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1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment was in Palestine on the outbreak of war in 1939. They saw action in the Middle East and Burma and also served in India.
Feb 1944 Chindit force preparations In early February 1944 preparations began for the 2nd Chindit Expedition. The Special Force or 3rd Indian Division as it was known consisted of the following units, which were split into Columns.
3rd West African Brigade and 14th Brigade
- 6th Btn. Nigeria Regiment. (Columns 66 & 39)
- 2nd Btn. Black Watch (Columns 42 & 73)
- 7th Btn Nigeria Regiment (Columns 29 & 35)
- 1st Btn. Beds & Herts Regiment (Columns 16 & 61)
- 12th Btn. Nigeria Regt (Columns 12 & 43)
- 2nd Btn. York & Lancaster Regiment (Columns 84 & 65)
- 7th Btn Leicestershire Regiment (Columns 47 & 74)
- 54th Field Company, Royal Engineers
77 Brigade and 111 Brigade
- 3rd Btn. 6th Gurkha Rifles (Columns 36 & 63)
- 1st Btn. Cameronians (Columns 26 & 90)
- 1st Btn. Kings (Liverpool) Regiment (Columns 81 & 82)
- 2nd Btn. Kings Own Royal (Lancaster) Regiment (Columns 41 & 46)
- 1st Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (Columns 20 & 50)
- 3rd Btn. 4th Gurkha Rifles (Column 30)
- 1st Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment (Columns 38 & 80)
- 3rd Btn. 9th Gurkha Rifles (Columns 57 & 93)
23rd Indian Infantry Brigade
- 1st Btn. Essex Regiment (Columns 44 & 56)
- 2nd Btn. Duke of Wellington's Regiment (Columns 33 & 76)
- 4th Btn. Border Regiment (Columns 34, 55)
- 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, deployed as infantry, (Columns 60 & 68)
- 12th Field Company, Royal Engineers
16th Brigade Morris Force
- 1st Btn. Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment (Columns 21 & 22)
- 4th Btn. 9th Gurkha Rifles (Columns 49 & 94)
- 2nd Btn. Leicestershire Regiment (Columns 17 & 71)
- 3rd Btn. 4th Gurkha Rifles (Column 30)
- 45th Recce Regiment (Columns 45 & 54)
- 51st and 69th Field Regiments, Royal Artillery, deployed as infantry (Columns 51 & 69)
- 2nd Field Company, Royal Engineers
Dah Force
Stronghold Defences
- R S & U Troop 160th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (25 Pounders)
- W X Y & Z Troops 69th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (Bofors)
Divisional Troops
- 219th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers
- Detachment 2nd Burma Rifles
- 145th Brigade Company, R.A.S.C.
- 61st Air Supply Company, R.A.S.C.
- 2nd Indian Air Supply Company, R.I.A.S.C.
Feb 1944 Chindit force preparations
1st of March 1944 Practice and Orders issued
5th March 1944 Landing
6th March 1944 Operation Thursday
6th of March 1944 Emplaning
7th of March 1944 Emplaning
8th March 1944 March
9th of March 1944 March and Bivouac
10th of March 1944 March and Bivouac
11th of March 1944 March
12th March 1944 On the Move
12th of March 1944 Elephants on Broadway
13th March 1944 Bivouac
14th of March 1944 March and bivouac
15th of March 1944 Local intelligence
16th of March 1944 Arrival
17th of March 1944 Attack
18th March 1944 Operation Thursday
18th of March 1944 Enemy action
19th of March 1944 Mawlu bombed
20th of March 1944 Positions improvemented
21st of March 1944 Attack
22nd of March 1944 Attack
22nd of March 1944 Consolidation
27th of March 1944 Attack
27th of March 1944 Consolidation
1st of April 1944 Patrols
6th of April 1944 Shelling
7th of April 1944 Attacks
8th of April 1944 Probing and shelling
10th of April 1944 Command change
10th of April 1944 Heavy attack
11th April 1944 Sustained attack
12th of April 1944 Shelling
13th of April 1944 More shelling
14th of April 1944 Bombing
15th of April 1944 Shelling
16th of April 1944 Enemy attack
17th of April 1944 DAS use
18th of April 1944 No enemy activity
19th of April 1944 More action
20th of April 1944 No enemy action
21st of April 1944 Patrol
22nd of April 1944 Patrols
24th of April 1944 Orders Recieved
29th of April 1944 Move preparation
30th of April 1944 Move
6th May 1944 Orders
10th May 1944 Evacuation
11th Jun 1944 Enemy Attack
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Want to know more about 1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment? There are:1369 items tagged 1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Pte. William Thomas Jeffries 1st Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment (d.14th May 1941) My mother's cousin William Jeffries is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial so I suspect no body was recovered.
The story is that he was on a ship that was bombed but I cannot find records of ships being sunk in that area on that date.
I have just found out about him and Would love to find out more.
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Pte. Geoffrey Arthur Turner 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment (d.19th April 1944) Geoffrey Turner was born in Guist, Norfolk.
