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

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by High Wood, Mar 28, 2016.

  1. Hi Lynne
    My father's service record shows that he moved to Jhansi in September 1943 (from Ferezepor where had been since October 1942).
    So, the portraits were probably taken in Jhansi in November 1943.
    Cheers
    Robert
     
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  2. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    I think that is a good shout Robert. I've seen 6 sets of 1st King's records, 5 were at Jhansi in late November 1943, one other set states Ranchi, but it is possible that this soldier was in hospital at this point.
     
  3. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Jhansi was/is a large railway junction town in Uttar Pradesh State. It played a part in the final training exercise for the first Chindit expedition, when half the brigade were asked to defend the railway station in December 1942, while the other half attacked it.

    For a large detailed map of the area, please follow the link below. If you click on the map once it has uploaded it will enlarge in size:

    http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/india/txu-oclc-6614190-ng44-9.jpg

    Jhansi:Betwa River NG44-9 copy.jpg
     
  4. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Glider B20.JPG B20

    Contained B Coy 81 & C Coy 82.

    Glider crashed into a tree on the night of 5th March 1944 after coming adrift from the tow plane. All killed immediately except Faulkner, Lt S F Holyfield (S. Lancs) 219177 and the American pilot, F/O O. Johnson.

    5th March 1944, about ΒΌ hours walk from a Burmese village called Jindaw or Jendaw, nearest big town PIALEBOO, (40 or 50 miles away). At 9,000 Ft the tow rope broke. No suitable landing place in sight and the pilot intended to land on the bamboo jungle in the hope that the weight of the glider would flatten the bamboo. The glider however hit the top of a big tree and broke up. We found 16 bodies within a radius of 15 yards. Holyfield went round them all and examined them by feeling their pulse, hearts, etc. and pronounced them all dead. Statement from 3771425 Pte Thomas Victor Faulkner.

    117920 T/Capt H N Smith, i/c, 219177 Lieut S F Holyfield Column Security Officer. 3778550 L/Cpl T J Arrowsmith , 3771441 Pte S Fleming, 37711467 L/Cpl E H Hill, 3771010 Pte C Hodgson, 3783240 Pte J H Keane, 3770879 Pte T Kilshaw, 3388598 Pte E Pearson, 3778761 Pte J H Peers, 3773878 Pte J Prescott, 3775101 Pte K G Royle, 3778067 Pte J Shaw, 3770981 L/Cpl W C Stubbs, 3774856 Cpl A Tarbuck, 14353992 Pte E C Davidson, 5127468 Pte C Wykes, 3775101 Pte K G Royle. (All KiA). 3771425 Pte T V Faulkner. (PoW).
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2020
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  5. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Robert,

    many thanks for contacting the forum with information about your father. I am delighted that you have done so as Sgt Thomas Stephens was not on my database. I was aware of John (Jack) Shaw and have posted a statement about the fate of glider 20B made by 3771425 Pte Thomas Victor Faulkner in the post above. I look forward to hearing more about your father's Chindit service.

    Simon.
     
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  6. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Jackie,

    I have checked my database and none of these names appear on it. It is likely that many of them did not transfer to the King's Regiment but equally possible that some did and that more details will emerge in the fullness of time.

    Simon.
     
  7. I said in an earlier post that my father was designated as the co-pilot of his glider. As such, he sat next to the pilot in the cockpit. He had a clear view of what was happening in front and beside them. He watched Jack Shaw's glider (B20) drift off over the trees. He always referred to it as "the last time he saw his friend".
    All of his Chindit stories were very personal recollections of day-to-day events:
    He talked of having to leave badly wounded comrades propped up against trees with as much food and water as they could spare in hopes that local villagers might find them and take them in.
    He spoke of how asking for a cup of tea might have saved his life. His platoon had returned to camp after a night patrol. They could hear the sounds of a fire-fight nearby. Colonel Scott asked him to take his platoon to over to help out the group under fire. My father pointed out to Scott that they had just come back from night patrol and asked if they could at least have a cup of tea first. Scott told them to grab a cuppa and selected another platoon to go instead. Ten other men went to join the fire-fight. All ten were killed.
    One time, his platoon became separated from the rest of his column. Some local villagers gave them a lift on a river boat to be closer to their group. The boat was covered in a tarpaulin. During the voyage, a strong wind got up and the tarp blew off. They were sitting ducks in the middle of the river. As luck would have it, there were no Japanese in the area and they managed to get to their destination in one piece, albeit scared stiff the whole time.
    These are just a few of the things (and the kinds of things) that Tom would talk to us about as kids.
    Many thanks to the organizers of this site for the opportunity to share information on the 1st Battalion King's Liverpool during their time in Burma.
    Regards
    Robert
     
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  8. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Robert,

    many thanks for your interesting post. There are only a few detailed first hand published accounts of the glider landings that I have come across and your father's story adds another little piece of the puzzle. I have for some time been attempting to record the fate of each individual glider from published sources and have been hampered by the fact that no glider manifests appear to have survived, apart from those in casualty reports. I would like to be able to tell you that your father was in glider 19B that shared a tow-line with 20B but I cannot even give you this much detail. I think that it would be a mistake to assume that 1B was automatically twinned with 2B, 3B with B4 and so on as the weight of the loads would have to be carefully balanced and some of the gliders had heavy equipment and some individuals rather than all personnel. I cannot even say for certainty which glider Mike Calvert flew in with. I do have factual evidence that two particular gliders were together in a double tow but that sort of information does not seem to have survived for all gliders.

    The story of your father returning from a night patrol sounds as if it might be a particular incident that I am aware of. The two 1st King's columns were used as floating columns to patrol outside the perimeter of Broadway and patrols were out both day and night. I think that I can identify the particular Japanese attack on Broadway and will post details.

