A quick update for you all on the Burma book.
The images have been all been scanned and submitted and the maps have now been completed too. There are going to be 48 images of the Battalion in the book, with ten accompanying maps - covering the major battles that the Battalion fought.
I have been working with my new editor for the past few weeks in making the various tweaks and corrections to my first draft and hopefully in the forthcoming days, the first 'proper' proof will arrive for checking.
Exciting times ahead, but I’m much more excited today about finally getting hold a Suffolk Regiment jungle green slip on shoulder title for my own collection. These were only worn by Second Suffolk during the war (though I am yet to find any proof of their being worn at the front), but they were certainly wearing them when they arrived back at Lahore in March 1945, so they could have been issued with them in the final stages of the Imphal campaign.
Amazingly, they were woven locally in India and quite often you can see the warp of the weeve through the weft which appears as little black speckles behind the lettering. Quite remarkable that these were made by hand to such finite detail.
I’ve only been looking for one for twenty-odd years, so today is a good day. Hopefully the other one will turn up soon to make a pair!
