2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment

Unknown Locations, Incidents, Or Dates
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Should you have any knowledge of the locations, incidences, individuals or dates pertaining to the below information please contribute.



Ref No.1:
We were stranded in no-man’s-land on Dec 25th, 44 on our first day in action. No radio contact. An officer sent through the jungle to fetch us back (half a battalion). Had the enemy had any strength we may have had a memorable action. One sniper hit and wounded Sgt. XXXX.

Ref No.2:
The remainder of the men had already been sent back to Deolate, as the troops there had been rushed back to Bombay where one of our ships had exploded and set fire to part of the docks.

Ref No.3:
Our B Coy the 2nd Battalion The Royal Berkshire Regiment were on the Grand Trunk Road in India doing a route march and training.

Ref No.4:
At Nasik training camp we had mule training and everybody had to have about a months mule training, how to load and unload them.

Ref No.5:
October 1944: We boarded a 3-decker paddle steamer, with a paddle on each side towards the rear end up the Brahmaputra river.

Ref No.6:
1944: Our first stop was Madras where we had breakfast in the Y.M.C.A. hostel. From here we caught the Blue Mountain train to Mettupalaiyan, where breakfast was waiting for us.

Ref No.7:
At Ooty Station we were met by Mrs South, who gave us the address of our hosts. My self with two more were sent to the Mission House, where we met Mrs Smith, short homely looking person.

Ref No.8:
On Sunday morning coming from Church we were stopped by a Local sportsman, he asked my pal to go to Mandalay and play for them in the Cup. So of we went down the hill again. Eleven men in one 8 H.P. CAR. The Maymyo team won 2-0.

Ref No.9:
Our Company was sent to Thazi where we made a camp by a Field Hospital, and two days later we started to do guards on all Military trains.

Ref No.10:
There were 3 forces clubs, the Y.M.C.A., and W.V.S. and the N.A.A.F.I. The N.A.A.F.I. was the most popular in the day time as it had a swimming pool attached to it.

Ref No.11:
After the withdrawal we were sent to Maymyo, a hill station to the east. The existence of the unmistakable shapes of a golf course gave us something completely different to think about, but we were soon needed to support the advance to Toungoo, where the road to the Mawchi tin mines started. We then had a slow advance to the flank, capturing the Thandaung tea factory, and ultimately Mawchi itself.

Ref No.12:
Here we had just got settled down and Christmas was upon us. A special treat was arranged, plenty of food and beer, on Boxing Day our Battalion football team played the Royal Engineers in the Final of the Burma Star Cup, on the B.A.A. ground, Rangoon. The Wimberley of Burma. Our team won two goals to nil. After the game, Tommy XXXX received the Cup from Major Moore who deputised for the Area Commander, who failed to turn up.

Ref No.13:
A few days later I was selected for a 6-week pre-demob course. Turning and General Machining. First 7 others and myself were sent to Rangoon to Army H.Q. from here we were sent to various places for our course, four of us were sent to a R.E.M.E. Unit (5 A.B.W.) at Insein about 400 yards from the Civil Jail, in the Burma Technical College.

Ref No.14:
We were stationed at Rangoon waiting for Troopships to take us home. Who should turn up was the War Minister. He said no Troopships were available; they were being used to bring the thousands of prisoners of war home.

Ref No.15:
I visited some friends, a civil servant who I had stayed with when I had a three day pass, escorting two of our chaps to prison in Calcutta.

Ref No.16:
We were stationed at a place called Kalaw, it was a hill station, we had proper huts for the first time. I have discovered later that Kalaw that at one time the Japanese had used Kalaw as a rest and hospital centre.

Ref No.17:
Forces Club run by a Dutch lady and the W.V.S. Canteen, run by a real Cockney whose husband was an Officer in the nearby Indian Regiment.



Map UK
2nd Battalion
The Royal Berkshire Regiment
(Princess Charlotte of Wales's)
1939 - 1959

Burma WWII

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