    The incident with the river boat sounds as if it might be either on the 1st King's move north from Broadway to relieve John Masters and his columns at Blackpool or later when the two columns became separated and one made its way towards Mogaung. I suspect the latter.

    I will check my notes and see what I can add to the above.

    Simon
     
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  9. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Robert,

    I think that the return from night patrol incident might possibly refer to the fighting around Broadway on the 28th March 1944 when the 1st King's took heavy casualties attacking a Japanese position. There were 15 men killed in action and at least 15 wounded in this action. However, it might refer to a later incident nearer Mogaung. I think that if your father was at Mogaung, (indicated by the maps you have), we can safely say that he wasn't at Blackpool. Sections of 81 column became separated from the main body of men on their way to Blackpool and made their way towards Mogaung and were decimated in the heavy fighting there.
     
  10. Thanks Simon
    I am not sure about whether Tom was at Blackpool or not. He did talk about his group's prowess with mortars. He claimed that they could get several up in the air at once before the first one landed. Where else would they have been involved in using mortars?
    A bit of added information about the night patrol incident is that Scott had originally said that "the Captain is under a bit of fire down by the river", which is where he sent the reinforcements. Incidentally, March 28th is my birthday.
    One day, I would like to see all of the information compiled into a best-guess, full chronology of 81 and 82 columns' activity in Operation Thursday from start to finish. I wonder if there is an app for it.
    Cheers
    Robert
     
  11. Simon
    In his book 'Chindits, Long Range Penetration' Mike Calvert discusses being given the order to switch to an all-Broadway fly-in for the gliders.
    He says, " Half an hour later we took off in double tow. I and my brigade head-quarters advance party were in the fifth glider of the third flight."
    Robert
     
  12. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Robert,

    I have compiled my spread sheet as far as possible on a day by day basis as this gives a better overall picture of unfolding events. It certainly highlights particular days when casualties were high which can then be linked to particular locations. The downside is that those men whose names do not appear in casualty lists, reports, wireless traffic, etc. tend to appear as if they were extras at the end of the credits. My personal wish would be that the battalion War Diaries for March to July 1944 would be found along with the glider manifests, casualty returns and finally, that soldiers personal records were in the public domain as they are for the Great War. My research would then be so much easier.

    Simon.
     
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  13. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Robert,

    I have Calvert's Prisoners of Hope and, whilst it gives a very good account of Glider 15P in minute detail in the appendix, it does not mention the number of Calvert's glider. Calvert states that, "we were the fifth and sixth gliders to take off. Lieut-Col Scott (Scottie), Commanding 1st King's (Liverpool) Regiment, and Colonel Alison, U.S.A.A.F., were in the first two. The other two contained some of Alison's and my own advance parties". Calvert mentions by name, five of his fellow passengers by name, including his American pilot.

    Calvert also states that 54 gliders took off, 37 of which, landed at Broadway, 6 fell in Japanese occupied Burma and the remainder (11) force landed in Assam.

    Simon.
     
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  14. Simon
    I just spent this afternoon reading all of this site's posts from the beginning. I note that from post #186, the day-to-day compilation of the 1st KLR information is already underway. If any assistance is needed, please let me know.
    In post #156, bglover talks about looking for photographs of a 1984 Chindit reunion. My father was at reunion in Liverpool, in 1984. I assume that it is the one that bglover mentioned. Tom reported that it was a raucous evening and that they refought the whole campaign. He said that Colonel Scott came from Wiltshire to attend and that 'Scottie' was in really great shape. Tom also said that it took a while for the old comrades to recognize one another, "especially when 'Curly' Molloy is now completely bald." I do not know if you have a 'Molloy' in your data base, but Tom named him specifically. Have any photos surfaced?
    There is a painting of the landing at Broadway by David Rowlands, which was commissioned by the King's Liverpool Regiment. I saw it once in the museum in Liverpool. In the artist's blurb about the painting, he mentions that he visited 'Scottie' in Wiltshire and was shown a typewritten report on the actions of the Special Forces. Does anybody know anything about this report?
    Cheers
    Robert
     
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  15. If you want my father's Service Record, please let me know. I will scan it and post it.
    Robert
     
  16. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Robert,

    many thanks for the extra information. I have been in contact with the son of another veteran who spoke about attending a reunion with his father; I will look at my notes to see where and when it was held. Steve (Bamboo 43) is the man to ask about reunions as I believe that he has attended a few over the years.

    I have a Molloy in my database: 3777981 Pte Molloy. F. who is listed on the Defence Medal Roll as being in the H.Q. Coy. I have no other information about him. There were three Francis Molloys born in Liverpool or West Derby between 1911 and 1924.

    Simon.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2017
  17. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Robert,

    I would be very interested to see a copy of your father's service record. I can send you my email address rather than you post it on the forum if you prefer.

    Many thanks,

    Simon
     
  18. OK. Please send me an e-mail and I will send you Tom's service record.
    RS
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2017
  19. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Robert,

    I have attended the Chindit Old Comrades Reunion at Walsall for the last 8 years or so. I have met quite a few Kingsmen over that period, sadly, all but one are no longer with us. It has been a privilege and a joy to listen to their Chindit memories and anecdotes. The Old Comrades Association ceased to exist in 2016 and was replaced by the Chindit Society who now run all events in relation to the Chindit legacy. I never had the honour of meeting Colonel Scott, who was clearly adored by all who served under him.

    Scottie left an audio account of his time in the Army at the Imperial War Museum; you can listen to his narrative here:

    Scott, Walter Purcell 'Scottie' (Oral history) (12352)
     
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  20. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Robert,

    many thanks. I was going to send you my email address via the forum personal message system. Please remove your email address from your post as it may fall into the hands of those with less than the average amount of scruples.

    Simon
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2017

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