THE SOUTH WALES
BORDER REGIMENT

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A History of the SWB complied by David Evans

SOUTH WALES BORDERERS

SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945 

SIXTH BATTALION 

The 6^th Battalion was raised in Glanusk Park, Breconshire, in July 1940. Almost none of its men had had any military training. It trained as an infantry regiment until April 1942, when it suddenly became a tank unit – 158 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (South Wales Borderers).  Psychiatrists weeded out those unsuitable for the new role. In this capacity the Battalion sailed for Bombay in October 1942, and trained in India as a tank regiment until March 1943, when it reconverted to infantry. 

It now trained as an amphibious assault unit and moved to Calcutta to attack Akyab. But this attack was cancelled and the Battalion was sent to Burma to fight as an ordinary infantry regiment in the Arakan. In spite of a chequered career and many disappointments it was now to prove its worth. 

BURMA 1944-45

MAYU TUNNELS 

There were only two roads through Arakan one had been designed as a railway and ran through a series of tunnels from Maungdaw to Buthidaung on the Mayu River. The Japanese were in control of this road and so could pass men and supplies quickly from one side of the Mayu hills to the other. The battalion arrived in the area on the 20^th March and its first objective was the capture of the two tunnels used by the Japanese for storage and gun emplacements. The enemy were subjected to three days of shelling and dive bombing and then “B” Company began a determined attack, which involved the taking of four enemy positions camouflaged in thick bamboo, which lay one after the other on a spur commanding the approach to the feature over the first tunnel. The battle developed into fierce hand to hand fighting in which “B” Company pressed on doggedly, Sergeant Woodhouse won a DCM for capturing an enemy post single-handed when its fire decimated his section. 

In two and half-hours “B” company drove back the enemy and established themselves over the first tunnel. The Japanese however remained in the tunnel underneath. Meanwhile “D” Company attacked a spur on the other side of the tunnel in support but failed to take its objective and suffered a number of casualties. This spur was named “Tredegar Hill”, for most of the men killed came from Tredegar in Monmouthshire. Earth from this hill now stands in a casket in the chambers of Tredegar Urban District Council. 

The next day a Sherman tank was brought up to fire into the mouth of the tunnel. The effect was spectacular - Bodies and debris were blown out of the other end of the tunnel and ammunition stored inside exploded and burned for hours. Next day the tunnel was occupied and aptly named ”24^th Tunnel”. The Japanese abandoned Tredegar hill without further fighting. For this action which cost the battalion eleven killed, Major Crew-Read commanding “B” Company was awarded an MC and an Indian water carrier who helped evacuate wounded received an MM. 

SAHMAW CHAUNG 

By July 1944, the Japanese army in Burma was being pressed from the East by the 14^th Army from MANIPUR, an American and Chinese force in the North and by the Chinese in YUNAN.  On the 4^th of July 1944, the battalion was sent to LEDO to reinforce the American Chinese forces operating in North Burma under General Stillwell. It was flown to the Myitkyina area and set off towards MOGAUNG, supplied by air, living on American rations and supported by Chinese Artillery. The Division had had to leave its transport behind for the duration of the monsoon; the battalion had only a few jeeps adapted to run on the railway line and eight mules. 

From MOGAUNG (on the Myitkyina – MANDALAY RANGOON Railway) the battalion began a nine month march, the first hundred miles of which lay down the railway which ran along a narrow corridor in thick jungle, in one of the worlds wettest and most unhealthy areas. 

The first battle was at SAHMAW CHAUNG. The Japanese held SAHMAW village and railway station.  The battalion task was to out flank a foothill known as Hill 60 and to capture a point to the west where a track forded the SAHMAW River. This would cut the Japanese line of retreat from the main attack. The battalion spent 36 hours in an assembly area, drenched by rain and hidden in long grass only a thousands yards from the enemy, and in the early morning of the 5^th August, they began the attack- ‘ A’ and ‘B’ Companies on the right flank,’C’ and ‘D’ on the left and ‘HQ’ in the centre. The advance was over flat ground with little cover except grass some time’s three feet ling. The Japanese were in strong positions in a chaung with steep banks running at right angles to the line of advance. They poured fire onto the centre column and Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Cresswell and his staff had to crawl unto a ditch only 30 yards from the enemy.  The flanking companies were held up by heavy fire and suffered many casualties. ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies reached their objective by a dint of hard fighting and a bayonet charge. ‘C’ Company ‘s leading section was wiped out except for its bren gunner who, with Lieutenant Harris and Sergeant Carr, attacked the enemy position, killing about 10 Japanese enabling the company to take cover, but they could advance no further. Colonel Cresswell and his staff crawled back some 600 hundred yards and then withdrew the left and centre columns who crawled back under cover of a smoke screen. 

