Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps

[michaeldr]

I wonder if it is possible that there has been an transcription error here?

I cannot help with regards to the 98th

however the 89th Punjabis did indeed serve at Gallipoli

Good luck with your researches

Michael

[Guest]

Michael - I think you are right. The 98th were plain 98th Infantry and the 89th were the 89th Punjabis. ...all part of the 1903 reorganisation of the Indian Army. MG

[Guest]

Good evening all,

My grand uncle, James Devane, was in the Ceylon Civil Service at the outbreak of WW1. I have just discovered his medal card where he is listed as serving with, what looks like, "calle coy" Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps, attached 98th Punjabis. His medal card clearly indicatesTofW as "France" 1914 - 1915 and then Ceylon. Through another sources, I know he was back in Columbo in 1915 working as a Special Commissioner. He was invalided out in January 1918. His service in France, I thought the CPRC, went to either Suez or Gallipoli, strikes me as odd and what were the 98th Punjabis?

I suspect the "calle coy" is in fact the Galle Coy i.e. the Company based in Galle in the South-West of Ceylon. MG

[ShirlD]

I have been following this thread with great interest, as more members of Chris' family appear in unexpected places!

We have found 2 cousins of his dad who were tea planters in Ceylon. It has taken me quite a while, but have found that one cousin was

Trooper Durrant CC, 370

Ceylon Mounted Rifles

I have not been able to find any Medal Card, or other information at this stage. If anyone has any leads for me to follow, I would be delighted.

Cheers

Shirley

[Guest]

I have been following this thread with great interest, as more members of Chris' family appear in unexpected places!

We have found 2 cousins of his dad who were tea planters in Ceylon. It has taken me quite a while, but have found that one cousin was

Trooper Durrant CC, 370

Ceylon Mounted Rifles

I have not been able to find any Medal Card, or other information at this stage. If anyone has any leads for me to follow, I would be delighted.

Cheers

Shirley

There is a MIC for a Lt C Durrant, 94th Russell's Infantry, Indian Army.... is it possible that he was Commissioned and transferred to this unit? The Ceylon Mounted Rifles had rather a large proportion of its soldiers commissioned and sent to other regiments. MG

[ShirlD]

Thanks for that Martin, it has to be possible, we have a photo of him at the Sutton estate in Ceylon, March 1918.

It is an interesting search, as Chris' dad Oliver went out to plant rubber with these cousins (we presume) in 1914, war was declared so he sailed straight back and was commissioned into the 6 East Lancs. After being wounded and sick with typhus in Mesopotamia, he recuperated in Ceylon, then joined the Baluch Regiment and went to Palestine.

Have only just found out that he had 2 cousins who were tea planters, and it begins to fall into place.

Thanks again, will keep searching.

Cheers

Shirley

[Guest]

Thanks for that Martin, it has to be possible, we have a photo of him at the Sutton estate in Ceylon, March 1918.

It is an interesting search, as Chris' dad Oliver went out to plant rubber with these cousins (we presume) in 1914, war was declared so he sailed straight back and was commissioned into the 6 East Lancs. After being wounded and sick with typhus in Mesopotamia, he recuperated in Ceylon, then joined the Baluch Regiment and went to Palestine.

Have only just found out that he had 2 cousins who were tea planters, and it begins to fall into place.

Thanks again, will keep searching.

Cheers

Shirley

One of the easiest ways of searching/confirming an Officer's service is to look them up in the Army List - assuming you have approximate dates. They were published on a regular basis (monthly, then later quarterly) and fairly up-to date. I have found searching Ancestry or The National Archives sometimes can be difficult because of the plethora of transposition and typographical errors on the modern data. One single letter changed in a name can make it rather difficult. There are tricks to searching the databases but it is an arcane skill. I have found the Army List to be an excellent source confirming exact name spellings, service, service history etc when transcribing war diaries from (sometimes) barely legible handwritten script.

