36th Division in the Arakan

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Trow76, Aug 19, 2010.

  1. Trow76

    Trow76 Junior Member

    Hello,

    I'm wondering if anyone can help me with specific information on the 36th Division's movements in March/April 1944 and in particular the 10th Glosters of which my Grandad was part - George William Hedge.

    I appear to have exhausted all internet accounts of the action and understand that the Division moved into the area following the Battle of the Admin Box.

    Dates seem to differ slightly, but it would appear that the 10th arrived in Razabil on the 20th and launched into the battle for the Mayu Tunnels, the first of which they captured on March 24th - naming it 24th Tunnel.

    (I have a great photo of my Grandad standing outisde this tunnel with a bunch of lads from his regt.)

    Following this I can't seem to find any mention of a second tunnel - were they more than one, or was it all part of the same network of tunnels that were captured as a whole on the 24th?

    On the Burma Star website there's an account from a Sapper who I'm assuming were following the 36th to repair and maintain bridges, tunnels, roads etc. who does mention a fight for a second tunnel, but I can't for the life of me find any other reference to it.

    Which leads me on to my final question - Hambone Hill, Point 551?

    Apart from an account on the Glous Regt. Museum's website and a few hits for Point 551 on the internet - all of which seem to lump it in with the 'Arakan Campaign 1944', I can't find out any further info on this battle.

    Did it immediately follow the tunnel campaigns - or was it part of the same objective?

    Looking at the maps that have been posted on other threads, I'm assuming it's not the hill ontop of the second tunnel?

    If anyone has any dates for the battle for the second tunnel and then the fight for Hambone Hill it would be great to be able to break it down in my head.

    All the best.
     
  2. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Hi Trow76

    Information about actions in Arakan after the Battle of "Admin Box" are very scarce on the net. I don't know what kind of info you already find so I'll post some link which may be interesting for you and I'm sorry if you already saw them. Yes there were more tunnels on the Maungdaw - Buthidaung Road, I don't know how many, two for sure, maybe three. Good map which show position of the Point 551 which dominated tunnels you have here (just like photo of the same are from the Google Earth):

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/burma-india/22859-trying-find-location-maungdaw-buthidaung-road-googleearth.html

    And here you can briefly see those tunnels on video (watch first clip):

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/burma-india/25538-8th-belfast-haa-regt-aka-twelve-mile-snipers.html

    Confirmation of more than one tunnel you have here (unit in story is 6th South Wales Borderers from 72nd Brigade, 36th Division, and Sherman in story is from C Squadron 149th Regiment RAC):

    Burma, 1944/45 Mayu Tunnels

    There were only two roads through the Arakan and one had been designed as a railway and ran through a series of tunnels from Maungdaw to Buthidaung on the Mayu River. The Japanese were in control of this road and so could pass men and supplies quickly from one side of the Mayu hills to the other. The battalion arrived in the area on 20th March and its first objective was the capture of the two tunnels used by the Japanese for storage and gun emplacements. The enemy were subjected to three days of shelling and dive bombing and then 'B' Company began a determined attack, which involved the taking of four enemy positions camouflaged in thick bamboo, which lay one after the other on a spur commanding the approach to the feature over the first tunnel. The battle developed into fierce hand to hand fighting, in which 'B' Company pressed on doggedly. Sergeant Woodhouse won a DCM for capturing an enemy post single handed when its fire decimated his section. In two and a half hours 'B' Company drove back the enemy and established themselves over the first tunnel. The Japanese however, remained in the tunnel underneath. Meanwhile, 'D' Company attacked a spur on the other side of the tunnel in support but failed to take its objective and suffered a number of casualties. This spur was named 'Tredegar Hill', for most of the men killed came from Tredegar in Monmouthshire. Earth from this hill now stands in a casket in the chambers of the Tredegar Urban District Council. The next day day a Sherman tank was brought up to fire into the mouth of the tunnel. Bodies and debris were blown out of the other end of the tunnel and ammunition stored inside exploded and burned for hours. Next day the tunnel was occupied and aptly named '24th Tunnel'. The Japanese abandoned Tredegar Hill without further fighting. For this action, which cost the battalion eleven killed, Major Crew-Read commanding 'B' Company was awarded an MC and an Indian water carrier who helped evacuate wounded received an MM.
    I think that people here will like to see photo of your Grandad (off course if you want to share it with us). I will see if I could find more info.

    Cheers
    Enes
     
  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi,

    I believe I posted some info on five files to do with the 10th Bn (4 are war diaries) under your first post that you may find of interest.

    Regards
    Andy
     
  4. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    Not a lot in the London Gazette report by General Gifford for this period:


    On the 16th February, 36 British Division began to relieve 26 Indian Division to enable it to concentrate east of the Mayu Range.

    Mopping up in the thick mountainous jungle was a difficult and necessarily slow operation, and it was not until the 5th March that we were able to resume the interrupted course of our offensive. Razabil was captured by 5 Indian Division on the 12th March. It was found to be a position of great strength, complete with underground rooms, etc. The Tunnels position was surrounded by the 19th March, and was finally captured by 36 British Division some days later.

