Description
Physical description
Wide-brimmed hat of khaki fur felt, having a khaki pugaree. Sewn to the left side of the pugaree is a diamond-shaped cloth patch, the left half red and the right, blue, with a white metal 'T' sewn to the centre.
Label
This slouch hat was worn by Gunner William Goddard, killed in action in Burma.
14295651 Gunner William Goddard enlisted into the General Service Corps and was embodied into the Territorial Army in October, 1942, and posted to the 10th Primary Training Company. Following a succession of postings to various training units, he was shipped to India with 56th Medium Regiment in January, 1944, being later assigned to 364 Battery, 139th (4th London) Field Regiment in Burma, 26th April, 1944. Then part of the 7th Indian Division, 139th Field Regiment was composed of 362, 364 and 503 Batteries and armed with 4.5 howitzers. The artillery components of the division were as follows:
136th (1st West Lancashire) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
139th (4th London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
24th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
25th Indian Mountain Regiment, Indian Artillery
Participating in the mopping up battles north of Kohima, the Division moved south of Imphal down the Gangaw Valley, west of the Chindwin. Moving south-east, they captured bridgeheads over the Irrawaddy, attacking Nyaungu (near Pakokku), in February, 1945, some 60 miles north-west of Meiktila. Those crossing the Irrawaddy in assault boats suffered heavily as machine-gun fire from the opposing Indian National Army raked their craft with concentrated fire, being subdued only by the Division's overwhelming artillery and armoured support.
Whilst the 19th Indian Division advanced on Mandalay from the north, and the 20th Indian and British 2nd Divisions closed in from the west, 17th Indian struck for the Japanese communication and rail centre at Meiktila. Following a successful capture and consolidation, the Japanese then counter-attacked Meiktila, threatening to blunt the incursion and put the attackers under siege. As the siege developed, 7th Indian Division was involved in several battles to maintain its bridgehead as the Japanese tried to dislodge their foothold, but lacking heavy weapons and artillery support their successes were very limited. 7th Indian then had to lift the siege and re-open the lines of communication to Meikila, clearing the enemy at and around Mount Popa. Once contact was once again established, 7th Indian headed north to attack Myingyan which is north-west of Meiktila and linked to it by rail, via Taungtha.
It was around Taungtha that 139 Field Regiment had been action, supporting the Division when Gunner William Goddard was killed by a sniper on 28 March, the War Diary, recording, 'Certain amount of sniping of road near water-tank 8782. Gnr. Goddard of 364 Bty killed'.
Years later, a former comrade of Bill Goddard wrote the following lines to Bill's younger brother who had made contact with Burma veterans of 139 Field Regiment:
'Whenever we moved to a new gun position Bill would either be with me running out telephone lines to the gun positions or perhaps staying behind manning a telephone or manning a wireless set, he didn't mind what he did, and the same went when we sometimes pulled out for a rest period. We would completely unload the truck and clean it out and clean all the equipment, we would check all the wire which was on reels, we would have one full reel and one empty one and check for any breaks on the wire. We would sit there and have a few laughs.'
Mr Aylott then recalled the moment that Bill was killed:
'We were after a pocket of Japs, we were supporting the infantry. There were four guns, a party of surveyors and us signal personnel. We signals were in a trench of our own when we came under sniper fire so we had to leave the trench hurriedly to take cover, as I remember there was a panic, we all got out. I turned to see if everyone had got out when I heard a sort of moan and a thud. I looked round and Bill was on the ground. I went over to him but he had already gone, he could not have felt anything, it was too quick; you just stand there numb for a moment thinking why him, but it has happened.'
History note
This slouch hat was worn by Gunner William Goddard, killed in action in Burma.
14295651 Gunner William Goddard enlisted into the General Service Corps and was embodied into the Territorial Army in October, 1942, and posted to the 10th Primary Training Company. Following a succession of postings to various training units, he was shipped to India with 56th Medium Regiment in January, 1944, being later assigned to 364 Battery, 139th (4th London) Field Regiment in Burma, 26th April, 1944. Then part of the 7th Indian Division, 139th Field Regiment was composed of 362, 364 and 503 Batteries and armed with 4.5 howitzers. The artillery components of the division were as follows:
136th (1st West Lancashire) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
139th (4th London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
24th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
25th Indian Mountain Regiment, Indian Artillery
Participating in the mopping up battles north of Kohima, the Division moved south of Imphal down the Gangaw Valley, west of the Chindwin. Moving south-east, they captured bridgeheads over the Irrawaddy, attacking Nyaungu (near Pakokku), in February, 1945, some 60 miles north-west of Meiktila. Those crossing the Irrawaddy in assault boats suffered heavily as machine-gun fire from the opposing Indian National Army raked their craft with concentrated fire, being subdued only by the Division's overwhelming artillery and armoured support.
Whilst the 19th Indian Division advanced on Mandalay from the north, and the 20th Indian and British 2nd Divisions closed in from the west, 17th Indian struck for the Japanese communication and rail centre at Meiktila. Following a successful capture and consolidation, the Japanese then counter-attacked Meiktila, threatening to blunt the incursion and put the attackers under siege. As the siege developed, 7th Indian Division was involved in several battles to maintain its bridgehead as the Japanese tried to dislodge their foothold, but lacking heavy weapons and artillery support their successes were very limited. 7th Indian then had to lift the siege and re-open the lines of communication to Meikila, clearing the enemy at and around Mount Popa. Once contact was once again established, 7th Indian headed north to attack Myingyan which is north-west of Meiktila and linked to it by rail, via Taungtha.
It was around Taungtha that 139 Field Regiment had been action, supporting the Division when Gunner William Goddard was killed by a sniper on 28 March, the War Diary, recording, 'Certain amount of sniping of road near water-tank 8782. Gnr. Goddard of 364 Bty killed'.
Years later, a former comrade of Bill Goddard wrote the following lines to Bill's younger brother who had made contact with Burma veterans of 139 Field Regiment:
'Whenever we moved to a new gun position Bill would either be with me running out telephone lines to the gun positions or perhaps staying behind manning a telephone or manning a wireless set, he didn't mind what he did, and the same went when we sometimes pulled out for a rest period. We would completely unload the truck and clean it out and clean all the equipment, we would check all the wire which was on reels, we would have one full reel and one empty one and check for any breaks on the wire. We would sit there and have a few laughs.'
Mr Aylott then recalled the moment that Bill was killed:
'We were after a pocket of Japs, we were supporting the infantry. There were four guns, a party of surveyors and us signal personnel. We signals were in a trench of our own when we came under sniper fire so we had to leave the trench hurriedly to take cover, as I remember there was a panic, we all got out. I turned to see if everyone had got out when I heard a sort of moan and a thud. I looked round and Bill was on the ground. I went over to him but he had already gone, he could not have felt anything, it was too quick; you just stand there numb for a moment thinking why him, but it has happened.'