The Army List does list the Indian Army too, although many IA Officers on furlough in the UK in Aug 1914 were kept in the UK and pressed into service, typically with the newly raised British Service Battalions of Kitchener's Army to provide some 'stiffening' of the Officer ranks with men who had experienced regular service - the 8th (Service) Bn Northumberland Fusiliers had 3 Officers from the 25th Punjabis and one from the 126th Baluch regiment when they went to war in 1915 for example (one of the first Kitchener battalions to take part in a general attack - Suvla Bay, gallipoli 1915)....which meant that the 26th Punjabis and the 126th Baluch Regt had to find replacements in this example, so it is not surprising that locally available men (i.e. men already in 'India') serving with a variety of volunteer corps such as the Ceylon Planters Rifles were drafted into the regular Indian Army to back-fill the gaps in their Officer ranks. Thankfully the Army List records the original Regiments of the Officers serving attached. It does not help though if a man was commissioned from the ranks (of the Ceylon Planters' Rifles for example) but it will show him once commissioned. The Army List is a wonder of the British ability for administration.

The loss of Officers transferred to other regiments was more pronounced in the Indian Army as the number of British Officers per battalion was less than in a British Battalion - Commandant (= Lt Col), 4 Double company Commanders, Adjutant, and 8 Company Officers plus a QM, MO .... so no Bn 2IC no MGO and 2 fewer subalterns per Company as many of these roles were taken by Indian Officers, so typically an Indian Battalion would have roughly 10 fewer British Officers than a British Battalion [my Army List for May 1915 essentially confirms this] , so losing 3 officers (in the case of the 26th Punjabis all Captains and therefore double-company commanders) would have left big gaps against War Establishment in Aug 1914. Solution - recruit from locally available men in the local Volunteer units.

I hope this helps. Regards MG

P.S. Many GWF members have copies of Army Lists and I am sure would be willing to help you confirm names and units. I only have the May 1915 copy, but it does have a long list of IA Officers (by Rank, and date of appointment) plus an unattached list for the IA, and lists all the Regular Regiments (Cav and Infantry) and also mentions under the Overseas contingents the Contingent Company Celyon Planters Rifle Corps viz:

Maj J Hall Brown...... 12 Mar 12

Capt A M Blair...........26 Sep 12

Lt R Benzie...............21 Oct 14

Attached:

Lt C Schofield Cey. Mtd Rif....20 Jan 14

Lt W Ferguson Cey Mtd Rif....10 Jan 12

PPS. According to The National Archives publication "First World War Army Service Records - A Guide for Family Historians" (4th ed.) by William Spencer page 58 Section 5.1.1 once an Other Rank had received a commission into the Indian Army, the records became the responsibility of the Indian Office rather than the War Office. The Indian Office Records are now kept at the British Library. Ref L/MIL/9 to L/MIL/14. I imagine OR service records of the CPRC would also be in the Indian Office Records (now at the British Library) for the same reasons. Unless the individual was posted to a British Army unit in which case the records should be at the national Archives. MG.

[Guest RobinClay]

Sorry about this, but... Google sent me here.

My great aunt, Auriol Edith Soames, a spinster aged 26 (daughter of

Harold Soames, of independent means) married Robert Davidson,

merchant, a bachelor age 41, son of Peter Davidson (merchant,

deceased) 26 Oct 1911 at St Peter's, Parkstone, Dorset. So he was b.

about 1870, and, family tradition has it, he was a tea planter in

Ceylon. He met his wife on board ship in 1910, travelling back to

England.

Did he ever go back to Ceylon, I wonder?

She flung herself under a train on 5 April 1919, leaving three little

girls (the youngest 8 months old), who were brought up by their

mother's sister. In 1935, 36 & 37, the elder two were living with

their father Robert at 24 Ovington Gardens, Kensington, London.

And that is all I know of him !

Is he, perhaps, the Robert mentioned much earlier in this thread, who was with Lewis & Brown ?

Their elder two children were pre-War; the last was born 29 Aug 1918.

