Robson-Leslie

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

3775210

Private

Leslie Robson

Born 1919/10/09, Birkenhead, Cheshire

Son of Alexander Walter and Hilda Mclellane

The King’s Regiment (Liverpool)

13th Battalion

Service

The 13th Battalion, King's Regiment, was raised in October 1940 for coastal defence in England and assigned to the 208th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home). The battalion sailed for India in December 1941, coinciding with Japan's entrance into the war. Intended for internal security and garrison duties, the 13th's strength contained many men categorised as old or of a medically downgraded condition with the result that few men were well trained. After Japan occupied Burma in 1942, the Allies formed a unit intended to penetrate deep behind Japanese lines from India. The 13th King's provided the majority of the British contingent for the "Chindits", which was formally designated as the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade and commanded by Brigadier Orde Wingate.

The Chindits

Early in 1942, Field-Marshal Wavell requested the services of Lieutenant-Colonel 0. C. Wingate (who had served in the Abyssinian campaign), to organise guerrilla activity in Burma. A scheme was produced by Wingate for a long-range penetration group which should function behind the Japanese lines, being supplied by air. He was given command of a brigade formed of the 13th Battalion, The King's Regiment, the 3rd/2nd Gurkha Rifles, the 142nd Commando Coy., and the 2nd Bn. The Burma Rifles. After training, it was decided to use this 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in Upper Burma to cut Japanese lines of communication between Mandalay and Myitkyina, and if possible to cross the Irrawaddy and cut the railway line from Maymyo to Lashio.

The brigade was organised in seven columns, and began its move on 8th February, 1943. The main body crossed the Chindwin without opposition by 18th February, and went on to the Myitkyina railway, where it successfully cut the track in no fewer than seventy places. Brigadier Wingate decided to go on over the Irrawaddy, and that river was crossed by the various widely separated columns (of which two, however, had fallen out at an early stage) between 9th and 18th March.

Across the Irrawaddy, the brigade ran into difficulties. There were more Japanese in the district than had been expected, so that the dropping of supplies was difficult to arrange. The health of men and animals deteriorated. Finally, it was decided to abandon hope of cutting the railway to Lashio, and to return to India. A first attempt to re-cross the Irrawaddy at Inywa, south of Katha, was discovered by the Japanese; the columns were obliged to break up into smaller dispersal groups, which crossed the river independently over a wide front and made their way back to India by very varied routes - one group reaching Paoshan in China and being flown back to India. The majority of the force had regained India by the first week of June.

Although about one-third of the total number that entered Burma was lost, valuable experience was gained of Japanese methods, of jungle warfare, and of the possibilities of air supply, and the Japanese were undoubtedly puzzled and harassed by the activities of the Chindits - a name derived from the "chinthe," the guardian lion of Burmese temples, which the force adopted as a badge.

Leslie was captured in Burma when the Chindits were discovered by the Japanese while trying to re-cross the Irrawaddy at Inywa, south of Katha.

Japanese PoW

1943/04/01 - Captured Burma

PoW No. VI-337

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Jpanese Index Card - Side Two

New PoW No. IV-9298

1944, April - Transported to Rangoon Jail

The Rangoon Jail layout shows how the PoWs were guarded.

Contents of Blocks

1 - Chinese (Air Raid shelter was underneath this block and reinforced). Also in 1945, 50-60 Japanese soldiers well equipped, recently arrived from Japan.

2- Indians

3 - British

4 - -

5 - Solitary Confinement

6 - British, Dominion and Americans

7 - Indians

8 - RAF and USAAF Personnel after release from Solitary Confinement Sentries

There was no hospital but a separate room was set aside for the sick. The sentries were changed every hour, at the hour, and comprised :- Guard Commander, Charge Master, Duty NCO and 6 others. There were no searchlights, but until November 1943 the ordinary standard lamps were used. There was no wire nor were there any dogs to assist in guarding. A light M.G. was on top of the guardroom for a short time and then removed; later it reappeared in the last month.

The activities of the officers were divided between organising and being in charge of the working parties on the one hand, and on the other, administering as far as practicable the camp and PoWs within the limits set by the Japanese.

The working parties varied in numbers, each one usually with an officer PoW in charge. Every man who was able to stand up was made to work. The tasks included docking, bomb disposal, trench digging, making A.A. and S/L positions and building bomb shelters. There was one instance of a shelter 18 ft deep with 30 ft of earth on top including 4 to 5 layers of timber. The hours of work were from 0900 hours to 1330 hours, and from 1430 hours until at the whim of the Japanese guard, he considered they had done enough, which might be 1900 or 2030 hours. Night work was carried out at the docks unloading petrol, rice and bombs.

The first reaction of the Japanese prison authorities to the Allied advance towards Rangoon was a request in the jail on 23rd April 1945 for a working party of 200 to be ready to move at short notice. Nothing further happened until 25th April when immediately after roll call the cook-house was warned to prepare three meals for each of a party of 250 men by 1300 hours. Orders were Also given for a list of all fit men to be prepared, and Japanese kit was issued. A conference was called of Block Commanders and they were informed by the Commandant of the jail that all fit British and American PoWs were to leave the jail at 1600 hours that day.

In fact just undery 400 eventual1y left including Brigadier Hobson, the senior British Officer, under an escort comanded by the Jail Commandant. They were marched along the main road past Ledaunggan towards Pegu.

There were left behind approximately 120 white PoWs, some sick and some not strong enough to undertake the march.

On reaching Pegu the party turned North East along the railway track towards Waw. They arrived at a place afterwards discovered to be Naung Pattaya QG0413, by the PoWs who found some railway tickets which indicated it’s name. This place was reached on 29th April 1945 by the majority of the party who had originally set out. Some 30 to 40 PoWs had, however, escaped or made off into the jungle.

Towards the evening of 29th April 1945, a large Japanese staff car appeared and an officer got out and conferred with the Comnandant of the Jails, after which the former returned to his car end drove off. The Commandant then sent for Brigadier Hobson who later returned to inform the PoWs that they were free. Evidently the Allied advance had been too swift for the Japanese to carry out their plan of moving the PoWs. W here it was their intention to move is not known. One series of rumours suggests Moulmein, and another, a camp in Siam (Thailand).

At his interview with the Commandant, Brigadier Hobson was handed a document signed by the Commandant on behalf of the Emperor of Japan, stating that the PoWs had been freed, and requesting that safe conduct should be given to them.

Some time was spent in and around the railway station and the area was bombed and strafed by Allied aircraft. Brigadier Hobson, who had taken shelter and escaped the bombing was killed however during a strafing attack.

Shortly after, an Allied column made contact with the liberated PoWs and arrangements were made for them to be flown out to hospitals in India.

1945/04/29 - Leslie was Liberated Naung Pattaya Railway Station