10th battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, 36th Division.

Some recently acquired photographs that once belonged to 14202154 Pte Ivor L Daniel. The photographs were once stuck in an album but some clown ripped them out and much of the context has now gone. Luckily some, but not many, of the photographs have captions.

Firstly, here is the man himself.

 

Pte Daniel's Record of Service card shows that he went through the whole 10th Btn. Gloucestershire Regiment experience. Starting off in the General Service Corps, transferring to a county regiment, conversion to a Royal Armoured Corps unit, conversion back to an infantry unit and jungle fighting then two years post war service.

 

Some of the photographs are difficult to date accurately, e.g. are these photographs taken in India pre or post service in Burma?

 

From the scenery, I am guessing that this photograph was taken in the Arakan.

 

This photograph shows the graves of 5191263 Pte Charles Douglas Davis and 562893 Pte Joseph Phillipson, both of the 10th Btn. Gloucestershire Regiment, in their original graves in the Akyab Cemetery. They were later reinterred in the Taukkyan War Cemetery. Both men died on the 31st March 1944.

 

The deaths of the two soldiers, both of whom died of wounds on the 31st March were probably the result of an action on the 30th when two other 10th Gloucestershire men were killed in action.



The regimental history has the following:

Apart from minor actions, with patrolling and an occasional Japanese raid on its positions, the first action was on March 23rd, when “A” Company, situated on a high feature, gave support to attacks by the other two battalions, the South Wales Borderers and the Royal Sussex, on four Japanese positions. The attacks were successful, and the remains of the Japanese were seen scurrying southward to a feature known as “Hambone.” This was a double hill, connected by a narrow ridge fifteen yards wide. The ground fell away steeply on either side of the ridge, and the whole area was covered with thick bamboo. A few days later a patrol of “B” Company discovered that “Hambone North” was not occupied, but that “Hambone South” was. There after the Hambone became the business of the 10th. Companies took it in turn to occupy the northern hill, and many attempts were made to dislodge the enemy. Casualties were suffered on both sides. The Japanese reinforced their hill, and made several surprise attacks on Hambone North, but every time they were repulsed with losses. On April the 1st an attack was made by “D” Company, after Hambone South had been heavily bombed and shelled; but the Japanese machine-gun and rifle fire, from foxholes and bunkers which could not be located, made the assault down the narrow ridge impossible, and when six men were killed and twelve wounded it was called off for the day. So the duel between the Gloucesters and the Japanese on Hambone North and Hambone South went on, until on April the 3rd a patrol discovered that the enemy had left their position, which was promptly occupied. Thus the Hambone affair ended. It had been a teasing and difficult operation, but it had given the young battalion its baptism of fire and its first success.

 

Close up of the two graves.

 

I do not know if this is a photograph of 'Hambone' but the caption on the reverse says, Jap position we had to fight so hard for.

 

The memorial to the 36th Division erected in the Arakan.



For further information regarding the 36th Division Memorial please see this thread.

Memorial to 36th Division Arakan 1944

 

Another quality set of Burma related photographs HW. Thanks for posting them up on the forum.

 

You are welcome. Plenty more to come but I took a break to help Mandy on the allotment.

 

The 36th Division were flown into Myitkyina between 18th and 23rd July 1944. I suspect that this photograph of a bombed railway train may have been taken around this time. But as the 36th Division fought their way down the railway corridor it may have been taken anywhere between Myitkyina and Katha.



Close up showing artillery shells or perhaps aerial bombs were part of the freight carried.

 

Been out in the garden myself....lovely day out there today.

 

Another train but I am not sure if it is in India or Burma. The presence of the double oil pipeline might indicate Burma.

 

The 36th division was entirely supplied by American aircraft. One of these photographs was obviously taken from an aircraft whilst the other one was a simple snap taken during a supply drop. Any lower and it would have had the washing away.





A third photograph is probably the worst framed supply drop photograph ever taken.

 

What appears to be a sunken flotilla of Irrawaddy steamers. Possibly sunk during the 1942 retreat or later by the R.A.F. I have no clue regarding the location.



Close up.

 

The graves of three British soldiers killed during the fighting at Pinwe.



Sahmaw War Cemetery.

5191779. Pte. Albert George Young. KiA 23rd November 1944. Age 32.

14660566. Pte. Frederick John May. KiA 23rd November 1944. Age 20.

163378 Capt. Allan Dalgleish Gould. R.A.M.C. KiA 23rd November 1944.

These men were later reinterred at the Taukyuan War Cemetery. I have not yet identifed the other four men mentioned in the regimental history, see below.

From the Cap of Honour. The story of the Gloucestershire Regiment, by David Scott Daniel.

But to return to the problem which faced the Division at Pinwe, where the crack Japanese Eighteenth Imperial Division was making a determined stand. A new plan was made, in which the 10th Gloucesters were ordered to carry out a frontal attack with two objectives. The first was to recapture the Gyobin Chaung, the river which crossed the road 2000 yards before Pinwe, and the second was to capture Pinwe railway station, 200 yards before the village. ---- The Company held their position on the chaung for four days, subject to heavy bombardment, repelling counter attacks, and probing forward with their patrols all the while to keep the enemy at bay. A further advance was not possible; to hold on required fighting spirit of the highest order. Casualties were suffered continuously, and one that was very seriously lamented by every one was the Medical Officer, Captain A.D. Gould, who was killed with five of his staff when his post was hit by a heavy mortar shell. Throughout the campaign Captain Gould had served the battalion in the highest traditions of his corps.

The 22nd and 23rd of November 1944 were bad days for the 10th Glosters.

 

A wounded man in a jungle first aid post, location unknown. It is impossible to be certain but this photograph may show some of the men involved in the incident mentioned above.

 

This photograph has the caption, 'Medical Sergeant'.

 

The soldier in the front right of this photograph appears to have a pair of scissors in his breast pocket which may indicate that these men are part of the medical section of the battalion.