Robert was born about 1870, so would have been 44 when war broke out, so he probably did not join up.

I wonder if you might know anything more.

Robin_B.Clay AT virgin DOT net

[wochee]

Does anyone know what were the regimental colours for the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps? I assume they would probably have been based on Rifle Green since the dress uniform was typical of light infantry regiments, as shown at the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hj2mkjx32aewjcs/CPRC%20uniform.jpg

But then again, regiments choose some strange colours that are not always clearly related to their uniform.

Any assistance would be gratefully appreciated

[Kiwi Bob]

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15194, 4 February 1915, Page 8

MARCH THROUGH CAIRO.

A MEMORABLE DAY.

Cairo 23/12/1914

When orders came out on Monday, today they contained the information that on Wednesday (to-day) there would be a divisional route march to Cairo. This was an event to look forward to, and we were all as keen as mustard to see what kind of an impression we would make on the march. It was the first time that all the troops had been out, together, and there has always been a good deal of speculation as to which province .supplies the best regiment. Of course, the A. Company of the Canterbury Infantry Battalion claim their own Regiment as unsurpassable, while the 13th Regiment of the same battalion think they are quite, the "kingpins”, Auckland and Wellington make no secret of the fact that they can give all the others points, and no Regiment will admit itself inferior to any other.

So to-day's march was to give ea indication of the merits of the respective bodies. Leaving the parade ground this morning, Auckland led the way, followed by Canterbury, Otago, and Wellington. This formed the order as far as the infantry was concerned and attached to the Wellington Battalion was the Ceylon Planters' Rifle Corps

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 206, 8 February 1915, Page 8

NEW ZEALANDERS IN EGYPT.

MARCH THROUGH CAIRO.

The following account of the New Zealanders march through Cairo is given by the Egyptian Mail of December 23 1914

:In these stirring times we are becoming somewhat accustomed to martial spectacles. A street with half the men walking along its pavements clad in khaki is the rule rather than the exception. Even in comfortable, peaceful old Cairo, we are getting familiar with the clash of arms. In the last two months we have thrice been privileged to see troop by some few of the many thousands of gallant soldiers whose mission it is to uphold the honour of Great Britain in the greatest conflict the world has ever seen.

Attached to one regiment were two hundred of perhaps the smartest men on parade the Ceylon Tea Planters' Rifle Corps. Their khaki helmets and dark green facings showed up well in contract to the slouch hats and plain tunics of the rest of the troops. Ceylon has not yet sent many of her sons towards the trenches; only two of the nine hundred odd men comprising the Tea Planters' Rifle Corps have come, though all were ready and anxious to do so. But those two hundred are as fine an example of Colonial troops as one could wish to see; one is only sorry that all their comrades are not with them.

Grey River Argus, 18 February 1915, Page 5

THE LATE DR. BELL

A POPULAR SURGEON

A member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force attached to the Medical Corps sends the following interesting letter from Egypt

“Captain J. A. T. Bell was on duty before his very sudden and sad death. I don't believe that there was a single man in the force who did not know or had not heard of his popularity and ability. He was a great favourite on the 'Maunganui’, and he had the experience of being transferred from one ship to another in mid-ocean, on two occasions during our journey here. The news of his sudden death came as a rude shock to everyone, and personally I consider that we have lost one of our best officers. I understand that the cause of death was haemorrhage on the brain. Since arriving here two of our men have died of pneumonia, and we have three other cases that were reported as seriously ill last week. I aim glad to say, however, that the latest report is that they are all showing signs of improvement. One of the men of the English Details also died during the week of meningitis. I should perhaps explain that these Details comprise the New Zealanders who enlisted at Home, and have, since been sent out here to join us. This increases our strength by 250, and we also, have attached to us the First Australian Light Horse Brigade, and the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps, which brings our strength up sufficiently to enable us to become a division of our own.”

