861311 Pte. Leslie OLIVER, 2nd Border Regiment: 03/04/1945

Dear Friends,
I am on the last but one man on Hayle War Memorial.
He is 861311 Pte. Leslie Oliver of the 2bn. Border Regiment who was killed on 3rd April 1945.
I realise he signed up with the Royal Artillery - thanks to WW2Talk helping me - and the Army Honour Royal suggests to me he joined in 1941 but when did he become a Border man seems difficult to discover.
Has anyone out there knowledge of what was going on exactly on this day? I read that they were helping to clear out the Japanese but I'm not an expert in these things.
Sorry to bother but I'm nearly there!
Christopher the B.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2262058/leslie-oliver/
PRIVATE LESLIE OLIVER
Service Number: 861311
Regiment & Unit: 2nd Bn. Border Regiment
Date of Death: 03 April 1945
Age 24 years old
Buried or commemorated at TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY
Grave Reference: Coll. grave 21. H. 3-7.
Location: Myanmar
Additional Info: Son of Joseph and Florence M. Oliver; husband of Joyce Lillian Oliver, of Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire.
Personal Inscription: ALWAYS SO TRUE, UNSELFISH AND KIND. HE DIED AS HE LIVED, EVERYONE'S FRIEND

 

Chris,

The fact he is shown as joining the Royal Artillery indicates he was enlisted before early 1942. As the war progressed the army had manpower shortages, notably in the infantry and individuals, groups and units were transferred - that included the RA.

Unsure why you write:

The Royal Artillery had that prefix from 1716. See: Royal Artillery - Wikipedia

The CWGC record does have clues. See: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2262058/leslie-oliver/ The Concentration shows seven men buried initially in a common grave @ Meiktila (Christian) War Cemetery, that includes two from the RAF and the remainder from The Border Regt. There is no map reference which is often found.

It might be worth searching the site with the others Border Regt. soldiers in case they have appeared.

Wiki provides some of the context for operations around that time, but not April 1945. See: Battle of Meiktila and Mandalay - Wikipedia

Another Wiki explains briefly the movements in WW2 of his battalion:

From: Border Regiment - Wikipedia

If you search online with: "2nd Border Regiment" site:ww2talk.com that will identify a number of threads to review and a few (with duplicates) using: "2 Border Regiment" site:ww2talk.com

At one stage in January- July 1944 the 2nd Border were part of a Chindit operation Longcloth; I expect they suffered heavy casualties, so when withdrawn needed to be reinforced. Our expert, Bamboo43, on them may come along with his knowledge - I will send him a Private Message next..

 

Goodness me... what a wonderful site this is!
Thank you Patron.
Plenty to check out.
I want to do Leslie justice - it must have been hell for him and all of them out there.
C the B.

 

861311 Pte. Leslie Oliver
Attested 1936.

To confirm this date, his Royal Artillery Tracer Card, Army Service Record or Paybook are required.

Gnr. Leslie Oliver's attestation record shows him serving with CD./A.A. (Coastal Defence/Anti-Aircraft). Also mentions 56 A.A.



I cannot be certain, but my best guess is the following:-

56th (Cornwall) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery was a volunteer air defence regiment of Britain's Territorial Army (TA). Originally raised in 1920 as a medium artillery regiment, it was converted to the anti-aircraft role in 1932. During the Second World War, it was employed in Home Defence, in Iceland and then in India, where it was temporarily converted back to medium artillery.

The 56th (Cornwall) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, served in India during World War II from late 1941 to 1945

Gnr. Leslie Oliver's attestation record shows him transferring to King's Regiment on 03.05.1944.

The following casualty lists shows him serving with the 2nd Bn. King's Own Royal Regiment.




The 2nd Bn. King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) were flown into Burma in March, 1944.

If all of the above is correct, then I suggest he joined the 2nd Bn. K.O.R.R. in Burma from India. Then transferred to 2nd Border Regiment at a later date, possibly as a reinforcement and possibly close to the time of his death, given that the army was confused as to his whereabouts.

The Battle for Meiktila appears to have ended before the end of March, 1945. So perhaps, 861311 Pte. Leslie Oliver was killed during a mopping up operation. The War Diary for 2nd Border R., for April, 1945, might shed light on what occurred.

I have provided some facts and a dose of speculation. Hope it helps.

 

Dear David and Patron,
I started the day in a fog about the military career of Leslie and you have blown away the mist.
I am TRULY in your debt and, quite frankly, staggered by your knowledge and expertise.
In the end, locals will have the chance to read what fellows like Leslie did for them!
THANKS AGAIN,
Chris the thankful B.

 

Incorrect. Operation Longcloth was the 1943 expedition and Operation Thursday was the 1944 jaunt, so I guess you meant that one. But also wrong, I'm afraid; 2 Border were never Chindits. 4 Border were trained as Chindits, but didn't take part in Thursday (or Longcloth).

I'm afraid that the whole 2 Kings Own thing is a red herring, too. The compilers of the casualty lists just made a mistake in assigning him to 2 Kings Own when he was actually with 2 Border all the time.

I think that 2 Border may have been fighting around Kume at that time.

 

The RA tracer card shows him as being transferred to the Kings Regt though. As usual, the only way to be certain is to obtain his service record.

 

Thank you Charley for all your info and thoughts.
I have much to digest today... a real Sunday lunch to be had!
I am truly grateful to you ALL for helping me . It has been quite remarkable.
Have a good day.
Chris the B.

 

Sorry Charpoy, I'm the Charlie!
Chris the C!

 

Charpoy is correct the Border were at Kume around that time from the book The Story of the Border Regiment.

 

Thank you Deacs.
Yet another GREAT helper.
I'll incorperate all you fellows have sent me into Leslie's story.
Leonard Ward, a Cornish neighbour of ours for many years fought in Burma and always felt 'forgotten.' I guess you know what he meant better than I do,
Thanks to you all,
C

 

Some additional information regarding 861311 Gnr. Leslie Oliver, Royal Artillery.

Leslie Oliver was born on 1st September, 1919 in Leeds, Yorkshire.
His father, Joseph Oliver and his mother, Florence M. Bradbrook, were aged 22.
He had one sister. There residence in 1939, Bodriggy Street, Hayle, Cornwall, England.
He married Joyce Lillian Bray on 14th October, 1944 in Penzance, Cornwall.
He died on 3rd April, 1945, in Burma, aged 25.
His family were told that Leslie was killed when one of his friends walked onto a mine
and 3 or 4 soldiers were killed.

Leslie Oliver joined the army as a boy soldier, aged 16.

The following gives a strong indication of Gnr. Leslie Oliver's enlistment date:-

861307 Frederick Samuel Merigan, Royal Artillery 05.11.1936
861311 Leslie Oliver, Royal Artillery ????
861319 Kenneth James James, Royal Artillery 05.11.1936
861322 Derek Nicholls, Royal Artillery 05.11.1936

 

Dear David,
I feel quite humbled.
Thanks a million.
The WW2Talk site is an amazing site of... brotherhood might be a good description. All 44 men except one finished and I think T W Jones KOYLI will defeat me. I've found 10 TW/WT Jones fellows on CWGC but none with a connection to Cornwall! Such if life! Doncaster could not help either.
Thanks again.
C the B.

 

Chris,

I suggest you start a new thread for the "last man" and see what we can find. Yes, it may be a forlorn hope!

 

There are a number of families in the 1939 Register living in Hayle with the name Jones - may be a place to start. Can't stop now, going out will look later, but a separate post may be good, as suggested.