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

This is our biggest feature to date over 4 weeks work by us to put it on site
Heaven knows how long James had been working on it.
There is a Burma silk map in the pack which the Fusiliers Museum is getting preserved as it is quite delicate



Photos of all the Graves in the Kohima cemetery click here

"From the writings of McCann, this version is new to most of us and could be inaccurate, other LF vets allege that much of his writing is fanciful to say the least"
Lt Alan Hulme Whitfield.


Name: WHITFIELD, ALAN HULME
Initials: A H
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: Lancashire Fusiliers
Unit Text: 1/8th Bn.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 28/04/1944
Service No: 193380
Additional information: Son of Richard and Ann Whitfield; husband of
Beryl Whitfield, of Stoneygate, Leicester.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 1. A. 10.
Cemetery: KOHIMA WAR CEMETERY
Sent in by Edward Stratton.


Alan on his wedding day Spring of 1942

Major Kenneth Wood


Nine from left, front row (arrowed) is 129661 Major Kenneth Wilson Wood,"


"Second from left, seated, 129661 Major Kenneth Wilson Wood"

Minden Dinner 1947
Click on any of the menu to enlarge it


Battalion Orderly room staff

back of above photo

back of above photo
sent in by John Wood Major Kenneth Wilson Wood's Son



 
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



3713573
Corporal Harold Ford
1st / 8th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (served at Kohima)

3” Mortar Platoon

 

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.)

 

Andy Watson GM


Andy Watson GM
on his motor Bike

" 93 years old Andy Watson marching down Whitehall,representing the 1/8th Bn XX The Lancashire Fusiliers on VJ day 2010.

Lt Andrew Watson GM was wounded on the 26th April 1944 at Merima Ridge Kohima."
Click on photo to enlarge it

"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"

By coincidence the 26 April date happens
to be the 61st anniversary of my being
wounded during an attack on a Jap bunker
on Merema Ridge. Lt Bob Elkin was killed
earlier that morning - the first officer
casualty.

Also attending the Service will, I hope, be CSM Bill Scarratt and Bobby Peacock, all of us from 1/8 Bn The Lancashire Fusiliers.

Though much is known of the Tennis Court,
it is not widely known that General Grover
discovered the Japs were infiltrating to
the west and attached 1/8LF to 5 Bde who
attempted a night march down a valley and up a very steep hillside to surprise the Japs on the Merema Ridge. (I have a Rupee note printed The Japanese Government of India!)

There were tremendous casualties especially
at the battle for FIRS on 28 April. My
Company Commander Capt F P H Pearse was killed leading an attack; our CO, Lt Col M L West, was killed on 8th June and I have a letter he wrote to me while I was in hospital a few days before his death.

Acts of bravery are recorded in books by Sgt John McCann and in personal letters from survivors but no medals were awarded
to Lancashire Fusiliers
possibly because there was no chain of command left through which recommendations
could be made. In the period 26-30 April
7 Officers and 24 ORs were killed and 7 Officers and 90 ORs were wounded in 1/8 LF alone.

I will publish fuller recollections later.

Andy Watson (Formerly Pln Cdr 15 Platoon,
C Company 1/8LF}

 



"The Irrawaddy"



Click here to see the grave stones photos in the Kohima Cemetery


This was sent to us by Salford War Memorials trust ( SWARM), probably used to hang in the drill hall at Cross Lane salford, the home of the 8th Bn.


 

"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