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

Que?

 

Some possibilities for you if you don't already have them:

Jones George
Wilson John James
Aspin
Lee James Robert
Paterson JH.
Weasley Leonard
Milnek Joseph
Nicholas Fernley

 

Many thanks for the names.

Jones George. There are two, one of yours (4195197) and one of mine (14276690)
Wilson John James. One of yours I think, as it states, "Wingate Expedition in Burma 1943).
Aspin. Arthur. One of mine.
Lee James Robert. One of mine.
Paterson J.H. Shares his name and initials with a 1/King's soldier killed at Namsun. The RAF J.H. Paterson could be either expedition or both.
Weasley Leonard. Spent the war practising the dark arts with Dennis Wheatley and Tom Driberg as part of a secret Whitehall cabal..
Milnek Joseph. A cracker this one, clearly Joe Milner.
Nicholas Fernley. Got me stumped, is he someone you met on a bus?

 

Morning HW, yes, some of the spelling is fabulous. I've picked up two new names from 13th King's that were in the Chundits!

Here is Fernley Ralph Nicholas:

Nicholas, Fernley Ralph - N/389/71 - Burma Star Memorial Fund

 

Many thanks, I was assuming that Fernley was the surname. I should know by now never to make assumptions. I am also viewing the database via Find My Past bit will now go straight to the source.

There is a C.R. Smart whose obituary appears in Dekho! 171 dated 2012. I cannot find his membership form.

 

Some more possibles for you, we are probably crossing over at many junctures here:

John Albert Collins
Edmund Farnworth
George B. Hayward
William Hull
John Lewis
George Phillips
James Speed
John Talbot
Russell Taylor
George Williams

 

We almost certainly are but many of the King's men had a foot in both camps, particularly after the 13th King's were disbanded and sent to the 1st battalion. If nothing else, it keeps us on our toes.

 

These new databases are fantastic, but have come at the same time as my compilation of 350 plus Dutch POW's at Rangoon Jail and their POW index cards and of course over 20 new family enquiries to the Chindit Society after last Sunday. Never rains............

 

Hi all, I have recently discovered that my Wife's uncle was a Chindit allegedly killed in a glider crash in Burma. This of course has led me here!
He was
Private HUGHES, THOMAS
Service Number 3777378
Died 14/07/1944
Aged 28
1st Bn The King's Regiment (Liverpool)
Buried at TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY
Having researched his brother Frank Hughes DCM I realise the importance of his army record but, until it arrives I wonder if somebody would be kind enough to check any database entries for him?
Regards
David Sutton

 

I only have very limited details of Thomas Hughes. However, I do no think that he died in a glider crash. I expect that the glider that he was a passenger in may have crash landed on the night of the 5th March 1944 as many did..

14/07/1944. 3777378. The King's Regt. 82.Column. Pte Hughes. Thomas .KiA .Taukkyan War Cemetery. Age:28 . Huyton, Lancashire.

The July date would suggest the fighting for Mogaung or Myitkyina

 

Many thanks for your prompt reply. I knew the date was wrong but thought he may have been injured and died later.
I will await his army record with great interest.
Dave

 

The 5th March 1944 was the date that the 1/King's Regiment (Liverpool) flew into the jungle clearing that became the Broadway Stronghold. Many gliders crash landed due to the nature of the ground and other gliders crashed into the wreckage of the crashed gliders resulting in a lot of dead and injured men. However, a landing strip was levelled and Dakotas were able to fly in within 24-48 hours. Any of the injured from the glider landings would have been flown out to India. If Tommy Hughes had died of his injuries sustained on the 5th March he would be buried in India. I suspect that the date of his death is correct.

 

These are the killed, wounded and missing from the glider landings that took place on the night of the 5th March 1944. Note the use of the word wounded. As the Japanese took some time to locate the Broadway Stronghold none of the wounds listed as occurring on the 6th March 1944 were caused by enemy action. In reality the wounds were injuries caused by the glider landings.

