A Second World War Burma casualty and post war South East Asia troubles group awarded to Private S. Lynch, 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry later 6th Battalion, South Wales Borderers who saw service in Burma during the Second World War being wounded on 27th January 1944 whilst defending against a Japanese counterattack against the Pyinshe Kala Ridge in the Arakan region of Burma. He would subsequently transfer to the 6th Battalion, South Wales Borderers and would be wounded for a second time on 11th November 1944. He would later take part in the operations in South East Asia during the post-war troubles that erupted in the aftermath of the Japanese wartime occupation,
Group of 4: 1939-1945 Star; Burma Star; War Medal; General Service Medal 1918-1962, GVIR 1st type bust, 1 Clasp: S.E. Asia 1945-46; (5350703 PTE. S. LYNCH. S.W.B.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Private (5350703) S. Lynch saw service in Burma during the Second World War where he was wounded on 27th January 1944 whilst serving with the 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
On the 14th of January 1944 the 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry relieved the 4/5th Gurkha Rifles at positions near the Pyinshe Kala Ridge in the Arakan in Burma. The following days were spent in patrolling and in harassing the Japanese forces there.
At 6am on the morning on the 26th of January 1944 D Company, and a platoon from A Company, 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry, under the command of Michael Anley, launched an attack against the Japanese against Point 186 on the Pyinshe Kala Ridge. As they approached the enemy positions and rounded a bend in the narrow track, some thirty yards from Point 186 they came under heavy machine gun fire along with a shower of grenades, suffering heavy casualties among the leading men. Anley rallied the survivors and rushed the enemy position but they were thrown back with more men being killed or wounded. Michael Anley was wounded during this attack and command passed to Captain Kennedy. Kennedy decided to regroup as the men were now badly disorganised and, at 8.20am, they fell back down the track towards Pyinshe Kala village and dug in some seventy yards from Point 186. During this move they began evacuating the wounded to a basha but Michael Anley refused to be moved until the rest of his men had been evacuated. While the others were being moved he was hit again by a sniper. At 9.45am they reported to Headquarters that they were running low on ammunition and that they were under mortar fire. At 9.55am they evacuated their casualties to the north end of the village under the protection of a small covering party. In these new positions the Somersets hung on throughout the day and through the following night.
At 1pm on the 27th of January the Japanese launched a counterattack, with heavy fire being heard from the support positions below the ridge and by 1.30pm the men began falling back in numbers and arrived at their starting position in dribs and drabs throughout the afternoon.
During the flight from their position on the track the wounded had been abandoned and reports began coming in of a massacre. On his return Captain Kennedy reported that he had heard single shots and screams coming at regular intervals from where the wounded were located. Private Burrow of A Company stated that he had definitely heard his friend, Private Bertram Harwood, who he had known for four years, shout out "No, no for God's sake don't" two or three times before he heard a shot and then silence. A Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery reported that he had seen the Japanese bayoneting the wounded.
The men known to have been among the wounded who were left behind were: -
Major Michael John Gore Anley
Lieutenant Walter Fairfax Cameron Cassels Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry attached to the 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry
Corporal 5673095 Frederick George Francis
Private 1671770 Bertram Harwood
Private 5683201 Walter Frederick Benjamin Banks
Private 14280242 Thomas Alfred Magee
Sergeant 5323786 Alfred Thomas
Lance Corporal Stanley Gilbert Pavey (known to have died by the time of the retreat)
The Somersets had suffered casualties amounting to sixty percent of the men who had begun the attack the previous day. Their casualties were two other ranks killed, one officer and twenty six other ranks wounded with seven other ranks missing believed killed. A further two officers and thirteen other ranks were known to be wounded and missing with three officers and twenty six other ranks missing.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at the Royal Military College Sandhurst.
Lynch would be wounded again on 11th November 1944 whilst still fighting in Burma, this time having been transferred to the 6th Battalion, South Wales Borderers who later served in in South East Asia during the post-war troubles that erupted in the aftermath of the Japanese wartime occupation.
