Can anyone suggest any further avenues of research that I might pursue regarding my grandfather? He was one of the defenders of the Admin Box while serving in the IACC - Unfortunately he died several years before I was born and my only info on him is what my grandmother and mother could remember. This info was quite good on his pre-war service in NWFP but sketchy on WW2 (as they were both evacuated back to Blighty when the Japs threatened to invade India). My grandmother said he was in the Admin Box and remembered his CO was Gen Messervy, but little else save that he escaped from the Japs along a dried-up water course during the night (whether this was at the Box or on another occasion I don't know). He does not seem to have talked about his experiences much. I have lots of his old uniform including a pin badge style formation patch for the 7th Indian Division (golden arrow), so I assume that was his unit at the time as their HQ was trapped in the Box. There is also a sewn on patch of red with a wide horizontal blue stripe and yellow stars (any ideas anyone?) He served in India from 1920 in the KRRC (Rfm) then transferred to the Indian Army - his family seem to have enjoyed a standard of living in India far beyond what they could have hoped for in England, so I'm sure that had an influence on his decision to remain there. He worked his way up to acting Major by the end of the war and was MID. How would I go about researching his war service? Do records for the Indian Army still exist? I have a number of general histories about the war in Burma but the Admin Box battle seems to only get a passing mention and is overshadowed by Kohima and Imphal. I have "The Golden Arrow" already but can anyone suggest any other books especially personal memoirs that cover the admin Box battle? Many thanks
This thread from a previous discussion on the subject may give you some leads. Lt. Col. James Currant, Col. Michael Smith in Admin Box & India
There will be a new book about the Admin Box out next year. Cornered Tigers: The Defence of the Admin Box, Burma 1944 by James Holland Have you tried 'Battle of the Box' by Patrick Turnbull.
Have you read this document “A Brief History of the 7th Indian Division”. Link below Wellcome Library | 'A brief history of the Seventh Indian Division, 1941-1945'