Hi, could someone help me interpret the attached photo, which was taken between late 44 and mid 46? I can see from the Crossed Keys that the men are from the 2nd Division but I was informed by the widow of one of the men that he served with the Border Regiment in India. As far as I could find, there wasn't a battalion of the Borders in the 2nd Division. Any help interpreting the attached would be gratefully appreciated. Regards Pete
The photo looks post-war to me. I did wonder about a connection with 5th Brigade as part of the occupying forces in Japan but these chaps have the crossed keys on both arms. The vehicle census number is not a style that I recognise - it's not a wartime serial and it's not the 1948-on registration system that was certainly introduced in Europe and the Middle East. Could the '48' indicate the year of issue under a local system and this be a brigade which remained in Malaya or similar location ?
Similar vehicle markings to the ones in this post. http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/42351-146-regiment-rac/?p=517979 I'd say that was India style markings. Also the 53 doesnt match with AoS markings for an infantry division as I know it.
Shears' The Story of the Border Regiment 1939-1945 has 2 Border joining 36 Div around April 1945. This might be significant as 36 Div was amalgamated with 2 Div in August 1945 and subsequently trained for the invasion of Malaya around Poona. Although 2 Div left for Malaya in November, less 5 Bde who went to Japan, Shears finishes with 2 Border remaining in Poona on internal security duties. None of this has been captured by Joslen, though, as it's all post war.
Thanks to you all, it's all coming together nicely. I've been given some further information. When I posted, I hadn't seen the back of the photo. It says 'Kalyan, India, 22nd June 1946, on IS duties' IS presumably means Internal Security as mentioned by Idler. I know from a newspaper article that he was also stationed at Poona (Kalyan is 100 miles away). Story so far from the above posts - 2nd Border Regiment, training for Burma when VJ Day arrived (his big regret was that he didn't get the Burma Star). After the war remained in Poona on IS duties. He returned home in August/September 1946 because his father was seriously ill. Thanks all. Pete
I couldn't nail the formation exactly but the wearing of "Caps, General Service" put it as late war at least. Always look at the back of pictures when you can is agood motto proved here!
Ooh; some of you lot are going the get into big trouble by referring to the Border Regiment as 'Borders'. The story goes that the battalion, post war, was competing in the BAOR Athletic Championships (and doing rather well) when the CO arrived on Day 2. He took one look at the scoreboard where the regiment was abbreviated to 'Borders' and immediately pulled his team out. After some argument, the organisers agreed to change the abbreviation to the correct 'Border', and the CO agreed not to pull his team out! Not to be confused with the Kings Own Scottish Borderers! Chris