Description
Physical description
jacket and belt
jacket, bush, jungle-green Aertex material, 1942 pattern. The jacket is single-breasted with four patch pockets and a detachable belt with a brass metal buckle. On each shoulder strap is sewn the rank insignia of a major in worsted cloth above a machine embroidered cloth title '16 PUNJAB' in black. On each sleeve just below the shoulder seam a screen printed badge in maroon and pale blue of the 44th Indian Airborne Division.
Label
The standard tropical khaki drill uniform worn by Second World War British soldiers fighting the Japanese in Malaya, Singapore, Burma and Hong Kong proved to be unsuitable in terms of colour and material. Later, clothing was dyed as a stop-gap until a more practical solution was found. In India clothing factories produced a blouse that was designed around the uniform Battledress, made of jungle green aertex and this was in widespread use from early 1944. In the field the blouse, being lightweight, tended to ride up as the soldier performed his duties, exposing his body at the waist and causing greater problems as his equipment chafed the exposed skin. To remedy this the jungle green aertex bush jacket was introduced, which proved to be more acceptable.
This jacket was worn by a Major Adams serving with the 6th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment. Raised in 1941, the 6th Battalion later served as a demonstration battalion at the Tactical School at Dehra Dun, but in April 1945 was assigned to the 14th Air Landing Brigade, of the 44th Indian Airborne Division, itself created in April the previous year.
The new division moved in July 1945 from Rawalpindi and Secunderabad to Bilaspur and new camps were built in the jungle. Troops completed the parachute course, but there were no real opportunities for unit parachute jumps, and the air landing troops (whose role was to go into action via gliders) were frustrated by the lack of gliders. The division never saw action in the way it was purposely created although a composite battalion did parachute into action during Operation DRACULA, the capture of Rangoon. Braced for the recapture of Singapore and invasion of Malaya the war abruptly ended but small airborne detachments were later deployed in Japanese-held territories ahead of the main Allied forces, locating and liberating prisoners of war and interned civilians, and providing emergency relief. The division later assembled at Karachi and in November 1945 was redesignated as 2nd Indian Airborne Division, finally being disbanded in August 1947.
History note
Purchased in Bosley's Sale of 12 April 2000; Lot 824
The original owner served as a Major with 6/16th Punjab Regiment as part of 44th Indian Airborne Division
Embroidered (on tape on shoulder straps)
16 PUNJAB