Jim's time in Burma and India (with photos)

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by pnewton84, Jan 16, 2016.

  1. mydad

    mydad Member

    Dear Simon

    His full name was Samuel Williams and his number was 3778196. i have his war service record and it says he joined the 1st battalion The Kings Regiment in Liverpool on 24.6.1940 and arrived in India on 20.03.1941. i have some photographs taken in India and Burma and I know that he was in hospital in Colaba in September 1944 which might rule out some battles. i don't know when Operation Thursday took place but perhaps he was sick then. i have his ornage Chindit scarf with the map on it.

    Thank you

    Norma
     
  2. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Norma,

    many thanks for your father's details. I have added his name to the data base. His service number indicates that he was an original Kingsman as it is within the number block allocated to the King's Regiment (Liverpool); was he from the Liverpool area?

    Operation Thursday began on the evening of the 5th March 1944 when soldiers of the 1/King's and others flew into the Broadway landing ground in Northern Burma by Glider and prepared a stronghold deep inside Japanese held territory. Once a landing strip had been prepared other troops flew in by C47 Dakota aircraft. The 1/King's were made up of two columns that operated outside the Broadway stronghold as 'floater' columns with the task of breaking up any Japanese build up of troops attacking the stronghold. Later both columns were sent to another stronghold further north called Blackpool as it was being strongly attacked by and later fell to the Japanese. Given that your father was in hospital in Coloba, a suburb of Bombay, by September 1944 and that Blackpool was evacuated on 25th May 1944, it is very likely that he saw action there and was later evacuated back to India. If I am able to identify which of the two columns that he served with I will be able to add more detail.

    I am lucky enough to have one of the orange scarves/escape maps that belonged to another member of the 1/King's

    We would love to see any of your father's photographs if you are willing to post them.

    Many thanks,

    Simon.
     
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2017
  3. pnewton84

    pnewton84 Member

    Hi Norma, thanks for the message. I've written up my research from the start of the year. Nothing new in there, but I try and trace where he *might* have been and put it into an order. So if you DM me your email, I don't mind sending it over as it might be of use.

    Also, a complete long shot, does anyone have the original photo from this website (the first group shot on the page). Think my grandad is on the 4th row (there is a Newton) but could do with a closer look! I've asked the web master twice but didn't get anywhere.

    Paul
     
  4. mydad

    mydad Member

     
  5. pnewton84

    pnewton84 Member

    Hello all again! I've written up my Grandad's story now as a blog, which you can see here - My Grandad, the Chindit

    Hope it's of interest!

    Paul
     
  6. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Paul,

    Thanks for coming back to us with your update and excellent tribute.

    Steve
     
  7. mydad

    mydad Member

    Dear Paul

    Sorry to be so long in replying to your generous offer of the information that you have. I have being doing some further research but nothing really new. i am planning a visit to Burma for next year and would like to see some of the places but they may be in unsafe areas. one of the other contributors to this site took my Dad's details and established from his service number that he took part in Operation Thursday. that confirms part of his journey.

    i have looked at your write up about his story.. Really interesting. i am writing a story for my children about my Dad's story but there are so many gaps.

    my e mail address is lon408@blueyonder.co.uk

    Once more, thank you for your help.

    if only we had asked questions when these old soldiers were still with us.

    Norma
     
  8. mydad

    mydad Member

    Simon

    Thank you for that information and sorry for being so long to reply.

    My Dad did say that they went in by glider and one of the pilots dropping supplies to them was actually his nephew Arthur. He found out after the war that he had been doing this work. what a coincidence!

    i am planning a trip to Burma next year but not sure how many of these battle sites are in safe and accessible areas.

    As well as his scarf I have all the censored letters that were written between himself and my mother. for a long time she could write to him but he could not reply.

    thank you again.

    Norma

    thank you again.
     
  9. mydad

    mydad Member

    hi again

    Having read your grandfather's story I noticed that my Dad and your Grandad entered the concessional area on the same day. January 21st 1944. a coincidence or did they know each other? both in 1st king's regiment who took part in Operation Thursday.

    Norma
     
  10. pnewton84

    pnewton84 Member

    Hi Norma, how interesting that they entered the area at the same time. Maybe they did know each other.

    I'll email over the PDF of my write up which includes more photos than on the blog. Maybe your dad is in one of those photos.

    Keep in touch, and if you have any group photos I'd love to see them to see if my grandad is on any!

    I'll email you now :)

    Paul
     
    bamboo43 likes this.
  11. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Norma,

    As Paul says, it would be great to see any photographs of your Dad from his time during WW2.

    Best wishes

    Steve
     
  12. peter woodall

    peter woodall New Member

     
  13. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Peter,

    Wonderful that you came across the photograph. Apart from this thread, forum member High Wood has begun to piece together the story of the 1st King's in Burma and is attempting to collect together the names of all those men who went into Burma in 1944.

    Here is the link, please have a read through:

    1st Bn The King's (Liverpool) Regiment, Chindits.
     
  14. peter s woodall

    peter s woodall New Member

     
  15. peter s woodall

    peter s woodall New Member

    Sorry im not familiar with the site yet but noticed the photo you shared of the 13th bn in Dehra dun 1945. my father is on this photo. second row seated 2nd in from the right. private woodall. he was posted to the 1st Kings 03.08.43 then admitted to 13thbn 25.08.43.
    This is the only photo i have seen of him during his time in India but my sister recalls seeing an individual photo of him in uniform many years ago. i guess this was privately taken. i have his service record if you need any further information.
     
    bamboo43 likes this.
  16. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Peter,

    Good to hear back from you again. Please post any details about your father on this thread, it would be great to learn more about him.
     
  17. peter s woodall

    peter s woodall New Member

    Hi bamboo43 thank you for replying. I am in the process of trying to decipher some of the hand writing on his service record as some of it is not very clear and they used a lot of abbreviations which i don't understand but i will be glad to share details soon.
     
  18. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    If you are not sure about some of the abbreviations, then we may be able to help you decipher them here.
     

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