He died of malaria aged 21 in Burma while serving with 1st South Staffordshire Regiment.
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Pte. Albert Vincent 1st Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment (d.24th Sep 1943) Albert Vincent was born in Hanley, Stoke on Trent on the 31st December 1919. He grew up in Hanley but at some time in the 1930's his family relocated back to their South East London roots. When war broke out in 1939 he was living at number 14 Droitwich House, Camberwell, London with his parents, brothers and sister. He was a prisoner of war in Burma and his name appears on the Rangoon memorial. I only know that he was a member of the South Staffordshire Regiment from his war records.
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Pte. Bill Vernon Edwards 1st Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment I was called up in August 1944, did my initial training in Dumbarton, then to Crickhowell Wales for Corps training, before being posted to Windermere in the Lake District. There I learnt to drive a Bren gun carrier followed by a motor cycle course. In January 1945 I assembled for posting to Germany, but this was cancelled, instead I sailed to India on the H.M.S. Durban Castle troop ship. I was posted to Dehra Dun in Northern India where we joined the 1st Battalion, South Staffs just out of Burma survivors of Chindit operations (about 80 strong). Major James Michael Calvert was commanding officer. The Regiment was made up to strength at Debra Dun and then posted to Agra H.Q. Central Command where I became the regiment's despatch rider. Once a week I would ride to Delhi with dispatches and stay overnight at Red Fort and return the next day to Agra (a bit dicey to say the least).
I volunteered for vehicle collection and delivery and was attached to the Royal Army Service Corps where I did many miles delivering vehicles to units. I contracted NYD fever and admitted to British Military Hospital Delhi for tests, returned to unit after nothing was found to be wrong. Went on leave to Shimla and travelled there on the narrow-gauge railway (toy train) stayed at the Viceroys Lodge.
Returned to unit section as a truck driver then back to motor cycles again. In early 1946 was awarded LIAP and returned to the U.K. on the Empire Ken troop ship. Posted to Whittington Barracks Motor Transport section, then demobbed at York.
This is a brief description cannot remember dates now. I am 92.
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L/Cpl. George William Jeffs 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment I have a certificate given to my father, George Jeffs in 1939, saying:
"This is to certify that an examination held under the authority of the Army Council at Nazareth in the month August 1939 Army number 6527684 (rank) L/Cpl (name) G. Jeffs (unit) 1st Bn The South Staffordshire Regiment passed in the following Subjects: English. Imperial Military History and Geography Map Reading Mathematics. Recorded"
Distinguished Mathematics having obtained 80 per cent or more marks in this subject. Confirmed at Jerusalem with effect from the 31st day of August 1939. And then signed by Lieut. Colonel C B Bartlett Comdg 1st Bn The South Stafforshire Regt.
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Pte. Samuel George Walker 1st Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment (d.8th June 1940) Samuel Walker, my great uncle, was killed along with seven other members of A company, 1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment in a motor accident whilst on a training exercise at 10.45am on 8th of June 1940. He is buried at the British Cemetery in Cairo.
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Pte. James Bert Sheppard 1st Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment (d.11th June 1944) My uncle Bert Sheppard, was my Mum's older brother and, from what little mum has told me, he was her favourite brother. She used to get quite emotional when talking about him, being as he was so young when he went to war and subsequently died, he was actually listed as missing in action.
I do have a grave site number, but I have no photos of him. Mum did have a cut out that was on a wooden stand which she had promised this to me when she passed, but dad didn't handle mum's death very well and burnt this photo. I was absolutely devastated. I would love to know whether Burt received any medals or if his name is on anything. So any assistance or information, big or small, would be greatly appreciated.
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Pte. Thomas "Mucka" Hall 1st Battalion Tom Hall was my father, he served with the 1st Battalion South Staffs from 1931 to 1945, with a short break in 1938 when he was on reserve and decided not to go back in when my mom agreed to marry him. Unfortunately, before my brother was even 1 year old he was recalled to fight in WW2. He served in Palestine, Egypt, India and Burma (with the Chidits) to my knowledge.
Throughout the war he sent all his pay home, and lived on his wits. He trained as a barber and made money on the side doing that. He was brilliant at dominoes and won money on a regular basis, as he did at cards - but as a bit of a cardsmith I think he did a fair bit of cheating. He trained as a cook, a butcher and a nurse, all of which helped him be a great father in post-war life.
He never told us kids of any bad things that happened, only funny stories about whitewashing the coal, and spud bashing, etc. The one battle memory he recounted was in Egypt when they were ordered to attack an Italian held fort. Ammunition was so limited that they couldn't afford to fire any before actually taking the fort. They used oil drums and other metal objects, bashing them with their rifles to make loud banging noises and after about half an hour the Italians raised a white flag and they took the fort without firing a shot. Is it true? I honestly don't know, but he told us that story many times and I believe it.
Sadly, Dad died in 1983 at the age of 70 and I still miss him now, but I have his memories and they are great. I dare say I will join him some day, but not for a good many years yet.
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