TILT AT THE OFFICERS IN EGYPT

THE CEYLON PLANTERS

PITCHFORKED INTO COMMISSIONS

In the course of another letter, just to hand, the same writer again refers to some of the officers in Egypt, as follows:-

"There was a contingent sent here from Ceylon called the Ceylon Tea Planters, and they were acting as a. bodyguard for General Birdwood. They never went into the firing line, and are now in Egypt with commissions, and are drilling the Australians and New Zealanders at the concentration camps. They are awful "blobs," broken down Society outcasts from Home,-and the Australians and New Zealanders give them a very rough time of it, indeed. They know very little about military work, and it would seem as if they have been pitch-forked into commissions, and influence keeps them in Egypt. For instance, when giving the order to fix bayonets, they say "Fix swords," and to pile arms they say "Stack guns." Of course, the mob make out they don't know what they mean, and they tell these fops that the orders are not in the drill books. What hurts is that the convalescents have to do recruit drill. The old hands know a darn sight more than the new officers and the reinforcements, and to have to go through the whole drill sec over again for the officers' benefit does not tend to give the men confidence in them when they go under fire. It takes, very little to make men in the trenches panicky, and it only needs a few level-headed words to give men confidence. Why, at the start I saw a parson pick up a rifle and lead a mob of men."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14200, 18 January 1917, Page 3

GERMAN COMMUNIQUE.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

Reuter's Telegram (Received January 18, 9.25 a.m.)

LONDON, January 17.

A German communiqué states that fighting has developed south of Smorgen, in Russia. The Ceylon Planters' Rifle Corps is popularly known at the front as "The Tea Leaves."

Hope these extracts are of interest

Kiwi Bob

[Kiwi Bob]

I am adding som extracts from NZ newspapers that may be of interest, one not so complimnetary.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15194, 4 February 1915, Page 8

MARCH THROUGH CAIRO.

A MEMORABLE DAY.

Cairo 23/12/1914

When orders came out on Monday, today they contained the information that on Wednesday (to-day) there would be a divisional route march to Cairo. This was an event to look forward to, and we were all as keen as mustard to see what kind of an impression we would make on the march. It was the first time that all the troops had been out, together, and there has always been a good deal of speculation as to which province .supplies the best regiment. Of course, the A. Company of the Canterbury Infantry Battalion claim their own Regiment as unsurpassable, while the 13th Regiment of the same battalion think they are quite, the "kingpins”, Auckland and Wellington make no secret of the fact that they can give all the others points, and no Regiment will admit itself inferior to any other.

So to-day's march was to give ea indication of the merits of the respective bodies. Leaving the parade ground this morning, Auckland led the way, followed by Canterbury, Otago, and Wellington. This formed the order as far as the infantry was concerned and attached to the Wellington Battalion was the Ceylon Planters' Rifle Corps

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 206, 8 February 1915, Page 8

NEW ZEALANDERS IN EGYPT.

MARCH THROUGH CAIRO.

The following account of the New Zealanders march through Cairo is given by the Egyptian Mail of December 23 1914

:In these stirring times we are becoming somewhat accustomed to martial spectacles. A street with half the men walking along its pavements clad in khaki is the rule rather than the exception. Even in comfortable, peaceful old Cairo, we are getting familiar with the clash of arms. In the last two months we have thrice been privileged to see troop by some few of the many thousands of gallant soldiers whose mission it is to uphold the honour of Great Britain in the greatest conflict the world has ever seen.

Attached to one regiment were two hundred of perhaps the smartest men on parade the Ceylon Tea Planters' Rifle Corps. Their khaki helmets and dark green facings showed up well in contract to the slouch hats and plain tunics of the rest of the troops. Ceylon has not yet sent many of her sons towards the trenches; only two of the nine hundred odd men comprising the Tea Planters' Rifle Corps have come, though all were ready and anxious to do so. But those two hundred are as fine an example of Colonial troops as one could wish to see; one is only sorry that all their comrades are not with them.

