8th Medium Regiment RA - Yindaw - Burma ?

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by ClankyPencil, Sep 14, 2012.

  1. Richardk

    Richardk New Member

    Thanks for this. On behalf of my 89 year old mother, I am attempting to research the war records of her father Lance Bombardier Reginald Jamrack of the 246th Med Battery RA. I was very happy and very interested to read the war diaries you posted.
     
  2. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

    As a matter of interest what would be the range of a 5.5? I ask because 8 Medium Regt was supporting Lion Box fourteen miles north of Imphal where they were based. Not sure whether it was B or C Troop 247 Bty.
    Lionboxer
     
  3. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    RE: Capt Brough MALTBY

    Looked in WD for 8 Med Regt but no mention of him or 1427478 Gnr GE Pennington of 8 Med Regt who died on the same day as Maltby and was buried with him at 83L/SW 555151 - before both being concentrated to Imphal. That map ref of the burials puts the location as Patiala Ridge, on the Shenam Saddle.

    On 21 April 'D' Troop of 8 Med Regt were on the Shenam Ridge but there is no report on their activities in May or June.

    I've also checked the War Diaries for 1-3 Gurkhas, 2 Borders and I Devons to see if there is an account of a FOO group being attacked by the Japanese but nothing showing. There may be other units that they were with but I don't have those war diaries.

    A bit of a mystery!
     
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  4. JITTER PARTY

    JITTER PARTY Well-Known Member

    Pennington is listed as having died 25/05/44.
    Other units, WD that you might like to check, are 1/16 Punjab, 5/6 Raj Rif, 3/5 RGR, and 3/10 GR all of whom took heavy casualties 24/05/44 during their actions on Ben Nevis and Gibraltar.
     
  5. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Hi Jitter Party

    Yes, I saw that Pennington had 25/5/44 but as many attacks took place at night it is still possible they were killed in the same engagement, so either side of midnight. If found this in other cases I've studied in this campaign and some where the dates are clearly a day away from when the death took place. It is a coincidence that they suffered two casualties so close together when the guns would have been a good few miles back from the fighting.

    After posting I realised that 20 Div handed over their positions on the Shenam Saddle to 23 Div a few days before and as you say a new Brigade and its Battalions took over but unfortunately I don't have the War Diaries for the units you mention.
     
  6. JITTER PARTY

    JITTER PARTY Well-Known Member

    Never mind, the Public Record Office - sorry, The National Archives - will re-open one day.
     
  7. Hughes G

    Hughes G New Member

    1A5BF883-FFC9-46F7-A8BD-E61C1399136D.jpeg
    My Taid Robert Hugh Hughes served in the 8th Medium Regiment, 247th battery, RA. He never spoke much about it with my Dad. Found out quite a bit about him during lockdown. Found his tracer card and got the war diary for the 8th Medium for 1944/45.
     
  8. Dubman

    Dubman Well-Known Member

    HI hope someone here can help.
    I have Charles Herbert Lowe, killed on 17th March 1944 whilst serving with the 8th Mediums. He is buried at Imphal, war cememetry.
    There is a family story he was killed in an accident with an aircraft? Does anyone have the regimental diary for March 44 which could maybe shed light on this?
    Cheers
     
  9. Hughes G

    Hughes G New Member

    Hi,
    He was killed when the Japanese bombed the RHQ with four or five AP bombs.
    Here’s the Regimental War Diary for March 17th 1944. I hope this can bring closure for the family. 3B1E53D1-E9FF-4147-BE0A-548EC33B2A8B.jpeg 3B1E53D1-E9FF-4147-BE0A-548EC33B2A8B.jpeg DC3245F4-D943-455C-A34F-F078C4B00321.jpeg
     
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  10. Dubman

    Dubman Well-Known Member

    Cheers. Thank you so much
     
  11. Hughes G

    Hughes G New Member

    04069B53-D70F-4463-9405-C8ECC1886518.jpeg 091AE5DD-54C2-44D6-81C2-4352666011E5.jpeg ]
    Mystery solved I’ve found Captain Maltby in 8th Medium Rgt, 247th battery’s war diary on the 25th of May 1944. You were right the first time when you mentioned his forward observation post on a hill called Gibraltar was overun by the Japanese. Capt Maltby was killed by a hand grenade along with Gnr Pennington. Signaller Radford was missing for a while but managed to get back to his own lines. I’ll link the war diary for that day for you. I hope this gives the family some closure.
    G. Hughes
     
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  12. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Some extra detail on Brough Maltby. It would be great to find a photo of him but no luck so far.

    In Farndale's book it mentions a book on '19th Medium Battery' as a source for a number of the detailed quotes but there is no bibliography. Has anyone heard of it or better still have a copy?
     

    Attached Files:

  13. Mary Cole

    Mary Cole Member

    Hello, are you a member of the WW2 Burma research group. We have members who could certainly point you in the right direction
     
  14. JITTER PARTY

    JITTER PARTY Well-Known Member

    I never found anyone on there particularly helpful, and the only direction in which I was pointed was out - by you, when you had me expelled for not telling people exactly what they wanted to hear.
     
  15. Mary Cole

    Mary Cole Member

    I personally didn’t throw you out as we have a whole team of Admin. I can only assume that you didn’t adhere to group rules.
    We have quite a few relatives whose loved ones served with the 8th but, I can only assume that you were a member for a brief period. Good luck with your search.
     
    Skoyen89 likes this.
  16. Leon_080

    Leon_080 New Member

    Thank you for providing closer for our family. George Pennington was my Great uncle, and I have been told some stories about what happened. From what my grandmother told me, George went back to get machine gun as the hill was overrun by Japanese, and he didn’t return.
    I will share this information with our family.

    if you have any other information about him/ the8th Medium Rgt, 247th it would be greatly appreciated!
     

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