South Lancs Reg in India 1945??

[DaveWalters]

Hi - I've only got some sketchy info as follows regarding my Grandad who was formally in the Cheshires then apparently transferred to the South Lancs Regiment January 1945 based at Cartmel in Cumbria. He apparently sailed for India from Liverpool in March 1945 arriving at Kallyan in May. Now I believe at this point he applied for and trained to become an MP but what I need to know is was he shipped to India as a potential MP or was he shipped as a South Lancs infantry man before deciding to apply when he landed at Kallyan. Did the South Lancs go over there at this time and if so any ideas which Battallion it would have been (territorial) and which division they were under. Thanks in advance, I know this is sketchy but it's all I've got so far.

[Owen]

The Regular 2nd Bn South Lancs had been in India pre-war and in 1945 were fighting in Burma.
I don't know what other South Lanc Bns were in India.

Kalyan, I've found out was a transit depot, perhaps Grandad didn't fancy being in the PBI anymore,especially down in Burma, so fancied a transfer once there.

As an aside I knew someone that had been in the RAF most of the war but once Germany was beaten they were transfered to the Royal Armoured Corps to train for the amphibious invasion of Malaya & Singapore. The atom bomb stoped that.

[DaveWalters]

I think that's pretty much the case. As a conscript/Territorial would he have been placed in the 2nd Battallion South Lancs?
Note at this point he would have been serving for five years and four months.

[Owen]

Dave,
TA, Regular, conscript it doesn't matter, they'd be sent where they were told.
What was his Army Number, did you tell us?

[DaveWalters]

Thanks - again that's something you've cleared up for me. I'm not thick or anything, honest ;-) I always assumed that conscripts would be placed in seperate battallions to regulars although come to think of it towards the end with so many casualties that would have been rather impractical. Regards his army number I'm afraid that although I remember seeing his paybook and other documents when I was younger they didn't turn up after his death unfortunately. I do have his Military Police warrant card but the number on that is too short and presumably relates to RCMP or 15 Corp only (next part of his story after the South Lancs and on the back burner for now). I have some pending info coming from the Cheshire Regiment research department so hopefully they'll know.