Japanese at a latter date.
NB. Pte. Milkins was also incorrectly remembered on the Rangoon Memorial as being with the King’s Own Royals; this has now been changed to his actual unit (13KLR) on the CWGC website, but he still remains wrongly placed and away from his true comrades on the memorial in Taukkyan Cemetery.
Pte. 5629590 Thomas George Moore. This soldier went missing on 29th April 1943 from column 8. Moore, from Paddington in London was lost to his unit just prior to the action at Kaukkwe Chaung. He died from malnutrition and beri beri in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 17th June 1943, his POW number was 466.
Update 18/09/2014. With information gained from Thomas Moore's Army Will which was processed on the 27th of June 1945, we now know that he was originally a soldier with the 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Thomas was married to Madeline Lucy Moore of 133 Kilburn Park Road, London NW6. As you would expect Madeline was the sole beneficiary of Thomas's Army Will. The will was witnessed by two other men from the 9th Devons, Sgt. F.G. Evans and CSM. 5612962 W. Brown.
Pte. 5624411 J.W.S. (Jack) Morley. This soldier came to my attention when his family made an enquiry in the Winter 2001 edition of the Burma Star Association magazine, Dekho. Jack was with the 9th Devons when he voyaged to India in 1942 and became a muleteer. His actual unit placement after transferring from the Devons is unclear.
Pte. 5628420 Fred W. Morgan. This soldier was a Bren gunner in Column 7 during Operation Longcloth. He went missing on the 2nd April 1943 whilst travelling through the Meza Valley with Lieutenant Jelliss and his dispersal group. Fred survived Rangoon Jail and was liberated in May 1945. NB. Morgan was with Sergeant Josling when he died in Rangoon. To read more about Fred Morgan and indeed Gilbert Josling, please click on the following link: Corporal Fred Morgan
Pte. 5627180 Harry Jack Myhill. This soldier, originally from Bexley Heath in Kent was with Column 5 in 1943. Missing on the 1st April that year puts him with the group captured on the sandbank in the middle of the Shweli River. Harry died of beri beri in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on 1st December 1943, his POW number was 361. On Remembrance Sunday 2012, I bumped into the family of Jack Myhill on the Victorian Embankment, next to the Chindit Memorial. We had a very short conversation about Jack and the Chindits in general, but did not exchange contact numbers or email addresses. It would be wonderful for the family to get in touch via the contact form on my Home Page, if they were ever to read this message. To read more about the men captured on the Shweli sandbank, please click on the following link:
The Men of the Shweli Sandbank
Pictured below are the Japanese index cards for Fred Morgan and Harry Myhill. Morgan's card shows his POW number as 107 and that he was captured 4 days after he went missing in the Meza Valley. Myhill's card has the diagonal red line running through it, which simply signifies he died whilst a prisoner of war. Both cards show the men as belonging to the Devonshire Regiment, whereas the majority of Chindit 1 cards usually state the 13th King's Liverpool, regardless of original unit. Also shown is a photograph of Fred Morgan from his days with the King's Regiment. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Here are some more of the Devon's:
Pte. 5620293 George W. Lee. George Lee was with Northern Group's Head Quarters on operation Longloth. He was last seen during the ill fated attempted crossing of the Irrawaddy on the 30th March 1943. He was taken prisoner at that time, but survived Rangoon Jail and was liberated near Pegu in early May 1945. It is true to say that George made every effort to inform Army authorities about the fate of men he had witnessed killed or taken prisoner. After the war he even wrote to several families, telling them what had happened to their loved one. To read more about his attempts to help the Army authorities after the war, please click on the following link: The Thoughtful Nature of George Walter Lee
Pte. 5619837 Thomas Crowhurst Low. Missing in action on the 12th April 1943, this soldier, the only Scot amongst the Devonshire Draft found himself in Column 8 on Operation Longcloth. Low was part of a recce patrol out checking the perimeter of a forest rest house at a place called Misan. This patrol never rejoined the main column unit. Thomas and his commanding officer Brian Horncastle found themselves prisoners of war. Thomas, who was from Dundee died in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on 5th October 1943, his POW number, was 446.
Update 18/09/2014. A witness statement in relation to the recce group at Misan was given by Lieutenant P.A. Bennett, he stated that Pte. Low was:
Part of a section of men sent out by Captain Whitehead of the 2nd Burma Rifles to recce the area around the Misan Forest Rest House. Whislt this patrol was away the main Column was obliged to withdraw from the area and a patrol was left to guide Lt. Horncastle's party back to the rendezvous point. Neither of these two parties arrived at the RV although further patrols were sent to look for them and the Column remained in the general area for thirty six hours. Pte. Low has not been heard of since.
Thomas was captured around the same time as another man, Corporal Howard Sole, both men were taken to Rangoon Jail. Howard Sole survived his time as a prisoner of war and was liberated in late April 1945. As with the majority of men that perished inside Rangoon Jail, Thomas was originally buried at the English Cantonment Cemetery near the Royal Lakes in the eastern sector of the city. His grave was later removed and re-interred at Rangoon War Cemetery.
To read more about Thomas Low and the group led by Lieutenant Brian Horncastle, please click on the following link: Horncastle's Recce Patrol
Pte. 5628334 Reginald John Milkins. This soldier from column 7 was part of the already ill or wounded dispersal party led by Lieutenant Rex Walker. It is not really known what happened to the group on the 10th April 1943, but some contact with enemy forces is certain, as a number of men are recorded as killed that day. In the case of Milkins, originally from Knowle in Bristol, there is a small clue given. In a witness report by column 7 soldier John Kennedy he states that Reginald Milkins was murdered by a group of Burmese villagers. So it could well be that the dispersal group in an already weakened condition were over powered by a larger group of Burmese on 10th April and then handed over to the Japanese at a latter date.
