SADF 4 SAI Ratels were known for their conspicuous red call sign markings. Nowhere in the Naga Hills was there 50 yards of flat terrain. Normal infantry training was resumed and included two weeks jungle warfare training, which gave us a welcome change of location from our camp area. On one occasion I was present in Djerablus for a conference with the Mayor of the town and a gathering of Bedouin sheikhs. All of the component units were federalized during the Spanish American War as the Second Infantry, Texas Volunteers. I shall describe briefly our training and operations, so as to give the reader some idea of the conditions obtaining. WO 169 / 1713 Durham Light Infantry 1 Kings Own were flown from India to Iraq in 1941, and took part in the defence of Habbaniya, one of the earliest examples of a battalion being flown into action. For any other comments, please Contact Us. It was still there two years later, when it was amalgamated with the Kings Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) to form the Kings Own Royal Border Regiment. was an integral part made a major impact on the Japanese to bring about a withdrawal from the Imphal/Kohima area of operations and they did not again attempt an invasion of India. Part of the new brigade was the 4th Battalion The Border Regiment. The 4th Border Regimentrefers to three individuals battalions of the Territorial Force (Cumberland & Westmorland). Meanwhile, 2nd Battalion had moved from England to Ireland shortly after the regiments formation. KOSB A3/1-3. The regiment was stationed in Egypt and Cyprus for the first half of the 1950s, moving on to West Germany in 1955 where it served with the British Army of the Rhine. Moving off into the town street fighting began. The only change to the regiment's structure during the period of 18811908 occurred in 1900, when a new volunteer battalion was raised, namely the 3rd (Cumberland) Volunteer Battalion. 4 March 1915 : sailed from Avonmouth for India. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE 4th Bn. In October 1940 I joined 4 Border at Kington Camp, Hereford, where I had been posted as Regimental M.O., following my officer recruitment training at RAMC Depot, Crookham, Aldershot. Two whole Divisions, plus many lines of communications and troops were drawn into battle with the Germans. 1st Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry was called upon to reinforce the area. The battalion spent an unpleasant time bivouacking without cover, but eventually formed up for embarkation on river transport. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click here. It then fought its way up through Italy, before returning to England in November 1943. The Lancastria was sunk during the afternoon of same day. The main duties of the battalion in this situation were the control of and dispersal of mobs and setting up of roadblocks and checkpoints. and after a night in the open, we rejoined the complete column. Then, in 1966, the first three battalions of the 8th deployed to Vietnam, fighting in 9 campaigns and . If you can find these people I am sure they will share it with you as a relative. Regards, After that it was Suez, Egypt, and a transit camp, until we entrained for the Western Desert. A pathway over sunken ships and merchandise had been constructed from ship to shore and we were guided in the dark by Australians. During that night, and still under constant harassment, embarkation took place on to ships and Naval craft. When the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot amalgamated with the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot, to become The Border Regiment in 1881 under the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Armed Forces, four pre-existent militia and volunteer battalions of Cumberland and Westmorland were integrated into the structure of the regiment. We carried out our diversionary attacks but the 8th Army never appeared. 1st Battalion was again in Burma on the outbreak of the First World War (1914-18), having returned there in 1910. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click here. moved north and an armistice was signed on July 14th and we settled in to camping conditions on the outskirts of Qabb Ilyas. WO 169 / 1737 1st Northumberland Fusiliers A total of 13,167 of the regiment were killed in action. We did not go ashore there, nor at Cape Town, where we lay off Table Mountain for a day, but we had four very pleasant days in Durban, entertained royally by the very hospitable residents. GOOD, T.D., R.A.M.C. I know what you mean about the problems of getting information, David, when you are not either the person who served in the Forces or their Next of Kin. In May the training period finished and we were transported by the Bengal Assam Railway to Mariani in Assam, passing through one railway town with the Boys