Description
Object description
[BASIC ACCESSION RECORD] 90 detailed ms letters, air letters and airgraphs (c.250pp, February 1942 – February 1945) written to his mother in the Isle of Wight, by a Gunner, later Lance Bombardier, in 88th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, 24th LAA Regiment, which became 88th LAA Battery, 82nd LAA/Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, starting with his arrival in Poona, India (February 1942), moving to a camp near Calcutta, seeing refugees fleeing the Japanese advance, feuds with NCOs, leave in Calcutta, moving to Jamshedpur (May 1942)...
moving to 87th Battery 82nd A/Tk Regiment, the Battery being attached to 'D' Company, 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment (5th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Division) (September 1944 – February 1945), going into hospital, the last letter coming in late February 1945, just before his death in action on 10 March 1945. Throughout the letters contain detailed thoughts about, and descriptions of, India, family matters, his duties, leisure time, going to the cinema, food, weather, birds, animals and insects, boxing, letters being lost due to enemy action, his fears about home after reports of enemy air raids and V weapons attacks on the south coast, wanting to get at the enemy, courses attended, plans for marrying his fiancée and taking over his father's farm on his return. Together with: a ms air letter from L Claxton, Chaplain to the 2nd Dorsets, and another from Major Clive Chettle MC, OC 2nd Bn Dorsets, to Mrs Stark giving their personal commiserations at the loss of her son who was killed in fighting subsequent to the crossing of the Irrawaddy River (March 1945);
and private research from several sources, including the CWGC, about Stark and the 88th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery.
Content description
[BASIC ACCESSION RECORD] 90 detailed ms letters, air letters and airgraphs (c.250pp, February 1942 – February 1945) written to his mother in the Isle of Wight, by a Gunner, later Lance Bombardier, in 88th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, 24th LAA Regiment, which became 88th LAA Battery, 82nd LAA/Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, starting with his arrival in Poona, India (February 1942), moving to a camp near Calcutta, seeing refugees fleeing the Japanese advance, feuds with NCOs, leave in Calcutta, moving to Jamshedpur (May 1942)...
moving to 87th Battery 82nd A/Tk Regiment, the Battery being attached to 'D' Company, 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment (5th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Division) (September 1944 – February 1945), going into hospital, the last letter coming in late February 1945, just before his death in action on 10 March 1945. Throughout the letters contain detailed thoughts about, and descriptions of, India, family matters, his duties, leisure time, going to the cinema, food, weather, birds, animals and insects, boxing, letters being lost due to enemy action, his fears about home after reports of enemy air raids and V weapons attacks on the south coast, wanting to get at the enemy, courses attended, plans for marrying his fiancée and taking over his father's farm on his return. Together with: a ms air letter from L Claxton, Chaplain to the 2nd Dorsets, and another from Major Clive Chettle MC, OC 2nd Bn Dorsets, to Mrs Stark giving their personal commiserations at the loss of her son who was killed in fighting subsequent to the crossing of the Irrawaddy River (March 1945);
and private research from several sources, including the CWGC, about Stark and the 88th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery.
History note
Cataloguer SJO