Grey River Argus, 18 February 1915, Page 5

THE LATE DR. BELL

A POPULAR SURGEON

A member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force attached to the Medical Corps sends the following interesting letter from Egypt

“Captain J. A. T. Bell was on duty before his very sudden and sad death. I don't believe that there was a single man in the force who did not know or had not heard of his popularity and ability. He was a great favourite on the 'Maunganui’, and he had the experience of being transferred from one ship to another in mid-ocean, on two occasions during our journey here. The news of his sudden death came as a rude shock to everyone, and personally I consider that we have lost one of our best officers. I understand that the cause of death was haemorrhage on the brain. Since arriving here two of our men have died of pneumonia, and we have three other cases that were reported as seriously ill last week. I aim glad to say, however, that the latest report is that they are all showing signs of improvement. One of the men of the English Details also died during the week of meningitis. I should perhaps explain that these Details comprise the New Zealanders who enlisted at Home, and have, since been sent out here to join us. This increases our strength by 250, and we also, have attached to us the First Australian Light Horse Brigade, and the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps, which brings our strength up sufficiently to enable us to become a division of our own.”

TILT AT THE OFFICERS IN EGYPT

THE CEYLON PLANTERS

PITCHFORKED INTO COMMISSIONS

In the course of another letter, just to hand, the same writer again refers to some of the officers in Egypt, as follows:-

"There was a contingent sent here from Ceylon called the Ceylon Tea Planters, and they were acting as a. bodyguard for General Birdwood. They never went into the firing line, and are now in Egypt with commissions, and are drilling the Australians and New Zealanders at the concentration camps. They are awful "blobs," broken down Society outcasts from Home,-and the Australians and New Zealanders give them a very rough time of it, indeed. They know very little about military work, and it would seem as if they have been pitch-forked into commissions, and influence keeps them in Egypt. For instance, when giving the order to fix bayonets, they say "Fix swords," and to pile arms they say "Stack guns." Of course, the mob make out they don't know what they mean, and they tell these fops that the orders are not in the drill books. What hurts is that the convalescents have to do recruit drill. The old hands know a darn sight more than the new officers and the reinforcements, and to have to go through the whole drill sec over again for the officers' benefit does not tend to give the men confidence in them when they go under fire. It takes, very little to make men in the trenches panicky, and it only needs a few level-headed words to give men confidence. Why, at the start I saw a parson pick up a rifle and lead a mob of men."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14200, 18 January 1917, Page 3

GERMAN COMMUNIQUE.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

Reuter's Telegram (Received January 18, 9.25 a.m.)

LONDON, January 17.

A German communiqué states that fighting has developed south of Smorgen, in Russia. The Ceylon Planters' Rifle Corps is popularly known at the front as "The Tea Leaves."

Regards Kiwi Bob

[Old Owl]

Here's the panel with his name on it.

A little late in the day but the G.D.Brown noted on the memorial is I believe Major Gerald Dick Brown, M.C., Wiltshire Regt., who was killed in 1918. He is noted as having been a member of the CPRC in 1914. He proceeded to Eygpt in 1914 with the CPRC, but was commissioned into the Wiltshires before he saw any active service.

Hope this is of some use.

Robert

[Guest jimmymacp]

Dear all, what an interesting and amazing story. My Grandfather, Ronald Anderson Paterson, born in London 1893, went out to Ceylon aged 19 in May 1913; I know that he served with the CPRC, as I have his cap badge. It seems that he went to Egypt with the CPRC, and met his wife there (possibly Cairo) where she had been sent from Buntingford due to the very dry air, on account of going profoundly deaf aged 19 (around 1910). He survived, and the married, returning to Ceylon in 1919, shortly before the birth of my father. I have an old Turkish coffee pot which Grandfather allegedly "picked up" in Gallipoli. Does anyone have any record of Ronald Paterson? He was for some time guarding Turkish POWs (he learned to speak Turkish fluently) and later became an intelligence officer, allegedly. He died in 1973, but his wife lasted until just before her 103rd birthday in 1993. I know that they were on various plantations in Ceylon, Yoxford and Radella being two of them. I'd be really grateful for any information that anyone has.

