1st Bn (x foot) Lincolnshire Regiment

Hello everyone this is my 1st post hope you can help...
Trying to trace my grandads service with the above regt.
His name is W H APPLEBY
and he was a private
he was with HQ wing in 1929 aug - sept
his number was 4797892
after that we have no clues as he never spoke about the war and left only some photos...

 

Hello,

Did he serve in WW2 as well? I only ask as one of the forum members has quite a bit of info on the Lincs during WW2.

Andy

 

yes he did

 

Hello,

Did he serve in WW2 as well? I only ask as one of the forum members has quite a bit of info on the Lincs during WW2.

Andy
ok, can anyone help then?

 

It was me Andy was thinking of, but I don't have anything on the 1st Battalion.

Sorry - Rob

 

It was me Andy was thinking of, but I don't have anything on the 1st Battalion.

Sorry - Rob
thanks for a quick reply. I know its a long shot but would older regs be transfered between Bats when the war started? the need for experenced soldiers to spread there knowledge around was pretty strong . so could he be elsewhere?

 

In the time when he joined battalion, it was in UK but year later in 1930 it was moved to Gibraltar. In 1931 it went to Shanghai from there in 1932 to Hong Kong. It stay there until 1936 when it was moved to India.

 

In the time when he joined battalion, it was in UK but year later in 1930 it was moved to Gibraltar. In 1931 it went to Shanghai from there in 1932 to Hong Kong. It stay there until 1936 when it was moved to India.
wow thanks for that, i am makeing notes now.

 

In the time when he joined battalion, it was in UK but year later in 1930 it was moved to Gibraltar. In 1931 it went to Shanghai from there in 1932 to Hong Kong. It stay there until 1936 when it was moved to India.

Sol do you have a link for this info and are there any clues to the battalion possibly having another name?

The reason I ask is I can't find nothing on them before 1942 on the National Archives website under 1 Lincolnshire Regiment or variations of that name.

Cheers
Andy

 

Here is a summary of the 1st Lincolnshire Regiment's service 1939-45:


1st Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment

Mhow Brigade Area – 3 September 1939 to 11 January 1940
The battalion was located in Nasirabad under the Mhow Brigade with one company detached to Ahmednagar under the 1st/19th Hyderadbad Regiment. It left Nasirabad on January 11th, 1940 without relief.

Presidency and Assam District – 14 January 1940 to October 1940
The battalion moved to Dinapore, where it relieved 1st Northamptonshire Regiment on January 14th, 1940. ‘B’ Company was detached to Muzaffurpur. A detachment of ‘B’ Company formed a guard of honour at Raxual on the border with Nepal for the eight Nepalese battalions sent to British India for service.

Nowshera Brigade – October 1940 to June 1941
It left Dinapore in October 1940 and moved to Nowshera under the Nowshera Brigade. In mid-April 1941 it marched out with the brigade to Landi Kotal on the frontier and returned on May 1st. Ten days later the battalion moved to its hot weather station at Cherat, but returned within a month to Razmak to take over from the 1st Queen’s Regiment.

Razmak Brigade – 16 June 1941 to August 1941
It arrived at Raznak and came under the Razmak Brigade on June 16th.

Nowshera Brigade – August 1941 to 28 February 1942
The 1st Lincolns returned to Cherat in August 1941. By December 25th, 1941 it was again in barracks in Nowshera. In early 1942 the battalion marched up to Khybur at Landi Kotal then a few weeks later returned to Nowshera. The Nowshera Brigade was then ordered to Bengal. The battalion was mobilised on February 16th, 1942.

71st Indian Infantry Brigade – 1 March 1942 to July 1945
The 71st Brigade was formed within the Nowshera Brigade on March 1st, 1942 and left Nowshera on March 9th. The battalion moved with it to Diamond Harbour on the Hoogley River south of Calcutta. After a brief stay at Hartugurgh, the battalion moved to Deola. It spent one year at Deola with the 7th/15th and the 9th/15th Punjab Regiment, the other two battalions of the brigade. In the summer of 1942 ‘A’ and ‘D’ Companies were sent to the Midnapore District to restore order caused by rioting after a typhoon. The battalion left Calcutta on February 11th, 1943 for Chittagong and then Maungdaw in the Arakan.
It served in the Arakan under the brigade until November 13th, 1944. It first moved the front line and took over from 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on February 21st, 1943. It briefly joined the 6th British Infantry Brigade on March 18th, 1943 for the attack on Donbaik. The battalion and brigade came out of the line on May 12th to Nhila for monsoon stations and remained there for the next four months until August 1943. In August the brigade was reorganised with the two battalions of the 15th Punjab Regiment leaving and two battalions from the First Burma Campaign replacing them. The 5th/1st Punjab Regiment and the 1st/18th Royal Garhwal Rifles joined the brigade after refitting at Ranchi. The brigade then moved to Chittagong to rest and refit after which it moved back to the Arakan on February 7th, 1944 at Bawli Bazaar. It withdrew to the rear to Goppe then Bawli on June 1st, 1944 for the monsoon. It took over the garrison at Taung Bazaar in September 1944 and then the brigade relieved the 4th Indian Brigade at Taungbro on October 12th. On November 11th, 1944, the brigade was withdrawn to Coconada in the Bombay Area for training at the Combined Operations Training School. It returned on January 31st, 1945 to the Arakan at Chittagong and then to Akyab. It served in the Arakan until March 27th, 1945. It then left Ramree Island on April 1st, 1945 for Madras but only remained there until April 8th, 1945. It returned to Ramree Island and remained there until April 27th, 1945, when it was dispatched by sea to Rangoon. It landed there on May 2nd, 1945 and remained in Rangoon until May 27th, 1945. The battalion then moved to Bangalore at ‘Y’ Tank Camp.

