1st Bn Somerset Light Infantry in Burma and India

With the families permission i am allowed to upload the collection of Sgt A Webberley in the collection are several files one containing 877 scanned images of pictures and the Regimental diary issued to soldiers for 1939
there is a pdf of a book written by a Pte Elgar who was posted into the Regt in 1942 from the oxfords to make up numbers.
there is another smaller pdf to accompany said book which goes into a little more detail refering to the movements etc in Burma
A pdf of a 1945 paper booklet of the campaign published in India
and a couple other points of interest
they can be found in the following links

http://ge.tt/5meLamo?c

http://ge.tt/3zUmldW?c

http://ge.tt/2Qnl8uT?c

this is a free site the images can take some time to down load depending on your internet connection so please allow time for the files to download

 

Superb, thank you very much for sharing this.

 

Yes, great! Thank you!

 

This looks brilliant - have you thought of scanning it as several .PDF files and 'minimised' to make it more manageable and simpler to transmit / download - if you have access to Adobe Editor.

I did this with my Dad's 60+ page record of his time in India and Burma (including War Diaries, maps, photos etc) and have been able to email it in its entirely to family and friends.

 

On the subject of the 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry, does anyone have information on:

10 Platoon 'D' Company 1945 - 1947 based in North West Frontier (Peshawar, India later to become Pakistan)

 

Martin, in the image lads 1942, there is a man named Art Mitchell, i belive he is my girlfriends grandad, Arthur Mitchell of 1st battalion Somersett Light Infantry c company. i am trying to get more info on him, do you have anything else that might shine more light in his period in burma?

 

Here is a photo of Somerset Light Infantry 1st Bn C Company Peshawar 1945. My father is Albert Maidment, standing extreme right 2nd row from the front.

 

Thanks for posting, fantastic clarity for a photograph of that age.

 

In the photo above, back row 3rd from right, is that Reginald Ashard?

 

I don't think that is Reg... have posted a photo of him.

 

I have never received any type of notification about the replys on this thread I was Contacted personally from a member over the last weeks If anyone wants a hard copy of everything i have please email me on martinroe22@hotmail.com and we can make arrangements to get the DVD to you
I also went to the national archive and photographed a file from the Regt war diary which i seem to have misplaced I will try to find this and make it available also

I need to go back as there are another 3 files of a lot larger size to photograph

 

Marrin & others,

I noted in recent research on Indian matters that Indian / Pakistani Independence was the 14th August 1947 (Pakistan the day before) and the Somerset Light Infantry left Bombay on the 28th February 1948. The cited reason was that most troops returned by sea there were not enough to go quicker. After Independence British troops appear to avoided "trouble". Just curious did you discover if they had an active part in the mayhem around Independence?

 

Hello Everyone. I’m trying to find out anything I can about my Grandad. His name was Herbert Henry Hall and we think he was in the Somerset Light Infantry in Burma during WW2. We think his service number was 6852185 as this is on my Dad’s birth certificate when Grandad registered him in April 1943. Herbert was known as “Bert” he went into the Army as A1 fit and came out very poorly. He struggles with his breathing for many years and passed on in 1990. I was only 11, but I remember SAAFA paying for some of the flowers and attending the funeral. Any ideas. Please let me know.
Martin Hall

 

Hi Martin

The only place to start and I mean only is getting his service records from the MOD, the link is Request records of deceased service personnel

TD

 

Thank you chaps.
Martin

 

Thank you. I can't seem t find anything on the forces war records using that army number. I'm a bit out of my depth!
Does army number 6852185 match to a Herbert Hall?

 

Hi, I have tried that and the paper work just comes back.

 

What do they say as why it was returned? - did you sens a copy death certificate, did you use service number or date of birth??

TD