Sorry I could not be there and missed most of yesterday's news, but have seen quite a bit on FB etc. Thanks for putting these interviews up here.
Hello all - I'm a newbie to this site and found it after looking for a gentleman by the name of Bill Smyly - I was watching the VJ celebrations on TV which I though were a very moving and well deserved tribute to these brave men when I saw an interview with Bill Smyly - I met a gentleman of the same name in Hong Kong in 1996 and he is a good friend of my father in law - I was just wondering if its the same Bill Smyly? I see that earlier in the forum there is a username Smyly (Chris Smyly?) who is a relative who may be able to confirm this - If its the same man, I have very fond memories of dinner at the Kowloon Cricket Club with him and some of his friends!! If he's in the UK I know that my father in law would love to get in contact with him... My great uncle Dennis Sutton (Private 4868004) as a Chindit and served with 7th Leicesters 74 Column for the duration of the campaign. A very quiet and humble man, he never spoke of his experiences. I regret the fact that I never got to know him better. I have his Chindits hat and some of his badges (original Chindit badges, shoulder flashes etc) and am approaching the Leicestershire Regimental Museum with a view to allowing them to show them to the public. I for one believe that this campaign never received the recognition that it deserves, and would like to help educate people to their daily plight. Thanks all, Mark.
Hi Sparks... interesting story and welcome... if you go back to post #50, the last of the 5 photos show Bill in the middle of the picture at the Chindit Memorial last Remembrance Sunday with some members of this parish and others with Chindit family connections... you should be able to download and zoom in on picture to see if you remember him, if it's the same Bill... Kenny
Well today there was a good turn out at the Chindit Memorial on the Victorian Embankment. Included in our congregation was the new CO of the 77th Brigade Cyber Chindits, the recently raised unit to combat the terrorist threat on social media and on the internet. http://www.heytoday.co.uk/uk-news/chindits-return-as-cyber-commandos/ One sad note: I missed my old mate HC!!
The feeling's mutual, me ol' Bamboo... was hopeful of a trip up to visit that 26 Column Gent for the day but nothing occurring there at present, so... Busily working on 230's Winter newsletter, somewhat tainted by the loss in Afghanistan...
Tragic and such bad luck... crew was 33 and 230 Sqn... I know some of it (off record) but all awaiting the report...
I recently visited an old friend, Mary "Terry" Paterson, who was instrumental in putting me in touch with Donnie MacKenzie (26 Column) and Stanley Rothney (90 Column) and who's late husband, Sgt Fred Patterson (26 Column) had a fascinating collection of mementos... this is a picture taken of the 19th Burma Star Reunion in Inverness... not sure of the year though... in the picture is Major Tim Brennan, CO of 26 Column...
This is Terry and me wearing (barely, in my case) Fred's slouch hat and the hat with his "panic map"... Terry's loaned me the map so I can try and get a high-res image of it... It felt quite odd handling these items, knowing they were at "Blackpool"... the map is blood-stained... Fred is seen wearing the same hat in the picture I'm holding...
Great photos HC. It is always a special moment handling artefacts that have been used in real life combat situations.
Indeed, me ol' Bamboo, indeed... off to Fort George with my father-in-law today too, if the weather holds... I'll be posting up pics of Fred's original notes for his trip to India from the UK from the "diary" he should not have kept too...
Well here it is, Merry Chinditmas to all the CBI folk, and thinking of now absent friends and family at this time of peace...
I’m Fred and Terry’s daughter, Jacqui. My dad would be very honoured to see his panic map and hat, and my mum of course, on here. So blessed he shared parts of his Chindit story with us. When I read his story I felt I had finally understood the man he was. His experiences shaped him and he was a Chindit til the day he died.
Hi Jacqui, I am eternally grateful to your family, both to your late dad for writing his story and being so careful with his "notes" , and to your mum, for introducing me to a further two Chindits, Donnie and Stanley, who both knew your dad, and mine, and being so helpful in my research, and for being a good friend... The whole research file is such a beast to wrangle with, a monster to cross-reference... still just working with the part that involves the flying-boat rescue... If you ever need to ask anything just send me a PM... Kenny