Hello - am starting some research for a friend of mine on one of his relatives who served in REME during WW2. Wilfred Chadwick (7603993) was demobbed in 1946 as a WO1 and served in 236 Field Company during the Burma campaign. We have applied for his service record but are waiting for this to come through. We know he enlisted at Blackburn on 7th Sept 1939 - trade on enlistment was "Driver" - and his Burma Star Association application tells us he served in "36 Division". Other fragments of his service indicate that he had a ticket to the Segeants Mess on the "Duchess of Bedford" during April an May 1942. Any help by way of chronology, references or research sources would be gratefully received. We hope to shed some light not only on Wilfs service for his family, but also on the contribution of REME during the Burma campaign. Thanks in advance... Tudor Rees
Have you seen this thread I posted some years ago? Booby traps and bridges - Stunning tech plans from 236 Fd Coy on the Rangoon Road It has some extracts from 236 Field Company's war diary, along with technical plans, photos and other odds and ends. There's also a link to 36 Division's divisional history booklet, which covers their time in north Burma. Some of that research ended up as a book (Gunner Jack - Dunkirk to Burma), though only the last couple of hundred pages relates to 36 Division. 236 Field Company (and 36 Div's other RE/IE units) get a fair few mentions for their feats of improvised engineering work. Some of the pages mentioning them below, hopefully clear enough to be readable:
Can I point out that 236 Fd Coy was a unit of the Royal Engineers, not the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. They were completely different regiments.
Thanks both for your feedback - and yes... I had seen the very interesting article you posted Pack-Rat. I had not understood that 236 Fd Coy was RE and not REME - so many thanks for mentioning that. Hopefully more of his story will become evident when we get his service record back. Am I right in assuming that 235 Fd Coy War Diary is available at Kew for research? Appreciate your fast response on this which seems - sadly - a less well covered Theatre of conflict. Cheers TR
Yes, the diaries are available at Kew. Here's a link to them on TNA Discovery. I have copies of Jan 1944 to May 1945 to get you started. I'll try to attach them here as zip files. 236 Field Company War Diary, January 1944 - May 1945:
That is fantastic - thanks so much - very generous. Would you mind if - when I eventually do get hold of his service record - I get in touch again to see what analysis and insights you might have on what we find there? Have a great weekend... and thanks again. Cheers TR
My father, serving with 9th Royal Sussex travelled on that jeep train referred to in this book. Returning from sick leave to the front line.
You're welcome. Absolutely, do post photos of his service record here when they come through - lots of knowledgeable people on this forum who are dab hands at making sense of all the abbreviations and jargon they contain.
Shiny 9th, this might interest you - a report on the evacuation of 36 Division's sick by 'chief doc' Geoffry Foster (the same man who wrote the divisional history):
