Printable View
Cheers for the update Roger.
We have a guy in my Comrades Branch, who fought at Madagascar with 2RWF as a Fusilier. He actually accompanied Stockwell and Brig Festing, armed with a bren gun, into the governors mansion and witnessed the surrender. Did your father fight with 2RWF in 1944 as they cleared Railway Corridor, including the assault at Pinbawe?
War Diaries.
Hello Drew, I have just picked up this post and response from Al. I am the Barbara- who started this link back in 2012. Since that time I have received my father's service record, and obtained a copy of The Red dragon. My Dad was William Chesterton no 5121173; Fus; RWF. I have found some parts of his service record difficult to transcribe and annoyingly somewhat very brief in information. I know he served in the 2nd RWF and served in Arakan for 6 month; Assam for 6 months; Burma for 6 months and finally India. He was originally attached to the 8th Reg Royal Warwickshire ( 1940-1943)and embarked for India in 1943. He was also a very outspoken trade unionist and believed in fair play and was demoted twice( did not have much trust in officers) and then finally transferred out to the RWF. He was not in Madagascar. While he would not speak of his time in Burma like so many, I am wondering if these 'War Diaries' would shed any further light on his experiences. Family history would say he was in charge of a Bren/ Machine Gun platoon. Thanks Barbara
Hi Barbara,
Maybe upload some of the difficult parts to one of the many online photo sites, then place the links into the thread on here. We can certainly have a look and see if we can glean anything. What rank was your father?
Wonderful to hear that we still have old soldiers still alive who served in in the 2nd RWF in the war.
Could you ask your old comrade which company he was in and in particular who took over as commander of D Company after Captain Harrison was killed in the bayonet charge in Madagascar on the 5th May 1942.
Roy
Capt Harrison was replaced by his 2nd in command, Capt HJE Jones.