Cheers

James Paterson

[Carmania]

Hello James, welcome to the GWF.

Here are some mentions of your grandfather from the Ceylon Observer.

14 May 1914: "C.P.R.C. Regimental Orders - Enrolled - Haputale Detachment 'D' Coy., No 2013 Rifleman R A Paterson, April 30, 1914. Address: Pita Ratmalie, Haputale."

21 May 1914: "Estate Changes - Mr R A Paterson, has left the Kelani Valley District and is now on Pita Ratmalie, Haputale."

28 January 1915: "Haputale Hospital Visitors' Report - Members are aware that a good number of residents of the district have proceeded to join the units on active service, and your Committee have great pleasure in placing on record their names. They are: Messrs. ....R A Paterson..."

31 July 1915: "The War - The Ceylon Contingent - Second-Lieutenancies for 52 Members - We are glad to see from the London Gazette of June 25 that 52 members of the Ceylon Contingent have been gazetted to be temporary Second-Lieutenants in the infantry branch of the Regular Forces from April 19th:- Messrs.... R A Paterson .."

18 February 1919: "Haputale P[lanters] A[ssociation] - The 43rd meeting of the above was held at 1.30 pm at Haputale on Jan. 23rd ...War Service - Your Committee feel that it is appropriate to embody in this Report the names of the 40 members from this District who offered their services to their King and Country.... R A Paterson ..."

29 July 1919: "Back From War Service - Arrivals By The B.L. "Oxfordshire" - The B L "Oxfordshire arrived this morning from home with a large number of Australian troops and sails for Australia at 8 pm on Wednesday. The following disembarked at Colombo:- ...Lieut. R A Paterson, Intelligence Corps, the Haputale planter and Contingenter, and Mrs Paterson; ..."

6 February 1920: Garden Party At Queen's House - His Excellency Entertains Returned Soldiers - H.E. the Governor entertained, at a garden party at Queen's House this afternoon, the Officers, N-CO's and men who have returned to the Island after serving with his Majesty's Forces on the various fighting fronts, together with their wives....The Returned Soldiers and Wives ...Lieut and Mrs R A Paterson ..."

13 October 1920: "Dikoya P. A. - There was a full attendance at the Dikoya Planters' Association meeting held on Wednesday at the Bogawantalawa Club ... there were present Messrs... R A Paterson..."

There are more mentions but it will take some time to go through them.

Aled

[Guest jimmymacp]

Dear Aled, that's fantastic, thanks so much!

Best regards

James

[geraldryan]

Hallo everyone, I wonder if any of you guys or ladies can help me here. I bought a miniature medal set Aberdeen Medals which are attributed to John William Thompson. who served with the 7th Batt Cameron Highlanders in WW1prior to been commissioned in 1917 as Lieut KOSB then temporary Captain with the 52nd Gordon Highlanders. Post war he worked and lived in Ceylon where he served with the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps,earning an Efficiency Medal and clasp as well as W2 medals for being mobilized for the defence of Ceylon from Japan. Is it possible to find out the service of this man and his rank in the service of the Ceylon Rifle Corps. Any information would be very much appreciated. Cheers Gerry

[ShirlD]

There is a MIC for a Lt C Durrant, 94th Russell's Infantry, Indian Army.... is it possible that he was Commissioned and transferred to this unit? The Ceylon Mounted Rifles had rather a large proportion of its soldiers commissioned and sent to other regiments. MG[/quote

Looking for another clue if at all possible

We have 3 Durrant names in Ceylon, 2 are positively identified as brothers,

CC Durrant ( Planters Rifle Corps, buried UK) and CM Durrant ( grave visited in Kandy)

It is an elusive 3rd name I have spent days trying to find.