The next day the Japanese positions were heavily shelled and ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies were able to occupy them without much opposition. 

The battle had been fought in intense heat and discomfort and its cost the battalion four officers and seventeen other ranks killed and fifty-eight wounded but it had achieved its purpose.  The Japanese line of retreat had been cut and three MC’s, one DCM and four MM’s had been gained into the bargain. 

After SAHMAW CHAUNG the battalion continued to advance in heavy rain. All supplies had to be dropped onto dropping zones. By the end of August, after 10 days of being wet night and day and sending out constant patrols, battalion strength from casualties and sickness had been reduced to about 350 men. 

PINWE 

In October, with the end of the monsoon the battalion was rejoined by its cooks and transport, artillery was brought up by road from India. Supplies were landed at airfields instead of being dropped from the air.

The battalion continued to advance down the railway corridor. Fighting innumerable small actions. Early in November it was moving down a track running parallel to the railway.  Around PINWE the Japanese decide to make a stand at GYOBIN CHAUANG the 24^th Regiment fought a five day battle with the Japanese 128^th Infantry Regiment.  

It began on 13^th November, when ‘A’ Company captured GYOBIN CHAUNG and  ’B’ Company passed through them. Finding the Japanese strongly entrenched the two companies consolidated their positions some 300 yards ahead of the rest of the battalion.  That night the Japanese established a block between these forward companies and the rest of the battalion. The following night they set up another block in the rear of the battalion ‘HQ’ box, thus cutting ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies off from the battalion and cutting the whole battalion’s supply line, except for a devious route through the jungle. ‘A’ and ’B’ Companies were frequently attacked and ran short of food, and medical supplies.  Battalion ‘HQ’ box was mortared and grenaded from two directions. Wounded could not be evacuated and water had to be carried through Japanese positions from a muddy patch a mile away in the jungle. ‘C’ Company finally fought its way through to ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies with supplies but failed to get back to the battalion box and had to remain with ‘B’ Company. Further attempts to reach companies from ‘HQ’ box failed.  In this crucial situation the companies were ordered to withdraw into the battalion box. This difficult operation was accomplished at night and with great skill without loss. The companies made their way through jungle around the Japanese block, carrying their wounded. On the 18^th, a small stream was discovered nearby and a way was found through the jungle to evacuate the wounded. Supplies however were still crucially short. An attack was therefore launched on the Japanese posts in the rear of the battalion ‘HQ’ box. This succeeded, but some enemy positions remained commanding the track and the supply trucks had to run the gauntlet of their fire. In the excitement the first truck has overshot the battalion box and almost reached the Japanese positions on the other side. The first truck was lost but fortunately was hit by a shell as the Japanese were driving it into their lines. but the second was gallantly retrieved under cover of an attack by a platoon of ‘B’ company and a smoke screen – it had 17 bullet holes in the front seat. 

Meanwhile all men armed with automatics launched an attack firing from the hip. They swept right up to the original ‘A’ and ‘B’ Company box killing some 50 Japanese. 

The following day the battalion was relieved. In two weeks of fighting it had suffered 157 casualties, but it had accounted for150 Japanese in killed alone. 

