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

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

  1. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    I've just had a look through War in the Wilderness Chapter 27 and the King's were involved as part of 111 Brigade in being asked to take Point 2171 during the dates 7-18 July. My money would be on this engagement for those MIA/KIA on the 14th July. We probably can never be certain I suppose.
     
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  2. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    In my dad's notes regarding losses, he recorded the deaths of two of his 1st Cameronian comrades and noted their names, which I removed from my primary notes, due to their graphic nature of their deaths; one of them was not a quick death... there is a Roll of Honour that resides at the Scottish National Memorial at Edinburgh Castle... their names reside within these books... one death is dated within a few days of dad's recorded notes... the second is about 2 months after the death... it is always possible there was someone else with that name...
     
  3. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    I was aware of the 1/King's involvement at Point 2171 but was unsure of the exact dates. Joe Milner's book, To blazes with Glory, gives a pretty vivid account of it.
     
  4. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    In my role as archivist for the Chindit Society, I have had to begin to pay more attention to the second operation and the actions that took place. It is a slow process for me, as you can see. :unsure:
     
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  5. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Ah, there's nothing like digging a slit trench and re-laying it over yourself, me Ol' China... :box::peepwalla::box:
    So, when are you going to start compiling that name's-list for the rest of "Thursday", as HW's got the King's under reign...? (think I may go and hide now...) :D

    B43 and HW... it is sad we will never know exactly who is who in Joe Milner's book... we can only make a guess from his list of compiling-comrades... :poppy: :salut:
     
  6. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    I think that many of the men in Joe Milner's book can be identified with some careful cross referencing. Jack Lindo's book gives many identifiable names. Some names are slightly misremembered, usually the spelling is slightly off, but I would expect that if I was writing about people that I knew forty years ago. I would be very surprised if any of us could accurately remember the names of every one in our class when we were in the lower IVth or those who played for the cricket second eleven.
     
  7. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    It is not easy for any of us, but take comfort in that you only have eight columns to try and keep track of on Longcloth.

    When it comes down to Company or Platoon level it is a nightmare trying to keep up.
     
  8. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    I have often thought how lucky I am in only chasing 3056 names HW. Got most now I reckon, but there is always the occasional surprise.
     
  9. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Ansari, Aplin, Ashton, Bailey, Biggarstaff, Billett, Bonner, Carr, Clarke, Fahy, Fogden, Harris, Hawkes, Horobin, Jacobie, Keegel, King, McGee, Miles, Millingan, Morris, Murrin, Pandya, Platten, Rawal, Towell, Warner.

    Of the Second Eleven I know not?
     
  10. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Superb, but I will have to take your word regarding accuracy as the list would be difficult to research. (I know the first name of one of them, but do not know if the others are girls or boys). Once I have found your birth year and place of birth, I could probably find a few likely candidates as presumably, they were all born in the same year and went to school locally.
     
  11. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    HW,
    I wouldn’t worry. That register of names is ingrained in my brain after four years of hearing it everyday. It is like a song lyric. My wife thinks it is a bit weird. :screwy:
     
  12. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    It is a little bit weird but it is the kind of stuff that family history researchers love. Years from now somebody will inevitably stumble across this thread and recognise a family member.
     
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  13. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Here is a neat illustration of the difficulties involved in attempting to create a definitive list of the men of the 1st battalion King's Regiment, (Liverpool), who served as Chindits.

    1811189 Smith H. appears in the Defence Medal roll as being a member of "C" Company. The medal roll was compiled on the 9th October 1945 and I assumed that he was a long term member of the battalion.

    DMR 003.JPG

    Going through my list with a fine tooth comb, I have started checking the Royal Artillery attestation papers for all those on my list with an army number in the block issued to members of the Royal Artillery. There have been some interesting findings.

    1811189 L/Cpl. Henry Robert Smith transferred to the King's Regiment on the 12th November 1944, which raises an interesting question. Did he, and others like him, serve on Operation Thursday attached to the 1/King's and only officially transfer to them in November 1944, or was he drafted in afterwards to make up the numbers? It seems odd to send artillerymen to an infantry unit as they have a different set of skills. On the other hand, artillerymen, engineers, signallers and medical men were attached to infantry battalions in order to make up well rounded Chindit columns.

    I suspect that I might not know the answer until WW2 soldier's service papers are in the public domain.