    36 British Division was withdrawn to Shillong in Assam to rest and refit, with a view to its being transferred to General Stilwell’s command in North Burma at a later date.
     
  5. Trow76

    Trow76 Junior Member

    Thanks Everyone,

    I'm at work at the moment so I'll take the time to digest everything later.

    I'll see if I can get the photos of my Grandad e-mailed to me and I'll stick them on - not a problem.

    All the best.
     
  6. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Attached Files:

    • map.jpg
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  7. Trow76

    Trow76 Junior Member

    That's great - thanks Sol.

    It's great to have some dates to run alongside the events at Hambone.

    Do you think that the features mentioned in the piece - namely Able, Baker, Charlie & Sausage - that 'A' Coy assisted the 6th SWBs & 9th RS with, refer to the tunnels? I know the 6th SWBs were involved in taking 24th Tunnel and lost a lot of men in the process.
     
  8. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Well it's possible that they are located somewhere in tunnels area, it was common practice to name many nameless features in Burma or rename those hard to pronounce. But to find more you'll probably have to obtain war dairies or find some dissent book about Gloucestershire Regiment in ww2 or 36th British Division (what is unfortunately almost impossible task). Also maybe you want to check The Gloucestershire Regiment Museum - they have lot of photos of 10th Glosters in Burma (look under Collection)

    Soldiers of Gloucestershire military museum, online shop and genealogy search
     
  9. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    ‘Able’ was a hill feature near the eastern tunnel through which ran the Maungdaw/Buthidaung road.

    Michie
     
  10. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Just to clarify, the Western Tunnel was named XXIV because it was captured by the South Wales Borderers (formerly 24th Foot). The Eastern Tunnel, captured by the 2nd Royal Welch Fusiliers on 6 April, was inevitably christened with XXIII as they were the 23rd Foot.
     
    PackRat likes this.
  11. Alyson Tippings

    Alyson Tippings Junior Member

    The Burma shrine at Bedwellty House Tredegar, is dedicated to the brave men who lost their lives in the Battle to take the Mayu tunnels.The ridge was named Tredegar Hill as so many from our town lost thier lives there. The shrine contains a casket of soil from the hill. Bedwellty House has just gone under a major renovation and the shrine was taken away for safe keeping. At 2.00 on Saturday 4th June, the soil will return to the shrine. Please come and join us if you can.
    2.00 St JamesChurch Tredegar
    2.30 Bedwellty House
     
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  12. andy007

    andy007 Senior Member

    Welcome Alyson! Great to see you here. :)
     
  13. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    For info, I have copies of some sketch maps of this Western Tunnel which were made by Major Cash, MC who served with 9th Royal Sx, alongside the Glos Btn. They are excellent and show troop dispositions including 10th Glos.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2019
  14. PackRat

    PackRat Well-Known Member

    That very helpfully explains the sign on this photo which seems to say 'XXIV Tunnel':

    18.jpg

    British troops stand at the entrance to the Maungdaw-Buthidaung road captured by the Allied 15th Corps in January 1944 (IWM Ref: IND 3409)

    The painted ring on a white background top-left is still a puzzle, though: is that a pre-war marking, or a 72 Brigade symbol (36 Div used the two interlinked rings as its badge)?

    Would love to see those sketch maps if you get a chance to upload them, Shiny 9th.
     

    Attached Files:

  15. JITTER PARTY

    JITTER PARTY Well-Known Member

    The white circle on a black square was the badge of 29 Bde, and there are plenty of examples of this badge. Howard Cole's book claims that a red circle on a black square was the badge of 72 Bde, hence the 36 Div badge uniting the two. However, he goes on to describe the 72 Bde badge as a white six-pointed star on a red square.
    Either way the badge/sign on the tunnel looks like a dark circle on a light background.
     
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  16. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Mules Leaving Tunnel.JPG
    Another view of same Western Tunnel. The mules were being used to clear the remnants of Japanese gear and debris left after it was taken.
     
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  17. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    This is one of Major Bobbie Cash's sketches made to prepare for the attack on the tunnel. He served with 9th Royal Sussex.
     

    Attached Files:

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  18. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Major Cash's sketch of all the troop dispositions, including 9th Royal Sussex , 10th Glos and South Wales Borders
     

    Attached Files:

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  19. PackRat

    PackRat Well-Known Member

    Great photo and maps. These pages from 36 Div HQ's war diary describe the assault put in against the two tunnels and the 'Hambone' feature:

    Image000011.jpg Image000021.jpg Image000031.jpg Image000041.jpg

    This page from HQRA 36 Div's April diary gives a good account of the air support during the attack on Hambone:

    Image000051.jpg

    Arty support from 178 (Assault) Field Regiment:

    Image000061.jpg Image000071.jpg
     
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  20. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    My father was on an as yet, unknown hill with his mortar platoon when serving with the 9th.Looking down on the attack and seeing men fall as the enemy fought back from their hideouts in and round the tunnel.
     

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