West African reconnaissance Regiment

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Hutchy46, May 24, 2012.

  1. Hutchy46

    Hutchy46 Junior Member

    Thanks Hebridean Chindit. I have downloaded some 1:250000 maps of Burma vintage 1955, from Univ of Texas which show a lot (almost too much!) detail so am using them to try and track daily movements of the 82 nd. Recce.
     
  2. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    The CIA maps... I was tracking my dad's route across India from Bombay with those, to the training camps, on to Calcutta and into Burma - the more detailed ones at the BL will be the kicker... o_O

    They are the best available on line that I've found - Bamboo also recommended them too - the ones I found are at Kew are a higher detail level but very specific to my research, and not so easy to copy - I'll have to make some enquiries for my next visit there...

    So much to view... so little time... ;)
     
  3. Sadurian Mike

    Sadurian Mike Member

    I am currently researching the West Africans in Burma, although I am concentrating on the 81 (WA) Division.

    There were two West African divisions in Burma, the 81st and 82nd. The 81st arrived first and were employed in the Arakan along the Kaladan Valley, protecting the left flank of the XV Indian Corps who were moving down the Arakan near the coast. The 82nd relieved them late in 1944.

    There is little secondary literature about the West Africans in Burma. War Bush by Hamilton is probably the most comprehensive, but be wary of his evangelical opinions that the West Africans have been deliberately airbrushed from history. Turnbull's Battle in the Box is almost diametrically oposite in approach. He is very scathing about the West Africans and claims, for example, that they were 'allergic to jungle warfare' (!). The other books covering Burma often give a side mention to the West Africans, but Thompson's War in Burma 1942-1945 is by far the most comprehensive in its treatment of the West African division.


    To read up about the West Africans I can recommend using the Imperial War Museum archives.

    62/175/1; Private Papers of Captain R. St. John Walsh and 62/193/1; Misc: J. A. L. Hamilton, are two collections well worth looking through, although neither is catalogued and therefore will not appear on the online search engine. You can, however, order the collections as normal.

    92/15/1; Private Papers of Major P. B. Poore MC and 03/23/1; Private Papers of Major J. J. Cherns are probably the pick of the various catalogued collections, but you will find plenty more if you search the IWM archives.
     

Share This Page