THE SHWELI   MYITSON 

“ At MYITSON the British 36^th Division will be annihilated” read captured Japanese documents. The battalion had left the railway corridor at its southern end, crossed the IRRAWADDY and moved down the east bank to MYITSON where the division had to cross the SHWELI River.  Three bridgeheads were established some distance apart from each other.  Across the river HQ 26^th Brigade and their transport moved into No 2 bridgehead. On the 14^th February 1945, a strong enemy attacked developed and ‘A’ Company was sent into the bridgehead to reinforce a company of the 9^th Royal Sussex Regiment until brigade HQ could be evacuated. The next day Tactical ‘HQ’ and part of ‘C’ Company joined them. In spite of heavy shelling and Japanese attacks on the perimeter, Brigade HQ was successfully evacuated. The Japanese continued to press the attack all day and managed to cut off ‘A’ Company who were subsequently ordered to disengage to the south. ‘HQ’ and ‘C’ Company and Royal Sussex gave no ground and the battalion mortars broke up the Japanese attack firing 3000 rounds in four hours, though two of its six mortars were permanently cooling off in the river. Casualties were heavy and had to be evacuated across the river at night. On the 17^th, the Japanese launched an attack at No. 1 Bridgehead at MYITSON and the battalion force at No. 2 crossing suffered much shelling, bombing and sniping. Finally orders were received for the force to withdraw at night, abandoning heavy equipment. This involved infiltrating north up the river to the ferry crossing at No. 3 Bridgehead. Passing between Japanese established on the sand bank in the river and the main enemy force on the banks, before joining ‘B’ Company who crossed by the ferry and established a bridgehead at No. 3 crossing.

The withdrawal was so successful that the force passed unchallenged between Japanese posts. In the week’s fighting the battalion had suffered 18 dead 40 wounded – but accounting for 40 Japanese killed and an unknown number of wounded. 

The Japanese failed to retake MYITSON and withdrew south, pursued by the battalion. Early in April the 24^th were flown from MORIGIONG to south of MANDALAY, which had fallen, in March.  They moved into the KUBYIN Forrest Hills to clear the Japanese fleeing towards Siam from the South Shan States. They fought their final battle of the war at MYITHA Gap in the last days of April 1945, and as usual acquitted themselves well. Early in May they made the long journey back to Poona. The battalion could recall with pride its 15 months of action in Burma in which it had covered some 5000 miles, most of it on foot. 

In July it joined the force being gathered at Bangalore for the invasion of Malaya. But with the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the Japanese surrendered on the 14^th of August, before this force was ready. The battalion sailed early in October for Belawan as part of the reoccupation army in Sumatra. Here it served as a guard of honour when the British and Dutch flags were broken. It then moved to Medan where it was occupied in disarming and evacuating the now fully co-operative Japanese, and in protecting the Dutch against Indonesian terrorists. This involved guard and escort duties, patrols and skirmishes with an enemy armed with anything from blowpipes and poisoned arrows to machine guns. 

The battalion was formally disbanded on the 15^th March. 1946, but in spite of this its remnants were still patrolling and raiding early in April. 

Locations of the Sixth Battalion 

 Commanding Officers, Sixth Battalion 

 South Wales Borderers Museum Fact Sheet

February 1998

 ANECDOTES 

Extracts taken from 

HISTORY

OF

The South Wales Borderes

And

The Monmouthshire Regiment

 Part V

The 6^th Battalion SWB

1940 – 1945

 Lieut. Colonel G.A. Brett,DSO,OBE,MC

FORWARD

By

Lieut. -General Sir Francis Festing K.C.B., K.B.E., D.S.O. 

I have great pleasure in writing this Forward to Part V of the Regimental History, which deals with the 6^th Battalion. This Battalion served under me throughout out the period that the 36^th Division was fighting against the Japanese in various parts of Burma. Throughout that time their achievements were distinguished and I have no hesitation whatsoever in saying that they were quite one of the most virile of units that I have ever had under my command and I shall always remember them with affection and gratitude. They took part in nearly all the toughest fighting that our Division experienced and their achievements were all splendid. 

I have read this account which gives, in my opinion, a most accurate and interesting picture of their story and I am sure that all who read it, and were their, will find it makes their day to day recollections live again. If I may be allowed to comment, I would only say that its modesty makes it an understatement of what they did. 

F.W.FESTING

Lt.- Gen.

Late Commander 36^th Division.

