1st Bn The King's Regiment, (Liverpool), Chindits.

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by High Wood, Mar 28, 2016.

  1. I am trying to find more information for Edmund Allenby Johnson. Service number 377 3817. He was a Chindit in Burma. Served in the king's regiment Liverpool. He was killed in action on may 20th 1944. Trying to find out what his role was and which battle he was killed in action. Thanks Dennis.
     
  2. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Hello Dennis,

    Edmund Allenby Johnson was killed at a place called Namsun in Northern Burma. on the 19th/20th May, 1944, the two Columns of the 1/King's (81 & 82) were making their way separately to the Blackpool Stronghold to reinforce 111th Brigade. A few muleteers and other members of 82 Column were caught on a road crossing by a large body of Japanese troops, who were presumably on their way to attack Blackpool. Some of the column had already crossed, some were caught in a fierce fire fight and others in the rear of the column were unable to find the remainder of the column at the prearranged rendezvous point after the fighting was over.

    There were heavy casualties but many at the front of the column made it to Blackpool , whilst many of those at the rear made their way to Mogaung and tool part in the fighting there.

    There are a few Namsun accounts in this thread.

    Simon.
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2021
  3. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Here are the known Namsun casualties.

    19/05/1944 3770979 The King's Regt Pte Burns William Patrick KiA Namsun
    19/05/1944 4037874 KSLI Pte Chambers Leslie Burrows KiA account by Pte T Williams
    19/05/1944 5342923 R Berkshire Regt Pte Choules Cyril Herbert KiA account by Pte W Youson
    19/05/1944 3782694 The King's Regt 82 Pte McArdle Edward Albert Namsun reported Missing 19-20/05/44. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No IV 546, DoC 25/05/1944. WITW
    19/05/1944 3771349 The King's Regt 82 L/Cpl Ashton Matthew Namsun reported Missing 19/20/06/44. PoW Rangoon Gaol. No IV 545. DoC 19-05-1925
    19/05/1944 1486896 A.C.C Sgt McCormick James Steele
    19/05/1944 5933136 Cambridge Regt Pte Wolfe Frederick C W Wounded 19/05/1944
    19/05/1944 62612 S Wales Borderers 82 Mjr Evans O A 'Ollie' At Nansum. Gave evidence RE: Sgt Paterson. FDTD page 108 Pin Mi bridge, Mogaung.
    19/05/1944 3774132 The King's Regt 82 Pte Kipping W Muleteer. Gave evidence RE: At Namsun 19/20/05/44.HQ Coy DMR
    19/05/1944 14407861 General Service Corps 82 Pte Gledhill E At Namsun and Blackpool. Gave evidence RE: Pte R Silver
    19/05/1944 5621467 Devonshire Regt Pte Webber Norman John At Namsun. Gave evidence RE: 19/20/05/1944. FDTD page 99? A Coy DMR. BSA. Okehampton, Devon
    19/05/1944 5119470 R Warwickshire Regt Pte Youson Walter J (William George) At Namsun. Gave evidence RE: Pte Choules. BSA. Membership Form states: William George. Swadlincote, Derbyshire. Obit Dekho! 145/2003
    19/05/1944 14340439 General Service Corps Pte Williams T At Namsun. Gave evidence RE: Pte L Chambers
    19/05/1944 14319712 General Service Corps 82 Pte Machin W A At Numsun. Gave evidence RE: Pte Lowe. 25/05/44. A Coy DMR
    19/05/1944 3773881 The King's Regt 82 CSM Richardson J D At Numsun. Gave evidence RE: Offlands, Coglan, Horstead, Tomney & Thomas
    19/05/1944 7595342 RAOC 82 Sgt Banford J S At Namsun. Gave evidence RE: Ptes Bamber & Wise
    19/05/1944 3778167 The King's Regt 82 CQMS Ashton C At Namsun. Gave evidence RE: Ptes Bamber & Wise
    19/05/1944 3662618 South Lancashire Regt Pte Coogan Joseph Edward At Namsun. Gave evidence RE: Pte Kinsell. BSA. 3663618. Farnborough, Hants
    20/05/1944 3780480 The King's Regt 82 Sgt Berry Jack Operation Longcloth with 13th King's. Flown out sick 28/04/1943. Transferred to 1st Btn for Thursday. KiA
    20/05/1944 3773248 The King's Regt Pte Coghlan Peter KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 3607352 Border Regt 82 Pte Dixon Sidney KiA Namsun. FDTD page 98
    20/05/1944 3718771 KORR Pte Higson Jesse KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 6345121 Royal West Kent Regt Pte Horstead Robert John KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 3713904 KORR Pte Howard John Muleteer. KiA Namsun account by L/Cpl Middleditch
    20/05/1944 3773817 The King's Regt Pte Johnson Edmond Allenby KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 14371286 General Service Corps Pte Jones Dennis KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 3770879 The King's Regt 20 B Pte Kilshaw Thomas KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 5127424 R Warwickshire Regt Pte Kinsell Bert KiA Namsun account by Pte J Coogan
    20/05/1944 5782270 Royal Norfolk Regt Pte Lack Alan, Thomas KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 3774338 The King's Regt Cpl Offlands William KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 3718984 The King's Regt 82 Pte Owen Harry Muleteer. KiA Namsun accounts by Pte W Kipping & L/Cpl Middleditch
    20/05/1944 3312489 Highland Light I Sgt Paterson John KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 3602102 Border Regt Pte Poole Walter, Escott KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 1460023 Royal Artillery Pte Simkins Jack KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 2160482 Royal Engineers 82 Pte Thomas Gerwyn, James Muleteer. KiA accounts by Pte W Kipping & L/Cpl Middleditch
    20/05/1944 5886010 Northamptonshire R 82 Pte Thomas Robert, William KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 3772644 The King's Regt Pte Tomney James KiA Namsun
    20/05/1944 14629854 General Service Corps Pte Halfpenny R C Reported Missing after Namsun, later found. Ronald C 1916 Llanelly or Robert C 1924 Bromsgrove
     
