2nd Leicesters (DCM) - Update

BREAKING NEWS - MY EFFORTS HAVE BEEN REWARDED.

I have found a soldier who was present at the time my great grand father was recommended for his DCM!!!!!!

Damn this is a strange feeling...... I may be able to find out what actually happened first hand!!!

 

Eddie

Let's hope it pans out for you.

Cheers - Rob

 

Hi Ed,

Sounds like you have had a major result there!! Very pleased for you mate. Email me some details when you get a chance.

Bamboo.

 

A poignant moment in time:-

I have now been researching my great grandfathers time in the Chindits for some 18 months or so. In the beginning I never thought that I'd be where I am now with my knowledge.

When I originally found out about Thomas's award of a DCM I was so unaware of what it meant, but being an inquisitive person I though I'd look into what it was.

It is was a strange and emotional feeling reading his citation when I downloaded it from the TNA website, I was not prepared for what was written. I'd never met my Thomas, he died the year before I was born.

Curiosity kicked in when I found that he, along with his platoon had recovered the bodies of men within his column. They were not named on the citation but somewhere in the back of my mind I thought that there must be a record of the men that died that day.

Little did I realise that a visit to view the war diary at Kew would help me answer my question. This, I must admit was an emotional time, I had put names to men who had died whilst fighting out in Burma. These mens bodies were able to be buried and have a place to rest, if Thomas and his platoon had nt undertaken this task these men could possibly now have no known graves.

I left it here for a while before I then started to question, could I find any surviving relatives of the men?

Well blow me down with a feather, I have so far managed to trace a wife and a brother each of two of the other men. I have been to visit the wife and one brother of the men and I am in contact with the other brother. It has been an enlightening time, as I have been able to find out a bit about the personalities of the men who were killed and what they were like. The relatives who I have spoken to have been very welcoming and helpful, although I have approached them with questions in as diplomatic way as possible because I can understand that I am asking questions about a very painful time of their lives.

As time has gone on I have found out more on more on the subject and names of soldiers have cropped up that were out with the Leicesters at the time. I was very surprised yesterday to find that a name that I had found was able to be contacted.

Being in this position is somewhat scary even after having done it on numerous occasions, as I dont know how they are going to react to my call.

In this instance........................my heart was beating faster as I dialled the number.........a man answered..............I began to explain why I was calling and said the name of the person I was looking for.............I nearly dropped the phone when he said "Yes that's me". I've got to say I was speechless and said to him "I cant believe that I am speaking to someone who was with my Great grandfather".

We had a long discussion about events of the time and I have to say it was a pleasure and honour to speak to someone who has been through so much. He said he'd had a happy life, which was such a nice thing to hear.

I will be keeping in contact with him and sending him information I have, as he will be sending me information that he has.

The knowledge of my great grandfathers time in Burma as part of the Chindits has grown from what was written on his citation to names of men in his battalion, those that lived and those that survived. As I have said before I will be putting this story together. A story that will tell the journey of a group of men and how they lived and died fighting for their country in order that we may live the way we do today.

At this point I would like to say in memory those men..............

'We will remember them'

Thank you for taking your time to read this.

Regards

Eddie Chandler

 

Eddie thats great news persistance does pay off! and thanks for the update I cant wait to hear how the book comes together, and I reckon I might just have to have a good chat with you once I finally get round to sending for my Dads service records, and seeing what more I can learn of his time in Burma, than I have already posted in my Mandalay Hill thread.

 

Eddie thats great news persistance does pay off! and thanks for the update I cant wait to hear how the book comes together, and I reckon I might just have to have a good chat with you once I finally get round to sending for my Dads service records, and seeing what more I can learn of his time in Burma, than I have already posted in my Mandalay Hill thread.

You must get your hands on those service records. I was 5 years into my own research before I got my Dad's info. Wished I'd done it at the start, as I would have gone about the research in a different way.

 

You must get your hands on those service records. I was 5 years into my own research before I got my Dad's info. Wished I'd done it at the start, as I would have gone about the research in a different way.
I know I just keep putting it off as I try to find more info that would make finding those records easier, being as I have the Burma angle as well as connections with the Airborne in the UK to chase up

 

I dont think I saw this posted before Thomas Joseph Chandler - CHINDITS 1944 - Special Forces - Roll Of Honour Just read the lower half of the page obviously you have!

 

'twas I who added the info, I sent it to the website owner who added it for me. Also added MAE Dallosso and AE Hickson trying to get photo resolution better for Stanley Blaylock so he can be added.