NB. Pte. Milkins was also incorrectly remembered on the Rangoon Memorial as being with the King’s Own Royals; this has now been changed to his actual unit (13KLR) on the CWGC website, but he still remains wrongly placed and away from his true comrades on the memorial in Taukkyan Cemetery.
Pte. 5629590 Thomas George Moore. This soldier went missing on 29th April 1943 from column 8. Moore, from Paddington in London was lost to his unit just prior to the action at Kaukkwe Chaung. He died from malnutrition and beri beri in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on the 17th June 1943, his POW number was 466.
Update 18/09/2014. With information gained from Thomas Moore's Army Will which was processed on the 27th of June 1945, we now know that he was originally a soldier with the 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Thomas was married to Madeline Lucy Moore of 133 Kilburn Park Road, London NW6. As you would expect Madeline was the sole beneficiary of Thomas's Army Will. The will was witnessed by two other men from the 9th Devons, Sgt. F.G. Evans and CSM. 5612962 W. Brown.
Pte. 5624411 J.W.S. (Jack) Morley. This soldier came to my attention when his family made an enquiry in the Winter 2001 edition of the Burma Star Association magazine, Dekho. Jack was with the 9th Devons when he voyaged to India in 1942 and became a muleteer. His actual unit placement after transferring from the Devons is unclear.
Pte. 5628420 Fred W. Morgan. This soldier was a Bren gunner in Column 7 during Operation Longcloth. He went missing on the 2nd April 1943 whilst travelling through the Meza Valley with Lieutenant Jelliss and his dispersal group. Fred survived Rangoon Jail and was liberated in May 1945. NB. Morgan was with Sergeant Josling when he died in Rangoon. To read more about Fred Morgan and indeed Gilbert Josling, please click on the following link: Corporal Fred Morgan
Pte. 5627180 Harry Jack Myhill. This soldier, originally from Bexley Heath in Kent was with Column 5 in 1943. Missing on the 1st April that year puts him with the group captured on the sandbank in the middle of the Shweli River. Harry died of beri beri in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on 1st December 1943, his POW number was 361. On Remembrance Sunday 2012, I bumped into the family of Jack Myhill on the Victorian Embankment, next to the Chindit Memorial. We had a very short conversation about Jack and the Chindits in general, but did not exchange contact numbers or email addresses. It would be wonderful for the family to get in touch via the contact form on my Home Page, if they were ever to read this message. To read more about the men captured on the Shweli sandbank, please click on the following link:
The Men of the Shweli Sandbank
Pictured below are the Japanese index cards for Fred Morgan and Harry Myhill. Morgan's card shows his POW number as 107 and that he was captured 4 days after he went missing in the Meza Valley. Myhill's card has the diagonal red line running through it, which simply signifies he died whilst a prisoner of war. Both cards show the men as belonging to the Devonshire Regiment, whereas the majority of Chindit 1 cards usually state the 13th King's Liverpool, regardless of original unit. Also shown is a photograph of Fred Morgan from his days with the King's Regiment. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Pte. 5627185 John D.P. O’Donoghue. This soldier was with Platoon 15 in Column 7 on Operation Longcloth. This unit was commanded by Lieutenant William Petersen, a Danish soldier with a special operations background. The platoon had joined up with Column 3 at the rail station in Nankan, where they engaged a large group of Japanese whilst Mike Calvert and his demolition engineers destroyed the rail bridge and infrastructure. O’Donoghue was lost on 9th March with another man from the Devon’s, Fred Turner. Both men had been acting as rearguard for the platoon and failed to return to the unit at the agreed rendezvous. Please see the update at the foot of this page.
Pte. 5620739 William Walter Oliver. This soldier may have taken part in operation Longcloth? His WW2 timeframe certainly points to this being the case. He died in September 1945 in a Dakota aircraft crash on route to Saigon. He was part of a unit of Queens West Surrey’s who were taking part in relief missions to the recently liberated POW’s in Thailand and French Indo-China. Oliver is remembered on the Rangoon Memorial in Taukkyan Cemetery.
Lance Corporal 5627223 George T.W. Puckett. This man died on 6th January 1945 in Karachi Hospital. Nothing is known about his time in Burma and it is presumed he died of the effects of his time on that operation.
Update 18/09/2014. There is still no documentary evidence to show whether George actually served in Burma with the Chindits, or had remained in India and continued to carry out policing and garrison duties in Secunderabad and Karachi. According to the battalion War Diary for 1945 in an entry dated the 6th of January, George Puckett died in Karachi General Hospital suffering from cerebral malaria and was buried the following day at Karachi Military Cemetery.
To discover more about Lance Corporal George Puckett, please click on the following link and scroll down the page: Roll Call P-T
Pte. 5627474 Donald Everard Rogers. This former 12th Devon went missing on the 10th April 1943 from column 7 officer Rex Walker’s dispersal party. He subsequently died from dysentery on the 1st June that year and was buried at the Chindit POW camp in Maymyo.
Pte. 5627351 Harry Henry Sewell. This man was last seen by Officer Menzies-Anderson on 30th March 1943. He was part of Northern Group's Head Quarters and formed part of a dispersal group from that section in early April that year. At some point thereafter he became a prisoner of war and died in Rangoon Jail on 30th April 1945, just a few days before liberation. His POW number was 555.
Pte. 5627036 Joseph Albert Stell. Joseph Stell originally from Dagenham, London, went missing in very similar circumstances to Harry Sewell. Last seen on 30th March 1943 and part of Northern Group's Head Quarters, he died in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on 18th August 1943, his POW number was 546.
