2nd Bn King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 1941/42

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by High Wood, Mar 29, 2020.

  1. Togo’s boy

    Togo’s boy Member

    I am looking for any information on Albert Crossland of the 2nd Bn KOYLI - he was part of the retreat from Burma (in his mid-20’s if my maths is correct) - later becoming RSM before retirement.

    Like many others my Dad never talked about his experience and we never thought to try and find out when he was alive.

    He was at Maymyo before the retreat and was nicknamed “Togo” during his time in Burma.
     
  2. JITTER PARTY

    JITTER PARTY Well-Known Member

  3. Togo’s boy

    Togo’s boy Member

  4. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    I have two Crosslands on my list 4689436. S. Crossland and 8464987 George Samuel Crossland, so if you have any more information such as his service number, I would be pleased to add him to my list.
     
  5. Togo’s boy

    Togo’s boy Member

    Thanks for the reply High Wood. Neither of these two I’m afraid.

    Albert “Togo” Crossland had two army numbers during his time with the KOYLI’s. I presume as a regular and as part of the TA. 4689486 & 23478668.
    He is indeed mentioned in Fitzpatrick’s book as Jitter Party says - but only when in India after the retreat when he was CSM. One of the quotes about parties and obtaining beer sounds very much like him.
     
  6. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    There seems to be some confusion regarding the Crosslands in the battalion.

    In the Tanner book, Burma 1942. Memories of a Defeat, there is a list of names of those who took part in the retreat compiled by a Corporal John Heald. The list is wildly innaccurate and I spent some time checking and correcting it.

    The only Crossland on the list is: 8464987 Crossland. 'Tojo'. (Bradford). Wounded, survived from squad of 1937.

    The Crossland with the closest number to the one on the Heald list is Samuel George Crossland with the number 846498, which is confirmed by both the casualty list and his Burma Star Association membership form.
    download.png

    Crossland BSA.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2022
  7. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Nothing comes up on the casualty list using Crossland and 4689486. There was another A Crossland wounded in Burma in 1944 but he served with the Lancashire Fusiliers.
     
  8. Togo’s boy

    Togo’s boy Member

    The army number I quoted is taken from dad’s military records.

    As Fitzpatrick records he was universally known as Togo, I don’t recall anyone ever calling him Albert.

    As you point out Heald’s list comes from memory, perhaps he mistakes Tojo and Togo. However to the best of my knowledge dad wasn’t wounded in Burma (but I think he was wounded later on in Malaya, possibly in a training accident) He certainly didn’t have connections to Bradford, he was from Sharlston/South Elmsall.

    He was married in the Anglican Church in Maymyo, Burma in 1940 - my mother was from a colonial family, born in Rangoon but the family later moved to Maymyo where the two met.
     
  9. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    I am interested in the nickname Togo, which to me makes me think of Togoland the old German protectorate in what is now Ghana. I would have thought that Tojo was a more likely nickname at the time given that the Japanese had been fighting in Manchuria for some time. That said, nicknames are often given for the strangest reasons and are often based on private jokes.

    With all the lists that I have created in recent years the major problem has been in confirming that a named soldier was in a particular battalion even if I have his name and service number. The average enlisted man seems to have gone through the war without leaving any trace in the official records that are currently in the public domain. It seems that you had to be either killed, wounded, a prisoner of war or awarded a gallantry medal or Mentioned in Despatches to warrant a mention. It is getting better as more documents are released, but still the best way to research an individual is to apply for his service records.

    I can confirm that Albert Crossland married Phyllis E Thomson in Maymyo in 1940.
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2022
  10. Togo’s boy

    Togo’s boy Member

    It’s definitely Togo - but with no connection to Togoland or the Japanese Prime Minister (Tojo). Our guide whilst we were in Burma suggested it might be a local dialect term for a “representative man” but no real certainty.

    I have his service records and know about my parents life in Burma, India & Malaya before their return to the UK. Mentioned in Dispatches during time in Malaya.

    What I don’t know, but would like to, is details of how he was involved in that terrible withdrawal from Burma. It would appear that during 1942 he was, at various times L/Sgt, A/Sgt. By 1943 he was CSM, ending regular service as RSM. After regular service he was with 4th Bn TA.

    I would have thought he had an entry in the Burma Star association records - he was a member, I still have his lapel badge.
     
