Chindit Chasing, Operation Longcloth 1943
  • Home
    • The Chindit Society
  • Arthur Leslie Howney
    • A Daughter's Story
  • History and Overview
    • Voyage and Training >
      • Wingate and his Column Commanders
  • The Men
    • Roll of Honour >
      • Remembering Today
  • The Longcloth Family
    • Family 2 >
      • Family 3
  • Chindit POW's
    • 2nd Battalion, The Burma Rifles
  • The Gurkhas of 1943
    • Roll of Honour >
      • Gurkha Personnel
  • Gallery Brigade HQ
    • Gallery Other Columns >
      • Gallery-ID Parade
  • Gallery Column 5
    • Gallery Column 7 >
      • Gallery Column 8
  • Sources and Knowledge
    • Did You Know? >
      • Links and Thanks
  • Memorials and Cemeteries
    • More Cemeteries and Memorials

The Men of Operation Longcloth

Picture
Here is a photograph of a group of Kingsmen taken in the training camp at Saugor in 1942. In the front row (centre) is James Frederick Woodhouse, a Geordie amongst Scousers (his words), also present in the front row, third from left is Michael Patrick Downey. Some of these soldiers were already in their mid-thirties by the time Wingate took them as his Long Range penetration guinea pigs. For some, their age would prove a deciding factor against their survival in 1943.

(Photo courtesy of Frank Woodhouse and Mark Jones).

Update 03/06/2012: I have since learnt that the man in the centre of the back row is Patrick Quinn, who was attached to Column 5 in 1942/43, and then served again with the Cameronians in 1944. This information was sent to me by his son Rod.

Update 27/08/2012: The man sitting in the front row, crossed legged, with the bandage on his arm is Frank Holland. He went on to serve in Column 8 in 1943. This information was sent to me by his son Gerry.

Update 03/02/2017: I have discovered recently, that the soldier seen in the back row, extreme left as we look, is Pte. 3771600 William Henry Molyneux from Liverpool. William enlisted into the British Army on the 16th March 1938 and was posted to the 5th Battalion of the King's Regiment. After voyaging to the sub-continent, he joined the 1st King's at their base at Ferozepore, in the Punjab region of India. William took part in the second Wingate expedition in 1944 and was flown into Burma on the 5th March that year in the first wave of glider landings. His Chindit column is unknown at this time, but would have been either number 81 or 82. Although he was not wounded during the campaign, William suffered for sometime afterwards with continuing bouts of malaria, both the BT and MT strains. This information was passed on to me by William's son Tony Molyneux.

This is how Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten (SEAC's Commander in Chief by 1944) assessed the operation:

In 1943 the imagination of the world was captured by a small force of British and Indian troops, under Brigadier Wingate, which made the first experiment in long range penetration and proved that we could out fight the Japanese in a kind of war he had made his own and under conditions which were to his advantage. It was the harbinger of bigger things, but in itself, of course, the experiment was on a small scale.

Wingate had a multitude of critics and detractors and his maverick and unconventional style did not sit well with the old school in the British Indian Army at the time. The men he commanded also held their own strong views on the man, and on the new strategies they were to carry out in the field for the first time. Like the powers that be in Delhi, the men of the 13th Kings either believed him to be a genius of great vision or simply a callous mad-man.

So on February 15th/16th the men of Operation Longcloth stood on the western banks of the Chindwin River and looked over into Burma, the time had come to prove the theories of long range penetration and column by column over the river they went. Amongst them, the men of the 13th Kings, who on sailing to India foresaw nothing more than town garrison duties, the young and inexperienced 3/2 Gurkha Riflemen, whether officer or other rank, the RAF air liaison officers who had volunteered, but for what they had never known until it was too late, and hundreds of reluctant mules and their drivers. Perhaps it is true to say, that only the men of the 2nd Burma Rifles crossed the Chindwin that year with some idea of what obstacles and cruelties lay ahead.

Here are some of the men and their stories, please click on their name and follow the directions in the brackets. To help you find information on any particular soldier, please use the search box function found in the top righthand corner of every page, or alternatively search for him here on The Longcloth Roll Call

