Withdrawal from Rangoon 1942

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Alan Fewtrell, Jan 30, 2021.

  1. Alan Fewtrell

    Alan Fewtrell Member

    I'm researching Arthur Johnson who was District Locomotive Superintendent during the withdrawal from Rangoon in 1942. He was awarded the George Medal while leaving on the last train out on the Burma Railway, see London Gazette 29 Jan 1943.
    How can I find out his regiment etc?
    Alan
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Info for others so they can help out.

    He appears on page 561.
    Page 561 | Issue 35883, 29 January 1943 | London Gazette | The Gazette
    25th Feb. 1942. Edgar Gwy Lewis. James Douglas Thomson. Stanley Clare Bryant. Arthur Johnson. Karam Chand Kapur. Thomas Douglas Lee. Charles Patrick Brewett. Charles Noel Blakeney. Frank • Loveland.
    Page 560 says..
    ARMY IN BURMA RESERVE OF OFFICERS. Emergency Commissions.
    The undermentioned appts. are made:—' To be Lts.....

    For those that want to read his citation for the George Medal, it's here.
    Page 553 | Supplement 35882, 26 January 1943 | London Gazette | The Gazette
     
  3. Rothy

    Rothy Well-Known Member

    Hello Alan,

    Arthur Johnson was employed by the Burma Railways and as a condition of his employment contract, served with the militia in the Burma Railways Battalion. Prior to the separation of Burma from India, the Burma Railways Battalion was a militia unit, a volunteer unit similar to the Territorial Army, and part of the Auxiliary Force, India. After separation in April 1937, the Battalion formed part of the Burma Auxiliary Force.

    From my own web site follows a summary of the role of the Battalion: “The Burma Railways Battalion was a volunteer infantry force rather than one of railway engineers. Like all such volunteer units, prior to the war, the Battalion acted as little more than a club with military associations. The requirement to “become yearly an efficient member of the Burma Railways Battalion of the Auxiliary Force, India” formed part of the agreement signed by employees of the railways. The intention was that in times of internal disturbances the volunteers would provide security and guards for key points on the railways and for stations.”

    “In January 1940, the Battalion was composed of a headquarters and three companies, with detachments at Rangoon, Insein, Toungoo and Myitnge. The officers of the Battalion were formally “militarized” by order of the Governor of Burma, in August 1940.”

    "On 8th February 1941, the Battalion was reported to be composed of a headquarters and three rifle companies, with a strength of 22 Officers and 407 Other Ranks."

    According to notes in the Indian and Burma Army Lists, Arthur Johnson appears to have worked in Mandalay between 1933 and April 1938. Between July 1938 and January 1939 he was located at Rangoon. By January and at least up to October 1940 he was based at Insein, just of the north of Rangoon.

    He was first commissioned on 3rd May 1929 and promoted to Lieutenant on 3rd May 1932.

    He was appointed to an Emergency Commission as 2nd Lieutenant, Army in Burma Reserve of Officers, gazetted 25th February 1942. The Army in Burma Reserve of Officers (A.B.R.O.) provided a pool of officers for posting to other units of the Burma Army. It was also used as a vehicle to quickly bring men into the Army and place them under wartime military control. This was especially useful for men vital to keeping the Army’s lines of communication operational, such as the Irrawaddy river vessels and the railways.

    For gallantry shown during the evacuation of Rangoon, he was awarded the George Medal, gazetted 29th January 1943. During the withdrawal from Rangoon he served as a member of a demolition party.

    Arthur Johnson is not listed in the Burma Army List of 1943. This may be an oversight or he may have been discharged from military service with the Burma Army. In the London Gazette there is an Arthur Johnson who received an Emergency Commission as 2nd Lieutenant into the Indian Army, gazetted 21st October 1942. If the same man, this fits with the fact that after having reached India later in 1942, most of the officers of the Burma Railways Battalion, B.A.F. were immediately commissioned into railways units of the Indian Engineers (I.E.). Several units were raised and mobilised at Jullundur, the recruitment being done by the Burmese officers themselves. The units included ‘Burma’ in their title and included the maximum number of balanced trades. The units known of are:

    - 165 Railway Operating Company (Burma), I.E.
    - 168 Railway Construction Company (Burma), I.E.
    - 170 Railway Operating Company (Burma), I.E.
    - 172 Railway Workshop Company (Burma), I.E.
    - 174 Transportation Stores Company (Burma), I.E.
     
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  4. MikeC

    MikeC Junior Member

    Sorry to come to this thread so late, but I examine the roles of Arthur Johnson and others operating the Burma Railways during the Japanese invasion in my 2019 book from Bloomsbury Academic, Imperial Military Transportation in British Asia: Burma 1941-42. Imperial Military Transportation in British Asia
     
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  5. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    Welcome to the forum.
     
  6. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    PM sent to opening post author, Alan Fewtrell, who has not logged on since October 2022, to check-in.
     
    Alan Fewtrell likes this.

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