I have obviously been walking around with my head in the clouds having looked at this famous pic with Mad Mike and two of his fellow Chindit officers more times than I can remember it has just come to my notice that the guy on his right with the rifle in the crook of his arm is Joanna Lumleys Father Major James Lumley, Joanna's dad and a very British hero called Pun: Why Major Lumley would be 'overwhelmed with shame' at the British Government's treatment of the Gurkhas | Mail Online
Here's a better version of the photo. Brigadier "Mad" Mike Calvert (left) gives orders to Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw, while Major James Lumley stands with M1 carbine under his arm, after the capture of Mogaung in Burma during the second Chindit expedition, June 1944. THE CHINDITS. © IWM (MH 7287)IWM Non Commercial Licence
Hi Gents, Last year I was working my way through, what is a gigantic War diary for the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade HQ in 1944 and found the attached page and message: '6th April- Major Lumley 3/6th Gurkha Rifles has a daughter.' I'm guessing this information was from his recent mail and rear base thought they would send it forward to his unit in Burma. I presume that Joanna has an older sister, or has she been keeping a secret from us all these years?
Yes I saw that too Bamboo, the messages to and fro are quite strange at times, especially when the codes weren't understood. Lots about going to the races, birds and nests etc.... But I digress..... NoI don't think the message was referring to Joanna.
Hi Zahonado, Had a quick Google and it refereed to the birth of older sister Aelene: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2302094/RICHARD-KAY-Joanna-Lumley-sister-heal-rift.html
Just curious, but how 'gigantic' is the diary? 6RWK's diary runs to 885 'pages' for a three month period of 1944, but the vast majority of that are the copious appendices.
Hi CF, It is 821 pages. These contain daily information pertaining to the Chindit columns comprising 77th Brigade and their activities. This diary does not follow the usual format of other battalion diaries, but records information and cypher messages from HQ Rear to and fro the frontline units, often delivers as one line entries against time of message. Please see example: I believe that the copy I have was originally photographed by our Andy.
Sounds useful to have the precise timings when there's a battle raging. Some such contemporaneous accounts really allow you to follow events as they transpired in HQ. I've just been casually reading about Mogaung and turned up this thread. Great image of Lumley above; he looks like he'd fit in well in a Vietnam war film.
This diary has proved extremely useful to me over the months, but always fills me with trepidation when I know I need to delve in and look for an event or even a soldier. It has also formed a goodly part of forum member High Wood's research into the 1 King's on Chindit 2. Here is another page, from the time of the approaches to Mogaung. If you would like a copy of the diary, then let me know.
At least you can read this diary. 9th Royal Sussex varies from quite clear to faint.Trying to print copies off leaves you with a difficult read..any ideas how to improve print quality.
