- Contributed by听
- janhewett
- People in story:听
- Reginald Kirk
- Location of story:听
- Nunshigum Hill, Burma
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A8921973
- Contributed on:听
- 28 January 2006
鈥淭his story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Jan Hewett, a volunteer from 大象传媒 Three Counties Action at The British Legion on behalf of Reginald Kirk and has been added to this site with his/her permission. The person fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.鈥
Name: Reginald Kirk.
Location Burma 鈥擜 Hill called Nunshigum
Title: Demotion to Live.
By this time I was a CPL (Corporal) and a Tank Commander. One day I was with a large group of mixed squaddies, which included sergeants and at least a couple of Sergeant Majors. The group was smoking, chatting and waiting for the squadron officer to come with our orders for the day. As the Squadron officer and his colleagues approached I put my cigarette out, but waited for a senior sergeant major or senior sergeant to call the group to attention, but no one did. Our Squadron Major came across to me and pulled me up for not calling the group to attention. Later that day I was called before him to answer to the incident. My reasons were not accepted and I was stripped of my CPL stripes and sent from my own 鈥淏鈥 squadron over to 鈥淐鈥 squadron. Obviously I lost my position as Tank Commander.
Later in the week I learnt that my own Troop 4 Tank Commander had been killed by Jap snipers on steep slopes of the hill called Nunshigum. Tank Commanders were obliged to stand in open turrets because of the steep slopes. They attempted to throw hand grenades from the turret position, but it was this open position that enabled the Jap snipers to cause such casualties. When I heard the news, knowing I could have been one of those killed, I was so confused. Even now I am confused. I was so lucky but I felt guilt that I had not been killed. So many of my pals had gone. We used to be small families. Seven men in a tank crew. Four tanks in a troop, who lived, slept, had our meals. Everything we did as a team. I can鈥檛 remember how long it was before I was transferred back to my own squadron because of the loss of men from 鈥淏鈥 squadron, but I was transferred back and given the job of 35mm turret gunner with some strangers. This made my feelings very deep. So now I have these thoughts and still wonder. 鈥 I am lucky.
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