Soldiers Re-union
On the morning of January 15th 1942, a group of
young men from the Manchester area some from Ancoats and Miles Platting, boarded
a train which took them to a military training camp in Yorkshire. There they
completed three months initial and intensive training. After which they became
soldiers in the “South Lancashire Regiment”.
On the morning of January 15th 2002, I boarded a bus and travelled to New Cross in Manchester, from there I went into the “Edinburgh Castle” pub in Blossom Street, where I met a gentleman called Arthur Wozencroft.
Arthur had organised a re-union for some of the men who had gone along with him on that day in 1942 to Yorkshire, he said that friends made during army training days became life long mates regardless of what came after training.
The Regiment was sent to India and later transferred to clear the Japanese army out of Burma, they were split up and sent to various other Regiments. They all saw action at either Kohima or Imphal.
I asked if anyone was a “Chindit” a gentleman called Albert Volkirk was pointed out to me. Albert told me some of the terrible conditions which our soldiers had to endure, they were literally facing two adversaries, Japanese and Jungle! For every five men two were stricken with fever or jungle diseases. Supplies of ammunition, food and medical items had to be dropped by parachute and carried on mules, due to the “Chindits” operating behind enemy lines that was the only way to get supplies.
Before I left, I witnessed the tributes to their old
friends who are no longer with us, I felt humbled and privileged to be among
this group of men who’s feelings and respect for their fellow human beings
is still evident and who’s calibre is becoming a rarity.