Peter Dorans
Arthur Leslie Howney, finding Grandad
Arthur Howney, short story
Alec Gibson
Alec Gibson, a Tribute and a Thank You
Duncan Campbell Menzies
Douglas Mills
Stibbe's Platoon
Tommy Roberts Platoon
The Devonshire's Journey
Graham Hosegood (see also Family pages, story one).
Rex Walker's Dispersal Group 4
William Livingstone (first story on Family 2).
Eric Allen and the Lost Boat on the Shweli. (Including Stanley Scruton).
Stephen Hector (first story on Family 3).
Frank Lea, Ellis Grundy and the Kaukkwe Chaung
Ted Stuart, 'Almost but not Quite'.
Robert McCrea
Roy McKenzie
Sgt. John Thornborrow (fourth biography on page).
Arthur Birch and Platoon 17
George V. Faulkner and the Medical Officers of 1943
Tommy Roberts, POW to Schoolmaster
Raymond Ramsay
Francis Cyril Fairhurst. Third story on Family 3.
L.A. Alexander
Daniel Burns
Japanese Experimentation on Chindit POW's
The Japanese Psyche and Views on Chindit Operations
Flight Lieutenant Denis Sharp DFC
Denis George Frederick Gudgeon
Robert Valentine Hyner
Lieutenant P.A.M. Heald
Rifleman Harkaraj Gurung and the story of Column 4.
Rfm. Ramkrishna Limbu IDSM, including Vivian Weatherall
Dalbahadur Pun and the death of Major Philip Conron
Pte. Frank Holland
Jim Tomlinson and Column 8 Commando
War Correspondents with the Chindits, including Motilal Katju
The Memorials of Captain Alexander Inglis MacDonald
Samuel Ralph Tucker, Chindit Centurion   
John F. Pickering Alphabetically listed on the Longcloth Roll Call.
Petersen, the Fighting Dane
George Silcock. Scroll down the page to find story.
Arthur Best. Scroll down the page to find story.
Hubert Birtwhistle. Scroll down the page to find story.
Harry Roberts, Wingate's Driver
Lieutenant Freddie Jones. Scroll down the page to find story.
Lieutenant Lewis William Rose
Lieut. Horncastle and the Nisan Engagement
Pte. Henry James Ackerman
Pte. Bernard Keelan
Captain James MacPherson. 2nd Burma Rifles.
Flight-Lieutenant John Fleming 'Carolina' Gibson
Young Ernie Belcher
The Bricklayers of Column 4 Commando
Lance Corporal James Boyce
Dennis Russell Chambers
David Horne
The Six Sussex New Boys
Pte. Percy Biggs. Alphabetically listed on the Longcloth Roll Call.
Lieutenant Robin Patrick Gordon
Sergeant John Edward Bridgeman
Lieutenant John Kerr and the Fighting Men of Kyaik-in
John Kerr, Early days in Rangoon and a remarkable friendship
Lieut. Victor St. George de la Rue
Pte. John S. Critchley
Pte. Leonard Coffin
Pte. James Zorn
Pte. Samuel Richardson. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Lieutenant John Stuart Frederick Andrew Forbes Burnett
Major Joseph Eric Stephenson
Lieut. William George Kirkpatrick
William Moncrieff Robinson
Pte. George Walter Lee
​
Tom Gilzean. Eighth story on page.
Sergeant Tony Aubrey
The Piccadilly Incident
​
Keith Gibbon Scott-Farnie Alphabetically listed on the page.
Norman Fraser Stocks
Alan Fidler
Pte. Henry Taylor
Lance Corporal Gerald Desmond
​Sgt. Harold Palmer
The original grave of Edward Barrett
Sgt. Fred Thompson
Captain George Power Carne
Matron Agnes McGearey
The Men of the Shweli Sandbank
Flight-Lieutenant Albert Tooth
Sgt. Jack Berry
Captain Nigel Whitehead
​Flight-Lieutenant John Redman
Lieutenant George Henry Borrow MC
Captain Joseph Coughlan
​Corporal Harold Sole. Scroll down on page.
Three Chindits from Chesterfield
​Captain William Alfred Jelliss
Lt. Dominic Neill and his Gurkha Muleteers
Lt. John Musgrave-Wood
William Vandivert (War Correspondent).
The Liverpool Ghosts
Sgt. Ronald A. Rothwell
Sgt. John J. Carey. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
Squadrons 31 and 194 Manna From Heaven
Six Men of the Royal Ulster Rifles
Pte. Alfred Nicholls
​Gunner Thomas Nice. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Lieutenant John Hubert Trigg
Lieutenant Charles William Culmer Edge
​
RAF Sergeant Maurice Holmes and including Arthur Willshaw.
​Pte. Sean Dermody
​8th Warwick's at Dunkirk
Major Gilmour Menzies Anderson
​Harold Machin. Scroll down to his story.
Following 5 Column
Medical Services to Longcloth
Lt. John Lionel Fowler. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​CSM Thomas Thomson. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Sgt. Alfred O'Gorman. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
Captain John Swafer Pickering. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
Lt. James Charles Bruce
Ernest Sutcliff. Alphabetically listed on the page.​
Lt. Robin Painter
Lt. MacHorton and the battle of Kyaikthin
Lt. Richard Allen Wilding
Lieutenant Harold James. Featuring Taffy Griffiths.
Manx Chindits
Bill Smyly
Squadron Leader Longmore
Lt. David Whitehead
Sergeant-Major Robert Blain
Captain Aung Thin
The Performance and Morale of the Gurkha Rifles
Pte. Fred Holloman
Lt. Jim Harman
​Captain Harold Blackburne
RAF Sgt. Kenneth Wyse. Featuring Fl-Lt. John Kingsley Edmonds.