    Smith Henry Robert.png
     
  14. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    HW,

    We know that RA personnel served on Operation Thursday acting as infantry, but apart from those RA who manned the guns at places like Blackpool, I wonder if some other Artillerymen were taken in aboard those initial gliders to carry out their foremost role as Gunners?

    This man you will know about, but although his POW card states 1st King's. His entry on the liberated from Rangoon Jail states 18 LAA.

    DSC00715 copy.jpg Perks CK. JIC 1 copy.JPG
     
  15. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    That is interesting as Perks initial enlistment appears to have been into the Wiltshire Regiment as his army number falls within their allocated number block.

    Royal Artillery personnel were indeed used as infantrymen during Operation Thursday, I was just surprised that the practice continued after the Chindits were disbanded.
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2020
  16. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    Here is another artilleryman, Thomas Argent, who transferred to the 1/King's on 12th November 1944.

    argent.png
     
  17. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    I have found a mention in Louis Allen's Burma. The Longest War. 1941-1945 that answers my question.

    Slim had doubts whether SEAC had the manpower and equipment for Mandalay and Rangoon; and his own mission, of taking Central Burma up to a line of Pakokku-Mandalay, could well be bedevilled by dwindling numbers in British battalions. The shortfall was made up to some extent by releasing anti-aircraft gunners, no longer needed, into infantry units. Page 389.
     
  18. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    I'm not surprised some sort of answer was lying in the pages of Allen's book, it is such a useful resource.
     
  19. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    I am going to list the names and army numbers of the men of the 1st battalion, The King's Regiment that are known to have served between 5th March 1944 and the 9th October 1945. There are a number of points to note:
    The list is not complete and I welcome corrections and additions.
    Not all the men on the list served on Operation Thursday as Chindits, many would have been later replacements, either from the 13th battalion, or from other units used to rebuild the battalion after coming out of Burma.
    Many of the names have been taken from the Defence Medal Rolls drawn up in 1945 or from two Company photographs taken in Dehra Dun in late 1945. By this time, many of the surviving 1st King's Chindits were not serving with the battalion having moved either to the 15th (King's Regt) Parachute Battalion or to other units.
    Other names have been taken from the Burma Star Association membership database
    If an Army Number is not given it is because it is unknown to me at this stage.