The Famous Umbrella 

“ It was on this stretch too that Colonel Cresswell’s umbrella first achieved fame. Near MOGAUNG the battalion spent a night in a concentration area which for sheer desolation was remarkable even for Burma. In pitiless, ceaseless rain they pitched their two-man bivouac tents on the side of a  “Hill”- a large pile of mud decorated with pathetic scrub.  At night the rain poured down more solidly than ever; dark brown rivers flowed under bivouacs and loosened the tent pegs to let a welter of sodden canvass down on the wretched occupants. That evening the C.O. called an Order Group just after dark, and the first officer to arrive at the RV was brought to a halt in astonishment at the sight of the usually lofty and dignified Colonel squatting Buddha – wise beneath an umbrella, which had been stuck upright in the mud, warming his hands over a burning “k” ration packet, and muttering unprintable incantations into the rain”. 

 The Shiny Ninth by Murray Gilllings

9^th Battalion The Royal Sussex Regiment. 

“ At Mogaung, where the spectral remains of wooden houses stood on stilts rising out of the water and mud, the dominant image still is of the C.O of the S.W.B., Col. Cresswell, standing on the wreaked bridge with upraised umbrella, seemly impervious to the rain. It seemed to be raining all day with minutes breaks for sunshine and heat.”

“ Sgt Eastwell of 72 Bde. HQ remembers that it was while the S.W.B. were under siege at GYOBUIN chaung, with food and ammunition running out, that the Japanese ran away with their ration truck under their very eyes. This insult to national pride was too much for the Welshmen. They suddenly went berserk, broke out, and slaughtered 50 Japanese with Bren guns and grenades. After the fall of Pinwe they recaptured the truck intact and found all the Japanese bunkers full of their blankets and littered with tins of British rations. They were not very keen on using the blankets again. It was one of the few occasions the 72 Bde. Gave anything to the enemy. But the most celebrated individual action was that of Lt Cave-Brown-Cave who led three consecutive bayonet charges against Japanese positions and returned with clothes and equipment riddles with bullet holes but otherwise unscathed. He was recommended for the V.C but it was turned down on the grounds that he hadn’t been wounded! But he did get the D.S.O and not many subalterns achieved that”.

Action connected with Hill 60

“ The action was linked with another surprise attack by the S.W.B on our left, and whilst both were fraught with danger, if one was postponed the other would have to be to. The other battalion fared worse than we did in the event as owing to the absolute restriction of noise (bayonets only to be used) they passed down the road knowing that the Japanese were watching them and led by their Colonel carrying an umbrella. When the Japanese did open fire casualties were suffered and the Colonel( Lt.Col. Cresswell) was missing for several days but eventually turned up, with umbrella.”

It is recommended that further reading  of  The Shiny Ninth by Murray Gillings

9^th Battalion The Royal Sussex Regiment 1940-1946  also

Cap of Honour 

(Chapter 22)  History of the Gloucestershire Regiment by David Scott Daniel.

HONOURS and AWARDS. 

D.S.O                    2                           American Awards 

O.B.E                    1                             Silver Star                  1   

M.B.E                    1                             Bronze Star                1 

M.C.                       6 

D.C.M                    4 

M.M                       17 

M. in D                   8 

Cert/Gallantry       7

ROLL of HONOUR 

With proud thanksgiving let us also remember 

“ They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old,

Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn.

 At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them “

Analysis of Battle Casualties 

                                                                   OFFICERS             O.R.s

 This brief history of the 6^th Battalion S.W.B in Burma and Sumatra is not simply a story of marches and battles. It is above all a story of people, of individual officers and men who came from all manner of jobs and professions at the beginning of a war and during the fighting of it. A story of men who made a small community travelling together through the heat and dust of India, the rain, mud diseases and smells of Burma. Men who were wielded into a very efficient fighting machine, but who inspite of first class discipline and team spirit retained their individuality.  

These articles have been gathered from various sources - the Salvation Army's 'War Cry' - the Dekho! (the magazine of the Burma Star Association) and freely available museum sheets from the South West Borderers Regimental Museum.

David. C. Evans. 10.02.2001