Hi, here is a picture of my father he was with the KOYLI regiment in Burma sometime between 1940-1945. Unfortunately i have very little information but hopefully someone may be able to indentify his shoulder patches and suggest ways i can begin searching for his records. He was a member of the Burma Star Association. He never talked about his service and unfortunately died in 2006. Any help would be greatly appreciated, Thank you, robin.
Hi Robin and welcome to the forum. There is somewhere on here a downloadable form you can send off to manning and records for his service records. Regards Andy
Welcome to the forum. Badge looks like 8th Indian Division but they not in Burma & can't find KOYLI in them either.
I can tell you that the 1st and 2nd Battalions saw service in Burma during the Second World War. There were 7 other Battalions but i cannot tell you what their part was during the war. donnie
Donnie, 1st Bn wasn't in Burma, they were with 5th Div. Some good info on 2 KOYLI in Burma here. Never Give Up I wonder if this a post-war photo & 2 KOYLI were in 8th Ind Div post-1945 ???
Apologies, I would have to say that this isnt a post war photo IMHO, lack of medal ribbons etc. Do we know what rank this chap was? if an Officer he could have been attached to 8th Ind Div HQ? thus wearing the patch. Donnie
Thanks for your welcome and for the information. I am going to try to get my fathers service records which may help answer some questions. Robin.
The Burma Star Association of which your father was a member has a pretty decent web-site with 2 KOYLI experiences and appeals for info if you have not visited why not try it Burma Star Association - War Against Japan - Burma Campaign or 2KOYLI pow diary at When the lads Verrieres
Thanks for the info, i will put an appeal on the Burma Star website. Charpoy do you know if these units would have taken part in any action or had hostilities ended by this time. Can i find his regimental no. on any other documents besides his service records. I have the form but it requires this number ideally. Robin.
from link I gave earlier in thread... Tragedy in Burma In India The 2nd K.O.Y.L.I. were not in action again during the war. The battalion remained in Assam on the north-east frontier of India, under the command of Lieut. Colonel R. G. C. Poole, until March 1943, ready for action against the Japanese or in aid of the civil power; these were troublous times in India, for Congress thought it a suitable moment to demand that the British quit India. After a short stay at Ranchi, the battalion moved in November 1943 to Delhi, ready again for use in case of civil -disturbance. After the re-conquest of Burma in early 1945 the­ K.O.Y.L.I. trained for the invasion of Malaya under the command of Lieut. Colonel B. W. Wood, first in northern India and then in the south. The battalion was selected as part of the assault force for Malaya but the two atom bombs dropped on Japan brought the war to an end a few days before the force was due to sail. The K.O.Y.L.I. remained in India for another two years after the end of the war and then moved to Malaya. There they had another assignment, the chasing of Communists in the dense jungle, but this is a story to be told in a later volume of the history. By the end of 1949 the tour of foreign service of the 2nd K.O.Y.L.I. had lasted no less than twenty-eight years.
2 KOYLI saw action in the 1942 retreat from Burma. They remained in NE India with 39 Ind Div until 1943. When the whole div was re-organized as a training division, 2 KOYLI left and mainly carried out Internal Security duties in India until 1945. After a brief spell with 150 Ind Bde they were transferred to 8 Ind Div, recently returned to India. By which time the Japanese had given up. They were not scheduled for Zipper (the invasion of Malaya), but may well have been lined up for the planned invasion of Japan. Perhaps that's why he's smiling in the photo. It is unlikely that he had taken part in the retreat from Burma, but if you are interested there is an excellent new book out called 'Burma 1942 Memories of a Retreat' by Ralph Tanner, an officer of 2 KOYLI. I strongly recommend it.
Cheers everybody, its been a great help and i've now got something to go on. Will report back when i get further info.
Hi Donny, Only the 2nd Bn fight in Burma this is a ling from the Burma Association Veterans Tragedy in Burma . Pat 1 1942 koyli - Google Search