Seen below are the POW index cards of Joseph Stell (left) and Fred Hannaford (right). These cards show perfectly the two distinct types of card for Rangoon Jail Chindit POW's. Hannaford's is the full Rangoon Jail card, most often belonging to men who had been in the jail a good while, or who like Hannaford survive the ordeal and are liberated in 1945. As stated before it is unusual for the original regiment to be recorded on Chindit 1 cards, Hannaford is shown as a 13th King and not a Devon, unlike the previous two cards of Morgan and Myhill.
Stell's card is an example of what I have called a 'Maymyo' index card. These almost always belong to men who do not survive for long in Rangoon Jail, typically no more than 8-10 weeks after they were transfered from the concentration camp at Maymyo. Notice the distinct lack of detail on this type of card and also the miss spelling of his name, another common feature of this type of card. It seems to me that these cards were compiled using details hastily recorded during the initial confusion of the 200 or so new inmates arriving in late May 1943. As men began to perish and were buried quickly in the English Cantonment Cemetery, there was no time or a lack of knowledge about their full credentials and this is the reason for the lack of detail and errors.
Pte. 5620739 William Walter Oliver. This soldier may have taken part in operation Longcloth? His WW2 timeframe certainly points to this being the case. He died in September 1945 in a Dakota aircraft crash on route to Saigon. He was part of a unit of Queens West Surrey’s who were taking part in relief missions to the recently liberated POW’s in Thailand and French Indo-China. Oliver is remembered on the Rangoon Memorial in Taukkyan Cemetery.
Lance Corporal 5627223 George T.W. Puckett. This man died on 6th January 1945 in Karachi Hospital. Nothing is known about his time in Burma and it is presumed he died of the effects of his time on that operation.
Update 18/09/2014. There is still no documentary evidence to show whether George actually served in Burma with the Chindits, or had remained in India and continued to carry out policing and garrison duties in Secunderabad and Karachi. According to the battalion War Diary for 1945 in an entry dated the 6th of January, George Puckett died in Karachi General Hospital suffering from cerebral malaria and was buried the following day at Karachi Military Cemetery.
To discover more about Lance Corporal George Puckett, please click on the following link and scroll down the page: Roll Call P-T
Pte. 5627474 Donald Everard Rogers. This former 12th Devon went missing on the 10th April 1943 from column 7 officer Rex Walker’s dispersal party. He subsequently died from dysentery on the 1st June that year and was buried at the Chindit POW camp in Maymyo.
Pte. 5627351 Harry Henry Sewell. This man was last seen by Officer Menzies-Anderson on 30th March 1943. He was part of Northern Group's Head Quarters and formed part of a dispersal group from that section in early April that year. At some point thereafter he became a prisoner of war and died in Rangoon Jail on 30th April 1945, just a few days before liberation. His POW number was 555.
Pte. 5627036 Joseph Albert Stell. Joseph Stell originally from Dagenham, London, went missing in very similar circumstances to Harry Sewell. Last seen on 30th March 1943 and part of Northern Group's Head Quarters, he died in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail on 18th August 1943, his POW number was 546.
Seen below are the POW index cards of Joseph Stell (left) and Fred Hannaford (right). These cards show perfectly the two distinct types of card for Rangoon Jail Chindit POW's. Hannaford's is the full Rangoon Jail card, most often belonging to men who had been in the jail a good while, or who like Hannaford survive the ordeal and are liberated in 1945. As stated before it is unusual for the original regiment to be recorded on Chindit 1 cards, Hannaford is shown as a 13th King and not a Devon, unlike the previous two cards of Morgan and Myhill.
Stell's card is an example of what I have called a 'Maymyo' index card. These almost always belong to men who do not survive for long in Rangoon Jail, typically no more than 8-10 weeks after they were transfered from the concentration camp at Maymyo. Notice the distinct lack of detail on this type of card and also the miss spelling of his name, another common feature of this type of card. It seems to me that these cards were compiled using details hastily recorded during the initial confusion of the 200 or so new inmates arriving in late May 1943. As men began to perish and were buried quickly in the English Cantonment Cemetery, there was no time or a lack of knowledge about their full credentials and this is the reason for the lack of detail and errors.
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Pte. 5628431 Alfred John Strevens. Strevens, a Londoner from Kentish Town was in column 7 in 1943. George Lee witnessed this former 12th Devon successfully cross the Irrawaddy and help form a bridgehead on the western bank. Alfred died a few days later from his wounds, sustained from a mortar bomb explosion.
Pte. 5628525 William T.S. Symons. This soldier was the son of Samuel and Bessie Symons from Penzance in Cornwall and was also lost from Column 7 on 10th April 1943. He too was with the ill fated dispersal group of Lieutenant Rex Walker. William died as a prisoner of war on 1st June 1943 and was buried at the POW camp in Kalewa village, although no grave was ever found after the war. Seen below is a Gallery of images in relation to Pte. Symons and his time in Burma. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Update 12/03/2017.
From the newspaper archives now available on Find My Past, comes this short notice in relation to Pte. Symons, as published in The Cornishman on the 18th October 1945:
Pte. 5628525 William T.S. Symons. This soldier was the son of Samuel and Bessie Symons from Penzance in Cornwall and was also lost from Column 7 on 10th April 1943. He too was with the ill fated dispersal group of Lieutenant Rex Walker. William died as a prisoner of war on 1st June 1943 and was buried at the POW camp in Kalewa village, although no grave was ever found after the war. Seen below is a Gallery of images in relation to Pte. Symons and his time in Burma. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Update 12/03/2017.
