Cambridgeshire Regiment

I am seeking any awards to men who served with the 1st & 2nd Bns; Cambridgeshire Regiment{TA & Previously 1/1st Bn;TF[1908~20}OR with any unit,if the Medals carry Numbers in the Range:5931001~5942000;I am especially keen on Pacific Star Groups That have the Efficiency Medal{Territorial} to Camb.R.;Efficiency {T}Groups to Any Unit within that # range;Single Efficiencies to Camb.R;Or that carry Numbers between 5931001 & 5924000,but named to any Unit.WW1 Trios,Pairs,Single Medals to Camb.R; I am Also interested in Medals awarded to Men who lived in Rettendon;Essex & The Wisbech/March/Chatteris/Whittlesey area of Cambridgeshire from Any period.Thank You

 

Hi All
Can any one tell about the Regt.

How many Batt.
How many MC won
Any Books i can read ref the Batts in WW2.

Cheers Roy

 

Does anyone know anything about the Cambridgeshire Regiment? I went to a memorial service about the Schwarben Redoubt by 1/1st Cambridgeshires and wanted to find out more about them.

All i know about them in WW2 is that both Battalions were captured at Singapore. Could anyone add anything?

Cheers

Alex

 

The Royal Anglian Regiment museum in the Land Warfare part of IWM Duxford, has a section set aside for the Cambridgeshire Regiment. This from it's formation to being absorbed into the Anglians. It's downstairs near to the entrance.

 

thanks a lot guys.

 

There are a couple of books concerning the Cambridgeshire Regiment on ebay at the minute.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/The-Cambridge...ryZ64298QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BATTALION-AT-...ryZ64296QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem This one is more in line of what your after concerning 1st Cambridge the other concerns Malaya.

Regards

 

There's a book on ebay mentioning the Cambridgeshire Regiment and the fall of Singapore. I've posted the site address on the forum. Might be of some use. Regards.

 

The Cambridgeshire Regiment was after the end of the Great War returned to a solitary Battalion,the 1st,{being no Regular Battalion,it was the Territorial Army Bn,in 1938 they were expanded the 1st Battalion being recruited in the City of Cambridge & Ely areas & the 2nd from the Villages & Towns of the Isle of Ely area,ie March,Chatteris,Wisbech,Whittlesea,etc,in 1939~40 they were employed on Coast defence in Norfolk,near Brancaster Sands & were to be deployed in the Africa Campaign & indeed were heading there in 1941/2 when the Troopships were diverted to defend the Island & Port of Singapore.At the fall of Singapore both Battalions were surrendered to the Japanese & became "Guests" of Hirohito;suffering the degradation & inhumanity of their Captors for the next 3 & a half years,suffering huge losses due to their inhumane treatment,As with the slaughter of the Pals Battalions of 1914~18 on the altar of the Somme,the resultant death toll in the Far East was similarly felt by the local populace of the Fen Towns & Cambridgeshire County due to the loss of so many of their young men.There are a number of excellent Books on the Cambs Regts role in WW2,including "A Line of Lost Lives" by J Cosford,a veteran of the Cambs,"With the Cambridgeshires @ Singapore" by William Taylor,former CSM of the 2nd Battalion & post WW2 ACF; & "Battalion @ War";the story of the 1st Battalion,by "Pony" Moore another NCO,PoW.

 

Hello Roy.

Pre 1938 1 Battalion,expanded in 1938/9 to two Battalions:~
Cambridge & Ely= 1st Bn.
Isle of Ely{Fens}= 2nd Bn;
Not many Gallantry Awards @ all for 1939~45,1 x DCM,2 x MM,a Handful of MCs{not sure but under ten I think}& various other awards DSO,OBE; etc;
Their Capture in 1942 precluded many awards,though I belive a few post 1945/6 awards of BEMs & MiDs were granted to PoWs to recognise their efforts whilst in captivity.
Many books exist covering the Regiments role in WW2:~
A Line Of Lost Lives by J.S.Cosford a Veteran PoW
With The Cambridgeshires At Singapore by William Taylor of March Cambridgeshire,a Former Sergeant PoW.
Battalion At War {1st Bn} by Cyril "Pony" Moore a former Suffolk Regular who served with the 1st Cambridgeshire Regt in WW2 as Sergeant,also a PoW.
& If your interest extends to the Home Guard,an excellent History of the county's Home Guard Units,who wore the Cambridgeshire Regiment Badge,is:~
They Also Served,published in 1944,tells the story of each detachment of the County HG/LDV,a fine and scarce contemporary HG Unit History.

 

There is a very interesting book about the Cambridgeshires in WW1 called The Cambridgeshires 1914-1919 by Brigadier-General E Riddell and Colonel M.C CLayton. I got my copy from Naval & Military Press, Military History, WWI & World War II Books
Two of my gt grandfathers served in the Cambs Reg in WW1 and my gt grandfathers brother as well.

 

Here you have more about 2nd Cambridgeshire Regiment in Singapore.

 

They were the TA offshoot of the Suffolk Regiment, so they are also covered in the WW2 Suffolk Regt history. NMP also have the Cambridgeshires' WW1 history.

1st Cambridgeshires has its own WW2 history: Battalion at War: Singapore 1942 by Michael Moore. There is also a personal account from 2nd Cambridgeshires: With the Cambridgeshires at Singapore by William Taylor.

 

My father was a Corporal in the 2nd Cambs. He was a POW in Singapore and Thailand. What's your interest?

Best wishes,

Toby

 

Hi Toby,

The original poster hasn’t signed into the forum since 2011 so likely won’t see your message.

You could try and send him a personal message - just click on his avatar and you should see a message “start a conversation” - click on it and a “message” box will open for you to write and “send” your message. He will get the message as long as he still uses the email he used to register on the forum.

Good Luck.

Steve

 

I have got a rather large collection of Cambridgeshire Regiment items, if anyone has any they'd like to show/share then message me!

 

The new Cambridgeshire Archives premises will be very welcome because the Cambridge Shire Hall premises were very cramped. I did once see Major Hutt's notes ( about two large archive boxes ) re Singapore etc. but a lot of photocopies of originals in the boxes and needed re-organising.

" Cambridgeshire Archives holds an extensive, but rather miscellaneous collection relating to the activities of the Cambridgeshire Regiment including order books, correspondence, service records, publications, press cuttings and photographs. There is a strong emphasis on the activities of the Regiment during the First and Second World Wars.
The research notes of the former Regimental Archivist, Major Hutt, include personal papers and reminiscences of former Cambridgeshire Regiment soldiers. Much of this focuses on the defence of Singapore and subsequent captivity, for which very little in the way of official information has otherwise survived.
Some records have been incorporated into the online CALM catalogue."

Cambridgeshire Archives moving to Ely - Cambridgeshire County Council