Hi Cornishfern I didn't think the West African Divisions were in Imphal/Burma until the summer of 1944. Maybe he was with a different unit there and then joined them in the Arakan? I can remember seeing some maps of the Tiddim Road but I can't find them on my hard disc....I will keep looking. They were from the retreat from Tiddim in March 1944. I will add some photos that I took when I visited Imphal twelve months ago.
Hi Skoyen89 Dad got there before most of the West Africans - his field company were on detachment.(3 (Gold Coast) Field Company W African Engineers working for IV Corps) and were busy building the road up from Imphal to Tiddim before the Japanese advanced and 17 Division withdrew in about May 1944. (See John A.L. Hamilton 'War Bush' Michael Russell 2001 p 357 for corroboration). They had one of the very first casualties of that advance. They were sent back to Chittagong and thence to Kaladan valley in Arakan where they were on air supply and finally ferried 82 West African across to take over from the 81st. Did you get a chance to put up further photos? I am finally going to Burma early 2016 but what with FCO warnings about Rakine/Arakan and the inaccessibility of the area N of Tiddim I doubt I'll see many of Dad's actual locations. The border on the Imphal road is closed and even Imphal has FCO warnings now - all very unhelpful. Any pictures/ advice from people who've been 'on the ground' would be hugely appreciated! Will report back after my Kew visit today.
Hi Cornishfern Imphal is possible to visit despite the FCO advice; Lionboxer and I (separately) visited there this time last year for the 70th anniversary. You may be able to get down to near the border on the Tiddim Road from the Imphal side but that is only a small portion of the way to Tiddim. Burma seems to be opening up but it may be few years before we can travel there in the way the Indians and Burmese can today. If you want to talk this through PM me your phone number and I will call you at the weekend. How was the Kew visit? I found the photos from Kew with the Tiddim maps.