From the newspaper archives now available on Find My Past, comes this short notice in relation to Pte. Symons, as published in The Cornishman on the 18th October 1945:
Died in Japanese Hands
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Young Penzance Man Who Fought in Burma
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Young Penzance Man Who Fought in Burma
The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. S. Symons, of The Cottage, Treneere Manor, Penzance, will learn with very deep regret that recently they received the tragic news that their second son W.T.S. Tom Symons, died whilst a prisoner of war in Kalewa Camp, Burma in June 1943. Nothing had been heard of him since he was reported missing in the Burma theatre of war in April 1943, while serving with the 13th King's Regiment.
Tom Symons had a wide circle of friends in Penzance, where he began his career at the G.P.O. working there for eight years before enlisting in 1940. He died in his 30th year, and will be sadly missed by all his friends, both in Penzance and in Plymouth.
Tom Symons had a wide circle of friends in Penzance, where he began his career at the G.P.O. working there for eight years before enlisting in 1940. He died in his 30th year, and will be sadly missed by all his friends, both in Penzance and in Plymouth.
Pte. 5616017 Wilfred A.G. Toms. This man was again in Rex Walker’s dispersal group from column 7. Missing in action on 10th April he became a prisoner of war and was originally held at the Maymyo POW camp. Wilfred, born a Londoner died on 26th November 1943 in Block 6 of Rangoon Jail, his POW number was 531. He was originally buried in the English Cantonment Cemetery in the eastern sector of Rangoon, near the Royal Lakes, his grave reference number was 131. In November 2012 I was contacted by the family of Wilfred Toms, please see the update toward the end of this page.
Lance Corporal 5628663 Frederick Turner. From platoon 15 in column 7, Lance Corporal Turner was the other man lost from Lieutenant Petersen’s unit on the 9th March 1943 at Nankan rail station along with Pte. O’Donoghue. Nothing more was seen or heard of these two men, Turner was from Kenton in Devon. Please see the update at the foot of this page.
Pte. 5626116 Frank James Watts. This soldier was yet another man from Rex Walker’s dispersal group, column 7, and was lost on 10th April in 1943. Frank, from New Cross in London died on 1st June that year a POW and possibly in the Maymyo camp. You can read his full story here: Frank Watts. Fourth story on the page.
Below are two Memorial plaques for Devon's who died in Rangoon Jail and were buried eventually in Rangoon War Cemetery. Seen left is the plaque of Thomas Moore of column 8 who died on the same day as my Grandad, Arthur Howney. Presumably they were both originally buried together in the English Cantonment Cememtery, situated near the Royal Lakes in the city. The other is that of Sergeant Gilbert Josling who died in Rangoon Jail in early 1944. I will let his mate Fred Morgan tell the tale:
Every time a Japanese guard passed by, we had to stop what we were doing and bow. At this time I was sitting on the ground with Sergeant Josling's head in my lap, because he was very ill with beri beri, so I did not get up and bow. The Jap saw me and started shouting obscenities at me, so I laid Josling's head down gently and went over to the fence and bowed. The Jap thrust his rifle through the railings butt first and belted me in the stomach and testicles for not bowing to him in the first place. When I returned to Josling he had passed away.
Fred's greatest memory of his pal Gilbert Josling is when they used to sing 'I fell in love with Mary from dairy', usually after another hard day had passed in the Maymyo POW camp. (Quote courtesy of Phil Chinnery and his book March or Die).
Lance Corporal 5628663 Frederick Turner. From platoon 15 in column 7, Lance Corporal Turner was the other man lost from Lieutenant Petersen’s unit on the 9th March 1943 at Nankan rail station along with Pte. O’Donoghue. Nothing more was seen or heard of these two men, Turner was from Kenton in Devon. Please see the update at the foot of this page.
Pte. 5626116 Frank James Watts. This soldier was yet another man from Rex Walker’s dispersal group, column 7, and was lost on 10th April in 1943. Frank, from New Cross in London died on 1st June that year a POW and possibly in the Maymyo camp. You can read his full story here: Frank Watts. Fourth story on the page.
Below are two Memorial plaques for Devon's who died in Rangoon Jail and were buried eventually in Rangoon War Cemetery. Seen left is the plaque of Thomas Moore of column 8 who died on the same day as my Grandad, Arthur Howney. Presumably they were both originally buried together in the English Cantonment Cememtery, situated near the Royal Lakes in the city. The other is that of Sergeant Gilbert Josling who died in Rangoon Jail in early 1944. I will let his mate Fred Morgan tell the tale:
Every time a Japanese guard passed by, we had to stop what we were doing and bow. At this time I was sitting on the ground with Sergeant Josling's head in my lap, because he was very ill with beri beri, so I did not get up and bow. The Jap saw me and started shouting obscenities at me, so I laid Josling's head down gently and went over to the fence and bowed. The Jap thrust his rifle through the railings butt first and belted me in the stomach and testicles for not bowing to him in the first place. When I returned to Josling he had passed away.
Fred's greatest memory of his pal Gilbert Josling is when they used to sing 'I fell in love with Mary from dairy', usually after another hard day had passed in the Maymyo POW camp. (Quote courtesy of Phil Chinnery and his book March or Die).
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NB. On or around the 9th of April 1943 two young Lieutenant’s from column 7, Rex Walker and Stephen Hector and the Medical Officer from column 5, William Aird, took on a large party of already ill and wounded men. Their hope was to lead them out of the Burmese jungle and get them safely back to India. All, except Fred Hannaford, perished in Burma. Some of these men were: Fred Hartnell, Laurence Hill, Reg Milkins, Everard Rogers, Alfred Strevens, William Symons, Wilfred Toms and Frank Watts. This group accounted for almost a third of the original Devon's drafted into the 1943 operation. The story of this group is told elsewhere on the site.
