M A R K F O R S D I K E
H I S T O R I A N A N D A U T H O R
THE BATTALION
From the middle of the Second Arakan campaign until after the Siege of Imphal had ended, Second Suffolk were continually in the front line, fighting the Japanese in both Burma and in India.
Nobody then, nor since paid much attention to their actions and precious little archive material survives from their service there. This was certainly the case in 1947 when the official history of Regiment was written, Second Suffolk had a mere 40 pages, where as their counterparts, First Suffolk, hand over 150
Below is a brief history of the Battalion's two commanders, its achievements, its Honours and Awards, and its losses.
COMMANDERS
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Hopking took Second Suffolk into action in Burma in 1943. He had been commissioned into the Regiment in 1920 and had cared passionately about the men under his command and he was held in high affection by his men.
He felt that he had been given insufficient time to reconnoiter the 'Pimple' and that with careful planning, his battalion would not have suffered as they did. He saw for himself the accidental bombardment of his men following the attack on the 'Pimple' and afterwards, he asked to be relived of his command.
His successor was Lieutenant-Colonel Ken Menneer, a pre-war officer of the 4th (Territorial) Battalion. He had commanded the newly created 7th Battalion in 1941, and later commanded the 1st Battalion in 1943, before Lieutenant-Colonel R.E. Goodwin assumed command. He was tasked with attacking 'Isaac' with armoured support and he was insistent that he needed time to make a plan before proceeding. He was granted this, and he succeeded in taking the position.
After he fell ill in August 1944, he was succeeded by Major E.G.W. Browne, who held command until they left Burma in March 1945. 'Gordon' Browne had been commissioned into the Regiment in 1936 and resigned in 1950.
Officers of the Battalion after they left the Imphal Front, March 1945
Bamboo Hiill - typical Arakan country in which the Battalion fought
LOSSES
Interspersed with regular patrolling, the Regiment's campaign was defined by four major actions with the enemy.
At 'Bamboo Hill' in Burma, after a determined four day battle, twenty men were killed. Later as they were flown to the Imphal front, the action to take 'Pimple' cost them a further twenty-five men killed. The gallant, but ill-fated attack on 'Pyramid' cost a further eighteen lives with the attack on 'Isaac' claiming a further ten men.
Total losses to the Battalion were ninety-seven all ranks between October 1943 and August 1944, but over 150 men were wounded during that time in action and many more succumbed to disease and had to spend long periods n hospital before recovering to return to the Battalion.
By the end of the Imphal campaign, the battalion suffered with the most appalling rates of illness which reduced their ranks to below fifty-per-cent of their fighting strength. It was because of this that they were removed from front line active service in their brigade.
RECOGNITION
The Battalion were not showered in medals, but they did achieve two Military Crosses with Bar, a further Military Cross, four Military Medals with eight Mention-in-Dispatches.
Captain's Edward Lee-Hunter and Peter Forrest won their first Military Crosses for actions whilst out patrolling and for the attack on 'Isaac' respectively. They were both awarded their Bars for earlier actions in Burma, but they received these awards after their first.
Corporal Robert Shanks was awarded his Military Medal for gallantry at 'Isaac' and Corporal Jack Peck for his gallantry on a guerilla platoon raid in May 1944.
The Batttalion Colours, 1945