I have a question. This went on sale a few months ago, and I've been asking myself ever since: who would be wearing this and why? Some kind of entertainment? I'm now imagining a platoon of men all wearing them as they trudge through the forest...
Nearer to 200 quid than 100--and it's been reduced. I thought it was quirky, too, but not at that price.
One note that could be interesting to someone. During ww2, only 4 people in the Far East were awarded with DSO and 2 bars. Three of them were from 17th Indian Division, all three from the same regiment, 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (F. F.): Ronald Thomas Cameron, CO of 2/5th RGR in 1942, awarded DSO while leading 5th/3rd (Composite) Gurkha Battalion at Pegu in 1942, two bars as CO of 48th Indian Brigade during the Battle of Imphal in 1944 Guy Wirral Springman Burton, Brigade Major of 46th Indian Brigade, awarded DSO for his leadership during the Battle of Sittang, latter as CO of 63rd Indian Brigade added first bar during the Battle of Imphal and the second one for the Battle at Meiktila. Robert Cecil Osborne Hedley, DSO as CO of 2/5th RGR in 1944 for battles Tiddim Road, 2 bars as CO of 48th Indian Brigade during 1945 during reconquest of Burma. Fourth one is Lewis Henry Owain Pugh, who was awarded DSO for the Operation Creek in 1943, bar as CO of 33rd Indian Brigade, 7th Indian Division in 1945 and second bar in the Dutch East Indies.
Interesting. I wasn't really aware of his wartime service, but I've a copy of some of his correspondence from his time in command of the post-war Brigade of Gurkhas. Brigade of Gurkhas: correspondence between Brig. R C O Hedley and CIGS | The National Archives
This fine Division was awarded 7 V.C.s . I'm not sure how to insert a link from a thread I started on the First British Infantry Division being awarded 6. Can anyone please do it for me? It only shows 6 in the file in the first post! sol, any chance that you can do it, or provide the info that you provided on my thread? Apologies for being a muppet. Regards, Stu.
He was with 1/5th Royal Gurkha Rifles when battalion was sent to Iraq and later to Persia. I think that he got MiD while serving with 1st battalion. I'm not sure when he took command of 2/5th Royal Gurkha Rifles as he was first time mentioned in the war diaries in March 1943, but my guess would be late 1942 or early 1943, as the officer who commanded battalion after Cameron become CO of the 48th Indian Brigade, Major Edward Philip Townsend, returned to his position of the 2iC and there was no other CO in the meantime. Hedley led 2/5th RGR during the Battle of Stockades in 1943 and the Battle on the Tiddim Road in 1944, after which he was appointed as 2iC of 48th Indian Brigade. When Cameron was posted back to India, Hedley become CO of 48th Indian Brigade and led it until fall of Meiktila and subsequent advance to Rangoon. If I'm not wrong for short time he was temporary commander of the 17th Indian Division. After partition he was posted to 6th Gurkha Rifles and led a brigade during the Malaya Insurgency. That is in short what I know about him. Hi Stu, here is the link for your thread about VCs of the 1st British Infantry Division. While photos of only 6 of 7 recipients of the VC from 17th Indian division was shown in above article, the 7th, Naik Fazal Din of 7/10th Baluch Regiment, was mentioned in the text. Unfortunately there is no photo of him, only a painting
Hi sol, many thanks, its appreciated. Edit: I did not read the text has i should have. Regards, Stu. Top chap.
Funny thing is that Russian Wikipedia has quite nice article about Robert Cecil Osborne Hedley, unlike the English version which doesn't have any. Keep in mind that I used Google to translate it from Russian so result is far from perfect. I was not aware of his nickname "Deadly Headley".
