Narrow Escapes Of WWII - tonight on Yesterday

One hour program on the Chindits... 2100 and 2200 (on Yesterday +1)

I was aware of one vet being filmed (for three hours?) for a program being broadcast this month (he was told) for this channel - this might be it...

 

HebrideanChindit

Not this program mate .....the one on which Brian & I were filmed is called "After the war was won" and appears to be running late as far as showing is concerned & is now scheduled for late 2011/ early 2012
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/user-introductions/36277-demobilisation-documentary.html
When I learn a definitive date I will certainly post it on the forum

Ron

 

Hi Chaps,

I threw a heads up for the series earlier in the week. Tonight it is Chindit 1. Should be a couple of my boys on tonight, Bill Smyly and Alec Gibson.

Attached is the program series details for all the episodes planned.

Well worth a watch I reckon.

 

Cheers Ron... totally missed that one... still in the research doldrums so haven't been that active...

I got a "heads-up" through Bill Towill's wife earlier in the year - your original time spec was the same as I heard but the subject matter doesn't match what I was told...?

Steve... missed your link too... cheers for the link to the PDF...

If it's been raised as a separate thread can someone merge them please...?

(Just found it in "What's on tonight..." duh... so much for research )

 

I have high hopes for tonight HC, but you never can tell with TV producers and what they eventually use and what they do not!

 

Watched it last night and for someone like me who knows very little about that sphere it was really interestin but I would be very interested in seeing your comments about it from your experienced point of view.

 

Watched it last night and for someone like me who knows very little about that sphere it was really interestin but I would be very interested in seeing your comments about it from your experienced point of view.


I enjoyed it too Oggie. I would just like an hour with the veterans, but I realise the producer needs to capture the newby audience. They used some good seldom seen newsreel footage that had me thinking at times. I have always dearly wanted to spot my Grandad in one of the training film shoots, set up for the camera whilst they were in India, or marching down from Imphal to the Chindwin River.

One thing I was not too keen on was the modern reinactments, so the final 20 minutes or so when the two guys dressed up as Chindits kept appearing irritated me somewhat.

Alec Gibson and Bill Smyly are great gentlemen and have helped me immensly in my 1943 research, so it was good to see them have their moment.

 

I believe this programme is on the Yesterday channel again this Sunday (2nd Oct) at 2pm for those who may have missed it

Plan on watching it with my grandfather who served under Calvert and has some 'entertaining' stories to tell. Another good excuse to dig out the photos ...

Best regards

 

Hi NLH,

Good to have you aboard. I plan to watch again this Sunday. Was Grandfather 1943 or 1944 or both!

Steve

 

Hi Steve, and thanks!

He was out there for an awful long time, he'll tell you that, mainly part of Operation Thursday until he was nearly out with injury after being kicked down a mountainside by a mule called 'Jap' (clearly a mutinous creature!)

He started off in the Leicestershire Regiment, then into 5th BTN Parachute Regiment before serving with Calvert in the 77th Infantry Brigade...many a story to tell there..

I'll prod him for some more stories on Sunday and document all i can

Best regards

Nigel

 

Hi Steve, and thanks!

He was out there for an awful long time, he'll tell you that, mainly part of Operation Thursday until he was nearly out with injury after being kicked down a mountainside by a mule called 'Jap' (clearly a mutinous creature!)

He started off in the Leicestershire Regiment, then into 5th BTN Parachute Regiment before serving with Calvert in the 77th Infantry Brigade...many a story to tell there..

I'll prod him for some more stories on Sunday and document all i can

Best regards

Nigel

I look forward to those Nigel.

Steve

 

Hi Steve,


Further to my other note, i had a good chat with my Grandad yesterday...and noticed i'd got my timeline above slightly wrong!


He originally signed up, with his mate Lenny Buxton, to the Leicesters at Warwick where they only had wooden huts (the Warwickshire regiment had the brick barracks there). On their first Saturday there, 5 of them were put on jankers for 7 days for not saluting a brigadier they hadn't noticed on high street in leamington Spa!...they only signed up on the Thursday!

They had 8 weeks infantry training then were sent to the Border regiment in Carlisle, then posted to Doolally(?). He then volunteered for the 77th Infantry Brigade Chindits, and after they were disbanded he moved to the 15th BTN Parachute Regiment and was wished good luck by a senior ranking officer (Hawkenbury i'm sure he said but i can't trace one?) before the potential land/air invasion of Japan ...finished up part of the 44th Indian Airborne division and in total spent well over 3 years abroad in Burma and India


If anyone here has a more detailed timeline, and officers/regiments involved i'd really appreciate a look


All the best

Nigel

 

Hi Steve,


Further to my other note, i had a good chat with my Grandad yesterday...and noticed i'd got my timeline above slightly wrong!


He originally signed up, with his mate Lenny Buxton, to the Leicesters at Warwick where they only had wooden huts (the Warwickshire regiment had the brick barracks there). On their first Saturday there, 5 of them were put on jankers for 7 days for not saluting a brigadier they hadn't noticed on high street in leamington Spa!...they only signed up on the Thursday!

