10th BTN, GLOSTERS IN INDIA/BURMA

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Annette_Ken, Oct 26, 2012.

  1. Annette_Ken

    Annette_Ken Junior Member

    Hello, my father Ken Edmonds served with the 10th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment during WWII in India and Burma. He was an RQMS. I wondered if anyone has any information?
     
  2. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Here is a brief summary of the service of the 10th Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment:


    10th Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment

    No. 12 Infantry Training Group – 4 July 1940 to 7 October 1940
    The battalion was formed at Horfield Barracks in Bristol on July 4th, 1940.

    212th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) – 7 October 1940 to 14 July 1942
    It served in South Wales and Lincolnshire. It was converted to the 159th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps on July 15th, 1942.

    GHQ Home Forces – 15 July 1942 to 24 October 1942
    The regiment was converted to armour on July 15th, 1942.

    WO Control – 24 October 1942 to 19 December 1942
    The 159th embarked for India on October 26th, 1942. It stopped on the way at Bahia, Brazil, where it did a route march and at Durban, South Africa. It arrived at Bombay on December 17th, 1942, moving to the Poona area at Nira.

    255th Indian Armoured Brigade – 20 December 1942 to 1 April 1943
    It served at Nira Camp, near Poona while under the brigade. On December 29th, 1942, the regiment was equipped with thirty-seven Lees and seven Stuarts. By the end of February 1943 it had only eleven Lees and by March 1943 it had none. It then reconverted to an infantry battalion as 10th Gloucestershire Regiment on April 1st, 1943.

    72nd Indian Infantry Brigade – 1 April 1943 to 28 April 1944
    It then served under 72nd Indian Infantry Brigade starting on April 1st, 1943. It moved from India to the Arakan on January 13th, 1944. On April 28th, in the Arakan, the brigade became a British Infantry Brigade with the same number.

    72nd Infantry Brigade – 28 April 1944 to 31 August 1945
    The 10th Glosters left the Arakan on May 14th, 1944 and moved to Shillong with the brigade. The brigade remained in India until July 4th, 1944 and then returned to Burma. It served in Burma until May 16th, 1945 and then returned to India.
     
  3. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    Hello, my father Ken Edmonds served with the 10th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment during WWII in India and Burma. He was an RQMS. I wondered if anyone has any information?


    Welcome aboard Annette - I don't suppose you have any other info on him? Such as full name or his service number.

    Anything such as photos, letters home or his pay book etc can be scanned and added to the thread as they can provide vital clues as to his movements.

    Otherwise someone should be along shortly to provide links advising on how to request his service records (be warned that there is around a 12 month wait for them to arrive from a very busy records office).

    In the meantime we will see what can be found on the activities of his unit.

    Otherwise welcome and good luck

    cheers



    Dave
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  5. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    With thanks to Dryan for identifying which brigade the 10th were part of, I used that to quickly work out that the 72nd brigade was part of 36 Division. The official history mainly refers to divisional, and sometimes brigade, movements and achievements. I have extracted a few paragraphs that will hopefully provide an idea on where the 10th were engaged.




    SECOND SUPPLEMENT TO the London Gazette of FRIDAY, 6th APRIL, 1951
    THURSDAY, 12 APRIL, 1951
    The War Office, 1951.
    OPERATIONS IN BURMA FROM 12th NOVEMBER, 1944, TO 15th AUGUST, 1945
    Secretary of State for War on the 4th February, 1947, by LIEUTENANT GENERAL SIR OLIVER LEESE,
    K.C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., Commander-in-Chief, Allied Land Forces, South-East Asia.




    43. On the Northern Combat Area Command front in Northern Burma, 36 British Division had been advancing down the Railway Corridor. Following on the capture of Pinwe on the 30th November, Nalba, Indaw and Katha were occupied in quick succession by the 10th December, and consolidation of the area proceeded without enemy interference. The situation at the end of the month was that 29 Brigade was concentrating at Tigyaing on the Irrawaddy, while 72 Brigade had crossed the river south of Katha and reached a point 25 miles south-west of Shwegu, on the south bank of the Shweli River.



    The main body of 36 British Division (26 and 72 Brigades) was advancing south on Mongmit and, at the end of January, it had reached a point on the Shweli River 18 miles to the north of -that place.



    100. On the Northern Combat Area Command front 36 British Division (less 29 Brigade), advancing on Mongmit from the north, effected a strongly opposed crossing of the Shweli River during the first week of February. The first attempt failed, but the second one, made with increased air support, was successful near the bend of the river north of Myitson. Myitson fell on the 9th February and the advance continued against stiff resistance.



    119. On the 9th March, 36 British Division, captured Mongmit, and, advancing south-west reached Mogok on the 20th. They were then directed on to Kyaukme, which lies some 45 miles due south of Mogok.



    On the 30th March, I issued orders for 36 British Division to come under command of Fourteenth Army on reaching Kyaukme. I also directed that one brigade should be flown into Mandalay as quickly as possible. The whole of 36 British Division was then to relieve 19 Indian Division and assume control of operations in the Maymyo—Mandalay—Ava area. This would relieve the strain on Fourteenth Army until the Japanese had been pushed further south, but it could only be regarded as a temporary expedient since the American aircraft, on which 36 British Division was dependent for maintenance, were to be withdrawn in May, before which the Division would have to be flown out to India. 36 British Division, less 26 Indian Infantry Brigade which remained in Burma, was actually flown out between the 1st and 21st May.
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  7. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    I was looking through those threads you put up Owen and noticed that none of us had mentioned the newish WO361 series at Kew. These are the missing in action witness reports, its a shame I didn't have these at hand for at least two of the previous members enquiries.

    For informational purposes the file reference for the Glosters is WO361/208.
     
  8. Annette_Ken

    Annette_Ken Junior Member

    Hello, apologies for the delay in response and very many thanks to all for information provided above. I already have my dad's Service Record so can now compare the information provided against the Record, and see what else I can do to find out more. I intend visiting the Imperial War Museum as I am in London soon. My dad's full name was Kenneth William Edmonds, Army No. 5191150. He received the MBE for his service during the War and was mentioned in Dispatches twice.
     
  9. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    I have recently tried clicking on the links above in Owens post but an error message pops up.
     
  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    must be something to do with forum software changes since I made that post in 2012.
    Do what I did & do a forum search for ''10th glosters'' as mentioned in my post, you should get those threads in your results.
     
  11. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

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