Own Paper sounding name of Lumding. However we got into the unit lines without casualties, only to be shelled by our own Howitzers from inside Tobruk. As there is as yet so much more to learn about incident I ask perchance does your Mr Hutchinson have any knowledge of that incident? We arrived at Avonmouth Docks in Bristol and embarked on the liner Orontes. The Border Regiment. This infantry regiment was created in 1881. The following article has been submitted to the BBC "People's War" website on behalf of Mr Hutchinson. The Battalion began the task of disarming some 2,000 Japanese and controlling the activity of dacoits on the Mokpalin and Bilin areas. those of the BBC. Then, after yet another railway journey, this time at night, they arrived at Brest. After some delay, the 4th Battalion left the port and moved to Rennes by rail. You might also try writing to (or visiting) the Town Hall in Rennes and asking what records they might have. The 2nd Bn The Kings Own formed 41 and 46 Columns in 111 Bde in the Chindits; 2nd 13n The Border Regt in 20th Indian Division; 4th Bn The Border Regt in 23 Brigade forming 34 and 55 Columns; and the 9th Bn The Border Regt in 17th Indian Division. Unfortunately for this account I do not have contact details for Mr Hutchinson personally. 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines was constituted in April 1914 during World War I when it was activated as one of the three . The two platoons set up two roadblocks outside the village and H.Q. Thanks to the step-like formation of the paddy fields, where we jumped down every few yards, and to the poor marksmanship of the Japanese, we arrived without any casualties in the jungle area, for the Japanese opened up with everything they had rifles, machine guns, mortars and grenades. was attached to the 4th Battalion Border Regiment, as Platoon Commander of 12th Field Company RE . Bangalore was a comfortable station where we were in a semi-permanent camping site but where I discovered that I was suffering from amoebic dysentery. On 14 January 1966, the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, was relieved from assignment to the 171st Infantry Brigade and assigned to the 25th Infantry "Tropic Lightning" Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. These became the new units 1st and 2nd Battalions respectively. Whilst 1 Border served in BAOR and Berlin, the Kings Own served in Aden and Kenya. Over a period of a few days, an army veterinary team removed the vocal chords of the brigades mules under anaesthetic without causing much distress to the mules, which were given 10 days convalescence and seemed none the worse for their operations, which were a big success. It continued to serve there, as well as in Burma, until 1890, when it was replaced by 2nd Battalion. Eighteen battalions were to see active service in the war, in every theatre. The railway complex at Rennes was bombed during mid morning Monday 17th June. As an example, the three-line battalions of the 4th Borderers were numbered as the 1/4th, 2/4th, and 3/4th respectively. Moved to billets in Blackpool. Exactly how many were killed in this evacuation I am unsure, but all together, with the Lancastria, other ships and on the trains it must have been 2000+. vessels en route by sea to Tobruk. On July 12th the Bn. Cpl. This infantry regiment was first raised in 1702. It served on the Western Front until November 1917, when it was sent to Italy. I had been left behind the advance attending an officer of ours who had been wounded by one of our own tanks, and when we were being guided back to join the battalion, as we approached, we saw two crowds like at a football match with about a quarter of a mile between them. Thanks again for your reply and interest, you have been most helpful. There seems to be some accounts in the Public Records Office about what happened. It mentions that Churchill and the Ministry of Information kept the disaster of this evacuation quiet at that time. 21 It landed again in This dragon now appears on the regimental buttons. The Bn. At first they headed towards Dieppe. The Durham Light Infantry Bn. 2/4th (Cumberland and Westmorland) Battalion Formed at Kendal in September 1914 as a home service ("second line") unit. This story has been placed in the following categories. We remained here three weeks during which we had the opportunity to visit Beirut, which was a beautiful town with wonderful amenities and it is so sad to think of the horrors that it has suffered in recent years. There was the odd troublesome one, but mostly its own muleteer learned how to control it and to keep it in line. They were small, around 5 ft. in height, but wiry and capable of running up and down hills with heavy loads. