I learned during the week that a WW2 veteran that I had spent some time with over the last couple of years has passed away. In lieu of being able to speak at his funeral service, I thought I would post an obituary for him on here. Unfortunately some of the following is a bit garbled, a combination of Richard’s recollections and my tardiness. I will attempt to fill in a few of the gaps in following posts. I hope that by posting this here sooner or later someone will come along with extra info, or even requests for more info on some of the names & places mentioned. ************************************************************* Pavitt, Richard [Gordon] Hastings - 16.09.1920 - 14.09.2011 of Masterton, New Zealand 1938 - enlisted in the New Zealand Territorial Force and served in the Field Artillery [service number 064165] - (note 1) 1939 / 1940 – Waiouru artillery training camp (notes 2 & 3 & 4) 08.1943 - posted to the 6th Field Regiment, New Zealand Artillery (Italy) 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force - (notes 5 & 6) 04.1944 - selected for a course at an Officer Cadet Training Unit as an officer candidate for the British Army - (note 7) 19.11.1944 – commissioned 348803, Royal Regiment of Artillery [emergency commission] - (note 8) 1944 – 1946 - attached to the 5th Indian Field Regiment, Royal Indian Artillery Burma [advance on Rangoon], then Java [Indonesia] - (notes 9 & 10 & 11 & 12) 1946 – Singapore, London, Berlin (notes 13 & 14 & 15 & 16 & 17) 24.01.1947 – released from commission – Captain - (notes 18 & 19 & 20) ************************************************************* Personal notes and memories: note 1 – One photo shows training with a WW1 6” field gun / howitzer note 2 – photo of camp and note on back regarding presence of Robert Miller and Carl Berendsen, Miller enlisted in 1940 with the 12th Field Regiment, was wounded in Tunisia in 1943 and was invalided home. He became a surveyor and was deputy leader of the 1957 NZ Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Berendsen was secretary of the War Cabinet in July 1940. note 3 – photo of NCO’s course 1939, Peter Reid, Jim Blyth, self, Jack Fisher note 4 – good friend Peter Blundell from Nelson College enlists and joins my unit. Part of NZ newspaper publishing family. Earned the Military Cross (MC) in the Solomon Islands (Vella Lavella) Sep / Oct 1943. Award gazetted 27 July 1944 and presented 22 March 1945 at parade attended by Generals Freyberg and Kippenberger in Italy. Captain Peter Mellor Blundell 71458 was KIA 16 April 1945 in Italy. note 5 – photos of life out of the line, football match, vineyard and captured medieval castle, Southern Italy 1943 after the fall of Sicily. Three letters home to father from Italy June - October 1944. note 6 –Good friend James Athol (Jimmy) Stubbs 437400 wounded at Cassino April 1944 and repatriated to NZ but died from his wounds 10 June 1944, buried Palmerston. note 7 – Officer’s training in Bombay 1944, photo captioned “wondering how I would like being a Pukka Sahib” Note 8 - Gazetted July 1944. Photo of self (348803), Ronald Charles McKay (348805) and Edward James Bernard O’Hare (348804). All survived the war, McKay discharged 1946, self and Barney O’Hare discharged 1947. note 9 – trained with Buzz Hunt former WW1 soldier then WW2 NZ army and went across to the British Army (Indian Artillery). Post-war Buzz served as part of the occupation force (Jayforce) for Japan with the RNZA. In Korea as part of Kayforce 1950 – 1953. Major E.W Hunt was Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) for his actions during the Battle for Kapyong April 1951 – gazetted 11 September 1951. His wife, Audrey Hunt (nursing sister) was from India and travelled to and from NZ after the war. Noted as arriving in Auckland in 1950. Very attractive lady. note 10 – I was attached to the 4th Indian Field Regiment (not the 5th). 4FR in Burma as part of 19 Indian Division then to ALFSEA as part of 5 Indian Division. 5FR in Burma as part of 25 Indian Division then to ALFSEA as part of 23 Indian Division. Operated in Java as part of 5 Indian Division. note 11 - many photos of life in Bombay (including Deolali camp) and in action 1945. Commanded a troop / battery of 25 pounder field guns. Heading south towards Rangoon 1945. Photos of Indian Artillery troops 1945 / 1946: Havildar Narayan More Tapah, Malaya April 1946 – Naik Dallahay Teke & Sinu Bande. “My faithful Jawans (young soldiers), always very smart, which came from pride in their Regiment & their sublime loyalty. I will never forget them” Tapah, Malaya April 1946 – Bandu Jadhao & Cheta Ram. “Naik Bandu Jadhao 10.5654 decorated for extreme gallantry (in my presence) in mid 1945 in Burma” (MID - Mentioned in Dispatches – gazette August 1945) note 12 – no memory of Java, went to Singapore note 13 – Singapore – 5 September 1945 - HMS Sussex – disarm Japanese at Changi etc as part of 5th Indian Division. Cathay Building ?? (Major JW Arthur MC of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment) note 14 – NZ – early 1946 – by ship (ATHLONE CASTLE) to home then back to Singapore to re-join unit note 15 – May 1946, arrived in the UK on the MAURETANIA to take part in the Victory celebrations. Indian Contingent camped at Regent’s Park London, marched in victory parade 08June 1946. Met the King and the Princesses at Balmoral. Stayed at 21 Cadogan place, Sloane Square. “Indian Victory Parade Contingent visits Sheffield (18th June, 1946). A parade of soldiers marches through the city led by a man on a horse. Each military unit marches in their own group wearing their different uniforms and medals. One unit play brass instruments as they march. “ note 16 – Berlin – July 1946 (a) part of Indian military mission (Major General D. Stuart / Colonel S.M. Shrinagesh (Sri Nagesh) / Major-General Khub Chand / Colonel Mian Hayaud Din / Mr. K. V. Ramaswamy (b) The Indian contingent which took part in London’s victory parade recently visited Berlin. Article shows them being inspected by Marshal of the RAF Sir Sholto Douglas, shown talking to Subedar Gage Chale, a Gurkha VC. note 17 – Java - November 1945 – 4FR not on OOB (the 5th is) note 18 – discharge gazetted 1947 (other appointments / acting promotions also gazetted 1946 / 1947) note 19 – 1947 photo with Tom Higgins (Burma ?) note 20 –Father Harold Hastings Pavitt passed away 1948. 1950s moved to Brisbane and worked at land development. **************************************************************** http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/burma-india/28546-indonesian-national-revoluton-battle-surabaya-british-indian-army.html http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/user-introductions/16334-hello-former-gurhka-officer.html
Never thought to post an image of the presento I had made up for him some time before he passed away.