  11. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

  12. Michael J Gilpin

    Michael J Gilpin New Member

    I would like to correct you on a few things about my step grandfather Sergeant Jack Gilpin 4535883, he was mentioned in the supplement to the London gazette (4690) 28 October 1942 as a Lce-corpl serving in the koyli's. He was also captured by the Japanese after helping my grandmother escape on one of the last transport planes out of Burma before he was captured by the Japanese but a few weeks later escaped and was badly wounded and sent back home to Leeds to recover. He later went onto Malaya as a Sergeant with my grandmother and his adopted children one being my late father Joseph Gilpin where Jack Gilpin later died of heart failure whilst on active service at the military hospital, Kamunting. Malaya. He was buried at the civil cemetery, Taiping on 25/07/1949. Information of this is in the bugle vol 41, No 3 page 7 under deaths
    He is also mentioned in a book called Malayan tails of the Yorkshire light infantry by John Scurr, page 5. Flo by moonlight which tells a story of my grandmother (who was of northern Indian descent and not Tamil as discribed) being spyed on by a guard. I think this is where you got the information that Jack Gilpin died of scrub typhus from.
    The medals I've got of his service are, 1939-1945 Star, Burma Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945(bronze Oak leaf on the ribbon) and General Service Medal Malaya 1918-1964.
    I'm trying to get his service records from the Army Personnel Centre, historical Disclosures in Glasgow GE 8EX but it's taking an age to get them.
    I'm also trying to find out where, when and how he got my grandmother out of Burma and when he got captured by the Japanese and how he escaped. I'm trying to research it because I want to write a film script about it.
    I'm reading the book by Ralph Tanner about the koyli's, it's called Burma 1942 memories of a retreat. I'll see if it mentions anything about Jack Gilpin in that.
    When Jack Gilpin died in Malaya he was in C company, 1st Battalion as a Sergeant. I really want to know what company and battalion he was in when he was in Burma?
    I hope this new information about sergeant Jack Gilpin of the KOYLI'S 4535883 helps.
    If you can help with any information about which airfield the evacuation of servicemen wives went from that'll be great.

    Michael J Gilpin.
     
  13. Michael J Gilpin

    Michael J Gilpin New Member

    Hi Simon, can I correct you on a few things about my step grandfather Sergeant Jack Gilpin 4535883/KOYLI, he was mentioned in the supplement to the London gazette (4690) 28 October 1942 as a Lce-corpl. He was also captured by the Japanese after helping my grandmother escape on one of the last transport planes out of Burma before he was captured by the Japanese but a few weeks later escaped and was badly wounded and sent back to Leeds to recover. He later went onto Malaya as a sergeant with my grandmother and his adopted children one being my late father Joseph Gilpin. Jack later died of heart failure whilst on active service at the military hospital, Kamunting. Malaya. He was buried at the civil cemetery, Taiping on 25/07/1949. Information of this is in the bugle vol 41, No 3 page 7 under deaths
    He is also mentioned in a book called Malayan tails of the Yorkshire light infantry by John Scurr, page 5. Flo by moonlight which tells a story of my grandmother (who was of northern Indian descent and not Tamil as discribed) being spied on by a guard. I think this is where the information that he died of scrub typhus from.
    The medals I've got of his service are, 1939-1945 Star, Burma Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945(bronze Oak leaf on the ribbon) and General Service Medal Malaya 1918-1964.
    I'm trying to get his service records from the Army Personnel Centre, historical Disclosures in Glasgow GE 8EX but it's taking an age to get it from them.
    I'm also trying to find out where, when and how he got my grandmother out of Burma and when he got captured by the Japanese and when he escaped. I trying to research it because I want to write a film script about it.
    I'm reading the book by Ralph Tanner about the KOYLI's, I'll see if it mentions anything about Jack Gilpin in that.
    When Jack died in Malaya he was in C company, 1st Battalion as a sergeant. I really want to know what company and battalion he was in when he was in Burma?
    I hope this new information about my late step grandfather helps.
    If you can help with any information about what airfields were used to evacuate the servicemen wives went from that'll be great.

    All the best,

    Michael J Gilpin.
     
  14. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Michael,

    thank you for making contact. I have amended your father's details on the main list to include his first name and cause of death. The reference to scrub typhoid was taken from the list in Tanner's book. The list is inaccurate but proved to be a useful starting point for my research. That said, many of its details are unverifiable without access to closed documents such as a soldier's service records.

    My understanding is that many of the K.O.Y.L.I. officer's wives and children were taken to Myitkhina to be flown out but not all of them were got out this way as the Japanese were shelling the airfield and it was deemed to dangerous to fly in and out. I will have to check my source for this though. Many others, both British and Indian, made it out of Burma by the overland route but I will have to check if any of the K.O.Y.L.I. families did.