Date Army No Original Regt Coy Glider Col Rank Surname Other names KIA, DOW, POW, wounded, etc
05/03/1944 3775270 The King's Regt Pte Carney Leslie KiA
05/03/1944 14396423 General Service Corps Pte Dawkins George KiA
05/03/1944 5831858 Suffolk Regt Cpl Finbow Herbert, George KiA
05/03/1944 3388718 East Lancashire Regt Sgt Helliwell Frank KiA
05/03/1944 3782486 The King's Regt Pte May William KiA
05/03/1944 5738897 Dorsetshire Regt Pte Maynard Francis, James, Clement KiA
05/03/1944 14228176 General Service Corps Pte Muller Frederick KiA
05-06/03/1944 117920 The King's Regt 20B T/Capt Smith Harry Norman KiA
05/03/1944 219177 South Lancashire Regt 20B Lt Holyfield Stanford Frank KiA 10/03/1944. Column Security Officer
05-06/03/1944 3778550 The King's Regt 20B L/Cpl Arrowsmith Thomas, Joseph KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 14353992 General Service Corps 20B Pte Davison Ernest, Creswell KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05/03/1944 3771425 The King's Regt 20B Pte Faulkner Thomas Victor Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 527. DoC 11-3-1944
05-06/03/1944 3771441 The King's Regt 20B Pte Fleming Sidney KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 3771467 The King's Regt 20B L/Cpl Hill Edmund, Henry KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 3771010 The King's Regt 20B Pte Hodgson Charles KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 3783240 The King's Regt 20B Pte Keane John, Henry KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 3388598 East Lancashire Regt 20B Pte Pearson Edward KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 3778761 The King's Regt 20B Pte Peers James, Herbert KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 3773878 The King's Regt 20B Pte Prescott Joseph KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 3775101 The King's Regt 20B Pte Royle Kenneth, George KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 3778067 The King's Regt 20B Pte Shaw John KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 3770981 The King's Regt 20B L/Cpl Stubbs William, Charles KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 3774856 The King's Regt 20B W/Cpl Tarbuck Albert KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 3776080 The King's Regt 20B Pte Turner Isaac, William KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05-06/03/1944 5127468 R Warwickshire Regt 20B Pte Wykes Cyril KiA glider crashed before reaching Broadway
05/03/1944 3775780 The King's Regt Pte Begley J Wounded 05/03/1944
05/03/1944 B16 Pte Winstanley Harry Glider crashed before reaching Broadway, flew in by Dakota. FDTD page 80
05/03/1944 B16 Pte Campion Robert Norman 'Bob' Glider crashed before reaching Broadway, flew in by Dakota. FDTD page 80. Obit Dekho! 153
05/03/1944 B16 Pte Ashworth James 'Jimmy' Glider crashed before reaching Broadway, flew in by Dakota. FDTD page 82. Radio operator
05/03/1944 B16 Pte Fallon William 'Bill' Glider crashed before reaching Broadway, flew in by Dakota. FDTD page 80. Radio operator. Photograph MoD.
05/03/1944 3719155 The King's Regt Pte Glover Josiah A Coy Dehra Dun 1945 photograph. Newspaper account of glider landing short and return to Lallaghat. B16?
05-07/03/1944 1432511 Royal Artillery Pte Dempsey J P Wounded 05-07/03/1944
05-07/03/1944 1459968 Royal Artillery Pte Brown F H Wounded 05-07/03/1944. Obit Dekho! 151 2005 Herts, Cambridge & Essex borders
05-07/03/1944 3773159 The King's Regt Pte Booth J Wounded 05-07/03/1944
05-07/03/1944 6978824 R Inniskilling Fus L/Cpl Delaney C Wounded 05-07/03/1944
05-07/03/1944 14377434 General Service Corps Pte Godfrey S Wounded 05-07/03/1944
05-07/03/1944 3771812 The King's Regt Pte Newton T R Wounded 05-07/03/1944
05-07/03/1944 5050827 North Staffs Regt Pte Sadler C Wounded 05-07/03/1944
06/03/1944 3770598 The King's Regt Cpl Collins James (Lottie) KiA glider crash. FDTD page 84
06/03/1944 3711921 KORR Cpl Copeland Frederick Charles KiA
06/03/1944 2039216 Royal Engineers Sgt Letworthy Leonard Westley KiA
06/03/1944 14419419 General Service Corps Pte Magee Daniel KiA