    I have a lot of other information about most of the individuals including casualty details that I am not listing here as this is an appeal for further information. Hopefully, at some point in the future there will be a 1st King's Chindit website. I am happy to answer queries about any individual if I can.
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2021
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  20. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    A to E.
    Army No Rank Surname Other names or initial
    4986440 Pte Abbott ?
    14522578 Pte Abbott. S
    14202479 Pte Adams. L
    82 Sgt Aitcheson. Joss
    14400527 Pte Aldis. Alfred
    5623366 L/S Aldous. H
    14519728 Pte Alexander. John Gilman
    14217434 Pte Allcock. P T
    3771060 Pte Allen. A
    4206835 Pte Allen. William Frederick
    3715360 81 Pte Anderson. Frank
    1794769 Cpl Anderson. George
    3389875 L/Cpl Appleton. S
    1431079 Gnr Argent.Thomas
    1803557 Sgt Armstrong. John Austin
    5346596 Pte Armstrong. W
    3778550 L/Cpl Arrowsmith. Thomas, Joseph
    4698053 Pte Arslanian.Charles, Patrick
    3778167 82 CQMS Ashton. C
    3771349 82 L/Cpl Ashton. Matthew
    3776213 Pte Ashworth. James 'Jimmy'
    4698084 Pte Aspin. Arthur
    3775112 Pte Aspinall. W J (J in A Coy DMR)
    186165 Lt Astafiev. Vladamir Krjeskinsky
    14232741 Spr Atkins. Cyril Albert Edward Bannard
    5622046 Pte Atkins. George Vernon
    3719066 Pte Atkinson. H
    Pte Atkinson.
    5628369 Cpl Auger. J
    Avery
    5625741 Pte Avis. Charles
    3534873 Pte Baggaley. Alexander
    2049086 L/Cpl Bailey. H
    4613923 Pte Bailey.L
    3711602 Pte Baines. R
    14218917 Pte Baker. Edward Frederick W
    997505 L/Sgt Ball. Duncan Mcdonald
    3772107 Sgt Ball. Leslie
    3390699 L/Cpl Bamber. Robert
    10573369 Sgt Bambury. Charles William
    14202492 Pte Bancroft. E
    7595342 82 Sgt Banford. J S
    129828 Lt Banks Thomas. Alban Lloyd
    11052974 Pte Barlow. L
    4861282 Pte Barnes. Gilbert
    3387663 L/Cpl Barrett. J
    57454 Mjr Barron. Kenneth Edmund
    3387492 C/Sgt Barron. R
    14317793 Pte Bartlett. Bertie
    14288231 81 Pte Bartlett. John Philip
    14427558 Pte Bates. C
    112807 Capt Beaman. Robert Arden Hulme
    5630836 Pte Bebbington. Cyril
    3775780 Pte Begley. J
    3773976 Pte Bell. Alexander
    14370782 Pte Bellamy. Eric Stanley
    149388 Mjr Belsham. William Alan
    3195848 Sgt Bennett. Edward Charles
    4131343 Pte Bennett. Dennis Victor
    14313275 Pte Bennett. Samuel
    Bennett. William 'Billy'
    3604518 Pte Benson. Jack
    3712516 Pte Bentley. William Arthur
    Mjr Berry. G E
    3780480 82 Sgt Berry. Jack
    3775793 Cpl Berry. John
    Pte Bettesworth.
    3388364 Cpl Bibby. Walter
    14542401 Pte Bickley. C
    5126904 Pte Billings. Bertie George
    Pte Billington.
    3778744 Sgt Birch. Kenneth
    3718856 Pte Bird. Thomas
    3776186 Pte Birmingham. Frank
    14369317 L/Cpl Blackwell. George William Leslie
    Blomley. Arnold
    3778684 L/Cpl Blundell. H
    14316441 82 Pte Blundell. Raymond William
    3778969 Pte Bolton. G
    3388087 Pte Bolton. J
    14200013 Pte Bondonno. Domenico
    3661900 Cpl Boon. A
    3783173 Sgt Boon. William Harold
    3773159 Pte Booth J
    3386974 82 Pte Booth. Samuel
    5877691 Pte Boseley. P
    6205027 Pte Botley. George William
    3773206 Cpl Bowers. E
    5341826 Pte Bowles. F
    4469129 Pte Boylan. Derrick Thomas
    14356911 Pte Bradburn. John Henry Wallis
    5348937 Pte Bradbury. John Norman
    3774503 Pte Brade. J
    Pte Brasenall.
    3783396 Pte Breckell. Herbert Arthur
    Pte Broadburn.
    3603656 Pte Broadley. G
    5889427 Pte Brown. Elmer Alexander
    14519968 Pte Brown. Frederick Henry
    3774204 Cpl Brown. H
    3718949 Pte Brown. Walter Stanley
    14344195 L/Cpl Bryan. Michael Ernest
    5192723 Pte Bryant. Arthur Dallas
    3700981 Pte Bumbell See Dumbell 3776981
    4350962 Pte Burke. William Eric
    3770979 Pte Burns. William Patrick
    4615269 Pte Burton. A
    5630772 Pte Bush. Charles Robert