Pte. Wilfred Toms (1942).
Update 02/01/2013.
Wilfred Toms.
In early November 2012 I was contacted by Natalie Thomas and Christine Jefferis Knight. They had seen my posts on the WW2Talk forum and my article about the Devonshire Regiment Chindits on the Devonshire Heritage website. They were searching for information about Pte. Wilfred Arthur George Toms, a relative of theirs who had died in Burma in WW2. Here is what Christine had to say about her search for her second cousin Wilfred:
I hope you don't mind me writing to you, I have recently found out that a relative of mine died in WW2 and is buried in Rangoon Cemetery, on further searching I came across the Devon Heritage site and your article on the Devon Jungle Kings. I was totally amazed to read that my relative, who I believe is my second cousin was actually mentioned. His name was Wilfred Arthur George Toms, his service number was 5616017, he served with the 13th Btn. Kings Regt. (Liverpool) and died on 26/11/1943.
Wilfred was the son of my great aunt Amelia Toms, his father was Frederick Toms and they were originally from Millbrook in Cornwall until the family moved to the Surrey area just before the war. I am eager to learn more about Wilfred and as you seem to have studied these men I wondered if you had any further info on him please, we are not sure how he died and would like to have whatever information you may have. Sadly Wilfred had another brother (Reginald) who was also killed in WW2 but not in the same place, as we are trying to piece together the family history I would so appreciate anything you may have to help us understand how Wilfred died. Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you. Christine.
And here is what Christine's daughter Natalie had to say on the WW2Talk forum back on 4th November 2012:
Re: Wilfred Alfred George Toms...POW Rangoon Jail
Hi All, I am very new to this so please bare with me. I have been for the last few years researching my family tree...this has taken me in several different directions...but only today I learned that my great grandmother's sister had a son, Wilfred Alfred George Toms who was a POW at Rangoon Jail. The information I have found so far is that he was reported M.I.A on the 10th of April 1943 but was to later die on the 26th of November 1943 in Block 6. I have searched several archives but have since come up with a blank...would anybody be able to shed some light on how he died. Many thanks.
I was able to hand over some details about Wilfred's time on Operation Longcloth in 1943, but sadly, due to the lack of a Japanese POW index card, not his ultimate cause of death. Seen below is an image of his memorial plaque from Rangoon War Cemetery and the photograph seen above is of Wilfred on his last leave before going overseas. I would like to thank Christine and Natalie for their help in adding this information in regards to Pte. Wilfred Toms. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
Wilfred Toms.
In early November 2012 I was contacted by Natalie Thomas and Christine Jefferis Knight. They had seen my posts on the WW2Talk forum and my article about the Devonshire Regiment Chindits on the Devonshire Heritage website. They were searching for information about Pte. Wilfred Arthur George Toms, a relative of theirs who had died in Burma in WW2. Here is what Christine had to say about her search for her second cousin Wilfred:
I hope you don't mind me writing to you, I have recently found out that a relative of mine died in WW2 and is buried in Rangoon Cemetery, on further searching I came across the Devon Heritage site and your article on the Devon Jungle Kings. I was totally amazed to read that my relative, who I believe is my second cousin was actually mentioned. His name was Wilfred Arthur George Toms, his service number was 5616017, he served with the 13th Btn. Kings Regt. (Liverpool) and died on 26/11/1943.
Wilfred was the son of my great aunt Amelia Toms, his father was Frederick Toms and they were originally from Millbrook in Cornwall until the family moved to the Surrey area just before the war. I am eager to learn more about Wilfred and as you seem to have studied these men I wondered if you had any further info on him please, we are not sure how he died and would like to have whatever information you may have. Sadly Wilfred had another brother (Reginald) who was also killed in WW2 but not in the same place, as we are trying to piece together the family history I would so appreciate anything you may have to help us understand how Wilfred died. Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you. Christine.
And here is what Christine's daughter Natalie had to say on the WW2Talk forum back on 4th November 2012:
Re: Wilfred Alfred George Toms...POW Rangoon Jail
Hi All, I am very new to this so please bare with me. I have been for the last few years researching my family tree...this has taken me in several different directions...but only today I learned that my great grandmother's sister had a son, Wilfred Alfred George Toms who was a POW at Rangoon Jail. The information I have found so far is that he was reported M.I.A on the 10th of April 1943 but was to later die on the 26th of November 1943 in Block 6. I have searched several archives but have since come up with a blank...would anybody be able to shed some light on how he died. Many thanks.
I was able to hand over some details about Wilfred's time on Operation Longcloth in 1943, but sadly, due to the lack of a Japanese POW index card, not his ultimate cause of death. Seen below is an image of his memorial plaque from Rangoon War Cemetery and the photograph seen above is of Wilfred on his last leave before going overseas. I would like to thank Christine and Natalie for their help in adding this information in regards to Pte. Wilfred Toms. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page.
The grave plaque for Wilfred Toms at Rangoon War Cemetery.
Update 11/11/2019
On Remembrance Sunday 2019, I had the great honour of marching alongside eight Chindit veterans at the Cenotaph Parade in Whitehall. After the march we all congregated alongside around 100 guests and family members at the Chindit Memorial on the Victorian Embankment for another short service of Remembrance. After everyone had left I noticed a small wooden cross with a photograph attached (seen below) and on closer inspection found it to be an image of Wilfred's grave plaque at Rangoon. I wonder now which of his relatives left this at the memorial in his memory and thank them for doing so.
