West Yorkshire Regiment 1934-1939

I am hoping you may be able to point me in the direction of any published West Yorkshire Regimental history covering the following periods:

• The Second Battalion between 24 Feb 1934 and 19 March 1936.
• The First Battalion between 19 March 1936 and 01 Dec 1939.

My father joined the West Yorkshire Regiment, aged 19, service number 4535854 on 23 Sept 1933, and I already have his full service record which has provided the following information:

After training, on 24 Feb 1934, he was posted to the second battalion (but I don't know where).

On 19 March 1936, he was posted to the first battalion via Karachi, India, as part of the 12th Infantry Brigade in Secunderabad Barracks at Hyderabad. I am interested in the day to day work of the battalion in this period.

By 01 Dec 1939, he was a Colour Sergeant with the substantive rank of Brigade Quarter Master Sergeant of the 12th (Secunderabad) Infantry Brigade 2nd Echelon Emu Force which was sent from India to Singapore (where he got married, before being captured by the Japanese two years later and ended up working on the Burma Railway). Regimental sources I've found seem unaware that anyone from the West Yorkshire Regiment served at Singapore, but there are at least two members of the regiment captured there who subsequently survived the war.

The roll of the 12th Infantry Brigade is fairly well documented in Singapore, as is the history of prisoners on the Burma Railway, so the only area I am currently researching is between 1934 and 1939.

I am hoping you may be able to point me in the direction of any published West Yorkshire Regimental history covering the following:

• The Second Battalion between 24 Feb 1934 and 19 March 1936. Where was the battalion and what were their specific day to day duties?
• The First Battalion between 19 March 1936 and 01 Dec 1939. I know where they were, but what were their specific day to day duties?

The subsequent West Yorkshire Regiment campaign in Burma is well documented, whilst information on the above two pre-war periods seems rather sparse. I have no idea where the second battalion where during the two years my father served with them, and whilst I know where the first battalion was, I know little about the day to day activities that would be undertaken during those periods.

Thanks in advance
Richard

 

Hi,

Always a good idea to use the forum search engine.

This topic may answer some of your questions -

West Yorkshire Regiment in India

You may have to obtain a copy of the Regimental History linked to the topic for full chapter and verse. You’ll likely be able to order it on an inter library loan via your local Library.

Steve

 

Hi Steve. I had read that post, and I did have a look at the regimental history mentioned, which I have sourced but it has not arrived, but my understanding from the blurb which comes with the book that it is mainly concerned with 1939 onwards.

 

Most WW2 regimental Histories I’ve seen touch on the unit activities in the years preceding the outbreak of war.

One of the pages in the linked topic is from a chapter “Prelude to Battle” which suggests it will cover the pre war period.

Good luck with your endeavours.

Steve

 

This link shows the 2nd West Yorks at Maida Barracks, Stanhope Lines, Aldershot 1934-1937
Friends of the Aldershot Military Museum - Aldershot Barrack Finder

In peacetime the British newspapers were keen to report the movement & postings of battalions. Here are a few for 2nd Yorks with the date quoted being the issue date of the newspaper rather than the actual event date.

Jan 1934 stationed at Aldershot.
12 Jun 1934 two privates court martialed at Aldershot for stealing a bicycle & desertion.
20th Sep 1934 a Private of the 2nd W Yorks at a district court martial (refusing an order from a sergeant to wash towels (reported in the Shields Daily Gazette, Durham)
28th Dec 1934 Pte Bristow courtmartialed at Aldershot for deserting the 2nd West Yorks & joining the Duke......
20 Apr 1935 a Cpl court martialed at Aldershop for losing a prisoner he was escorting.
28 May 1935 a Lt of the Bn was playing in a military golf tournament at Aldershot.

27 May 1936 relieved the Welsh Guards at the Tower of London.
July 1936 a Cpl court martialed for playing cards in the barracks at Tower of London.28th May 1936 stood guard at the Tower of London in place of the Welsh Guards
Sept 1936 Duties at Tower of London & Windsor Castle. Maida Barracks is mentioned.
29th Dec 1936 together with 2nd East Kents they return home to Southampton from Palestine on the the troopship Tuscania. (2nd W Yks were part of 1st Division and the entire Division went to Palestine Sep - Dec 1936.

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive...e regiment&retrievecountrycounts=false&page=0

Travers

 

Brilliant. Thank you. Should have thought of looking at newspapers.

 

This may offer insight into the start of your focus period:
Ca Ira the journal of the west Yorkshire regiment Vol V I new series no 1 to no 4 September 1933 to June 1934: Very Good Hardcover (1933) | John Blanchfield

Other Ça Ira journals may exist for the 1930s.

Have you asked the Museum staff in York whether they have anything on display, or in store, that might offer something? Major General HM Tillotson CB CBE CdeG (Vietnam), who authored With The Prince of Wales's Own (1958-1994) sadly died on 17 May 2023, aged 95, but may have left papers covering earlier periods. He mentions both 2nd Bns XIV and XV being sent to Palestine for the 1936 Revolt whilst the 1st Bns were in India, which I presume you know. Tillotson was living in Normandy during the 1990s, which may have a bearing. I know he penned a tome on Finland 1918-1993, but not whether he wrote earlier pieces on the Regimental histories.

Maj HAV Spencer privately published A Short History of The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire 1685-1966 in 1966. You might be lucky and find a copy? A Short History Of the Prince Of Wales's Own Regiment Of Yorkshire (Xiv and XV Foot) : [Hardback] 1685-1966 / Prepared by Major H.A.V.Spencer.

 

Thanks for that info. I have contacted York, but not received a reply yet. I’m hoping to visit later this month.

 

The only copy to buy of Tillotson's book is £44. See: https://www.gettextbooks.com/isbn/9780859552189/ Abe Books

Might this 2021 handbook help (I've not looked within): https://www.yorkshireregiment.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/YORKSHIRE-REGIMENT-HANDBOOK_v3.pdf

Try the IWM Oral History Collection, x53 interviews just inter-war: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...[Sound]=on&filters[periodString][Interwar]=on

 

Thank you, everyone, who has posted and/or added links. It has all been very helpful.