06/03/1944 14230908 General Service Corps Pte Trafford Edward Thomas KiA
06/03/1944 11050322 Royal Artillery Pte Prankard Frederick KiA
06/03/1944 5730002 Dorsetshire Regt Pte Silvester Joseph William Henry KiA
05-06/03/1944 I E E 19B 82 Capt Patterson David Alexander KiA glider crash. Account Dekho! 121
06/03/1944 3386974 East Lancashire Regt 19B 82 Pte Booth Samuel Missing 06/03/1944. Died 01/04/1944. Padre's Batman. Recce Platoon
06/03/1944 3768651 The King's Regt C 19B 82 Sgt McGee Hugh Missing 06/03/1944. Lost crossing the Chindwin but later returned to India. Recce Platoon. KiA
06/03/1944 3772953 The King's Regt 19B 82 W/Sgt King George Victor Missing 06/03/1944. Mortar Detachment. PoW Rangoon Gaol. Died of Beri Beri 30/10/1944
06/03/1944 14316441 General Service Corps 19B 82 Pte Blundell Raymond William Missing 06/03/1944. Mortar Detachment. PoW, Rangoon Gaol. No VI 497. DoC 15-5-1944. Died 05/08/1944. Beri Beri
06/03/1944 3713438 KORR 19B 82 Pte Griffiths W M Recce Platoon. Casualty list 1944. 'shot in the back'
06/03/1944 3718798 KORR C 19B 82 Pte House Arthur Casualty list 1944. Recce Platoon. Obit Dekho! 121/ 1997 Preston. Article Dekho! 142
06/03/1944 3771134 The King's Regt 19B 82 Cpl Durkin James Casualty list 1944. Mortar Detachment. Article Dekho! 142
06/03/1944 3771924 The King's Regt 19B 82 Pte Mullin John Casualty list 1944. Recce Platoon. Article Dekho! 142
06/03/1944 3772109 The King's Regt 19B 82 L/Cpl Mullin William J Recce Platoon. Article Dekho! 142
06/03/1944 3778233 The King's Regt 19B 82 Pte Fairfield William J Missing 06/03/1944. Mortar detachment. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 495. DoC 13-3-1944.
06/03/1944 3775198 The King's Regt 19B 82 L/Cpl Peers Albert Casualty list 1944. Mortar Detachment. Dekho! 142
06/03/1944 14217982 General Service Corps 19B 82 Potter John Thomas Casualty list 1944. Mortar Detachment. Dekho! 142
06/03/1944 3777372 The King's Regt 19B 82 Pte Moffatt Francis Casualty list 1944. Recce Platoon. Dekho! 142
06/03/1944 3531905 Manchester Regt 19B 82 Pte Paxford William Albert Casualty list 1944. Recce Platoon. Dekho! 142
06/03/1944 3608622 Border Regt 19B 82 Pte Milburn Matthew Casualty list 1944. Medical Orderly. 'lost crossing the Chindwin'. Article Dekho! 121.
06/03/1944 3608629 Border Regt 19B 82 Pte Paxton Wilfred Casualty list 1944. Recce Platoon. Dekho! 142
06/03/1944 3608672 Border Regt 19B 82 Pte Thompson Desmond Casualty list 1944. Recce Platoon. Dekho! 142
06/03/1944 14317793 General Service Corps P21 Pte Bartlett Bertie Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 404. DoC 13-3-1944
06/03/1944 14313275 General Service Corps P21 Pte Bennett Samuel Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 482. DoC 13-3-1944
06/03/1944 3718886 KORR P21 Pte Butterworth James Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 489. DoC 13-3-1944
06/03/1944 3779611 The King's Regt P21 Pte Coleman Daniel Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 480. DoC 11-3-1944
06/03/1944 3777312 The King's Regt P21 W/Cpl Cuerdon Thomas Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 472. DoC 13-3-1944
06/03/1944 3768886 The King's Regt P21 A/CSM Courtliff Edward Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No card. DoC 13-03-1944
06/03/1944 3390236 East Lancashire Regt P21 Pte Davies George Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 479. DoC 13-3-1944
06/03/1944 3775124 The King's Regt P21 L/Cpl Higginbottom Tom Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 475. DoC 11-3-1944. Obit Dekho! 137 2001 Wirral
06/03/1944 3776923 The King's Regt P21 Pte Hughes Stanley F Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 481. DoC 15-3-1944
06/03/1944 14330212 General Service Corps P21 Pte Mann Arthur S Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 478. DoC 15-3-1944
06/03/1944 3719027 KORR P21 Pte Richards Arthur Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 484. DoC 15-3-1944
06/03/1944 3388112 East Lancashire Regt P21 Pte Smith John, Thomas KiA
