Thomas Allan Walls
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
British and Indian troops were sent from India to reinforce the small and scattered units in Burma, including the 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, who were moved from Peshawar, on the North West frontier of India, by train and ship to Rangoon.
They arrived on 14th February and were deployed on the far side of the Sittang River on 20th February to reinforce 17th Indian Division who were facing overwhelming odds in holding the Japanese advance. The Sittang was a fast flowing river 600 - 1000 yards wide, crossed by a railway bridge which had been adapted to carry vehicles, and was the Divisional withdrawal route. By the 22nd the Divisional Commander decided that he had little choice but to order the demolition of the bridge. This was blown in darkness under heavy fire and was only partially demolished leaving two thirds of his Division on the far side. The remnants of 2nd Duke of Wellington’s Regiment and 1st/3rd Gurkha Rifles on the far side were able to re-secure the bridgehead to allow many members of the Division to continue to cross the river by ropes attached to the bridge. Many others swam or used rafts.
By the end of the battle the equivalent of one brigade had been lost, either killed, drowned or taken prisoner.
Son of John Anthony and Lavinia Walls
Commonwealth War Graves Commission