On Remembrance Sunday 2019, I had the great honour of marching alongside eight Chindit veterans at the Cenotaph Parade in Whitehall. After the march we all congregated alongside around 100 guests and family members at the Chindit Memorial on the Victorian Embankment for another short service of Remembrance. After everyone had left I noticed a small wooden cross with a photograph attached (seen below) and on closer inspection found it to be an image of Wilfred's grave plaque at Rangoon. I wonder now which of his relatives left this at the memorial in his memory and thank them for doing so.
Fred Turner.
Update 06/09/2014.
Frederick Turner
Below is a transcription of a recently discovered letter written to the Army Investigation Bureau by Pte. Leonard Frank in December 1945. The letter gives more information about the fate of Pte. Frederick Turner and Pte. John O'Donoghue and their time in Burma during Operation Longcloth. Sadly, the information within the letter makes for very grim reading and comes from the testimony of another Chindit casualty in 1943, Pte. Lawrence Herbert Ashcroft.
Lawrence, who served with Northern Group Head Quarter's in 1943 was captured by the Japanese on the 17th March that year. He was held, along with the rest of the Chindit POW's from 1943 at Rangoon Jail and this is where he told Leon Frank what had happened to O'Donoghue and Turner. Unfortunately, Lawrence did not survive his time as a prisoner of war in Rangoon, dying from cholera in June 1944.
Here is the transcription of Leon Frank's letter:
This is the story of 5628663 Fred Turner and 5627185 John O'Donoghue, as told to me by Pte. Ashcroft, who died of cholera in Rangoon Jail. The three of them were on their own when they were fired upon by the Japanese. Turner immediately fell dead, O'Donoghue was wounded. The Japanese bayonetted O'Donoghue to death and took Ashcroft prisoner.
Turner was described as being fairly tall, of portly build and had been a gamekeeper in civilian life. O'Donoghue was also fairly tall, with a slim build and dark features, he was a dour sort of person. Both these men I believe came from the south of England.
Ptes. Turner and O'Donoghue had been posted as rearguard for Platoon 17 (Column 7) as they marched away from the action against the Japanese at Nankan rail station on March 6th. The two men became lost and never rejoined their unit. It now transpires that Pte. Ashcroft was also with them and that they were ambushed by a Japanese patrol on the 17th March. To conclude this update, please see below the POW index card for Lawrence Herbert Ashcroft, showing amongst other details his date of capture.
Pte. Ashcroft is now remembered at Rangoon War Cemetery with the grave reference; Collective Grave 6.G.4-9. I believe that this is a collective plot for some of the men who perished from the outbreak of cholera in Rangoon Jail during late June 1944. It is likely that these men were originally cremated due to the contagious nature of the disease and their ashes later interred at Rangoon War Cemetery after the war was over.
Update 15/07/2017.
From the pages of the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette dated 21st July 1944 under the headline, Missing in Burma, Still No News of Kenton Soldier:
Although a year has passed since Lance-Corporal Frederick Turner was posted as missing in Burma, his wife and parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Turner of Kenton, have not given up hope that some news may be received of him. L/Cpl. Turner was reported missing in July 1943 and most exhaustive enquiries have failed to elicit any further information. L/Cpl. Turner, who is 24 years old was employed as a gardener at the Dawlish Hotel before joining the Army in the first year of the war. He was married in 1939 to Miss J. Hamilton of Kenton and has two little girls.
Frederick Turner
Below is a transcription of a recently discovered letter written to the Army Investigation Bureau by Pte. Leonard Frank in December 1945. The letter gives more information about the fate of Pte. Frederick Turner and Pte. John O'Donoghue and their time in Burma during Operation Longcloth. Sadly, the information within the letter makes for very grim reading and comes from the testimony of another Chindit casualty in 1943, Pte. Lawrence Herbert Ashcroft.
Lawrence, who served with Northern Group Head Quarter's in 1943 was captured by the Japanese on the 17th March that year. He was held, along with the rest of the Chindit POW's from 1943 at Rangoon Jail and this is where he told Leon Frank what had happened to O'Donoghue and Turner. Unfortunately, Lawrence did not survive his time as a prisoner of war in Rangoon, dying from cholera in June 1944.
Here is the transcription of Leon Frank's letter:
This is the story of 5628663 Fred Turner and 5627185 John O'Donoghue, as told to me by Pte. Ashcroft, who died of cholera in Rangoon Jail. The three of them were on their own when they were fired upon by the Japanese. Turner immediately fell dead, O'Donoghue was wounded. The Japanese bayonetted O'Donoghue to death and took Ashcroft prisoner.
Turner was described as being fairly tall, of portly build and had been a gamekeeper in civilian life. O'Donoghue was also fairly tall, with a slim build and dark features, he was a dour sort of person. Both these men I believe came from the south of England.
Ptes. Turner and O'Donoghue had been posted as rearguard for Platoon 17 (Column 7) as they marched away from the action against the Japanese at Nankan rail station on March 6th. The two men became lost and never rejoined their unit. It now transpires that Pte. Ashcroft was also with them and that they were ambushed by a Japanese patrol on the 17th March. To conclude this update, please see below the POW index card for Lawrence Herbert Ashcroft, showing amongst other details his date of capture.
Pte. Ashcroft is now remembered at Rangoon War Cemetery with the grave reference; Collective Grave 6.G.4-9. I believe that this is a collective plot for some of the men who perished from the outbreak of cholera in Rangoon Jail during late June 1944. It is likely that these men were originally cremated due to the contagious nature of the disease and their ashes later interred at Rangoon War Cemetery after the war was over.
Update 15/07/2017.
