大象传媒

my late father private john jobbins joined the devonshire regirment on 27th december 1939 they embraked at cardiff they had to help clear up the harbour after a troop ship had been sunk on the way to the far east they stayed over at Cape Town a Titled Lady gave a party for all the soldiers . His CO was a film star who taught him about the stars. Dad fought at Imphal the captian treid to force the soldiers down the one rd straight in to the japs ambush one of the soldier was made a kings sergerant for been a coward and not getting up under shell fire . Dad said while they were resting up against a tree he thought a Ghuka had gone mad by pointing his rifle at dads head but above him was a Deadly Gater snake he was told to keep very still as one bite and that would be it. Dad hated the leeches and you had to dab them with a ciggaret thankful he was never caught which was another big fear.He than travelled to Metilka he was a mule leader and often spoke how they would lose them down the rivines with the food and medicine. Dad had marlara 11 times he often spoke about the beauty of the temples and of the Burmesse Girls . Dad went to Deli where he jumped out of the truck to move the sacred white cows the officer managed to stop him as there would have been a riot it delayed them for several hours . Dad was mentioned two in dispatches for bravery but the CO was blown up and the papers were losted. He travelled to Calutta where he said it was total fithly and were you died it were you laid no one bothered with them . He said about the mansoon and how quick the night came and then the japs would start calling out saying you die . Then in 1944 dad was a the seize of Kohmia which lasted several months it was fought over a tennis court it where the prayer comes from :- When you go home Tell of us and say For your tomorrow We gave our today. Dad was looking after a jap prisoner but he said the jap tried to kill them in a fight and he had to shoot him.Then the thousand mile march from Mandalay to Ragoon they were told not to pick up anything off the floor as it could be boobytrap but they had no water and no food and dad picked up a mouldy fig and eat it and get disatry and was put on a charge . on arriving in Ragoon they where in rags and had not seen a white woman in years they discovered a opened aired cinema and they had a shower and a shave and as they came to watch the film a officer told them to get this rabble out of here they nearly rioted but they lefted on August 15th dad and several of his friends were hurt when a Jap throw a grended into the group dad had his ear drums perfited and was taken to the hospital at the foot of the hymalayies and didnt arrive home till 1946 and all his kit was stolen on the ship. In 1977 dad received his four medals 1939 - 1945 star, 1939 - 1945 Burma Star , defence medal and 1939 - 1945 medal which he was highly proud to wear on Remembrance Day and V J day , first time he paraded was in Birmingham he couldnt find any Burma Vets so he paraded with the Dunkirk Vets . Second time around he found several Burma Vet they discovered they had been at the same places . Sadly dad never got to The Royal Albert Hall for the Festival of Rembrance so myself and my mom Dorothy represnted dad I am the holder of dads medals which I can only wear on Remberance Day I have to take all his call up papers and a army photo and I wear them on my right. We proudly went to the Alexander Stadium at Perry Bar many asked who we were repsending we heard many horrible stories from the P.O .W s one thing the paper did was to send a Jap photograper they nearly ripped him in half even my late father hated them for what they did to the prisoners. Last year we met a man who wrote a book on Burma and to our surprize the second chapter he spoke about my father who came from Sparkbrooke in Birmingham . We have represented dad several times and are proud to met any one who severed in the forgotten army . The Devonshires are know as a very rude swear word which nearly everyone who knows because of were they where.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.