RAOC Gazette - page 53
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1977 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1977 |
| Late date | 1977 |
| Transcription |
Corps! Cfje Journal of tfje &opal 9rtnp ©rtmarue Corps! anb &xmp ©ronante Sorbite*, atrti tfje <Pffirial ©rgan of tf)e 3^^[<S>C Stesfotiation W u m t 59, J&o. 2 gulp 1977 e&tomal THE role of ihe Corps, with notable exceptions, is to equip ?Pjse who fight but there are instances in history when Ord- na:ice men have taken up arms and fought the enemy them- selves. The battle of Kangla Tongbi was one of those instances. Kangla Tongbi, an insignificant village until then, is situated on the Imphal Dimapur road. It was during April 1944, when Japanese forces were advancing into India, that this small village came into prominence and became a special place for Ordnance personnel* 221 AOD was located in the area—its main function to stock r\rd issue arms and other stores to the troops defending the in\phal Base. On the night of the 5th/6th the Japanese forces, afwr over-running the forward defences, attacked the AOD. Apart from keeping up very heavy pressure that night, the enemy made a dawn attack from the hillside where a deep nullah was used as cover to approach the Depot. During the attack the Bren gun section sighted the enemy and opened fire; they withdrew leaving many dead. The Bren was manned by Havildar (Clerk) Basant Singh who was later awarded the Indian Distinguished Service Medal. During the ensuing fighting a series of counter attacks was launched repelling the enemy and causing many casualties; M ;jor J. P. M. Boyd, the DCOO, was awarded the Military Cross for his part in this action. What would have been the course of events, had 221 ABOD fallen one cannot predict, clearly it would have been a very serious setback at that critical time and it was the realisation of this that inspired these men to make the supreme sacrifice. In 1946, as a fitting symbol, a war memorial was erected at Kangla Tongbi. On the marble plaque of the memorial are inscribed the words "Triumphant over flesh and pain they Swd our day of peace to gain." It is in circumstances such as ih-.-ie- that the bond between our Corps and the Indian Army Ordnance Corps has been so strongly forged. During his visit, the Director of Ordnance Services (India), presented the Corps with a magnificent silver replica of the memorial. The visit and the presentation, is fully reported on pages 38 and 39, INDEX TO OTHER Notices Death of a Condor The Visit of the DOS India The Kangla Tongbi Memorial People in the News Travers Clarke Athletics Corps Skill-at-Arms Meeting Golf Army Parachute Championships Station News Home "Station News Abroad Association News Postings and Promotions PAGES 34 37 38 & 39 39 40 41&42 42&43 * 43 55 44 to 55 56 to 63 63 64 A story of W o r l d W a r Two, THE COVER PHOTOGRAPH " T R I U M P H A N T and determined members of 48 AMF(L) Company display their expertise at snow clear- ing in Norway, by swiftly clearing deep snow from the remains of a German wartime-aircraft." These were the headlines in a Norwegian newspaper which appeared whilst 48 AMF(L) Company was taking part in Exercise Hardfall 1977. Although the wreck had been lying on the Norwegian mountainside for thirty four years, the metal-work was still in good condition, with the original fuselage paintwork virtually intact. Private Jim West, not content with the find, marched off with a metal detector to search for the tail plane which was missing from the wreckage. Success came in what seemed to be very little time, he struck metal under several feet of hard-packed snow and soon after, amidst shouts of delight, a gleaming Swastika was revealed. Needless to say, the emblem has been carefully cut out and brought back to Devizes. The full story of the death of the giant Condor appears on page 37. |
| Book number | R0246 |