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment is part of 3rd Canadian Division 's 41 Canadian Brigade Group. As I had always feared, I had an attack of malaria that morning, but, on taking Mepacrine, and on having my pack carried on a vehicle, I managed to march to the station and duly arrived at Bombay Docks, where we embarked on the Queen of Bermuda. had. The size of a battalion could range from 500 to 1,500 troops. By now part of the 6th British Division, the 4th Battalion of the Border Regiment were moved back to the Western Desert. Have a look at pages 181-187. At the same time, the 34th Cumberland and the 55th Westmorland Regts became the 1st and 2nd Bns The Border Regt. Some weeks later we were off again by train to Suez. The Luftwaffe harassed the evacuation which is when your uncle was unfortunately killed. The programme in Tobruk perimeter until November 18th, this being early October, was as follows: At early morning and again in the evening, we were subjected to periods of artillery fire in Bn. This infantry regiment was formed in 1959. In 1947, 1st Battalion moved to Palestine. After an uneventful journey through the Suez Canal, with a visit to Simon Artz store in Port Said, and a few days lying in Gibraltar Harbour, we arrived at Greenock. We had a difficult, but frail, L. of C. back to Brigade H.Q. It was against a Japanese occupied village named Phakedzumi. After its posting in India and Burma from 1890, it moved on to South Africa in 1905. Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. With reference to the siege of Tobruk, I append a list of North Country Regiments below. It went on to serve in many British Army campaigns until 1958, when it was merged into The Kings Regiment (Manchester and Liverpool). KOSB A2/1& 2. But then, on hearing that Rouen had fallen into enemy hands, Fcamp became the destination. Over in Europe it seems a lot easier finding out official information about the war and commemoration is taken very seriously. After Dunkirk, 1 Border were converted to gliderborne troops. Now began a period of intensive jungle training on Chindit lines. Historical records of events in France, post Operation Dynamo, are sketchy. This infantry regiment was formed in 1881. was at the centre and in rear of the strong points and in my Regimental Aid Post, we lived in dugouts as did the rest of H.Q.. It continued in British Army service until 1959, when it merged with The Kings Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) to form The Kings Own Royal Border Regiment. All three regiments were involved in minor wars on the frontiers of India, and the 4th in the Zulu War of 1879. 10th Parachute Battalion 11th Parachute Battalion 2nd (Oban) Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery, RA 4th Parachute Squadron, RE 133 Parachute Field Ambulance, RAMC 1st Airlanding Brigade Brigade Headquarters 1st Battalion The Border Regiment 2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment 7th (Galloway) Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers . No escort could be provided but all casualties evacuated by these means arrived safely at Brigade H.Q.. In 1702, the regiment which became the 34th (Cumberland) Regt was raised, and the 55th (Westmorland)) Regt was raised in 1755. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not were evacuated. Men of the 4th Battalion, Border Regiment travel in the back of a lorry, France, May 1940. We were given fourteen days leave, which Bob Watt and I took together. One Victoria Cross was awarded to the regiment during the Mutiny. Especially we enjoyed the amenities of the St. Georges Hotel. Remained in India throughout the war. This was the old date for 'Empire Day'. They were referred to as the New Army or Kitchener's Army. Hudson John. The 1957 Defence White Paper stated that the Border Regiment was due to amalgamated with The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster), to form The King's Own Royal Border Regiment on the 1 October 1959. The column commander, Major Scott, was wounded in the arm and, as I was dressing his wound, we were fired upon by a machine gun from the top of the hill. The battalion, nicknamed the Magnificent Bastards, is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and are a part of the 5th Marine Regiment and 1st Marine Division. Before Dunkirk, 1 Border, 4 and 5 Border and 5 Kings Own fought in France. was withdrawn and dispatched across the Canal Zone by troop train to Beit Lid in Palestine. 