    I would thoroughly recommend that you read, Gerald Fitzpatrick's book, No Mandalay, No Maymyo.

    Simon.
     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2023
  15. Michael J Gilpin

    Michael J Gilpin New Member

    Thanks for that Simon, much appreciated. Will definitely check out the book you recommend to me. Tried to upload the 2 documents I got from the koyli museum but I think they are too big to send. If you would like a hard copy I can always post them to you?

    Kindest regards

    Michael J Gilpin.

    Had to upload by taking a photo of them instead, hope they came through ok?

    Michael J Gilpin.
     

    Attached Files:

  16. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Pagri Flash.

    KOYLI 005.JPG
     
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  17. Hi Gents,

    Really appreciate the work here - I have been doing some research on my Grandad who served in Burma so I can have his medals mounted which have been handed down to me. I have found his name on the records High Wood posted, I wonder if anyone can advise me how I can dig a little deeper?

    23/02/1942 4690720 Pte Graves Jack Reported missing 23/02/1942. PoW - This service number exactly matches a record in the "Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Regiment" does anyone know if this is accurate, and that regiment did indeed serve in Burma? (i have in my possession a Burma star medal also)

    Also, I have found some information that he was a prisoner of war at "Pegu" POW camp, is this an actual camp or separate from Rangoon? The info I found says he was "liberated" which i guess means rescued? does anyone have any information on who rescued these men? i remember hearing down the family grapevine it was actually American troops?

    Also, I have a engraved WW1 "Great War for Civilization" medal with his name and number, this number however does not match the WW2 number, I heard that numbers could change or in fact a regiment used its own unique number on WW1 medals? just trying to work out I found my Grandad.

    Any info or help would be amazing!

    Cheers Men.
     
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  18. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Hello Andrew,

    welcome to the forum. yes, the army number is accurate and the 2nd battalion K.O.Y.L.I. did indeed serve in Burma. Jack Graves was indeed a P.O.W. having been captured on the wrong side of the Sittang Bridge on 23rd of February 1942 or thereabouts.

    The Great War Victory Medal that you have, does it have the regimental number 35435 impressed on the rim and the initials J.C.?

    Simon.
     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2023
  19. Hi Simon,

    Thanks for the feedback.

    The WW1 medal I have is engraved with "67299 PTE Graves M.G.C" - This however does not match the number from the WW2 Burma campaign POW document. Can you explain this?

    Do you have any information on who saved these men because I know he made it home to England from the POW camp alive and then sadly passed due to illness and injuries.

    Andy
     
  20. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Andrew,

    I have some records for the POWs of Rangoon Jail held from 1942-45 including your grandfather. As Simon says he was captured on the 23rd February 1942 after the Sittang Bridge was destroyed. He eventually ended up inside Rangoon Jail and was issued the POW number 244 by the Japanese guards. He would have to recite this number in Japanese at every roll call during his incarceration.

    In April 1945, with the war turning against the Japanese, a decision was made to evacuate Rangoon. Inside the jail 400 or so prisoners were chosen to accompany the Japanese guards on their march out to the Thailand border. These 400 men were chosen because they were deemed fit enough to make the trip, whilst the other more infirm POWs remained inside the jail.

    On the 26th April the 400 marched out of Rangoon Jail and began their journey and your grandfather was one of these men. The march soon became an ordeal for many of the prisoners who were certainly not fit enough to march. The distances covered each day were not what the Japanese had hoped for and on the 29th April, just outside of a village named Waw, on the Pegu Road, the Japanese commandant decided to release the 400 prisoners where they stood.

    The Japanese moved away to continue their march to the Thai border, and the POWs discussed what their options might be. In the end some men took their chances and moved back towards the city of Rangoon. Others looked for assistance from the local Burmese population and in time met up with soldiers from the advancing 14th Army in the form of the West Yorks Regiment. Others made it further west and were picked up by Indian Army troops and taken to a camp controlled by the United States Army Air Force. Over the coming days, these POWs were flown back to India (Calcutta I believe) by American Dakota aircraft and placed into hospital.

    The above narrative is very much a shortened record and much more happened to the 400 in the days between 26-29 April 1945. I hope this information will be of use and perhaps answer some of your questions.

    Here is Jack's POW index card, front and reverse.

    Graves J. JIC 1. copy.JPG Graves reverse.jpg
     
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