British & Indian Armour in Burma

[Jemima Fawr]

Some more Burma armour on the blog today: 254th Indian Tank Brigade at Imphal, 1944:

http://www.jemimafawr.co.uk/2020/09/30/the-forgotten-wargames-army-xivth-army-in-burma-part-7-254th-indian-tank-brigade-at-imphal-1944/

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

The Brigade badge looks like blood dripping off a railway track.

Presumably "YI" Sqdn of the Carabiniers was composed of Geordies.....

[Jemima Fawr]

The Brigade badge looks like blood dripping off a railway track.

Presumably "YI" Sqdn of the Carabiniers was composed of Geordies.....

'YL' - Yorks & Lancs (which is what they were before they became 150 RAC and then attached to the Carabiniers).  Yes, the brigade's motto was 'Blood on the Tracks', which is what there will be if you ever visit me in work...

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Y & L was one of the two regiments (the other being the Cameronians) that refused to be amalgamated in the 60s or 70s and chose disbandment instead.

[Eclaireur]

Presumably "YI" Sqdn of the Carabiniers was composed of Geordies.....

Baron - your wit and pith (forgive my lisp) may be wasted on many here, but I want you to know that there was at least one old campaigner who got it.
EC

[Jemima Fawr]

Baron - your wit and pith (forgive my lisp) may be wasted on many here, but I want you to know that there was at least one old campaigner who got it.
EC

Don't encourage him.

[Jemima Fawr]

Y & L was one of the two regiments (the other being the Cameronians) that refused to be amalgamated in the 60s or 70s and chose disbandment instead.

I never thought I would ever say this to you, but that's very interesting. 

(I expect it was better than becoming part of the Prince of Wales' & King's Own East & West Yorks & Lancs Light Green Wellingtons...)

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

(I expect it was better than becoming part of the Prince of Wales' & King's Own East & West Yorks & Lancs Light Green Wellingtons...)

You left out the [Princess Diana's Own] bit.....

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Baron - your wit and pith (forgive my lisp) may be wasted on many here, but I want you to know that there was at least one old campaigner who got it.
EC

Then it was all worthwhile, my dear chap.

[Jemima Fawr]

You left out the [Princess Diana's Own] bit.....

Which bit of Princess Diana...?! 

[Jemima Fawr]

I've added another post to complete the story of 254th Indian Tank Brigade in Burma.  I'm going to take a break from 'Jungle Green' for a little while, but I will go back to cover 255th Indian Tank Brigade and some other Burma stuff later:

http://www.jemimafawr.co.uk/2020/10/06/the-forgotten-wargames-army-xivth-army-in-burma-part-8-254th-indian-tank-brigade-on-the-road-to-mandalay-and-rangoon-1944-45/

[SirRoystonPapworth]

Mark, do these posts on your blog replace the pdf you used to publish on the Fire&Fury website?

Funnily enough, I have a copy of it next to me at the moment...

Tim

[Cubs]

Funny enough, my brother did his masters dissertation on the use of WW2 armour in the jungle, but I think he was more about tactical use than formations.

[Jemima Fawr]

Mark, do these posts on your blog replace the pdf you used to publish on the Fire&Fury website?

Funnily enough, I have a copy of it next to me at the moment...

Tim

This research supercedes what's in that pdf.  I am in the process of re-writing it at the moment, so for the time being go by the blog, not the pdf, which is wrong in quite a lot of areas.

Of course what I'm writing now is undoubtedly wrong in many areas and will be superceded by new research... 

[Jemima Fawr]

Funny enough, my brother did his masters dissertation on the use of WW2 armour in the jungle, but I think he was more about tactical use than formations.

I'll probably talk a little bit about Burma-specific tactical oddities in the next part.  The use of 'Forward Tank Officers' (FTOs) is particularly interesting.