Major General Briggs arriving on 25th Dragoons Lee "Shrewsbury"in the relief of The Admin Box 24th February 1944

Lt. General Sir Geoffrey Evans in his book,”The Desert and The Jungle” describes the arrival of Major General Briggs in his tank on the 24th February 1944 with the relief force at The Admin Box.(p.165-166). “The morning of February 24 broke bright and sunny. Reports were coming in that Briggo and 123 Brigade of the 5th Division were making good progress along the pass towards us and were getting near. News came that some of the relieving forces had been seen on the hills above the eastern end of the pass.
Finally, about mid-day, the Brigade Major of 123 Brigade suddenly appeared in a carrier, followed shortly by Briggo in his tank.
The Ngakyedauk Pass was open and we had been relieved.”
Tom Grounds of the 25th Dragoons describes the arrival of Major General Briggs in "Some Letters From Burma"(p.147). "He now appeared in one of our tanks, entering the Box from the Pass road, to be met by Messervy and Evans and other senior officers".
Henry Maule in his book "Spearhead General", the epic story of General Frank Messervy and his men, describes (p.304) the arrival of Major General Briggs in a tank of the 25th Dragoons on the 24th February.
"The moment that really signified to the haggard, battle-stained warriors of the Admin. Box that their grim trial was at an end was a fittingly epic one. It was early morning on 24th February, and the jungle sparkled in the sunlight. Rumours had been coming in for some hours that forward elements of the 5th Indian Division were nearly through the Ngakyedauk Pass. And then, suddenly, dramatically, a Lee Grant tank came grumbling out from the shadowy eastern entry. The realization that this was an historic, an heroic moment, caused men to hold their breath and watch. It was a moment charged with high emotion..And then the tank loomed life-size, and it was among them, and it had rumbled up to the very dusty tattered tree beneath which the men knew their own General Frank, and Evans, Hely and Cree, and the other indomitable commanders, had stood among them prepared to fight to the death. Then "Briggo" himself emerged grinning from the turret, in his hand a bottle of whisky which he thrust out towards Frank Messervy. Messervy grinned and took it, and the two shook hands, and the siege was officially at an end."

This photo is also in the archive box of 25th Dragoons in the regimental museum at Edinburgh Castle. The notes with the photo will confirm the most important points you have mentioned. But to be able to give so much more info for this particular photo is amazing. So glad to see your Dad riding on the front of his tank...it is the angle he wears his beret that confirms it for me. His beret is worn at the same angle as the Ranchi photo in Oct 1943 of 25th Dragoons where my Dad is to your Dad's right on the second row. Fantastic info Richard thank you so much for doing the research and for sharing.