06/03/1944 14369343 General Service Corps P21 Pte Thomas Glyn Windsor Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 488. DoC 15-3-1944
06/03/1944 14513496 General Service Corps P21 Pte Thomas Tudor KiA
06/03/1944 3777028 The King's Regt P21 Pte Tye Sidney James Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol
06/03/1944 5188960 Gloucestershire Regt P21 Pte Waring Thomas, William Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 476. DoC 13-3-1944. Died Block 6 of Beri Beri, 30/03/1945
06/03/1944 3776347 The King's Regt P21 Pte Waring Jack Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 477. DoC 15-3-1944. MID L.G. 06/06/1946
06/03/1944 129828 P22 Lt Banks Thomas Alban Lloyd Commissioned 23/03/1940
06/03/1944 3770154 The King's Regt P22 W/Sgt Wood Hugh Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 506. DoC 25-3-1944. MID L.G. 06/06/1946 for services whilst a PoW
06/03/1944 5570092 RA 118 LAA P22 L/Bdr Perks Cyril Kenneth Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 473. DoC 13-3-1944
06/03/1944 11422553 RA 118 LAA P22 Gnr Leonard Henry James Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 502. DoC 25-3-1944. Fingers broken by the Japanese. FDTD page 90
06/03/1944 5190131 RA 118 LAA P22 Gnr Davis Leslie R Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 504. DoC 25-3-1944
06/03/1944 5192574 RA 118 LAA P22 Gnr Dyson Arthur Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 501. DoC 25-3-1944
06/03/1944 4131343 Cheshire Regt P22 Pte Bennett Dennis Victor Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 503. DoC 24-3-1944
06/03/1944 4350962 E Yorkshire Regt P22 Pte Burke William Eric Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 490. DoC 15-03-1944
06/03/1944 5781576 R Norfolk Regt P22 Pte Garrard William Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 499. DoC 25-03-1944
06/03/1944 3772565 The King's Regt P22 Pte Hibble John Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 486. DoC 15-03-1944
06/03/1944 3774328 The King's Regt P22 L/Cpl Riley Charles Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 500. DoC 25-03-1944
06/03/1944 3663252 South Lancashire Regt P22 Pte Ryder Arthur Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 496. DoC 25-03-1944
06/03/1944 7895156 Royal Armoured Corps P22 Pte Shaw George Edward Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 494. DoC 25-03-1944. Died in Block 3 of Beri Beri 13/10/1944
06/03/1944 14232741 Royal Engineers P22 Spr Atkins Cyril Albert Edward Bannard Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 498. DoC 25-03-1944
06/03/1944 3776186 The King's Regt B4 Pte Birmingham Frank Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 474. DoC 10-03-1944. Died in Block 6 of Beri Beri 21/09/1944
06/03/1944 3774709 The King's Regt B4 A/Sgt Fitzgerald Frederick Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No card. DoC 19-03-1944
06/03/1944 3716946 KORR B4 Pte Tyrer Leslie Missing 06/03/1944. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No VI 485. DoC 10-03-1944
06/03/1944 3391862 East Lancashire Regt Pte Dyson J H Reported Missing 06/03/1944. Found safe
06/03/1944 3778172 The King's Regt 82 Pte Carruthers R Wounded 06/03/1944, 14 B.G.H.
06/03/1944 2111411 Royal Engineers 82 Spr Teale F Wounded, 14 B.G.H.
06/03/1944 3771411 The King's Regt A/Cpl Jennings William Thomas Wounded 06/03/1944. Information request Dekho! 152. Spring 2006. 'Died some 20 years ago'
06/03/1944 2391340 Royal Corps of Signals Pte Swindley H or J Message 418 12/03/1944: On S.I. list in 41 I.G.H. Diagnosis Head injuries. NoK Mother. Mrs Swindley, 55 Roblyn Road, Odswood, Southport
06/03/1944 3783396 The King's Regt Pte Breckell H A Wounded 06/03/1944
06/03/1944 3774581 The King's Regt Cpl Lewis G Wounded 06/03/1944
06/03/1944 3775737 The King's Regt L/Sgt Trickett Fred Wounded 06/03/1944. Obit Dekho! 117 1994 Isle of Man
06/03/1944 109404 The King's Regt Mjr O'Donnell Cecil Hector Major O'Donnell's glider party. FDTD page 113. Nicknamed Braces. Commited suicide? Deceased on L.G. list 1949
06/03/1944 1901946 Royal Engineers Cpl Crawford Arthur William Missing 06/03/1944.