He is listed as CL Durrant buried in All Saints Church Agrapatna. I have this info from Kabristan Graves who have his full name and regiment number on file for a fee. Before sending off for this and hearing there was a regiment I thought I must be able to trace him - nothing. I cannot find a CL Durrant anywhere else. I have searched tea planters lists also as he died there,

The other clue is the above 94 Russels Infantry Regiment, there is a reference to a 'Kit Durrant' in an old photo album.

Not holding my breath, but any other clues would be very much appreciated?

Cheers

Shirley

[Ian C]

Hi

I know I am coming to this very late, but I have just found reference to the grave of Capt. Alexander Norman Galbraith of the CPRC who died on 16/2/15 and is buried near Enniskerry in the Republic of Ireland, does anyone have any info on him please?

Regards

IanC

[delta]

Two former members of the CPRC commanded tanks on 15 Sep 16, the first occasion they were deployed, during the Battle of Flers- Courcelette. Both men were in support of the Guards Division near Ginchy.

Jethro Tull, who commanded tank crew C15, was born in 1886 at Streatham. Before the war, Jethro was a planter in Ceylon employed by G F Farquharson at Haloya Estate Peradinya. He served as a private soldier in the CPRC from 1912 – 14 and returned to England, enlisting in 18^th Bn Royal Fusiliers on 15 Sept 14 . He was commissioned in the Motor Machine Gun Service on 26 Aug 15.

Henry Hiscocks, who commanded No2 Section of C Company; was younger and had less military experience. Herbert was also a planter before the war, but only joined the CPRC on 19 Nov 14. He enlisted at Winchester Rifle Bde Depot on 13 Dec 14, and was commissioned on 24 Jan 15 after the war ended, both men returned to Sri Lanka.

[Carmania]

Hi

I know I am coming to this very late, but I have just found reference to the grave of Capt. Alexander Norman Galbraith of the CPRC who died on 16/2/15 and is buried near Enniskerry in the Republic of Ireland, does anyone have any info on him please?

Regards

IanC

He died from injuries received in a motor accident in Cairo. The Ceylon Observer of the time has significant information about him. He was a Second Assistant Colonial Secretary of Ceylon, Clerk to the Legislative Council and a Captain in the Ceylon Planters' Rifle Corps attached to the Staff of the New Zealand and Australian Army Corps. Two of his sisters were engaged in missionary work in the Sudan but attended his funeral service along with Lt Gen Sir John Maxwell. His body was later shipped to Ireland for burial.

Aled

[Ian C]

Thanks Aled

[Ian C]

Hi Aled

Do you have access to the report of his death and if so is it possible to let me have a copy please?

Regards

IanC

[Carmania]

Hi Aled

Do you have access to the report of his death and if so is it possible to let me have a copy please?

Regards

IanC

PM sent.

Aled

[Guest DominicS]

On July 8, 2006 at 02:28, SteveB said:

Greetings from Colombo....and what a joy to find to find this picture.

Currently, I am working on the picture research and photography on a book for the Colombo Tea Traders Association, Sri Lanka. They celebrate a 150th anniversary next year. 

I have just seen this photograph and I wonder if you might consider allowing it to be used in the book. At present I am looking for material that might be available and will only make a final choice/edit in November. If you have any more information about the photograph that would be wonderful. Would you know where it was taken?

Please do write to me if you need any further information about the publication we are working on. My email is dominicsansoniATgmail.com  Thanks so much.

 

On July 8, 2006 at 02:28, SteveB said:

 

 

 

 

 

Bought a picture of 4 Company, CPRC, yesterday. It says it was presented to Lt Col, R Benzie, DSO, VD, on the 20th May 1928. Picture attached. It also has the names of everyone in the picture at the bottom. If anyone wants any close-ups, or details of the names, please ask.

SteveB

 

[ruwanka]

Dear all, please send me the details about the war memorial which is at DIYATALAWA - Sri Lanka (Ceylon).Its made to memorize Major HALL BROWN who died during the great war 1914-1918.

best regards  Major Ruwan - Sri Lanka Army.