RARE DUTCH EAST INDIES MBE WW2 BRITISH ARMY CHAPLAINS MEDALS REVEREND FORDHAM BURMA

Offered is a rare 'Dutch East Indies' M.B.E. awarded to Chaplain to the Forces The Rev. J. C. H. A. Fordham, Royal Army Chaplains Department

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member's 2nd type breast Badge, silver; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals (1939-45), the Second War campaign awards all privately engraved 'Rev. J. C. H. A. Fordham'; General Service Medal (1918-62), with clasp S. E. ASIA 1945-46, impressed named THE REV. J.C.H.A. FORDHAM. C.F.4. R.A. CH.D.; Efficiency Decoration, (E.II.R.), with TERRITORIAL clasp & reverse dated '1961'. Court mounted for display. Comes with copies of the medal roll, Army lists, London Gazette & newspaper articles.

M.B.E. London Gazette 26/6/1947.

Citation reads: "His work done for the welfare, both spiritually and materially of the Regiment was beyond all praise. At all times he showed patience, cheerfulness and sympathetic understanding towards the personal problems of the men and his sincerity reached a standard none surpassed".

Captain James Charles Horace Adcock Fordham was born on the 29/11/1911 in Durham. Pre war he was an evangelist with the Church Army (C of E). In January 1941 he was a Theological Student and was the Curate at Holy Trinity, Blackpool for three years before becoming a Chaplain with the Army.

He was commissioned as a Chaplain to the Armed Forces 4/5/1944 (service number 313431) and served as a Chaplain with the 178^th Assault Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (178th Field Regiment R.A. India and Burma with the 36th Division and with the 23rd Indian Division for Malaya and Java).

While the Fourteenth Army fought the Battle of the Rangoon Road, 36th Division cleared the area east of Meiktila, supplied by road from the Mandalay airhead and by supply drops to the forward troops by US Tenth Air Force. However, the difficulty of supplying and reinforcing British formations in Central Burma meant that 36th Division was selected to be flown out before the onset of the Monsoon and the withdrawal of US aircraft to China. On 5 May 1945, the 178th Assault Feld Regiment was flown to Imphal, and then moved to the rest areas round Poona, arriving on 15 May. From there it moved to Malaya to take the Japanese surrender.

23rd Division's stay in Malaya was brief because it was required in Java in the Netherlands East Indies. The British and Indian troops were only expected to take the Japanese surrenders and coordinate the repatriation of Prisoners of War. However, an independent state had been declared and there was a state of civil war between the nationalists and the Dutch colonial forces. An Allied Occupation became necessary. The first British battalion to land at Batavia had to deal with looting, arson and riots. On 3 October it was joined by 1st Indian Brigade Group, including?178th Assault Fd Rgt. The gunners took over guarding internment camps, the airfield and the dock area. The brigade was soon fully occupied in trying to maintain order in the face of looting and murders, and reinforcements had to be sent. British and Indian troops were engaged in serious actions across the island and suffered considerable casualties, while the released prisoners, internees and refugees were collected at Batavia where they could be protected. By early 1946 the situation was quieter and evacuation of Japanese troops and displaced persons continued, but armed clashes still occurred. The whole of 23rd Division was moved to the Bandoeng/Buitenzorg area in February to deal with a reported build-up of extremists in the area. Because of raids on the roads, convoy protection required tanks and 25-pounders fighting pitched battles, and the division and the internees had to be supplied by air. The Royal Netherlands Army arrived in March to take over responsibility, but 23rd Division was retained in west Java until the autumn while evacuation of internees continued.

23rd Division began to withdraw from Java in stages in the autumn. Regimental HQ of 178th Assault Fd Rgt disbanded at Batavia on 30 November 1946.

By 1947 he was back in England as the Vicar of Emmanuel Church, Preston. Post war remained serving with the Territorial Army and features regularly in newspaper report. He died in 1993 at Preston.