2nd Yorks & Lancs 14th Brigade CHINDITS`

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by mattgibbs, Feb 11, 2011.

  1. mattgibbs

    mattgibbs Senior Member

    Hello there fellow members :D
    I have done a bit of searching, as well as I could, about the 2nd Yorks and Lancs. I have found very little on the subject of their work with the Chindits, the favourite units that keep coming up are Kings Liverpool, South Lancs, Queens and South Staffs. As usual with the www, one persons basic content on 14th Brigade seems to be copied and pasted on to about 8 other sites, with little 'new' info spread around.

    Is the 14th Brigade, with the Nigeria Regt making up 3/7th of it, then Black Watch, Y&L and Beds & Herts and Leicesters less well known, or just less written about?

    My reasons for asking are family related. My mothers uncle Alf married before the war, then like many similar stories, he joined up, went off to Africa, then India. He was 4756491 Private Alfred John Summersgill. He died in August 1944, whilst serving with 2nd Yorks & Lancs, who were in the 2nd Chindit Operation. I knew this from the CWGC website I'd looked on last year, but the other day my mum found a lovely studio photo of him, taken in his shorts and shirt, with his knees brown, but white arms showing! It must have been taken before the start of their hard training!

    What I'd like to know is if they kept a war diary, and whether any books have been written on the 2nd Yorks & Lancs and what they did. I appreciate from the statistics its likely he died of disease. he was 31, and died on 28/7/44. He is buried in Taukkyan Cemetery and last year a retired Padre whom I know kindly took a photo of the grave for us. I have done nothing about obtaining his records. His wife left the UK after the war with their very young daughter, went to New Zealand on a very cheap ticket and has never been heard from again. [despite it being a large family she never wrote or ever kept in touch which apparently greatly saddened my grandmother]. I don't know the position vis-a-vis applying to get a copy of his service record because I am not next of kin, he would 'only' be my great uncle.

    When I look at the photo I wonder what they had been told to expect out there behind enemy lines. A medical report after the 14th Brigade came in from the jungle at the end of operations states that they were at 69th Ind. Rest Camp in Aug-Sept 44. 126 Black Watch, 88 Leics, 84 B&H and 74 Y&L were examined. Is this all there was left?

    I hope that anyone with a Chindit interest will be able to advise me more :)
    Regards
    Matt
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    What I'd like to know is if they kept a war diary


    WO 172/4934
    2 York and Lancaster Regiment
    Covering dates1944 Jan. - Dec.
     
  3. mattgibbs

    mattgibbs Senior Member

    Thanks Owen! Thats great, something to sort out on my next trip I think :D I am amazed in the rains and behind the lines they had the wherewithall to actually keep the war diary, I wondered if they'd bother with it being a secret behind the lines operation!
     
  4. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Matt,

    I answered a previous post on the Beds. and Herts. a while ago, much of it applies to the Yorks and Lancs.

    Here it is:


    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/burma-india/31911-burma-campaign-june-1944-a.html#post355594

    It is true that not much is written about the 14th Brigade, mainly I would say because they formed part of the second wave of Chindit units in 1944. Wingate wanted a turn around period of no more than 8-10 weeks for a Brigade's service behind the lines, working on a three in, three waiting system.

    When he died in March 1944 all this went out the window so to speak. Book wise 'March or Die' gives you a good overview of Chindit operations, from first hand accounts of the men that took part. However, there is very little from 14th Brigade even here.

    Steve.
     
  5. mattgibbs

    mattgibbs Senior Member

    Thank you Steve, that is very useful info. I will check out the other link as well. This is a studio photo taken in India probably soon after he arrived.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Pete Keane

    Pete Keane Senior Member

    Would like to say that South Lancs were involved, but other than some small amounts that were posted to the Kings to make squads up and a few to the Lancs Fusiliers (which is probably the one you have found), they were not on either Chindit campaign.

    It can be very frustrating when seraching for a unit, and others seem to get all the headlines, but you'll hit a seam of info if you stick at it.

    Good luck

    Pete
     
  7. Ray Hanson

    Ray Hanson Member

    My late uncle, Corporal Stanley Priestley served with the 2nd Battalion throughout WWII and was with the 2nd chindit operation like your relative. He was awarded the MM for an action at Nagusharanng on 11th July 1944 only a few days before your uncle died. They must have known each other. The citation for the MM also places my uncle near a place called Indaw on the night of 21/22 April 1944. Hopefully the place names might help you trace where he was.

    My uncle's experiences demonstrate very clearly what a tough war the 2nd Battalion had. He was wounded on Crete, wounded again when the ship on which he was evacuated, HMS Dido, was bombed before being sent to the Far East. My uncle survived the war but when he returned to the UK the family described him as looking like a Belsen victim. Apparently, on his return, he went out and got drunk and wasn't sober again until he'd spent two years back pay. One of the only perks of being in the jungle was that there was nothing to spend your pay on. He suffered from recurrent bouts of malaria for years afterwards.It's also suggested that the battalion was at Dunkirk but I can't confirm that as I haven't yet started to research his career.

    I'd be very interested to see, or hear of, any documentation or other information you've managed to turn up.

    Regards

    Ray
     
  8. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    I've just photographed the war diaries of the 2nd York & Lancs (1942 to 1944) for a friend whose Father served with them during this period. His service record tallies with the places they went. I will PM the persons on this thread who were originally enquiring for info, in case they have not popped in recently.

    I will also upload the diaries onto my photobucket acct shortly.

    Cheers - Rob
     
  9. dryan67

    dryan67 Senior Member

    Sheffield's regimental history of the Y & L, "The York and Lancaster Regiment" Volume III has about 15 pages on the 2nd Battalion's operations with the Chindits.
     
  10. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    4756491 Private Alfred John Summersgill. He died whilst serving with 2nd Yorks & Lancs, who were in the 2nd Chindit Operation. I appreciate from the statistics its likely he died of disease. he was 31, and died on 28/7/44.

    I hope that anyone with a Chindit interest will be able to advise me more :)
    Regards
    Matt

    Copy of the war diary entry for 28 July followed by one from the 17th July regarding casualties from disease, etc. You could be right how he died.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  11. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    To anyone requiring the war dairies for 2 Y & L for 1942 to 1944 . Click the link below to take you to copies of the war diaries.

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/unit-documents/38755-2nd-battalion-york-lancaster-regiment-war-diaries-1942-1944-attached.html#post430892

    If you go to this post in the unit history section of the Forum, you can download the war diaries for 1942 and 1943 as well.

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/unit-documents/38755-2nd-battalion-york-lancaster-regiment-war-diaries-1942-1944-attached.html#post430892
     
  12. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Hi The links in this thread don't seem to work any more (from 2011). Have tried searching without luck and 'unit documents' doesn't seem to have content anymore. Can anyone tell me where the unit war diaries for 2 Y&L in particular are please.
     

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