Hello, I am trying to map my father's army career as detailed on his army records - especially his time in India and Burma. My dad, Gunner Richard Samuel Broadbent #959143, was a driver/operator cl II & III, who was enlisted under national service 15/12/1939. He served with the 37th Signal Training Reg - Scarborough 6th Super Heavy Battery - Scarborough Posted to Y list ride ACI 935/40 - Brocklesby [*]Reposted 6th Super Heavy Battery - Willoughby [*]12th Medium Regt - Passed his trade test at Edinburgh [*]96th Field Regt - 1944 [*]Embarked for service overseas 1945 DISEL BAR (? Fuzzy print on docs) 22245 - India Posted to X list ii RA Rejoined unit from X list ii RA [*]Posted X/8A proceeding UK via Singapore Area Transit [*]SOS x/8A Embarked Singapore for UK I remember lots of photos - not sure where they are now - of dad in the snow at Willoughby and then later in India. He did have a Burma Star medal and his army records do attest to his being awarded a BURM... and a DEFENCE... plus the War Medal 1939/45. If anyone could tell me where he might have been during his time in India/Burma it would help greatly. All dad used to say was that he was there when It Ain't Half Hot Mum was setand that it made him laugh. Anne
Hi Anne and welcome to the forum. There's a couple of Artillery chaps on here that maybe able to give you some info. Have you considered viewing or copying his units war diaries? Regards Andy
Hi Andy, I probably would have considered viewing or copying dad's unit diaries...if I'd have known they existed *lol*....oh and if I knew where they were :/ I'm not in the UK - are they available online to view? Anne
Hi Anne, They are held at the National Archives in the UK, just on the border of London and Surrey. I've sent you a PM. Regards Andy
Thanks Andy I followed the links and went to order copies but the page says Sorry, the page you were looking for can't be found. I will have to email them to order them I think. I don't suppose you know why it says, under the Access heading Access conditions - closed for 29 years ? Anne
Hi Anne, The closed for 29 years is from when they are dated ie closed for 29 years from 1945. The National Archives charge a fortune to copy diaries. I've sent you a private mesaage regarding copies of these diaries. Regards Andy
Thanks Andy - I replied to your PM. I thought the access thing would be something like that - 29 years is a strange number though. Thanks for your help
Hi Anne - I don't know what info you already have on the 96thFR but here are a few snippets that you may or not have already seen - The Burma Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II. The medal was awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. This medal was also awarded for certain specified service in China, Hong Kong, Malaya and Sumatra: Hong Kong - between 26 December 1941 and 2 September 1945 China and Malaya - between 16 February 1942 and 2 September 1945 Sumatra - between 24 March 1942 and 2 September 1945 *********************************************** THE LANDINGS AT PORT SWETTENHAM `H' HOUR: At 0645 the first assault force comprising the 25th Indian Division landed on the beaches, flanked during their approach by the L.S.(G)s. They were followed two hours later by the 5th Div. First they had to establish a bridgehead on the beaches. (2) Advance and capture the airfield of Morib and strategic bridges, (3) Capture Swettenham airfield and Port Swettenham. (4) Capture Damsansara and (5) capture Kuala Lampur and Kuala Salunga. Another force of troops from the Punjab and Hyderabad, supported by half a squadron of the 19th Lancers and one troop of the 96th Field Regiment, sailed up the Langat river, established a bridgehead, captured Klang and advanced to meet the other troops at Morib. THE RESULT: The landings were unopposed. One shot was actually fired and caused a minor flap, but it was discovered that it was quite accidental. *********************************************** Gordon Samuels was a British-Australian lawyer, Judge and Governor of NSW. When the Second World War broke out, he joined the British Army in 1942, serving in the Royal Artillery in the 96th Field Regiment (Royal Devon Yeomanry), achieving his commission as Captain. Serving in Northern Ireland, India and Malaya, Samuels was demobilised in 1946. ***********************************************
Oh, and this is probably spent some time when he arrived in India - Deolali was a British Army camp 100 miles north-east of Bombay. It is also the source of the British slang noun doolally tap, loosely meaning "camp fever", and referring to the apparent madness of men waiting for ships back to Britain after finishing their tour of duty. By the 1940s this had been widely shortened to just "doolally", an adjective meaning "mad (insane)" or "eccentric". The town was the setting for the first four series of the British sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum, set in 1945. Deolali transit camp was a transit camp for British troops in Deolali, India, notorious for its unpleasant environment, boredom, and the psychological problems of soldiers that passed through it. Its name is the origin of the phrase "gone doolally" or "doolally tap", a phrase meaning to 'lose ones mind'. 'Tap' may refer to the Urdu word tap, meaning a malarial fever.