    3718886 Pte Butterworth. James
    5190207 Bdr Cains. Samual Tudway
    233250 Capt Campbell. John Donington
    3784160 Pte Campion. Harold Thomas
    3772609 Pte Campion. Robert Norman 'Bob'
    14315870 Pte Cannings. William Charles
    Pte Cannon.
    3775270 Pte Carney. Leslie
    3773847 L/Cpl Carolan. Owen James
    3770916 WO2 Carpenter. Joseph
    4746459 Pte Carr. A
    5835609 Pte Carr. Patrick, Joseph
    3662977 Pte Carroll. Herbert Joseph
    3778172 82 Pte Carruthers. R
    14407783 Pte Carter. Gerard Gregory
    3778748 Cpl Cartwright. Thomas
    14385423 Pte Casey. W
    164820 Lt Caswell. George Victor
    Caton.
    14917409 Pte Chadwick. Brian
    4037874 Pte Chambers. Leslie Burrows
    14276911 Cpl Chaplin. Joseph Albert
    3606684 Pte Charnock. George Robert
    4619399 Pte Child. Sidney Henry
    5342923 Pte Choules. Cyril Herbert
    4269716 Sgt Clarke. G
    14371339 Pte Clarke. James. (Jim)
    3775384 Cpl Clarke. Stephen
    144276894 Pte Clift. Norman Alfred
    5441355 Pte Clifton. F
    3774322 Pte Cloherty. Joseph Christopher
    3387566 Pte Clough. T
    14375376 81 Pte Clutterbuck. Alfred Bernard
    3973450 L/Cpl Coackley. J
    3773248 Pte Coghlan. Peter
    4546246 Pte Cogley. Matthew
    14396421 Pte Cole. R
    3717011 82 Pte Coleman. A
    3779611 Pte Coleman. Daniel
    14505241 Pte Collard. J
    Pte Collier.
    908895 Sgn Collier. Edwin
    3770598 Cpl Collins. James (Lottie)
    3775038 Sgt Collins. James
    7536 Lt-Col Collins. John Albert Henry
    5730218 Pte Collins. R T
    3783691 L/Sgt Conaty. Patrick Vincent
    3710527 Pte Conlan. H
    3663678 Pte Coogan. Joseph Edward
    N/S Pte Cook. Lomax
    Pte Cooke.
    3772823 Pte Cookson. Vincent G
    14640566 Pte Coombes. H
    3783432 Pte Cooper. H
    3711921 Cpl Copeland. Frederick Charles
    Pte Corkhill.
    Pte Cornforth.
    2391281 Pte Cotterall. George Albert
    3874959 Pte Cottier. Leslie
    251627 Capt Coulthard. James
    3768886 A/CSM Courtliff. Edward
    2762270 Pte Cowell. Alfred
    3778748 Pte Cowell. James Edward
    4469159 Pte Coyne. Gerald
    2577806 L/Sgt Cramp. J
    14328170 Pte Crates. W
    1901946 Cpl Crawford. Arthur William
    14584298 Pte Cringle. G O
    3606914 Pte Cronin. J
    82 Crooks. Frank
    3968495 Pte Crowhurst. William
    3777312 W/Cpl Cuerdon. Thomas
    14205699 L/Cpl Currington. R
    3774529 C.S.M Davies. George
    3390236 Pte Davies. George
    3455236 Pte Davies. H
    3775123 C/Sgt Davies. J
    3783456 Pte Davies. W
    5190131 Gnr Davis. Leslie Robert
    14353992 Pte Davison. Ernest, Creswell
    14396423 Pte Dawkins. George
    4131924 Pte Deakin .John
    214050 Capt Dearden. Vernon Philip Gordon
    14204047 Pte Deegan. Ronald C
    3783431 Pte De Hann. Gerrard
    6978824 L/Cpl Delaney. C
    6024299 81 Sgt Dempsey. Edward
    1432511 Pte Dempsey. J P
    3778142 Pte Derbyshire. Ronald T. Transferred to 2nd Btn Border Regiment.
    3662755 L/Cpl Dermody. Bernard
    4278348 Pte Desmond. G
    3773850 Pte Devaney. John
    N/S Pte Dicks. David George
    3772322 Pte Dickerson. Thomas
    3773801 Pte Dignall. Edward
    3770920 81 Cpl Dillon.
    3607352 82 Pte Dixon. Sidney
    3771527 82 L/Cpl Dobie. Albert Edward
    3772234 Pte Dodd. Joseph
    14365792 82 Cpl Dolphin. Thomas C
    6031465 L/Sgt Dowker. F
    3771134 82 Cpl Durkin. James
    3780912 82 Pte Duff. John Harry
    3774750 Pte Duffy. J
    14203623 Pte Duque. Simson Simhhah
    3776981 82 L/Cpl Dumbell. William
    5115945 C/Sgt Dunbavin. Joseph Henry.
    3608223 Pte Dugdale. A
    5192574 Gnr Dyson. Arthur
    3391862 Pte Dyson. J H
    2198170 Pte Eastham. J
    3771853 Pte Eccleston. Reginald Clement
    5623989 Sgt Eddy. John (Jack)
    3776460 Sgt Edwards. C
    14342580 Pte Edwards. S
    4197601 L/Cpl Edwards. William
    6022461 Pte Eley. J
    14520376 L/Cpl Ethersee. George Edward
    4038058 Pte Evans. Edmund George
    62612 82 Mjr Evans. O A 'Ollie'
    Pte Evans. Roland
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2021
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