​Lt. Alan Campbell-Patterson. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Lt. Alfred Peyton. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Pte. Edgar Baldwin. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Lt. Douglas Quayle. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Sidney Arthur Cooke. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
​RSM Kelly. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Pte. David Clarke. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
L/Cpl. Joseph Kay. Alphabetically listed on the page.​
​Pte. Harry Bannister. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.​
L/Cpl. Thomas Curry. Alphabetically listed on the page.​
​Pte. Philip Moogan. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.​
​Pte. Martin Parkes. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.​
​Pte. John Barrett. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Pte. Frank Brierley. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​L/Cpl. Charles Brookes. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Pte. William Halliday. See update at foot of the page.
​Sgt. George Atkinson. ​See update at foot of the page.
Sgt. Douglas C.L. Monro. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Lt. William Thomas Callaghan. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Lt. Edward Hobday. Scroll down the page.
Lt. Edwin Horton. Scroll down the page.
Pte. Herbert Owen Daniel Poole
Albert Davies, Chindit Marksman
Lt. Jeffrey Gordon Lockett
Maurice Dwyer (first story on page).
Fred Hartnell (second story on page and second story on Family pages).
Philip Hose (third story on page).
Frank Watts (fourth story on page).
William Ventre (third story on Family pages).
Jock Masterton (first story on page).
William Royle (second story on page).
John Fraser Wilson (third story on page).
Dennis Walmsley (fourth story on page).
William McIntyre (fifth story on Family pages).
Leon Frank (fourth story on Family pages).
James Ambrose (second story on Family 2).
William Jordan MM (third story on Family 2).
George Gale (second story on Family 3).
William Service Aird (the story of 'Doc' Aird can be found in this link).
William Service Aird 2 (more about William Aird on this page).
Wingate's Journey Home
Lance Corporal George Bell
Eric Rostance (first biography on page).
Jack White (second biography on page).
William Baddiley (third biography on page).
Robert Hamer (sixth biography on page).
James Rogerson (seventh biography on page).
Thomas Partington (fifth biography on page). 
Wilfred Toms (see Wilfred's story at the foot of the Devonshire's page).
Tommy Byrne
Norman Wilfred Hackley
Lance Corporal Percy Finch
Pte. Arthur Troth
Pte. Leonard Grist
Pte. Leon Frank
Sanchabahadur Rai
Baby Bios. A collection of short biographies.
Men Who Died During Training
Lance Corporal Fred Nightingale
Sergeant John Thornley
Eric Owen. Alphabetically listed on the Longcloth Roll Call.
Frank Rowley.  Alphabetically listed on the Longcloth Roll Call.
Elias Roberts.  Alphabetically listed on the Longcloth Roll Call.
Charles Gilmartin. Alphabetically listed on the Longcloth Roll Call.
Fred Nuttall. Alphabetically listed on the Longcloth Roll Call.
Pte. John Bromley. Alphabetically listed on the Longcloth Roll Call.
Captain Raymond E. Williams and Platoon 18
Rfm. Aita Sing Gurung
Pte. Ted Palmer. Scroll down the page to find story.
Pte. Francis Withey. Including the story of Stanley Chapman.
Pte. 5119801 George Sullivan
Signalman Noel Edwards. Scroll down the page to find story.
Stanley Roden. Scroll down the page to find story.
Lieutenant Edmund Pythian Robert Read. Scroll down to find story.
CQMS Duncan Bett
Lance Corporal George Lee
Pre-Operational Reconnaissance
Pte. Fred Gauge. Alphabetically listed on the Longcloth Roll Call.
Ernest Henderson. Alphabetically listed on the Longcloth Roll Call.
CSM John Cairns MM
Pte. Jack Medalie
Tom Worthington's Letter
John William Brock
John Henry Cobb
The Dennett Twins
Captain David Hastings
Corporal John William Leese
Edward John Roberts. Featuring James Howes.
Pte. Norman John Fowler
Peter Francis Snell Beer. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Lieutenant James Vernon Crispin Molesworth
The DLI Commandos
Rifleman Maung Tun
Albert Vivian Earle
John Hla Shein
​Major Bromhead and 4 Column
Leslie Randle Cottrell
Cyril Askew. Ninth story on page.
Bertie Castens' Secret Track
Sergeant Bert Fitton
Michael Vlasto
Major John Jefferies
Pte. Elijah Roberts Alphabetically listed on the page.
Pte. Elias Roberts  Alphabetically listed on the page.
Tommy Vann, a Photographic Album
Pte. Frank Berkovitch
Major Hugh Paul Seagrim
Pte. Tom Rayson
Whistling Pte. Pierce
The Diary of Dennis Brown
George Henry Astell MC
Sgt-Major Bob Hobbs
Malcolm Garle Seton
Piercy, Hardy and Litherland
Signalman Eric Hutchins
Lieutenant John Lindsay Watson
Signalman Arthur Nicholls and the RCOS Draft from China
Lieutenant Arthur Carbonell. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Pte. Charles Aves
