1st Bn, Essex Regiment - Burma 44th & 56th Columns

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Fitzgeraldr, May 27, 2014.

  1. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Good to see you have something to work with Richard. Did you close in on anything of interest?

    Steve
     
  2. Fitzgeraldr

    Fitzgeraldr Active Member

    at the moment I have the diaries for Jan - July 44, lots of really good info, but I have not found details to confirm exactly which unit my Grand Father served with... really funny in the first few pages they mention inter column football matches being played but never mention who won :(
     
  3. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    I remember seeing a team sheet for the Queens Royal West Surreys and the 2nd Leicesters, as you say, no result posted. Good luck going forward.
     
  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Careful...It can get addictive :lol:
     
  5. Fitzgeraldr

    Fitzgeraldr Active Member

    too late :salut:
     
    Drew5233 likes this.
  6. Fitzgeraldr

    Fitzgeraldr Active Member

    I have started work on the War diaries of the 1st Bn - I currently have the records for Jan - July 1944 I am building up a list of all men, Officers & OR's where I have a name etc, if anyone if looking for details of relatives that served with the Essex in Burma if you contact me I will see what information I have and will share this with you. as I get and work through the other records I will add to my list and once I have checked all records I will share them here.


    Regards

    Richard F - Grandson of L. R. Parker "Chindit"
     
    smilingsxith and Kevin Hammond like this.
  7. Fitzgeraldr

    Fitzgeraldr Active Member

    Here is my first post, I will update once a week with any amends and additions if anyone reads this and can fill in any gaps then please mail me and i will update. my plan is to list every man & officer that served with the 1st Bn in Burma.

    It seems I cannot upload an Excel file if anyone wants a copy of the file please contact me and i will send it or if anyone knows how to upload this sort of file please let me know



    Regards


    Richard

    The Below are some of the men that I have found so far
     

    Attached Files:

  8. BritishMilitaryHistory

    BritishMilitaryHistory Junior Member

    This reminds me I am a little remiss in not engaging with this forum more often. Like other contributors, I feel the 23 Infantry Brigade is somewhat neglected in history, which I believe is because it was detached from the main Special Force and deployed in support of XXXIII Indian Corps in the defence of Kohima. With other interested parties from the Kohima Museum in York, I was at Kohima in April this year and we discussed the role of 23 Infantry Brigade. We went to one of the locations (we think) where the 1 Bn Essex Regiment fought with the Japanese.

    To this end, I am writing a concise history of the 23 Infantry Brigade as part of my work with the Kohima Museum and my work on Special Force in general. I am using various (mainly secondary) sources (eg, Regimental Histories) as I live three hours from Kew and like others, the cost of obtaining the information digtially is prohibitive. Side question, why do the Australians and New Zealanders provide war diaries free at the point of use on the interest, but the U.K. charges so much?

    Anyone is welcome to contact me at: info@britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk
     
  9. Fitzgeraldr

    Fitzgeraldr Active Member

    Thanks BMH, if you have any info you would be happy to share them please message me and i will give you my Emails. I live in Derbyshire so difficult for me to get to Kew. this is purely for my own research and i am not planning on writing a book but want to understand what my Grandfather did and who he served with etc. any information gratefully received.


    Thanks

    Richard
     
  10. Fitzgeraldr

    Fitzgeraldr Active Member

    Ok and this time with the correct file, I have so far managed to list about 160 of the men & officers of the 1st Bn Essex that were serving as at Jan - July 1944, if anyone has any info on any of the men and can/wants to share it please let me know so that I can update my list



    Thanks


    View attachment Men & officers of 1st Bn Essex Regiment.pdf
     
  11. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    That is the beginnings of a worthy project Richard. My personnel Excel for the men of Chindit1 forms the backbone to all my research.
     
  12. Fitzgeraldr

    Fitzgeraldr Active Member

    Yes its helps make the stories more than a story and more real if that makes sense, and I know that even if I find out nothing more about my grandfather then I know about the men that he served with and what happened to some of them
     
  13. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    I soon learned to record everything, even if it seemed insignificant, books and diaries are often key resources and it is always frustrating when you know you possess some information, but cannot remember where you have seen it.


    My Master Roll is a very large document now. :)

    Master 1.jpg
     
  14. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    I know where all of my research material is... err... I think...? ;)

    All I can say is keep back-ups of your back-ups...

    I like your comments re the Forgotten Brigade of the Forgotten Army - that would be a good working title for somebody...

    I know what it's like trawling through research material only to find a comment like "oh, I believe there was a bit of a skirmish near Hopin". "Really...?" Still, once the bug bites... :biggrin: :banghead: :elkgrin: :screwy: :smash: :point: :whistle: o_O

    (Nurse... his medication...)
     
  15. Fitzgeraldr

    Fitzgeraldr Active Member

    I hope that others find some of the information interesting and it will hopefully help others trying to trace family that served or at least give them a stear in the right direction
     
  16. Fitzgeraldr

    Fitzgeraldr Active Member

    I will post updates on Sundays as this is the best day for me. see attached the current list, total 395 officers and other ranks, I have added any information I have found to date including promotions, disciplinary action, Awards etc.as I have more info will add I hope that people find it interesting and useful. the next stage is to start recording training exercises and battle action for the Regiment.

    View attachment Officers & OR's 1st Bn Essex Regiment.pdf
     
    bamboo43 likes this.
  17. BritishMilitaryHistory

    BritishMilitaryHistory Junior Member

    Just a thought, does anyone out there know WHY Lance PEROWNE was appointed as the commanding officer of the 23 Infantry Brigade in November 1943. He was aged 41 years (ie, over the usual age limit of 40) and was an officer in the Royal Engineers. His previous command was an anti-aircraft brigade in the U.K. and most of his service appears to have been with searchlight units. Not found the answer yet, but at first sight, he appears to be an unusal appointment

    Richard - I will keep you in the loop as my writing progresses.

    Thanks Rob,
     
  18. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Perownes Rifles - France 1940 by any chance ?
     
  19. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Rob,

    Perowne's brother, Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Perowne, was the Chief Chaplin for the Chindits of 1944. He went to school with Wingate. Could this be a possible link?

    Christopher Perowne trekked to Wingate's plane crash site as part of the party to confirm the tragedy and performed a short religious service at the location.

    best wishes

    Steve
     
  20. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Looking for something completely different in the book 'War in the Wilderness', I stumbled upon this sentence on page 112:

    "This Brigade (23rd) was commanded by Brigadier Lance ECM Perowne CBE, who had known Wingate at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in 1921. He had shared a room with him."
     

Share This Page