1st battalion, 8th infantry, 4th infantry division vietnam. The disorders soon settled down and we returned to Ranchi, but were shortly called upon again to assist the civil power, this time at Gaya, south of Patna. Not in any way belittling the heroic battles fought around Kohima by the 2nd British and 7th Indian Divisions, the harassing operations by 23rd Brigade of which 4 Border Regt. During the training period from October the only time the Bn. The 4th Battalion of the Borders were given the task of clearing the woods that were partially held by the Germans. David G. Thanks for taking the time to read the article about the 4 Bn Borders in WW2 and your most interesting question. At this time things were going well in the second Wavell offensive and the Bn. Volunteer battalions had been created in reaction to a perceived threat of invasion by France in the late 1850s. Little in the way of operations were carried out, though the battalion did march to Shabe Bazar and B company was sent to a supposed area of Japanese activity at Taung Bazar, but despite active patrolling no contact was made with the Japanese. "Now little remembered, regarded and even by-passed in the history of the time, there were men who fought on in France after the main force of the B.E.F. Many battalions of the regiment were formed as part of Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener's appeal for an initial 100,000 men volunteers in 1914. At 3pm Orders received for the 4th and 5th Battalions Northumberland Fusiliers to move from huts they are at present occupying to bivouac in H2g - HQ to Hopital Farm. The days 16 - 18 June 1940 were really vital to what happened in France, because it was when De Gaulle was trying to get the French Government to continue fighting the war, and Ptain took over and asked the Germans for an Armistice. I know a little about the period and the Brittany area slightly, but not to the fine detail that you are seeking, David. We spent one week in the fleshpots of the Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay and the second week we spent at Krishnaraja Sagara in Mysore State. The following year, 2nd Battalion returned to Britain, while 1st Battalion was sent to occupy Trieste. The set-up for columns entering Burma proper was that a stronghold was formed from which the columns operated and which contained an airstrip. referenced. Obtaining information from official sources seems to be quite difficult. He wrote out this contribution out long hand and sent it to Radio Cumbria. packs on my back. The regiment's territorial components formed duplicate second and third line battalions. I could not imagine a more appropriate ending. Instead of being flown by glider into Burma to remain during the monsoon period, whilst the other brigades of Special Force were withdrawn, 23rd Brigade was put under the operational command of 14th Army to harass the Japanese L. of C. from the Chindwin to the Imphal/Kohima area, the former town now having been infested by the enemy and the main supply road from railhead to Dimapore cut between the two towns. had attacked a strongpoint ahead of us and occupied it and we passed through them with a squadron of Matilda tanks and, by daylight, had occupied an escarpment short of El Adam. It is no longer possible to leave messages here. Here we took over from 2/13 Bn. David G. We haven't had a message back from Mr Hutchinson yet I'm afraid. Hutchinson M.B.E. We left the Column concentration area at break of day and marched all day through sometimes dense jungle, where we had to cut our way through with machetes. This is a list of battalions of the Border Regiment, which existed as an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. First of all we had no cover and just lay and slept in the open excepting when we were in the Naga villages and managed to get some shelter from the veranda type fronts of their wooded buildings. They are colloquially known as "The Loyal Eddies". Abandoned by the fleet and besieged by the French, they were forced to surrender, but were allowed to march out with colours flying as a tribute to their gallant defence. The 3d Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment was reactivated on 16 October 2009 in Germany as part of the 170th Infantry . 'Orontes' bound for Suez. This dragon now appears on the regimental buttons. To give the reader some idea of the preparedness for, and the attitude of the British Indian Establishment, it is of interest to relate that the first action of the authorities was to try to carry out a customs examination of a mobilised British division arriving in the country complete with weapons and transport from a war zone to a potential war zone. 6 Border were a beach landing group at the Normandy landings. The 9th Battalion The Border Regiment took part in several such actions, notably at Wetlet, Yindaw, Kinde and Pywabwe. In the immediate post-war period, the army was significantly reduced: nearly all infantry regiments had their first and second battalions amalgamated and the Supplementary Reserve disbanded. The BBC is not responsible for the content of any external sites It was planned at 8th Army H.Q. However, having brushed aside the customs hiccup, we were duly transported to Poona, which may be described as the epitome of the Indian Army.