WW2 BURMA & INDONESIA MEDAL GROUP PTE STORER 6 BATTALION SOUTH WALES BORDERER

Offered is a 1939 Star, Burma Star, Defence and War Medals (1939 -45), General Service Medal (1918) with clasp S.E. ASIA 1945 – 46., impressed named 396690 PTE. W. STORER. S.W.B. WW2 medals un named as issued. Court mounted for display. Comes with copy medal roll and basic research.

The Battalion was raised in Glanusk Park, Breconshire, in July 1940. It trained as an Infantry Battalion until April 1942, when it suddenly became a tank unit – 158th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (The South Wales Borderers). The Battalion sailed for Bombay October 1942, and trained in India as a Tank Regiment until March 43, when it was re converted back to Infantry. It was then trained as an amphibious assault unit and moved to Calcutta to attack Akyab. The attack was cancelled and the Battalion was sent to Burma to fight as an Infantry Battalion in the Arakan.

They fought their final battle of the war at Myitha Gap April 1945. Early in May 45 they made the long journey back to Poona. In the 15 months of action in Burma, the Battalion covered some 5,000 miles, mostly on foot.

In July is was part of the force gathered for the invasion of Malaya, but the dropping of the atomic bombs occurred before they were deployed. It then sailed in October 45 for Belawan as part of the re occupation of Sumatra. It served as a guard of honour for the raising of the English and Dutch flags. From there it 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 poison arrows to machine guns.

The Battalion was formally disbanded on the 15/3/46 but remnants of the unit were still conducting patrols and raiding as late as April.

In Indonesia, British forces were also used to occupy the country allowing the Dutch to return and take control. Here the fighting was just as fierce as British and Indian troops suffered nearly a thousand dead and many more wounded. The Japanese troops who fought alongside them also had some 1 thousand killed. The 23rd Indian Division, took heavier casualties in just over 12 months in Indonesia than they did in over 4 years fighting the Japanese in Burma. It is recorded in their official history ‘As remarkable as it was unwelcome. we had for a time to order the japs to fight with us, an event hushed up at home.

A remarkable medal group covering the erratic immediately post war period where the previous Japanese foe became a type of 'in country' police ally.