From the pages of the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette dated 21st July 1944 under the headline, Missing in Burma, Still No News of Kenton Soldier:
Although a year has passed since Lance-Corporal Frederick Turner was posted as missing in Burma, his wife and parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Turner of Kenton, have not given up hope that some news may be received of him. L/Cpl. Turner was reported missing in July 1943 and most exhaustive enquiries have failed to elicit any further information. L/Cpl. Turner, who is 24 years old was employed as a gardener at the Dawlish Hotel before joining the Army in the first year of the war. He was married in 1939 to Miss J. Hamilton of Kenton and has two little girls.
The POW index card for Pte. Lawrence Herbert Ashcroft.
Donald Rogers.
Update 24/12/2021
Donald Rogers
Donald Everard Rogers was born on the 5th January 1913 and was the son of William John and Beatrice Mabel Rogers from Mylor, located five miles north of Falmouth in Cornwall. Donald began his Army service with the 12th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment, before he was transferred to the 13th King’s in September 1942 after travelling overseas to India.
In December 2021, I was delighted to receive the following email contact from Hannah Kent:
Hi Steve,
Thank you for this amazing website and all your research. This has been very helpful in our understanding of the fate of my Mum’s Uncle Donald. My mother, though only a very young child at the time, still remembers the day the family received news of his death and that everyone was very upset. His name is recorded on his parents grave at the Mylor churchyard and also on the War Memorial nearby. We have some photographs of him that we would like to share with you.
Kind regards, Hannah Kent.
I replied:
Dear Hannah,
Thank you for your email contact via my website in relation to Donald Rogers. It was quite coincidental yesterday when your email came through, because I had only just finished updating and refreshing the story of Lt. Walker and his dispersal group of which Donald was a member. As you may have read, he voyaged to India in 1942 as part of a draft of soldiers from the Devonshire Regiment. He was originally with the 12th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment and my own grandfather was with the 9th Battalion. It is possible that they travelled in the same troopship and may have known each other.
The draft of Devons docked at Bombay and then were probably transported to the Deolali Reinforcement Centre (made famous by the 1970s sitcom, It Ain't Hard Hot Mum), from where they were posted to the 13th King's and began their Chindit training at Saugor. Donald was allocated to No. 7 Column under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes. When the Chindits were ordered to return to India in late March 1943, he was one of the men in Lt. Rex Walker's dispersal party. Many of these men were already wounded, suffering from malaria or dysentery or simply exhausted from the expedition.
NB: To read more about Rex Walker's dispersal group, please click on the following link: Rex Walker's Dispersal Group 4
Donald was reported a missing on the 10th April 1943 and was captured at some point thereafter. He died at the first main holding camp for Chindit POWs, at a place called Maymyo. This was a very harsh environment where the men were taught to obey the Japanese guards and had to bow to them whenever they walked past. Prisoners were given a POW number and had to recite this at all roll calls in Japanese.
Sadly, not much is known about how he died. One soldier, George Walter Lee gave some information after he was liberated in April 1945, saying that Donald had died suffering from dysentery at Maymyo. He stated:
5627474 E.D. Rogers. He once belonged to the Devonshire Regiment with me and I saw him buried at Maymyo in Burma. I was there when he died from dysentery. I believe he was from the Devon area and I am certain of this death.
Another soldier to provide information about Pte. Rogers was Corporal Fred Morgan, also formerly with the Devonshire Regiment before travelling overseas to India. Morgan stated:
Pte. Rogers was about 5’ 5” tall with brown hair and a ruddy complexion. I believe he died at Maymyo and was with the 12th battalion of the Devonshire Regiment.
Donald was almost certainly buried at the Christian Cemetery at Maymyo, but these graves were never recovered after the war and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 6 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery. He has the 1st June 1943 as his official date of death. Several of the men who perished at Maymyo have this date recorded, I believe, but have no real evidence, that this date was agreed by the Imperial War Graves commission after the war as a fair estimation for those who died as POWs at Maymyo, but where no actual records survive. My grandfather died just a few days later on the 17th June, but he had just reached Rangoon by then and perished inside Block 6 of Rangoon Jail. Thankfully, by then records for Chindit POWs had begun to be collated by the officers present.
I would love to learn more about Donald and his life before the war, his schooling and employment, that sort of thing. I would very much like to see a photograph of him and perhaps use this to update his story on the pages where he is mentioned. Thanks again for making contact and I will send over everything I have in relation to your mother’s uncle shortly.
Hannah then replied:
Hi Steve,
Thank you for such a prompt response which I have forwarded on to my mum. She would have been about two and a half or three when the news came back about her uncle. Her father was the eldest of four children, followed by Donald and then another brother and sister, there are sadly very few memories, but she hopes to see a cousin shortly and will ask if he has any recollections from those times.
William Rogers, Donald’s father was a stone mason working in the granite quarries at Mabe near Penryn, they also lived and worked on a small holding in the parish of Mylor. William worked on a number of War Memorials from WW1 during his working life, including the cenotaph in Rochdale.
We think Uncle Donald did some sort of engineering work, but we are not sure. My own grandfather worked in the quarry, but didn't like the work so became a chauffeur and then worked in Falmouth Docks and as a fireman during the war. My grandfather thought Donald died of malaria, but there may be some confusion here as I think I have also heard dysentery mentioned too.
Thank you again for all your hard work as this has really helped in our understanding of what happened, it’s just a shame that those who knew and loved him never got to know what happened to him in Burma. I was thinking of applying for his records and even sent the form and cheque, but heard nothing back, I'm not sure if I asked for the correct information. Perhaps you can offer some tips.