Hi Anne + welcome The 96th (Royal Devon Yeo) Field Regt RA. were an Home Forces RA Regt untill early 1945, by Feb 45 they were established in Bangalore, India under 81st (W. African) Division and by May 45 had come under command of the 25th Indian Division in Burma. They had 3 Bty's; 381 (Toverton) 382 (Totnes) 469 As Andy(Drew) says the best way to go is their war-diary. Best Rob
Thanks for that Rob - I couldn't work out where the 96th went before becoming part of 25ID (one website states "The 96th Field Regiment remained with the 45th Division until it disbanded in September 1944, when it transferred to the 61st Division." - must be a typo and they meant 81st) *********************************************** More info from britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk - 96th (Royal Devon Yeomanry) Field Brigade, Royal Artillery (pre WW2) (H.Q., 381st (Thorverton), 382nd (Totnes), 383rd (Torrington) & 384th (South Molton) Field Batteries, Royal Artillery) The 381st Battery was based at the Drill Hall, Thorverton, the 382nd Battery at the Drill Hall, Mount Galpine, Dartmouth, the 383rd Battery at the Drill Hall, Torrington, and the 384th Battery at the Drill Hall, Oakleigh Road, Barnstaple. In July 1939, it duplicated to form the 142nd Field Regiment, the two North Devon batteries transferring to the new regiment. *********************************************** I now know which two batteries went to the 142nd (the North Devon reference meant nothing to me) and which two stayed with the 96th (plus another one must have joined later when the FR went to a 3 battery configuration) Anyhoo, follow this link to see photos of the various batteries at the end of the war. Some are of the 383rd which would have been taken in Italy with it's new Division. Others are of the 381st which were probably taken in Singapore (and might include your father) List of Items in Collection Selected
Thank you Dave B for that wonderful photographs and I'm wondering if my dad ever played against that team as his release papers say "...He is also a good footballer...." and are signed by a Lieut Colonel whose name is quite illegible but does end in ...son. I do remember words dad used to impress us with such as Doolally, telling us the origin of fella, walla and mentioning mysterious sounding places such as Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, Singapore, Chittagong and such. He brought home some great souvenirs such as two small elephant bells and a purple velvet wall hanging of the Taj Mahal that was embroidered in gold and silver. All these things fascinated me as a child and, along with the old photographs, made me think my dad had a wonderful life. Dad never spoke about his own experiences of the war, ever, but enjoyed Spike Milligan's tales and those comedy programs. I will get hold of those diaries and map out my dad's time in the army as it would make a really important contribution to our family history. Thank you, Anne
Again, thank you Dave B! I am looking through the photographs now and think the one of the 381st on the first page of your link might have dad in it - I'd know that tropical kit anywhere! He might be in there but if he is, he could be one of two men. This is quite exciting! This is stupid of me but, I never thought there were photographs like this online *lol* Anne
Thank you Dave B for that wonderful photograph and I'm wondering if my dad ever played against that team as his release papers say "...He is also a good footballer...." and are signed by a Lieut Colonel whose name is quite illegible but does end in ...son. Thank you, Anne I have checked an Artillery history book I have to hand and the final wartime CO of the 96th was Major MI Gregson - he might have signed the release papers as he is listed as being a LtCol in 1947 1943 - Captain (temporary Major) Martin Innes Gregson (44856), Royal Regiment of Artillery (West Chinnock, Somerset).
DEAR ANNE, I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME JUMPING IN ON THIS THREAD BUT MY GRANDAD (GUNNER JOHN MANNIX AKA.JACK) WAS IN THE 96TH AND WAS STATIONED IN IPOH, MALAYA, INDIA ETC DURING WW2 AND HES STILL ALIVE, ALBEIT FRAIL NOW. I HAVE SOME PICS THAT WERE TAKEN BY OTHER SERVICEMEN WHILE HE WAS OUT THERE AND ONE OF THEM WAS OF A FOOTBALL TEAM HE WAS IN (HE WAS THE GOALIE). I'LL DIG THEM OUT AND SEE IF YOUR DAD MAY BE IN THEM? ITS WORTH A LOOK. FINGERS CROSSED FOR YOU. EMMA.
