1st/8th Battalion XX The Lancashire Fusiliers
Kohima 1944

 


 
A
B
C
D
1.

These 3 photo are
D.A. Robinsons
82nd Birthday present
2.


207738 Captain Eric Bentley,Wounded in the Battle of Kohima
3.

known as
(Bunker Buster) Barnett

This is
CSM Scarrat

Click on his Photo to see his story and Japanees captured papers which have been translated into English
4.

14518314 Sgt
Ken Coward

B Coy 1/8th LF Burma

Ken Coward
died 29/03/06


at the Southport hospital on the Gold Coast Australia. he was 81 years old


 

3389927 Edward Frost
Date of birth 12/04/16

Edward Frost

Edward Frost and H Allen
Click on phots to enlarge them
My uncle, Regimental number 3389927 Edward Frost Date of birth 12/04/16 was a Lancashire Fusilier and fought with the Chindits in Burma.He rarely spoke about his experiences but I believe he was wounded twice.
When he returned from the war he was both physically and mentally damagedbut, his elder sister, my mother, took him in and, as my parents had separated in 1941 when I was only a few months old, my Uncle Eddy became a
surrogate father to me, as much as he was able, when he came home in 1946.
He died at the age of about 79.
He never collected his campaign medals. One of his rare stories was that he should have been awarded a bravery medal
but it was given to someone else in error and so he didn't want to get any medals at all.
We didn't know whether to believe this story or not - from time-to-time he did have what the family considered
to be strange ideas. (One was that there were still snipers after him.)
However - the reason for my enquiry is that I would be grateful to know if, even after all these years it would be
possible for the family to obtain Eddy's campaign medals.

I hope you can help.

Yours faithfully

James Hewitson

(Medals now applied for, watch this space- Joe.)

 

"On 26 April 1944 at about 0530 the Japs launched an attack and Bob Elkin
was killed - our first officer casualty on Merema Ridge

The same morning at about 0930 Lt Andy Watson GM was wounded during an
attack on a Jap bunker

"Knocker" West was killed on 9 June 1944

The history of the Lancashire Fusiliers"
by John Hallam, page 125;
"At 9 am the next day,C Coy was ordered to sieze a small feature held by the
enemy in unknown strength.The Japanese met them with fire from light machine
guns and snipers,but the attack was pressed home and the feature taken at
the cost of 7 Other Ranks killed and Lieutenant A.P Watson GM wounded"



"The Irrawaddy"


 

"Medals and awards known to have been won during this campaign by the 1/8th Battalion
" Info from theCatalogue of medals from Dr A W Stott's collection,sold in London 1997 at DNW Auction house."
Click here for the link to Dr Stotts.

Name
Date
Medal / Awards
James Henry Barnett (Bunker Buster)
17th July 1945
D.C.M.:1939-45 Star: Burma Star:Defence and War Medals and "Mention in Dispatches"

Name
Date
Medal / Awards
L/Sgt P Waldron
11th July 1944
Military Medal. 1939-45 Star Burma Star Defence and War Medal