大象传媒

My father rarely spoke of his army service and war time experiences and only recently (some years after his death) have I been able to piece together some information.

Dad enlisted in the Regular Army in 1935 for 3 years. He was transferred to the Army Reserve in 1938 and was recalled in 1939. He served as part of the BEF in France between Sept 1939 and May 1940 and was evacuated form Dunkirk. As best I can understand, his regiment was based in the UK between 1940 and 1942 re-equipping and training on new guns as they had lost all their artillery in France.

In May 1942 he was sent to India and finished his war service in Burma in 1945.

I recently found a piece of note paper on which my dad made diary notes.The paper is headed 'On the Road to Mandalay' and have below (as best as I can decipher) documented his notes that cover the period 16th October to 26th December 1944.

See also:
Diary of Cyril Kirk 1,2, last few months in Burma and part 3 home on the Duchess of Richmond.
Cyril and Winfred Kirk ~ A war time wedding.

'On the road to Madalay'
Submitted by David Kirk (son)

16th October 1944
Regt joined DTP at Monah where DTP had been encamped for two months. (nr. Tauren) 11 EA Div

Tues 17th October
Regt started 鈥榯rek鈥�! RHQ 1/3 5/22 DTP in rear 12 miles fairly good road. After which guns and vehicles got bogged (E sub got through) in marshy forest. DTP passed CTP.Bty encamped scattered over 1 mile!
Next few days characterised by forced pace trying to achieve to great a distance consequence was that last guns were struggling 鈥︹�� in rear in churned up track to make Bty hide in darkness.
Travelling and working from 0700hrs to 1400hrs. on bad days we only did 11/2 miles.
Bread disappeared and we got into air drop region.
Clear cool streams which were frequent provided the only diversion to a horrible time.

24 鈥� 27th October
Period of rest. LAD caught up. Camp fires soft music and lights!

28th October
Regt moved off again. DTP leading. DTP arrived at hide at 11am and were ordered forward but cancelled owing to guns not being calibrated. CTP took 鈥�. Targets were close. Road Block.
CTP in action for 3 days did not fire.

1st November
Regt moved forward and congregated at regimental hide. DTP leading. E tractor goes to CTP.
G sub broke steering box remained on road outside hide.

Next day Regt moved off 2 guns DTP remained and waited for other two next day 1200hrs. GD and 4 guns moved on. E sub controlled tractor stuck and repaired same day.
Troop joined regt 4/11/44

Thurs 2/11/44
BHQ and CTP moved forward into action. DTP arrived at hide 1530hrs and were ordered fwd into action because CTP were stuck. E sub and GD only got 鈥� arriving on gun position at about 2000hrs in darkness!

Friday 3/11
0600 E Sub into action
0700 F and H arrived
1730hrs 25lbs shelled
Quiet night.

Sat 4/11
Dawn patrol under Sgt Kirk
Intermittent shelling by Jap
1930 small arms fire to left front.
Twenty minutes later SA fire to front and much nearer.
鈥� Jap patrol visited survey Bty. SA firing all night.

Sunday 5/11/44
2100hrs Jap jitter patrol tour defended arrears again. Again all night SA
also fire from single Jap Rifleman who came close in. No stand to.

Mon 6
Nothing of particular interest. Jap patrol reported in chau鈥� 100 to left.
Quiet night.

Tue 7
Nothing of partic interest.

Wed 8
0930hrs Jap air strike by 12 zero appeared out of cloud. No warning. Caught Dekotas dropping
Shot down 4. Dropped anti personnel bombs 鈥� slightly wounded. 6 AA gunners wounded.
One bomb in F gun Rit
Strike lasted twenty minutes approx.
15.30hrs another duffing by zeros about 9. No casualties to regt. Caught Dekotas dropping again. Still with no escort.
Quiet night.

Thurs 9 Nov
All Brems manual. Battle conference nothing much

Frid 10
Guns move to rear to register targets. Return at night

Sat 11
Fire plan not needed. Features mutt and geff occupied by 11 EA

Sund 12
Moved to fwd posin. Saw graves of 25 pound personnel felled in shelling 3/11/44. Frequent shelling by Jap about 1000 yds front of posn

Mond 13
1600hrs 鈥渇lap鈥� Safire soon after Africans seen rushing back along road and jeeps darting back at 40mph. Bty 鈥渟tand to鈥�. Inform fwd troops attacked.

Tues 14 Nov
MG RA visit

Wed 15/
MF tasks all night 鈥� 鈥榪uiet night鈥�

Thurs 16
-

Frid 17
Nothing partic HF fire bombards etc. I went on leave.

Wed 20 Dec
I rejoined at Ghimdivin before orders to move

Thurs 21
In hide all day. EFM told would not cross. Bedded down for night. Po del Fuce..drive

Frid 22 0515 Roused by beach master. E sub ordered on to ferry.
Went down Chindwin a really lovely sight so early dawn broke.
Harboured and left for main hide at about 1500hrs. Good journey then quite dusk when we.
Arrived. Found 1/3 already established with decorated dining hall ready for xmas.

Sat 23 Christmas for us. 2 bottles Beer per man. 鈥淢ild conviviality鈥�!!

Sun 24
On Xmas Day Coffee and Rum. Brought round by sgts
8.30 breakfast. extra porridge sausage bacon and beans.
12.15 Sgt entertained by officers. I had my lot.
1300 Dinner (did not have any) 2 sausages, fritter. Peas Xmas pud rum sauce and apples.
2 bottles beer. Nuts sweets biscuits. Soapy spoke. Speeches also by BC lt Gilbert Sgt Robinson.
200 I filed away aided by Robbo.

Mon 25/12
1830 Rum and bacon
2130 5/22 started on move to Pyingaing 37 miles
All night journey through hellish country and downhill tracks with winding bends and steep drop on nr side. Bch Hydi driving No 1. I was trying to sleep. Woke up we were stuck in soft and had to take over.
Got into hide 0500 hrs 26th Dec.
H and F got there two hrs later.

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