​Signalman James Arthur Willis. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Corporal Fred Morgan
Lt. Robert Peter Wormell
Colour Sergeant Robert Glasgow. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Corporal John Albert Usher. Alphabetically listed on the page.
George William Bell. Alphabetically listed on the page.
James Alfred Clarke. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Donald Leslie Aves. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Robert Morgan Sanders. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Mansfield Robert Arries. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Sgt. Frank Ernest Pester
​The Raising of 142 Commando
Elephant Bill Williams
Lt. Gerry Roberts
​Pte. Joseph Fitzpatrick. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Corporal William McGee. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Too Many Cooks and No Broth to be Had
Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Wheatley
Lt. Thomas Arthur Stock
​Lt. William Nimmo. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Pte. James William Mitchell. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Pte. Peter 'Rocky' Knight. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Herbert Boston. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Albert Leach. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Jack Lenton. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Alfred Strevens. Alphabetically listed on the page.
James Walker (8). Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Robert Newton. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Staff Captain Horace Lord. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Lt. Robert Wilkinson. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Richard Coates. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Lt. John Griffiths. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Lt. Kenneth Raymond Gourlie. Alphabetically listed on the page.
Corporal Pike. Alphabetically listed on the page.
L/Cpl. Cockling. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Pte. John Richard Anstee. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Pte. James Baker. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Pte. John Sydney Ball. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Hyman Farber. Alphabetically listed on the page.
John Brennan. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Fred Langridge. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
Captain John Carroll. Alphabetically listed on the page.​
​Pte. Samuel Webster. Alphabetically listed on the page.​
​Pte. Thomas Openshaw. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.​
Pte. Joseph Cooke. Alphabetically listed on the page.​
Pte. Arthur Reed. Alphabetically listed on the page.​
​L/Cpl. Thomas Jones. Alphabetically listed on the page.​
Pte. Leonard Marsh. Alphabetically listed on the page.​​
John Francis Cartner. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.​​
​Fred Bertenshaw. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
L/Cpl. Ernest Burgess. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.
​L/Cpl. Robert Brown. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​Pte. Walter Brown. Alphabetically listed on the page.
​George Harry Gray. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.​​
​Captain Arthur Moxham. Scroll down the page.
​Lt. Ralph Wilson Goodwin. ​Alphabetically listed on the page.​​
​Lt. William Millar. Alphabetically listed on the page.​​
Clifford Sargent Calvert's Bodyguard
Captain John Coleridge Fraser
Lt. Kenneth Ernest Spurlock
Captain Fish Herring
Chindits with Four Legs
The Courageous Sergeant Hayes
Lt. Jock Stewart-Jones
Rfm. Tek Bahadur Rai

Samuel Ralph Tucker

PictureRalph Tucker in his King's Uniform.
On 30th September 2013 I became aware of the existence of a former Chindit soldier from Operation Longcloth, who incredibly, had reached his 100th year.

The family of Ralph Tucker contacted me with the information that he was formerly a soldier in the Devonshire Regiment, but, like my own grandfather had been transferred over to the 13th King's and served in Burma in 1943.

Ralph only just managed to survive Operation Longcloth and had walked out of Burma in 1943, covering in excess of 600 miles before reaching the safety of the Assam border. After a long period of recovery, Ralph performed several unusual administrative duties in India and was not repatriated to the United Kingdom until well after the war had ended.

Sadly, Ralph Tucker passed away on the 16th November 2013. He was to my knowledge, the oldest surviving Chindit soldier that took part in Operation Longcloth.

I would like to dedicate this page on my website to his memory and to his remarkable achievement in reaching his 100th year. As Mike Calvert once said "Chindits never actually die, they just go to heaven and regroup, after all, they have been through hell already."