Another very tatty photograph saved from the dustbin of history. I have no idea where or when it was taken, but the formation sign of the 36th (Indian) Division is visible on several slouch hats. There also appears to be a Royal Scots Fusiliers cap badge an East Lancashire Regiment Cap badge and possibly a Gloucestershire Regiment cap badge on display.
High percentage of Junior NCO's and one or two sergeants but no officers so potentially a JNCO Cadre run at Brigade level.
The slouch hat on the ground has a cloth badge on the side. It is not clear in this photograph but using a magnifying glass, the word King's can be seen to the left of the crease, as this only takes takes up half of the badge it would suggest that there is another word, possibly 'King's Own'. The photograph was in a bundle of other photographs taken in the Far East which also included a soldier's service and pay book. The pay book belonged to a soldier in the King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment, who had originally enlisted into the Royal Artillery but who had transferred to the King's Own in August 1944. I cannot yet find any evidence that he served in Burma.
There is nothing in the pay book that directly links him to Burma that I can see. I have uploaded these photographs in the hope that somebody else might spot the link, if there is one.
There is one obscure entry that suggests that there is an Indian connection; I do not know what it signifies. Bahadur Shah is obviously a name, but what Waffi and Cama are I do not know
Certainly a bunch of old sweats there but not too many Medal ribbons though. Thought there might have been more 39-43 Star ribbons as authorised to your man in 1944. Does this give a date of the photo as pre March 1944? Lionboxer
Albert Victor Daw didn't transfer to the "King's" until 3rd May 1944, so the photograph must be later than that date. He seems to one of the many gunners that were transferred to the infantry at this time. It is interesting that the Royal Artillery Attestation states that he transferred to the King's and not the King's Own. This may be an error, or he might have been nominally transferred to the King's then re-transferred to the King's Own almost immediately. I have identified several other gunners who took a similar pathway in my King's Regiment (Liverpool) research. It would seem that he may have been transferred again to the 36th Division. or possibly attended a training course with them.
I have a Royal Signalman's pay book in my collection. He also served in India and Burma and also has his finger prints in his pay book. I wasn't sure if this was a general late war requirement or something peculiar to troops serving in the Far East.
There were some other Far East photographs in the lot, but as the house clearance man tends to bundle things together I do not know if there is direct connection. The group photograph, like most photographs of soldiers taken in India at the time, shows no insignia that would help to identify the unit.
The second photograph shows two soldiers who have had their picture taken in a photographer's studio. One of them is clearly a Royal Engineer. He is wearing both the S.E.A.C. shoulder title and the A.L.F.S.E.A. formation sign.
The second soldier was serving with the Royal Artillery. The latter half of his shoulder title is just visible. He may be the same man sitting in the front in the photograph in post 11.
The last photograph has a message on the back which reads. 65 and 71 Ret? Cluny Park. 1946. It is quite a wide photograph and I have photographed it in sections.
Off the top of my head I've only seen it on Far East used books (although my memory can be patchy with these things - I may have a quick check at a few examples) - I just got in an Indian Soldiers paybook who only had service mid-War and he has finger prints so I don't think its just late war
It does appear to be an "India Command" requirement as these examples from my collection show. I am not sure why it was deemed necessary only in this particular theatre. Finger prints can be used to identify bodies, but bodies decompose much more quickly in the tropics. Perhaps it was to prevent personation as it would be easy to claim to be an officer in a far flung hill station where nobody has ever heard of you let alone met you before. Rodney Sheil's thumb print is noticeably missing.
I had a quick run through and found 20 paybooks with thumb prints - 18 were definitely in the Far East, 1 I know went overseas but no idea where and the last is a real oddity in that it is a Canadian Signalman who only served in N W Europe. It would be interesting to see the orders/reasoning behind it but no idea where that would be.
Thank you for taking the time to look through your collection, it is appreciated. I have some other Royal Artillery photographs that came in the same bundle. They were taken in N.W. Europe in 1944 and one or two have a Brierley Hill, Staffordshire connection, including a casualty who was killed in action on 29th November 1944 whilst serving with the 81st Field Regiment. As yet, there is no direct connection to Albert Victor Daw, but it is possible that they were known to each other from their time serving in the Royal Artillery, possibly in the T.A. in Brierley Hill.