DaveB My 90 year old neighbour is Gunner Albert George Cox, who was a Technical Observer with the 10th Field Regiment. I am trying to reassemble his wartime experiences with him, but he has forgotten so much, apart from that his CO was Barney O'Hare mentioned below. I see from the notes that there is an image of him: Note 8 - Gazetted July 1944. Photo of self (348803), Ronald Charles McKay (348805) and Edward James Bernard O’Hare (348804). All survived the war, McKay discharged 1946, self and Barney O’Hare discharged 1947. Do you have the image by any chance? Can you give me any clues as to how I can find out more (George cannot remember his battery - possibly the 8th or 14th)? Thanks TimR
Hi Tim - I will provide what info I can. I thought I had the photos scanned and saved into my computer but they are eluding me at the moment - I will have another hunt and hopefully load that particular photo shortly. It will probably be a small photo so not much detail will be discernible. I presume that you have done the google thing and found this sort of stuff: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/36/a2955936.shtml What I did with Richard was print out anything I could find and just read it to him (in the case of this link trim out anything not relevant) - plus get a good copy of the photo from that link and see if your neighbour recognises the name. The trick with this sort of wartime service is that units like his rarely get mentioned in the official history, at best the brigade being supported at the time will be or comments like "the artillery provided good support". But what the official history will have is the names of the towns being operated in, rivers crossed etc. I would read Richard excerpts of the official history naming these towns and he would take great delight in correcting my pronunciation. So the 10th Field Regiment was part of the Divisional Troops component of 2nd Infantry Division (British) - here is their Order of Battle 4th Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion, Royal Scots 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment 1/8th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers (from 4 May 1940) 5th Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders 7th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment (from 2 May 1940) 6th Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers 1st Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry Divisional Troops 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment - (Machine Gun Battalion) 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) 10th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 16th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 99th (Buckinghamshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 100th (4th Gordon Highlanders) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery 5th Field Company, Royal Engineers 208th Field Company, Royal Engineers 506th Field Company, Royal Engineers 21st Field Park Company, Royal Engineers 2nd British Infantry Division was part of the 33 Indian Corps as part of the 14th Army. 33 Indian Corps (Lieutenant-General Sir Montagu G. N. Stopford), consisted of 2 British Division, 5 and 20 Indian Divisions, 11 (East African) Division, the Lushai Brigade, 268 Indian (Lorried) Brigade, and 254 Indian Tank Brigade
Names mentioned in various Google results - this one is from the above link: Lance Bombardier Leonard Sharp. 10th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, British 2nd Division, 14th Army. http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=188 Paul Gardner says: 14 Mar 2015 08:37:55 AM My Dad (Gunner John Edward Gardner - Service number 895856) fought in India and Burma as part of the 10th Field Artillery Regiment. From the little that he told me about this time, I believe that he served under the command of Major Barton, who I understand was nicknamed 'Dick Barton'? From research so far, I think that would have placed my Dad in the 51st Battery, and I know that he spent a lot of his time as a forward observer. The shoulder flashes that I have of his indicate that he was a dispatch rider (wheel with wings on both sides, and DR above). There is also one showing a clenched fist, with what appears to be lightning coming out of both sides (I believe this to be the radio operator sign?). I'm looking for any further information, or advice on where to look, regarding my Dad's time in India/Burma. Many thanks. http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Friends-pay-tribute-Dunkirk-veterans/story-11456183-detail/story.html Eddie Boote has been described as a "perfect soldier" and a "wonderful man". After Dunkirk, Eddie found himself re-mustered into the 10th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, with which he was posted to India and Burma. The regiment became part of the 2nd British Division. After the war his regiment became part of the Army of Occupation in Japan, but Eddie, with 13 years of Army service behind him, was posted back to the UK. http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~royf/Burma/Photographs.htm
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/30002/ww2_kohima.pdf British and Indian Army Units awarded the Battle Honour of Kohima - 10th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery With matters reaching crisis level, on the morning of 18 April British artillery opened up from the west against the Japanese positions. Elements of the 2nd British Division, 161st Brigade and tanks from XXXIII Corps pushed into the area north-west of Garrison Hill and forced the Japanese from their positions. The road between Dimapur and Kohima had been opened, and the siege was lifted.