 

Thanks very much for that, it all makes sense!
Dave

 

Here is a list of the 14th July 1944 1/King's casualties. Where another regiment is listed it indicates the regiment that the soldier first served in. Unlike the Great War, when a soldier had a regimental number that changed if he changed regiment, a WW2 British soldier had an army number that he was allocated on enlistment. These were issued from blocks of numbers that were issued to different regiments. If he changed regiment he kept his original number.

14/07/1944 14310620 General Service Corps 82 Pte Hansell Frederick Robert KiA
14/07/1944 3965818 Welch Regt 82 Pte Harding Thomas, Frederick KiA
14/07/1944 3777378 The King's Regt 82 Pte Hughes Thomas KiA
14/07/1944 3776213 The King's Regt Pte Ashworth J Wounded 14/07/1944
14/07/1944 3718856 KORR Pte Bird Thomas Wounded 14/07/1944. Obit Dekho! 131 1999 Blackpool & Flyde
14/07/1944 3770920 The King's Regt 81 Cpl Dillon Message 11592 14/07/1944: '3770920 Cpl Dillon. Self inflicted wound 6th July'
14/07/1944 3767779 The King's Regt Sgt Partington Thomas Lames Wounded 14/07/1944
14/07/1944 3387588 East Lancashire Regt Pte Reynolds F Wounded 14/07/1944
14/07/1944 3776229 The King's Regt Cpl Unsworth T Wounded 14/07/1944
14/07/1944 6051299 Essex Regt 81 Sgt Dempsey Message 11598 14/07/1944 'Sgt Dempsey has been reported wounded, this is incorrect. Please amend'.

 

I've just 'liked' your penultimate post H.W. , somehow it doesn't feel like the correct sentiment. Horrendous losses.

 

Indeed, and the vast majority of the dead at Blackpool caused by the landings have no known grave, they were cremated in a vast funeral pyre. Later a large wooden memorial cross was flown in to mark the site of the cremation.

 

These photographs were taken on 6th March 1944 by a member of the U.S.A.A.F. at Broadway. The first shows wounded men on stretchers awaiting evacuation.

 

The second shows men of the 1/King's carrying the body of one of their comrades away from the wreckage of a crashed glider. It is a very intrusive photograph and you can tell by the look of the soldier on the left that the photographer has over stepped the mark.