109th Line of Communications Area – July 1945 to 31 August 1945
After leave the battalion withdrew from the 71st Indian Infantry Brigade and came under the command of the 109th LOC Area in Banglalore under the GHQ (India) Reserve. It returned to the brigade on September 10th, 1945 for later operations in Sumatra.

 

Is that from a website?

 

Sol do you have a link for this info and are there any clues to the battalion possibly having another name?

The reason I ask is I can't find nothing on them before 1942 on the National Archives website under 1 Lincolnshire Regiment or variations of that name.

Cheers
Andy

British Light Infantry Regiments & National Service

1927 Dover 12 Bde
1930 Gibraltar
1931 China: Shanghai
1932 Hong Kong
1936.01 India: Bombay
1939 Dinapore
1942.03 India/Burma 71 Bde
1945 Malaya

and also you have some other things on the net which can give you some clue like this

http://www.thelincolnshireregiment.org/barrettpdf/bandhist.pdf

If TNA search engine only listed war diaries of the battalion while it was under command of the Easter Army (later XIV Army) and SEAC, WO 172 series of documents, than you probably wouldn't be able to find anything about battalion because it was on security duties in India before transferred to 26th Indian Division in 1942. Similarly I also couldn't find anything about of some other units in India before took part in the Burma Campaign.

 

thanks for the info gents, really helpfull... doug

 

Ok guys spoke to my mum about grandads service and she has remembered some stories he told her.
1st one was that he was in asia at some point and witnessed a massacre of hundreds of solidiers on a ceremonal parade ground square, they were all dressed in cerimonal uniforms and were machine gunned from 1 side of the square as they marched around (this was on the opposite side to were grandads regt were seated in their no 1 uniforms, and she thinks she saw a series of photos taken by grandad at the time) as the bullits were fired some of the regt were hit but then she doesnt recall much after that..
The 2nd story is when grandad and a few of his troop marched from belgium to dunkirk as they got cut off from the transport when out on patrol. She says that he told her they fought several small actions using only rifles and ammo found on dead soldiers along the way?? and that they had only potatoes found in fields to eat...
And 1 last story that she remembers is that grandad was part of General slims bodygaurd in the jungle!!
So as you can see apart from before the war info, as mentioned before, we are abit mixed up with what he did hence this thread.
Oh by the way his war record 'seems' to have now gone missing according to the lady i spoke to at the records office..

 

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to do any checking at Kew for you. Sadly I think without any service records your research maybe at a dead end.

Regards
Andy

 

ok drew it was worth a try...i will see what i can do from a different angle.

 

What a fantastic Forum.

I too am attempting to piece together my grandfather's service. He was also in C Coy, 1 Bn Lincolnshire Regiment. 4798443 Bassindale A. Apparently he was with the X Foot before the outbreak of WW2 in Hong Kong, but during the war was in 2nd SAS. I have a few bits and pieces but nothing really detailed. I have loads of photos of him in Hong Kong, and also Egypt and possibly Borneo but cant be too sure on that one. I have pics of San Wai Camp and also the King George V Silver Jubilee Celebrations in Hong Kong in 1935 (if anyone is interested).

 

Hi Pete-We are always interested to see other members pictures

 

hi petej, i would be very interested in seeing your photos just on the interest on the possability that my grandad could be in there. As i said to Drew i will try another angle....cheers in advance.

 

My grandfather

hi there
This is my first post. My grandad I know was in the Lincolnshire regiment. My dad was born in 1928 and his father went over to shanghai in 1929. In 1931 my dad and his mum went to Hong Kong to meet my grandad. My dad was 3. I have photos probably of Shanghai etc. And Hong Kong. They then went in 1936 to India... nazirabad. My dad remembers the Kings death. He went to a boarding school in mount Arbu and I’d love to trace anyone else who was there? Dads playmates were frankie McNeil? And his brother. I’ve no school friend names for his schooling in India. Sadly dad passed away in 2016 but I’m keen to find out everything I can. I 1939 my grandad returned from India and went to train troops prior to the war starting. My dad and his mum sailed back during sept/Oct 1939 and were in a fleet of ships that were torpedoed in the med ... I have dads written account of it. He was 10/11 years old! So I’ve lots of photos of Shanghai jingling and India which I’m digitalising. Good to speak to anyone on here