Burma Star Association - B.C. Chapter
Recollections of Harry Wilkinson
I served with the 46 th. Comp. Pioneer Corps helping to clean up in London, England during the Blitz days from September to November 1940.
Our unit was then sent to Taunton, Somerset in the UK to set up anti-tank traps etc. From here I got posted to Tidworth with the rank of sergeant where the unit worked at the ordinance depot.
I was recommended for a commission in the Indian Army and sailed for India on December 8, 1941. I passed at O.C.T.U. in Dehra Dun Indian Military Academy and was posted to 9/15 Punjab Regiment outside of Calcutta in April 1942. There I was put in command of an armoured train from October 1942 to January 1943. This was during Gandhi’s “Quit India Campaign”. The troops involved were both Hindu’s and Muslim’s.
My next move was to the Arakan, Burma, in January 1943 where I was Brigade Orderly Officer of the 71 st. Indian Brigade until the 9/15th was posted to Kohat in India in July 1943.
While I was with the 71 st. Indian Brigade in the Arakan I had the privilege of meeting Major Charles Hoey, V.C. and M.C. and we became good friends. He always treated me with great respect compared to some officers in other units.
One night I was on duty when Charles Hoey and his Company (1st. Lincolnshire Regiment) made a night time raid on Maung Daw. For this he was awarded the Military Cross. He gave me a Japanese mail bag which his company had found, to look after during the early hours.
While I was in Kohat I was sent to a jungle training outfit and posted to Burma Army Control in Jollundar then sent back to Burma as a ‘volunteer’. Here I joined the Chin Hills Battalion, a long range penetrating group. We operated west of the Irrawaddy and our supplies were dropped by air.
We had orders to link up with the 1/11 Sikh Battalion. After contacting them we carried on to Minbu and Magwe and eventually Meiktila. I left our unit, composed mainly of Chins and Gurkhas, and sailed for England on December 13, 1946.
My ‘demob’ was January 1947 after which I emigrated to Canada in July 1947 where I joined the British Columbia Branch of the Burma Star Association in July 1991.