Mandalay Hill

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by wtid45, May 6, 2009.

  1. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Im intrested in any information relating to units fighting in and around Mandalay Hill and Fort Duffrein MARCH 1945 mainy because my Dad was there and I dont know what unit he was with for sure other than maybe being attached to 4/4th Prince Of Wales Own Gurkha Rifles I do have a pic that I can post of him and his mates sat having a smoke in front of a huge golden buddha on Mandalay Hill.
     
  2. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

  3. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Thanks Phil. and at the risk of being a pain I know already what you have posted i needed something a bit more specific and nice buddha but the one in question is called a Gautama budda and is sat down and while it is within a temple with railings in front my Dad and his 5 mates are sat outside in front of it the picture comes from a book called China, Burma, India by Don Moser and Time life books.
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Have you applied for his Service Records?
     
  5. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Have you applied for his Service Records?
    Hi Owen, I have all the paperwork ready but I dont have my Dads, service nunber hence the reason why I seek more information.:(
     
  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Do you know his DoB? One or the other will work....It may just take a little longer to find him in Glasgow.

    Regards
    Andy
     
  7. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Do you know his DoB? One or the other will work....It may just take a little longer to find him in Glasgow.

    Regards
    Andy
    Hi Andy, yes mate I know his date of birth just hoped to some how find his service no to make it a little easier, but I have tried virtualy everything to find it and no joy so Im gonna stick it in the post next week.
     
  8. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Finally a picture! my Dad is forth from the left any insights to what anyone can glean from the picture ref the cap badge or if that is a bren gun would be much appreciated.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Thats a great picture...Is it taken from a book?
     
  10. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Thats a great picture...Is it taken from a book?
    Hey Andy, yes the book is caled China Burma India by Don Moser pub Time Life
     
  11. Pete Keane

    Pete Keane Senior Member

    Whats the word to the left of 'take time out' in the text - I can make out what looks like ......iers.

    Great photo.

    Pete
     
  12. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Whats the word to the left of 'take time out' in the text - I can make out what looks like ......iers.

    Great photo.

    Pete
    Cheers Pete, the complete caption reads "British soldiers take time out for a quick cigarette at the base of one of Pagoda Hill's many gilded-and immensely valuble-figures of Gautama Buddha".
     
  13. Pete Keane

    Pete Keane Senior Member

    wtid45 likes this.
  14. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Pete thanks for the extra info I just need a lead to come good and who knows;)
     
  15. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Really great photo, thanks for sharing. They look like soldiers to me, not officers, and that will exclude any of the Indian Army regiments. There is a book about 2nd Royal Berkshires at Mandalay "Slim's Burma Boys" by John Hill:

    Slim's Burma Boys: Amazon.co.uk: John Hill, Monica Butt: Books

    Maybe you can find it in the Library. Here you can find article about battle for Mandalay Hill written by officer from 4/4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles.

    BBC - WW2 People's War - GOING TO WAR ON THE TUBE - CHAPTER 5 BATTLE FOR MANDALAY HILL
     
  16. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Really great photo, thanks for sharing. They look like soldiers to me, not officers, and that will exclude any of the Indian Army regiments. There is a book about 2nd Royal Berkshires at Mandalay "Slim's Burma Boys" by John Hill:

    Slim's Burma Boys: Amazon.co.uk: John Hill, Monica Butt: Books

    Maybe you can find it in the Library. Here you can find article about battle for Mandalay Hill written by officer from 4/4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles.

    BBC - WW2 People's War - GOING TO WAR ON THE TUBE - CHAPTER 5 BATTLE FOR MANDALAY HILL
    Thanks for the link Sol, and I have just recently ordered a book on the history of the 4th Prince of Wales own Gurkha Rifles.As for the John Hill book I have a book by him called China Dragons, about the 2nd Berkshires, and your descripton is almost the same could it be same book, different title? all the best, Jason
     
  17. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    According to this site they are similar but not the same:

    Books

    Those of you who have read China Dragons will enjoy this account on a more personal level. Written before his untimely death in 2002, is based on his original diaries and day to day wartime experiences. It contains personal stories demonstrating the bravery of his soldiers, who fought in the Burma campaign


    Cheers
    Enes
     
    wtid45 likes this.
  18. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    In that case thats another book to add to the never ending list of 'to buy' cheers for the update:)
     
  19. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Finally a picture! my Dad is forth from the left any insights to what anyone can glean from the picture ref the cap badge or if that is a bren gun would be much appreciated.
    Ok I have now looked at this picture until it feels like my eyes are gonna pop outta my heado_O and unless I can find a way to enhance/blow up the pic then I only have this 6 guys on Pagoda/Mandalay hill March 1945,four of them wearing black berets which for some reason sticks out, given every other pic of troops in Burma, India I have seen, there are that I can see no signs of rank or regiment bar the one cap badge, or divison etc e.g 14TH Army, 19th Indian(Dagger) Divison although I am sure my Dad spoke of the 17th Indian (Black Cat) Divison who were not at Mandalay hill.Then we have a sten gun a bren gun and a no 5 short lee enfield:unsure: which my Dad is holding.............. and finally two of the six have tatoos the one on the guys chest standing far right is quite big.............. also from memory my Dad said one of thier guys in the pic was a radioman/signallar just for you Drew, as there are some what look like leads in front of the guy with the cap badge............if anyone can add to this I would be so very grateful:D, Jason
     
  20. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    Hi all - I am helping a WW2 veteran who served in a field artillery regiment as part of 19 Infantry Division (Indian) and if I could get a hold of their divisional history "Dagger Division" then there might be some info in that (for both of us).

    In the meantime, I have mainly relied on the David Hughes book "The Indian Army in the Far East 1944-45" for most of my info - with another couple of books to get a clearer picture as possible of the battle for Mandalay and Fort Dufferin.

    Regarding the black berets, I always think of tankies and that headwear. I have a copy of the Time-Life China-Burma-India book and turning to page 167 shows a parade and the only berets I can see are on a couple of blokes in front of the Lee tank in the background. I would say the photo on page 165 shows two infantry soldiers standing (wearing slouch hats) and four tankies sitting.

    If they (including your dad) are tankies I would say they are members of C Squadron, 150th Regiment, RAC (254th Indian Tank Brigade) - that SQN was attached to the 19th Division for the Mandalay battle.

    From another thread "according to Osprey 150th Regiment RAC (ex 10th York and Lancaster Regiment) in Burma wore their regimental badge on black beret"

    At King's College, London - "typescript 150 Regiment RAC [Royal Armoured Corps] (Y&L) [York and Lancaster]. Ops report for the period 16 Jan 1945 to 25 Feb 1945', by Maj Norman Leslock Learmouth Palmer, on operations in Burma, 1945" - sounds interesting
     

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