Chindits . RA tracer card.

Could the 3rd Reserve Regiment have been used as a cover name in the UK for someone who was to be sent to India to join the 3rd Indian Division ( The Chindits deception cover Division) ?......From someone's Royal Artillery Tracer card. Posted to 160 field Regiment after arrival in India.

 

Hi,

Never say never, but I have not heard of any soldiers being sent for (so to speak) from the UK directly for Chindit service. Most personnel were taken from units already in theatre or from the reinforcement centres in India.

 

Ask Derek Barton , he's the RA go to chap.

 

Derek's website entry for 160 Field Regiment: 160 Field Regiment RA - The Royal Artillery 1939-45

 

He seems to have followed the usual UK “training” route to active service overseas.

UK Training Regiment followed by a Reserve Regiment then to the RA Depot in advance of “draft” overseas. On arrival a posting to RA Depot in India for acclimatisation and then on to a Field Regiment.

I agree with bamboo43 and doubt he was selected for the Chindits before he arrived in the Indian sub continent not least because how he could cope with the climate wouldn’t be known until after he arrived. Not all men could cope with the heat and if so they were speedily returned to UK.

Steve

 

All of the above replies seem to pretty much cover it. Individuals going overseas were not normally allocated to specific units or formations but went to a depot or holding unit. From there they were allocated to units as required. Remember it took some time to transfer overseas as convoys took several weeks to arrive at even the closer destinations. During that time the situation would most likely have changed so allocating troops in the UK wouldn't make much sense.

Derek

 

Think you need Someones Service Record, there is insufficient detail on a Tracer Card to make any judgement on someone's service.
Derek Barton runs the ra 1939-45 website and as such is highly knowledgeable on this subject.
Your man could indeed have been with the Chindits but would have had to undergo Jungle Training in India to acclimatise and learn to survive under jungle conditions.

His being posted to 160 FR on 5.3.44 could be significant "By the last week in March the Chindits were fighting for their lives. White City’s garrison knew that more attacks were planned and strengthened their defences. The Dakota loads included four 25 pounders, six Bofors anti-aircraft guns and four two-pounder anti-tank guns".
The Chindits - Operation Thursday - The Chindit Society

Note: top left RA Depot Deolali 20.11.43 probably the most famous Holding Camp in the world.
("It ain't alf hot mum" TV Series was set in Deolali RA Depot).

Deolali transit camp - Wikipedia

 

To clarify, men from 160 FR manned 25 pounder field guns at Chindit strongholds such as White City and Blackpool.

 

Found this manifest, not sure if this 'gun' is a 25 pounder.

 

Looks very much like this is one of the 25 pounders that went into White City. The weight of the gun (just under 4000lbs), plus carriage seems correct and a six-man team led by a Sgt.

This manifest information may very well feature in a forthcoming article for the Chindit Society newsletter.

 

Think these could be the other three 25 Pounders....

 

Thanks once again John. I have the basis of a nice little story there. Good to write something about the Gunners at White City....as they rarely get a mention.

 

From the information on the S Troop manifests, I can find only two casualties:

Sgt. Patrick Joyce, U3 gun crew-leader who died on 13th April 1944 (almost certainly at White City). He is remembered upon Face 2 of the Rangoon Memorial (see photograph below). This surprises me, as most casualties were buried inside the block and then reburied at Sahmaw Cemetery after the area was cleared of the enemy.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2513156/patrick-joyce/

The other casualty was Bombardier Joseph Timms of the U5 crew. He died later in the was and post Operation Thursday on the 21st January 1945, presumably back with the 160 Field Regiment, RA. He is also remembered upon Face 2 of the Rangoon Memorial.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2527397/joseph-timms/

It would be interesting to know the casualty figures for men who manned the 25 pounders at Blackpool (U Troop). I would imagine their loss rate was much higher.