2nd KOSB at Imphal

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by lionboxer, Jan 1, 2016.

  1. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

    Those killed from A and C companies would not have been carried far from where they died. The terrain is very difficult to traverse even without carrying a dead weight. Those doing the burials had just fought a five day battle and were tired. The casualties from B and D were buried (and successfully recovered later) in the area where they were killed not far from the Japanese bunkers on the west of the Ridge so it’s reasonable to assume the same for A and C except 3813 is extremely steep so I’m not sure how close they got to the bunkers. The Gurkhas on KOSB right flank also attacking bunkers at 3813 were unsuccessful. I wonder if they were buried near where C Company had their positions on the next knoll west from 3813. GRU’s recommendations for burials to be near tracks or roads if possible. The map shows tracks in the area of their attack.
    Good luck and enjoy yourselves.
     
  2. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

    The team are on the Ridge as I write. Just been haveing a video chat with Raj, as you do!! This is Point 3813, Japanese bunker position and KOSB objective.
     

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  3. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

    View from Japanese bunker position showing clearly the terrain the KOSB,s had to negotiate
     

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  4. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Just an update on this. After a long climb (along the line of where the KOSB and Gurkhas to their right) met we eventually came out near the Jap bunker position at 322826 which was the main one assaulted by A (and later C) Coys. There were a number of bunker positions there and the metal detector resulted in a number of finds, including five that were of the size to hold a machine gun crew and another couple of individual holes. They had the odd Japanese cartridge case in them and interestingly, we found the plastic eyelets from groundsheets suggesting they had been covered over. The find of the day was an intact spoon dated 1942.

    We searched there for graves and then went back towards the 'C' Coy HQ on a smaller knoll to the west. This had far fewer signs of activity on it. Following the logic above from Lionboxer (great minds think alike!?) we searched here for possible locations for the graves but found nothing. If they were killed on 15th or 16th they may well have been buried whilst the fighting was still going on and there is a level space to the west of the hill that is protected from any Japanese fire from the known bunker positions by small rises at either end. However this did not show anything either. We went along towards the hill where Lt Wakely's platoon held out but didn't get there or to Pt 3813 as it was getting dark and Raj wanted to check the spur lower down on the way back. There is a sharp drop and climb between the Jap Bunker position and Pt 3813 so that is an unlikely spot and it was always under Japanese fire until they melted away. It was also the Gurkhas objective.

    Oh for a drone with LIDAR! If they are still up there I think the next spot to check would be the main spur (in map box 3182) as that was the FUP and the main route up. My photos are really big (5-7MB each) and so I am having difficulty posting them here but if anyone is interested and on Facebook, if they PM me I will make you a friend and you can see them there.
     

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  5. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    A couple of the finds....
     

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  6. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Sounds like you are having a busy time up there. Good luck going forward.
     
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  7. Mick Balmer

    Mick Balmer New Member

    Better late than never! Just caught up with this thread!
    Researching my uncle Harry who served with 2KOSB in this action. He was killed during the assault on Ukhrul in early July 44. I think there may be some here who have been very helpful to me via the FB 'WW2 Burma Research' Group.
    Identifying the company allocation of other ranks seems nigh impossible unless they were decorated. I am pretty sure that Harry was in C company when killed but as he'd had field promotions, C may not have been his 'home' earlier.
    Fascinating to see the photos of the terrain and my very best wishes to those trying to locate the missing Borderers' graves.
     
  8. Paul Duffy

    Paul Duffy New Member

    Hi there I have just found this thread and wanted to let you know that my father Sgt John Duffy was in the 2nd Battalion Kosb that attacked Pt3813 on 15th May 1944. He was in No8 Platoon A Company and his commanding officer was shot and dad took over the attack for which he was awarded the Military Medal.
     
  9. JITTER PARTY

    JITTER PARTY Well-Known Member

    Who was the platoon commander that your father took over from?
    Nimmo, the company commander, was killed in that attack, too.
     
  10. Paul Duffy

    Paul Duffy New Member

    I am not sure who he was my dad didn't talk about it much but I would love to know who it was and more about him. Dad was a Sergeant and I am not sure what rank would have led the attack he was part of. I have the details of the attack from the National Archives and what he did to be awarded the MM. The details read" The Platoons attack was held up and the Platoon Commander killed by intense enemy fire both from the front and the flank". Sgt Duffy then took over command of the Platoon.......If you have any further information I would love to learn more. Regards Paul.
     
  11. JITTER PARTY

    JITTER PARTY Well-Known Member

    Well, Nimmo, the A Coy commander, was killed, as was Capt Craig and 2 Lt Etherington. Capt Russell, who was 2ic B Coy, and Capt Turnbull were wounded. I can only find 9 BORs killed so it was an unusally high toll of officers. I would guess that Etherington might have been the platoon commander in question. The War Diary may be specific.
     
  12. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

    It was indeed Etherington on attachment from the Warwicks.
     
  13. Paul Duffy

    Paul Duffy New Member

    Thank you so much for getting back to me I have a hazy recollection that dad said it was a Lieutenant but didn't want to guess. If there is any interest I have a picture of him (possibly taken at Rangoon?) and a picture of the Sergeants Mess taken in October 1945. For some reason it is titled 7th (Galloway) Battalion. I guess a lot of the original 7th Battalion were lost at Arnhem so were amalgamated at the conclusion of the war?
     
  14. Jcwest

    Jcwest Member

    Lionboxer my Grandfathers brother, Johnny West, was one of 5 located at point 313833 in 1945 and reburied at Imphal. Do you know from your investigations if he was in B Coy or D Coy? I have suspected that he was the BOR mentioned in the war Diary KIA with Lt nt Craig on the 15/5/44?
     

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  15. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

    Lt Craig was D Company as per the war diary but I couldn't say for certain (as yet) if Johnny was too. The five men buried at 313833 were a mix of B and D Company's and only Craig, on attachment from the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, is identified as D Coy but we know there was one other D Coy man killed that day. He could be one of the four others buried together or maybe with those at 310832. All that we can "reasonably" conclude is that those buried together were killed in roughly the same area which surprisingly is the opposite side of the ridge (north) from the KOSB start point. Maybe they were trying to outflank the Japanese bunkers or maybe the ground is better suited for burials that side but I'm pretty sure the bodies wouldn't have been carried far.
    Incidentally, for a Scottish Regiment there was quite a mix of Home Nations among those killed on the Kanglatongbi Ridge...7 Jocks, 2 Taffy's, 10 Tommy's and 1 Mick.
    I don't know if you have a photo of Johnny's grave but I have just asked Raj in Imphal if he would take one for you. He literally lives around the corner from the Cemetery.

    Lionboxer
     
  16. Jcwest

    Jcwest Member

    As always your knowledgeable and swift responses are very much appreciated. It would be great to get a photo of the grave if Raj has the time.
     
  17. Jcwest

    Jcwest Member

    Is there a way I could get a map showing the location of point 313833?
     
  18. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

     

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  19. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

    The wider area showing the main Imphal Dimapur road.
     

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  20. Jcwest

    Jcwest Member

    Many thanks again. Your knowledge on this subject and support for those of us with an urge to know more is truelly remarkable.
     

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