I have attached a couple of photographs of Donald, I hope they will be good enough for use on the website. Kind regards, Hannah.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this update, including photographs of Donald’s inscriptions on both the Rangoon and Mylor War Memorials. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. I would like to thank Hannah and her family for helping with this update and especially for allowing me to use the photographs of Donald and the family grave at Mylor.
Donald Rogers
Donald Everard Rogers was born on the 5th January 1913 and was the son of William John and Beatrice Mabel Rogers from Mylor, located five miles north of Falmouth in Cornwall. Donald began his Army service with the 12th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment, before he was transferred to the 13th King’s in September 1942 after travelling overseas to India.
In December 2021, I was delighted to receive the following email contact from Hannah Kent:
Hi Steve,
Thank you for this amazing website and all your research. This has been very helpful in our understanding of the fate of my Mum’s Uncle Donald. My mother, though only a very young child at the time, still remembers the day the family received news of his death and that everyone was very upset. His name is recorded on his parents grave at the Mylor churchyard and also on the War Memorial nearby. We have some photographs of him that we would like to share with you.
Kind regards, Hannah Kent.
I replied:
Dear Hannah,
Thank you for your email contact via my website in relation to Donald Rogers. It was quite coincidental yesterday when your email came through, because I had only just finished updating and refreshing the story of Lt. Walker and his dispersal group of which Donald was a member. As you may have read, he voyaged to India in 1942 as part of a draft of soldiers from the Devonshire Regiment. He was originally with the 12th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment and my own grandfather was with the 9th Battalion. It is possible that they travelled in the same troopship and may have known each other.
The draft of Devons docked at Bombay and then were probably transported to the Deolali Reinforcement Centre (made famous by the 1970s sitcom, It Ain't Hard Hot Mum), from where they were posted to the 13th King's and began their Chindit training at Saugor. Donald was allocated to No. 7 Column under the command of Major Kenneth Gilkes. When the Chindits were ordered to return to India in late March 1943, he was one of the men in Lt. Rex Walker's dispersal party. Many of these men were already wounded, suffering from malaria or dysentery or simply exhausted from the expedition.
NB: To read more about Rex Walker's dispersal group, please click on the following link: Rex Walker's Dispersal Group 4
Donald was reported a missing on the 10th April 1943 and was captured at some point thereafter. He died at the first main holding camp for Chindit POWs, at a place called Maymyo. This was a very harsh environment where the men were taught to obey the Japanese guards and had to bow to them whenever they walked past. Prisoners were given a POW number and had to recite this at all roll calls in Japanese.
Sadly, not much is known about how he died. One soldier, George Walter Lee gave some information after he was liberated in April 1945, saying that Donald had died suffering from dysentery at Maymyo. He stated:
5627474 E.D. Rogers. He once belonged to the Devonshire Regiment with me and I saw him buried at Maymyo in Burma. I was there when he died from dysentery. I believe he was from the Devon area and I am certain of this death.
Another soldier to provide information about Pte. Rogers was Corporal Fred Morgan, also formerly with the Devonshire Regiment before travelling overseas to India. Morgan stated:
Pte. Rogers was about 5’ 5” tall with brown hair and a ruddy complexion. I believe he died at Maymyo and was with the 12th battalion of the Devonshire Regiment.
Donald was almost certainly buried at the Christian Cemetery at Maymyo, but these graves were never recovered after the war and for this reason he is remembered upon Face 6 of the Rangoon Memorial at Taukkyan War Cemetery. He has the 1st June 1943 as his official date of death. Several of the men who perished at Maymyo have this date recorded, I believe, but have no real evidence, that this date was agreed by the Imperial War Graves commission after the war as a fair estimation for those who died as POWs at Maymyo, but where no actual records survive. My grandfather died just a few days later on the 17th June, but he had just reached Rangoon by then and perished inside Block 6 of Rangoon Jail. Thankfully, by then records for Chindit POWs had begun to be collated by the officers present.
I would love to learn more about Donald and his life before the war, his schooling and employment, that sort of thing. I would very much like to see a photograph of him and perhaps use this to update his story on the pages where he is mentioned. Thanks again for making contact and I will send over everything I have in relation to your mother’s uncle shortly.
Hannah then replied:
Hi Steve,
Thank you for such a prompt response which I have forwarded on to my mum. She would have been about two and a half or three when the news came back about her uncle. Her father was the eldest of four children, followed by Donald and then another brother and sister, there are sadly very few memories, but she hopes to see a cousin shortly and will ask if he has any recollections from those times.
William Rogers, Donald’s father was a stone mason working in the granite quarries at Mabe near Penryn, they also lived and worked on a small holding in the parish of Mylor. William worked on a number of War Memorials from WW1 during his working life, including the cenotaph in Rochdale.
We think Uncle Donald did some sort of engineering work, but we are not sure. My own grandfather worked in the quarry, but didn't like the work so became a chauffeur and then worked in Falmouth Docks and as a fireman during the war. My grandfather thought Donald died of malaria, but there may be some confusion here as I think I have also heard dysentery mentioned too.
Thank you again for all your hard work as this has really helped in our understanding of what happened, it’s just a shame that those who knew and loved him never got to know what happened to him in Burma. I was thinking of applying for his records and even sent the form and cheque, but heard nothing back, I'm not sure if I asked for the correct information. Perhaps you can offer some tips.
I have attached a couple of photographs of Donald, I hope they will be good enough for use on the website. Kind regards, Hannah.
Seen below is a gallery of images in relation to this update, including photographs of Donald’s inscriptions on both the Rangoon and Mylor War Memorials. Please click on any image to bring it forward on the page. I would like to thank Hannah and her family for helping with this update and especially for allowing me to use the photographs of Donald and the family grave at Mylor.
Copyright © Steve Fogden 2011/21.