Major W. Breckenridge & Major W. Breckenridge, both 130 Assault Fd Regt, Burma - Related?

The photos are all from the same album which appears to be a personal album of my grandmothers...from childhood through to shortly after my father was born in 1942. My father looks about 2/3 years old in the last photo so I’m guessing it marks the end of the war in 1945.

I’ll attach them in the order that they appear in the album. The first batch are in the UK and the rest from Burma. There are a few related photos that are military in nature but probably less relevant, these are not included.

The detail in some of the images is very good and a couple of the group shots have been notated with names...these correspond with the individuals you mentioned and also those in Bill Brydens account. It’s amazing how putting a face to a name makes it seem more emotive! Hopefully it’s all legible, I decided not to scan the photos ...but happy to photograph again if needed.

 

Uk pics

 

Uk pics2

 

Burma pics

 

This last image is all from one page in the album...the hand written entry says it all. Father ( Mathew, pictured), mother & son all dying within 6 months of each other.

 

...and just in case you were wondering what they had for dinner that night in Selkirk...

 

I have the very same sentiments about not asking more before it was too late.

That's a wonderful collection of items, and the photographs are incredible - thrilled to see my grandfather in the 494 BHQ photo! If you get the chance would it be possible to scan that little collection of four photos (Officers, BHQ and E/F Troop) to get a nice clear image?

The Regiment did have Victorian roots in the Ayrshire and Galloway Artillery Volunteers. Not sure about that cosh though - maybe something picked up at a bazaar in India?

The writing is a challenge, but I think these are the chaps around your grandfather in the officers photograph:

L. F. Heathcock 'absent' (he seems to have been on semi-permanent attachment to HQRA at 14th Division Headquarters)
L. W. Cornelius | A. E. Morris | G. Rear | M. W. Kerr-Smith
M. L. Lawrence | D. C. B. MacQueen | W. Breckenridge | C. M. Butterworth | D. J. Mundie

A few odds and ends about these men -
Captain MacQueen was your grandfather's second-in-command and took over the Battery after his death. Cornelius and a party of signallers, a few days after Conical Hill, accompanied 'A' Company of the 1st Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on a raid of Donbaik. The Company lost heavily in a counter-attack and fled; in the confusion Bob Picken (mentioned in Bill Bryden's account) was reported missing. He had been captured and spent the rest of the war in captivity at Rangoon, but survived to be repatriated. Mike Lawrence was awarded the MC in April 1943 during the fighting withdrawal from Donbaik, when 494 Battery formed the rearguard as 6th Infantry Brigade broke out of encirclement by the Japanese 112th Regiment at Indin.

I'll dig out more for you on their journey from Scotland to the Arakan.

 

Well I'd love to hear more about your grandfather if it's appropriate and you're willing?

 

Here's Jack circled on your 494 BHQ photo, he would have been 21 when it was taken. Photo on the right is him with some other lads of 494 Battery on leave in 1943, shortly after they escaped from the Arakan. He was one of the Battery Office staff so might have worked quite closely with your grandfather at times.

He joined up in the spring of 1939 and fought in France and Belgium with 139 Field Regiment, his local TA unit from south London. When they got back from Dunkirk a cadre of sixty men was sent off to 130 Field Regiment to impart their 'battle experience' - he wasn't best pleased about that but he had no choice in the matter. He stayed with the 130th for the rest of the war, through both Arakan campaigns and the ops in North Burma with the American/Chinese forces.

 

Thanks for the info on your grandfather...he saw his fare share of the war to say the least!

Here is the BHQ pic, back and front. Happy to email it direct for best quality along with the others.

 

E Troop

 

F Troop

 

494 Officers 'Crazy Gang'

 

Those are great, thank you! Would love to get them in the highest resolution - I'll send you a direct message with my email, I can email you a collection of files from the Regiment that might be of interest and some more mentions of WB and WJB.

From the date on the back it looks like those must have been taken at Deolali shortly after the Regiment disembarked in India. 13th March was the day they entrained to head east to join 14th Indian Infantry Division on the India/Burma border.

 

At the top of the page next to these photos is written ‘Ranchi’...so that definitely confirms the location you mention.

 

This is for Bill.....I have the WW1 medals to an Andrew MacLachlan (?) Breckenridge.

He served with SBAC / ASC as 2nd Lt.

Medal index card gives his address as Riversleigh in Irvine, which is still there on the Kilwinning Road, albeit now a small business centre.

One of the WW2 Breckenridges is mentioned on a "those who served" plaque at Irvine Bogside Golf Club, although I can't seem to find my photo of it....

If you want to PM me, please do, although I'm not sure that a "Conversation" is the same thing ?

Alan.

 

Hi Alan

Thanks for getting in touch. I had been looking over other family stuff the last couple of weeks so your timing is uncanny. Looks like the Andrew (1989-1965) you are referring to was my great uncle, one of 3 sons of Margaret McLaughlan who married William Breckenridge.
I’d be interested to know how you came to own the medals, is there a family connection?

bill

 

The medals came up at Callans Auctions in Ayr in October 2012. I look out for local stuff, and the Riversleigh address is well know as there is a big sign on the road with this name of business centre. Pretty big house.....

I always meant to call into Andrew Wright Windows to see if they knew of Andrew, but I think you've answered that side of things !

If you have any interest in the medals, I'd be happy they go back to the family.

Not sure where you are located, but you should also have a look at the plaque in the foyer of the Bogside Golf Club.

Alan.

 

Interestingly Andrew’s paternal grandmother was Janet Wright (local timber merchant business) so seems to be a connection there.

Very kind of you to offer the medals but more than happy for you to hold onto them. I’ll certainly drop into Bogside Golf Club sometime to have a look(I’m Glasgow based). There is also a large Breckenridge family gravestone in the graveyard of Irvine old parish church which has quite a few of the family names engraved in it….not sure if Andrew is in there though.