They had 8 weeks infantry training then were sent to the Border regiment in Carlisle, then posted to Doolally(?). He then volunteered for the 77th Infantry Brigade Chindits, and after they were disbanded he moved to the 15th BTN Parachute Regiment and was wished good luck by a senior ranking officer (Hawkenbury i'm sure he said but i can't trace one?) before the potential land/air invasion of Japan ...finished up part of the 44th Indian Airborne division and in total spent well over 3 years abroad in Burma and India


If anyone here has a more detailed timeline, and officers/regiments involved i'd really appreciate a look


All the best

Nigel
Hi Nigel, and welcome I have intrest in the Parachute regiment and Burma, so hopefully I can post some links of use..... hope to hear more of your Grandads stories.
The 15th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (15 PARA SV) | ParaData 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion | ParaData 44th Indian Airborne Division | ParaData www.Chindits.Info Order of Battle

 

Many thanks for the info...reading some of the material following those links, it appears i misheard his 'Hawkenbury' and he likely said 'Auchinlek'..there are also a few photos posted there i have seen before, including one published in 'Para! Fifty years of The Parachute Regiment' by Peter Harclerode in which my Grandfather appears in the photo being inspected by Field Marshall Auchinlek

Thanks again

Nigel

 

Many thanks for the info...reading some of the material following those links, it appears i misheard his 'Hawkenbury' and he likely said 'Auchinlek'..there are also a few photos posted there i have seen before, including one published in 'Para! Fifty years of The Parachute Regiment' by Peter Harclerode in which my Grandfather appears in the photo being inspected by Field Marshall Auchinlek

Thanks again

Nigel
Intresting! I do believe I may have posted in relation to that pic on here in a previous thread will have to find it as you have got me curious and Nigel, it might help you to post any 15 Para stuff here, http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/airborne/ and any 77 Brigade, Chindits etc here, http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/burma-india/ all the best Jason.

 

and he likely said 'Auchinlek'..there are also a few photos posted there i have seen before, including one published in 'Para! Fifty years of The Parachute Regiment' by Peter Harclerode in which my Grandfather appears in the photo being inspected by Field Marshall Auchinlek

Thanks again

Nigel
Found the thread see posts 25-32 although the whole thread is of intrest, and the pic you refer to is in 30 and 32 which one is you Grandad? http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/general/24742-regiment-identification-possible-parachute-regiment-3.html

 

Hi Steve,


Further to my other note, i had a good chat with my Grandad yesterday...and noticed i'd got my timeline above slightly wrong!


He originally signed up, with his mate Lenny Buxton, to the Leicesters at Warwick where they only had wooden huts (the Warwickshire regiment had the brick barracks there). On their first Saturday there, 5 of them were put on jankers for 7 days for not saluting a brigadier they hadn't noticed on high street in leamington Spa!...they only signed up on the Thursday!

They had 8 weeks infantry training then were sent to the Border regiment in Carlisle, then posted to Doolally(?). He then volunteered for the 77th Infantry Brigade Chindits, and after they were disbanded he moved to the 15th BTN Parachute Regiment and was wished good luck by a senior ranking officer (Hawkenbury i'm sure he said but i can't trace one?) before the potential land/air invasion of Japan ...finished up part of the 44th Indian Airborne division and in total spent well over 3 years abroad in Burma and India


If anyone here has a more detailed timeline, and officers/regiments involved i'd really appreciate a look


All the best

Nigel

Hi Nigel,

That's very interesting info, I know that some of the remnants of the Chindit columns went on to form this Brigade.

I have read the war diary of the 13th Kings for 1945 and I think this also mentions men moving off to form up a 'special' unit. None of the men from Chindit 1 would have still been around or fit enough for these duties.

Good to see wtid45 is on the case, you will be sure to progress now.

 

Found the thread see posts 25-32 although the whole thread is of intrest, and the pic you refer to is in 30 and 32 which one is you Grandad? http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/general/24742-regiment-identification-possible-parachute-regiment-3.html


Good work Jason, and well done on 3K too.

 

Nigel,

Should have said previously 'Doolally' was the nickname for the largest reinforcement/transit camp in India at the time called Deolali. Most British soldiers passed through here at some point or other during WW2

Men got so bored or suffered from sunstroke that the word 'doolally' became slang for mad or round the bend.

It is also supposed to be the camp 'It Ain't Alf Hot Mum' was based upon. Or so someone told me once.

Here is an explanation of the phrase and a history of the camp.

http://www.ramcjournal.com/2006/jun06/martin.pdf

 

Good work Jason, and well done on 3K too.
Thanks Steve, its kinda strange Eddie Chandler got the ball rolling on the thread I linked to then I found the pic of his friends relative and now it looks like we have the chance to put a name to someone else in the same pic.......... and we both know how important that can be! I await Nigel's return with intrest