  4. Hi Simon, thank you so much for this information, we do not know very much about Edmund in our family, your reply was emotional for me, even though I have never met him, he was my grandfather's brother, he was called up when he was19.very young. Thanks Dennis.
     
  5. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Dennis,

    I am pleased that I was able to help. I have very little in depth information about the vast majority of the men in my database so anything that you can add would be welcome. Edmund's Army Number suggests that he was a 'King's man' from the day he enlisted, so presumably he enlisted quite early in the war before the General Service Corps was formed.

    I haven't been able to find a local newspaper account of Edmund's service in the Liverpool Echo which is not unusual as not every grieving family was contacted by the newspapers.

    Simon.
     
  6. Simon, I do have a photograph of Edmund in uniform with some other chap, based somewhere in India. I will send to you in the coming weeks. Dennis
     
  7. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Dennis,

    many thanks, I look forward to seeing the photograph.

    Simon.
     
  8. Simon on the back of the photograph a relative has written. Eddie was conscripted into the king's Liverpool regiment 1939 and was sent to India in Sept of this year. He was killed while fighting with Wingate's Chindits behind the Japanese lines in Burma 1944, aged 25 years. Dennis
     
    High Wood likes this.
  9. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Dennis,

    many thanks for posting the photograph of Edmund Johnson. Due to the absence of slouch hats, I think that the photograph was probably taken early in the war and shortly after arrival in India.

    Simon.
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2021
  10. Simon I am thinking of making a memorial for Edmund on victory in Japan day, on Facebook for relatives and friends, using this thread. Is this ok with you. Dennis
     
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  11. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Dennis,

    please do, the more people that see this thread the better as hopefully more relatives will come forward and add further information regarding these brave men.

    Simon
     
    4jonboy likes this.
  12. pnewton84

    pnewton84 Member

    We've just found a new photo of my grandad, although I don't think it's in India, looks like England. Maybe not the Kings (Liverpool), but could anyone advise please? Have uploaded it here.

