A good North West Frontier and later Second World War Burma theatre officer’s group awarded to Captain F. Tounsend, Scinde Horse and 3rd Gwalior Lancers who saw service on the North West Frontier of India as part of the armoured ‘A’ Squadron, Scinde Horse. He would later serve in Burma with the Gwalior Lancers a mixed horse and armoured unit that took part in the actions in the Arakan and is believed to have carried out the last ever British cavalry charge during the campaign there.
Group of 6: India General Service Medal 1936-1939, 1 Clasp: North West Frontier 1937-39; (2-LT. F. TOUNSEND. SCINDE HORSE.) 1939-1945 Star, privately named; (CAPT. TOUNSEND SCINDE HORSE) Burma Star (MAJ. TOUNSEND 3 GWALIOR L); War Medal; India Service Medal 1939-1945; Pakistan Independence Medal 1947. Court-mounted for wear.
Condition: Court-mounted for wear, minor contact wear, Good Very Fine
Ribbon bar consisting of India General Service Medal 1936, 1939-1945 Star, Burma Star, War Medal, India Service Medal
Ribbon bar consisting of India General Service Medal 1936, 1939-1945 Star, Burma Star
Identity Card – Army in India named to Captain F. Tounsend and issued in 1942.
Copy photograph of Tounsend in uniform.
Copy of a telegram dated 24th August 1939 instructing all leave had been cancelled at the Headquarters Fighting Vehicles School, Ahmednagar, India.
Frank Tounsend son of Colonel F.H. Tounsend, Indian Army was born on 25th May 1918 and was educated at King’s School, Canterbury and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He would be commissioned on 27th January 1938 to the unattached list for the Indian Army and joined the 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers in India for his attached year on 29th March 1938, he would be appointed to the Scinde Horse (14th Prince of Wales’s Own Cavalry), 6th April 1939. Promoted to Lieutenant on 3rd September 1939 and appointed Lieutenant, Indian Armoured Corps on 27th April 1940.
In December 1940, with ‘A’ Squadron he provided road patrols and convoy escort from Razmak to Tauda China and back to Gardai where the 13th Lancers took over.
During April and May 1941, owing to the scarcity of Armoured Cars, Tanks were used in small detachments all along the Line of Control from Bannu; that is, at Mir Ali, Miramshah and Ahmad Khel, and a striking force of 1 Troop each of ‘B’ and ‘C’ Squadron (Lt. Tyers) accompanied the main column. ‘A’ Squadron (less one troop) under Lieutenant Tounsend also played a very important part in these operations, their cars seldom if ever having a day’s rest from convoy work throughout North Waziristan.
Major F. Tounsend left for ‘Z’ Reconnaissance Squadron December 1941, before serving with the Gwalior Lancers in Burma
This unit left for Meerut on 1st March 1942 where it started mechanising as a Divisional Reconnaissance Regiment, though as a mixed horsed/mechanised divisional reconnaissance regiment. It went to Ranchi in 1943, still as a half horsed and half mechanised unit, and then to Chittagong. It took part in the Arakan operations as 7 Indian Division’s Reconnaissance Regiment where its half-mechanised and half-horsed establishment did not prove a success. As a result of this the regiment as a whole did not go to Assam with the Division in 1944. Only the horsed wing, as a reconnaissance regiment, operated under the command of the Division, the carrier wing, forming part of an armoured force, was designated Corps troops in XV Corps. In January 1944 the mounted wing was heavily engaged when it was attacked by Japanese troops near Taung Bazar. Arguably the regiment has the distinction of having mounted the last ‘proper’ British cavalry charge ever in order to disperse the Japanese. In all some 95 men of the 3rd Lancers died in Burma. The regiment left 7 Division in March 1944, became fully mechanised, went to Ferozepore in the autumn and then on to Quetta by road in February 1945, where it served until it returned to the State in February 1946.
During this time with the Gwalior Lancers, Tounsend advanced to Acting Captain to 1st January 1942, Temporary Captain on 2nd January 1942, War Substantive Captain on 1st October 1942, Acting Major on 30th September 1942 and Temporary Major on 1st October 1942.