drailton Posted 8 September , 2012 Share Posted 8 September , 2012 Sometime during the war there was a plan to attack from India. Troops were sent out from Britian around the Cape but I dont think it was followed through. Can anyone tell me anything about this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushfighter Posted 8 September , 2012 Share Posted 8 September , 2012 The only front that I can think of is Mesopotamia - resourced from India. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drailton Posted 8 September , 2012 Author Share Posted 8 September , 2012 I have my grandfather's diary of the voyage. Many of the troops did not make it falling victim to tropical diseases on the way. My grandfather got malaria. Unfortunately he died before I was old enough to ask him about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 8 September , 2012 Share Posted 8 September , 2012 If you can give us some details of your grandfather we might be able to help. As Harry says, the campaign in mesopotamia was resourced from India, but other Indian formations and units were sent to other theatres. "attack from India" is a bit vague, to be fair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tn.drummond Posted 8 September , 2012 Share Posted 8 September , 2012 Sometime during the war there was a plan to attack from India. Troops were sent out from Britian around the Cape but I dont think it was followed through. Can anyone tell me anything about this? There were many plans to attack India, obviously driven by the Germans - through Afghanistan, British Baluchistan and Burma to name but three - but I am not aware of a reciprocal offensive aside from defensive border excursions. Britain was very conscious of Persian and Afghan independence (albeit through a rather shameless concordant with Russia) which, whilst not limiting localised confrontations with Turco-Germano and even Swedish nationals, did exclude major interventions. Will be very gladly proved wrong as this is an area of ever increasing interest to me. Regards Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drailton Posted 8 September , 2012 Author Share Posted 8 September , 2012 Thanks for the replies - I will now contact the archivist at the Cheshire Regiment Museum in Chester to see if he can help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 8 September , 2012 Share Posted 8 September , 2012 So is there a connection to the Cheshire Regiment with your enquiry? If you provide us with what you know you may well find we can assist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drailton Posted 8 September , 2012 Author Share Posted 8 September , 2012 All I can tell you about my grandfather is that he was 596781 L/Cpl James Arthur Railton of 4th ® Battalion Cheshire Regiment, born Liverpool 11 July 1886, enlisted 27.11.1915, discharged 01.04.1919. He told us that the Battalion/Regiment were shipped to India via the Cape for a planned attack from there which never happened. He also said that many of the troops on board fell victim to tropical diseases. He caught malaria. Other than that I know no more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tn.drummond Posted 8 September , 2012 Share Posted 8 September , 2012 1/4th Cheshires served at Gallipoli and Egypt but I think that's as far east as any Cheshire Btn got. Intrigued by this - any more details more than welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 9 September , 2012 Share Posted 9 September , 2012 Well, to be fair, the 2/4th got to Bedford, which is reasonably east. Seriously, though, it needs someone to look at medal cards and see what L Cpl Railton's record was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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