    And here's the write up I did about my g'dad.
     
    GeorgyB likes this.
  13. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Back row 4th from the right? They are serving in the South Lancashire Regiment.

    South lancashire Regt.jpg
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2021
  14. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    High Wood, Bamboo et al

    During your searches, particularly in the WO361 Series, have you come across any 'Missing Personnel' who were or could have been at Kohima? They would be casualties in the first two weeks of April 1944.

    I have another thread in this forum where I am trying to list those men from 24 Reinforcement Camp and the Convalescent Camp in Kohima who were drafted in to the defence and made up a number of Composite Companies and formed a part of the defence.

    As an example, attached a mention of a Kings man called Lamont who was part of the Defence of Kohima which was in the RA Missing Men file.
     

    Attached Files:

  15. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Skoyen89,

    I have not come across any MIAs as you describe in regards to Chindit units. The only document I have searched through at Kew that is connected to this (slightly) is WO361/769 and I'm not certain if I now possess all the pages therein. Coincidently, one of the reports in the document I do still have does mention Gunner Catchpole.

    I have nothing on CQMS Lamont and his association to the 13th King's, so this is quite interesting for me to try and follow up.
     
  16. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    “C” Coy. 1st Bn. The King’s Regiment. Dehra Dun. 1945.

    Back Row.

    Pte Suddery. James Henry. 3968528

    Pte Davies A. Not on DMR.

    Pte Kelly. Not on DMR.

    Pte Leyfield. Albert Samuel. 3776046. Not on DMR.

    Pte Wooloff A. Not on DMR.

    Pte Coakley. J. 3973450.

    Pte Barrett. J. 3387663

    Pte Coleman. A. 3717011

    Pte Kempster. H. Not on DMR.

    Pte Grimshaw. William. 3390780

    Pte Parry P. 1132475

    Pte Brocken. J. Not on DMR.


    Third Row

    Pte Smith. H. 1811189.

    Pte Jones.

    Pte Dennett. T. Not on DMR.

    L/Cpl Cottier. Leslie. 3874959

    Pte Toghill. R. 5624737

    Pte Corrick. W. Not on DMR

    Pte Simpson. H. Not on DMR.

    Pte Hayley. A. Not on DMR.

    Pte Smith. G.

    Pte Paxford William Albert. 3531905

    Pte Thompson. H. Not on DMR.

    Pte Love. Leonard. Not on DMR.

    Pte Robson. W. Not on DMR.


    Second Row.

    Pte Lockett. H. Not on DMR.

    L/Cpl Beacon. A. Not on DMR.

    Cpl Feeney. Peter. 5114040. 13th Battalion, Operation Longcloth. Not on DMR.

    Sgt Aldous. F. Not on DMR. Possibly Aldous. H. 5628366

    Sgt Roberts. Arnold. 4198730

    CSM Holmes. C. 3770771

    Lt. Forth J.C.

    Sgt Partington. A. 3773369

    Sgt Dunbavin. Joseph Henry. 5115945. On H.Q. Coy DMR.

    Sgt Cockling. G. Not on DMR.

    Cpl Rowlands. F. Not on DMR.

    L/Cpl Hodges. H. 3778149

    Pte West. S. Not on DMR.

    Front Row

    Pte Lawrence. D. 14317835.

    Pte Moorcroft. G. not on DMR.

    Pte Hamilton. Herbert Kitchen. 3776835.

    Pte Sell. W. Not on DMR.

    Pte Macauley. H. Not on DMR.

    Pte Paton. R. Not on DMR.

    Pte Howard. T. Not on DMR.

    Pte Campbell. S. Not on DMR.

    Pte Heron. T. Not on DMR.

    Pte McGrady. A. 3777385

    1 Kings C Coy.jpg
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2021
    andy007 and bamboo43 like this.
  17. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Very nice HW. Where did you come across this photo, if you don't mind me asking.
     
  18. ww2 mike

    ww2 mike Junior Member

    fantastic bamboo ! looks like you have found fathers mate Len love ! made my day mike .
     

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