Burma Sports, Boxing Football?

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Robert999, Nov 23, 2022.

  1. Robert999

    Robert999 Member

    Lots of info about battles, and thats great. What about the sports all these guys did when time allowed. I know my grandad was a keen boxer and loved his football........my question: is there any info, photos that these guys got involved in?
    Royal Welch Fusiliers....I know they had a boxing team.
     
  2. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Quite a few war diaries I have looked through mention sports events for regiments based in India. Inter-battalion football matches feature strongly, but also cricket, hockey, boxing and athletics. The British prisoners in Rangoon Jail used to play non-contact basketball, with the view that an injury in that environment (no medical supplies or decent nourishment to aid recovery) could be fatal.
     
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  3. Robert999

    Robert999 Member

    I can imagine they would have been very compitative, and as you say an injury would be detrimental to their position. My grandad enlisted in 1927 in the inter war period for a career as opose to going to war. That and the disciplined structure would have been an incentive and attraction for him, he was a very stayed man not much sense of humour but loved sport. Living in Northumberland Prk he would walk up to whiteheart Lne on a Saturday to watch Spurs play. He always had immaculately polished shoes/boots which rubbed off on me making sure not only the tops shone but the soles/edges where equaly spotless, dirty football boots was a defo no no........still have his boot brushes today
     
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  4. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    A couple of photographs of the 13th Battalion, the King's Regiment at the Napier Barracks, Karachi in 1945. Cricket and football:

    13KLR Cricket Team 1945. copy 2.jpg Football 4 close copy 2.jpg
     
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  5. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    No images but plenty of mentions re football and cricket fixtures in the War Diaries for 9th Royal Sussex in 45 . Also recorded in the Cyril Grines Diaries, see below. My dad remembered hockey matches against a team of schoolgirls too who ran rings round them apparently !, The War Diaries also name men in the teams too, often the only time they are mentioned.
     
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  6. Robert999

    Robert999 Member

    Thanks for that, ordered a copy to have a read. No point in buying loads of books until I have his records but I'm certainly interested in the sport that all those lads embarked on.
     
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  7. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Sometimes the official war diaries mention who teams played against, usually Inter Coy matches but occasionally other Regiments. Obviously these sporting days were Confined to periods of training, or regrouping between actions. When men went on leave in India they would be free to go swimming or watch football or even racing. In the 9th Royal Sussex there was one Sgt who was mad on golf and escaped at every opportunity to find a course to play on. Horse riding was also possible in some Hill stations too.
    Enjoy the book!
     
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  8. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    A snip from the War Diaries late in 45 when 9th Royal Sussex were at Butterworth, Malaya, eagerly awaiting their turn for demob.
     

    Attached Files:

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  9. PackRat

    PackRat Well-Known Member

    2nd Bn RWF sports teams while at camp in Shillong, June 1944:

    2RWF Sport.jpg
     
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  10. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

    2nd Borders even had an inter-platoon rowing regatta when they had a few days out of the line at Litan in August 1944. This was probably held on the Thoubal River, but no mention of the type of craft used. The HQ Platoon of D Company won.

    Lionboxer
     
  11. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

    A further sporting snippet gleaned from the war diary of 99 Mobile Workshop Company in March1944 based at Kanglatongbi near Imphal. Seems this unit were keen on inter-unit football matches against the units in the area but what really caught my attention was mention of a match between them and 20 Reinforcement Camp, my fathers unit, who came out 2-5 winners. I wonder if my father played as he was a keen sportsman representing his battalion at football and rugby?
    Three weeks later the football pitch was the site of heavy fighting when the Japanese surrounded and attacked Lion Box Kanglatongbi. Not quite as famous as the Tennis Court at Kohima, it shows just how important sport was to the men, even on the front line!!

    Lionboxer
     
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