"Blackpool" and the 111th Indian Infantry Brigade

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Hebridean Chindit, Mar 6, 2011.

  1. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Billy, I would be most interested in hearing more... my dad, also a Cameronian, also died in '01

    You can post anything you wish to here or if you wish I'll PM you - anything I can help with please ask.. we do get a number of people that fail to follow up with info; others go the extra mile...

    I have a fairly detailed posting running in this section regarding the Sunderlands and there is an older thread re the weight of the packs they carried... if you are fully network-virgin I'll post links to them for you...

    Let us know and welcome...

    Kenny
     
  2. Billy65

    Billy65 New Member

    Hi Kenny

    I'll pull together what I have and post it on here best I can manage.
    It may take a week or two to organise myself and
    some of it will be what I've written down from memory of boyhood conversations,
    but I'll do my best

    Billy
     
  3. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Take your time... my notes are in the millions of words and multiple thousands of records now, but there are only six known photos taken at "Blackpool"... anything new, however small, even if repetitious, is always welcome...

    The more you write it down, the more likely you are going to recall more...

    The first thing to ask is what was your father's name and do you have any idea of which Column he served with, or even more unlikely, his platoon number...?
     
  4. Billy65

    Billy65 New Member

    His name was William Grier. (Wullie) He talked about his platoon moving between 26 and 90 columns if things needed blowing up. I know that he did commando training at achnacary and that he practiced blowing up bridges, because later in life I was with him at a deafness tribunal where it was mentioned.
     
  5. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Was he a "real" Cameronian or one seconded into the Battalion...? Where does the family hail from...?
     
  6. Billy65

    Billy65 New Member

    He was a real Cameronian. Joined up just after his 18th birthday in 1941. He did the commando training in 1942 or early 1943 as part of a group of Cameronians and they were all RTU. He wasn't too proud of that bit but according to some chat at the tribunal I mentioned earlier it was at the request of the Cameronian CO. He went to India in 1943. The name Grier is fairly common all over the southwest and west of Scotland. He was born and brought up in Motherwell (as was I) and returned there after demob in 1947.
     
  7. burnbank chindit

    burnbank chindit Junior Member

    Hello Billy
    This is my Father Richard Clark born in Burnbank joined up 42 sailed 43 they were at Dundonald house
    And what is now Ayr race cource before they were shipped out.

    Did he make it to Singapore?
    One of Mountbattens drivers was from Motherwell.

    Here are some some photos in the odd chance your dad is here

    Yours
    Stuart

    image.jpg
    image.jpg
     
  8. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Just so you both know, there are no "real" 1st Cameronian accounts I have yet to (confirmed) find... my dad (and one "anonymous" for personals) was a Seaforth and Stanley Rothney was a Gordons...

    As I've noted with both of you previously, whether privately or publicly, anything you can offer will be gratefully received...
     
  9. CooShed

    CooShed Member

    Dear All

    I stumbled across this thread by chance and am delighted (and proud) to see that Hebridean Chindit mentioned my Grandpa
    J (Jack) R McFadden in one of his posts. It has been fascinating to read about your research. I really knew very little about his service in the Chindits so i'm planning on getting my nose stuck into as many of the books mentioned as possible.

    Many thanks

    CooShed
     
  10. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Hi CooShed

    Captain McFadden...

    As I've discussed, there are few-and-far-between Cameronian accounts but excluding books already mentioned and the heap I'm still trawling through look up the Gert and Daisy thread a few posts down and you'll also find a thread a couple of pages back relating to the pack they carried...

    Much to learn - do you know anything about how he got out or was he in until the end...?

    Kenny
     
  11. CooShed

    CooShed Member

    Hi Kenny

    Thanks I'll pick up that thread and have a read. I have already acquired myself a copy of the Frank Baines Memoir and have made a start.

    Frustratingly I don't know much about his time there, or how and when he got out of Blackpool, but I do know he was in Burma till the end. When he left Burma he was a Major and was sent to Singapore for the surrender of the Japanese. I think my Uncle may know a bit more, I will try and find out. Also I think my Dad may have a few pictures (maybe taken as Cameronians in South Africa?), I will try and get these scanned and if successful I will let you know via this thread if this interests you.

    cheers
     
  12. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Post away - I know my dad passed through Durban en-route, but at that point was a Seaforth - passed through is a bit of a misnomer as he was not allowed ashore and only transferred from one troop-ship to another...

    Cameronian pics from the time are rocking-horse droppings so most interested... If there is any info your family would be willing to compile I'd be most interested to discuss this further re my master-file project... there is a private publication that is possibly still available but I'd need to check - there were only 500 printed...

    Captain Baines' book is er... different... as you'll find out as you go on... :biggrin:

    The best published 111th books are Masters' and Rhodes-James', by a country mile...
     
  13. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    I post this with a heavy heart... Stanley Rothney, Saddler with 90 Column, 1st Cameronians, and one of the few to be there at the very end of the Chindit operations, died on the occasion of his 90th birthday, 3rd September this year... this man helped me with so much on my research and knew my dad during their time in India and Burma, recognizing him from pictures I sent him... His name has appeared in several of my posts and he was active with his Aberdeen BSA group until its dissolution... He and my dad were both Sergeants in the Police after the war and both retired around the same time, being the same age; Stanley told me he regretted never having met dad in later life... I will miss him so much...

    Rest in peace, Stanley; say hi to dad when you get the chance...
     
  14. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Ken,

    Very sorry to hear about Stanley. It is always hard when we lose these brave men, but what a gift we have had in meeting and speaking with them.
     
  15. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    ... and honouring their memories...
     
  16. CooShed

    CooShed Member

    Hi Kenny

    I'm really sorry to hear of the passing of Stanley, he sounded a remarkable man. Rest in peace Sir.

    As promised I have managed to get some photos of my Grandpa, Captain McFadden, and some of his fellow Cameronians. One of them was definitely taken in Durban in 1942, the other two not so sure. No idea how to post them on here though, I'm posting this on my phone, can you help?!

    By the way I am going through the books as time permits! I really enjoyed Captain Baines book. I liked his frank and honest account of his time in Burma, good decisions, poor decisions, warts and all. The gay love story was a bit odd for a war memoir but I suppose it was as much a part of his story as everything else so good for him I say! Also read a peach of a book by Gordon Thorburn (Jocks in the Jungle), forgotten voices of Burma on the go at the moment.

    Any help you can give me on posting those photos would much appreciated.

    All the best, Graeme
     
  17. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    I believe I'm credited in the latter but do not have a copy - he posted here for a while... a lot was lifted from published works I advised him to look up, one a private book by a Chindit called Fred Patterson, the obvious titles, etc

    If you hit "more reply options" on the lower right when composing a new post you will see an option for uploading images
     
  18. CooShed

    CooShed Member

    Thanks for the tip, here you go then! Hope you find these of interest.
     

    Attached Files:

    sol and bamboo43 like this.
  19. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Excellent pictures and quite clear too...

    Can you identify your granddad's position in each of the pictures so we can put names to faces (or at least one in each)...?
     
  20. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Great photos Graeme. :)
     

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