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James Douglas Williams |
Surname |
Christian Names |
Service Number |
Rank |
Regiment |
Williams |
James Douglas |
73020 |
Major |
10th Battery, 4th Field Regiment,
Royal Indian Artillery |
Born |
Age |
Enlisted at |
Address |
|
|
|
|
Date of Death |
Where killed |
Cause of Death |
12/01/1945 |
Mandalay, Burma |
|
Cemetery |
Plot |
Country |
Taukkyan Military Cemetery |
18, H, 18 |
Burma |
Next of Kin |
Next of kin address |
Town |
Major CS Williams MC |
|
Chippenham |
Notes |
The original memorial
tablet showed the initial as R Williams. This seems to have been a mistake
and was corrected to J Williams at a later stage. Major James Williams was
identified by Simon Beck saying
"I believe this refers to 73020 Major (possibly acting Lt. Col.) James "Jim"
Douglas Williams of the 10th Battery, 4th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery,
who died on 12 January 1945 in Burma and who is buried at Taukkyan Military
Cemetery (Grave 18.H.18.) near Yangon. Jim and his brother Richard were both
pupils at Prior Park College, Bath. Their father was Capt./Major (the
Wiltshire Home Guard website has him as both) C S Williams MC who worked at
the Westinghouse Works in Chippenham. Judging from his award of the Military
Cross, Capt. Williams had a distinguished military career, possibly in the
Great War, and in 1940 was given command of E Company (Chippenham) of the
Wiltshire Home Guard. I have yet to discover the circumstances of Jim's
death but I do know that during the period 1943-1945 the 4th Field Reg't.
R.A. was attached at various times to the 5th, 9th, 17th and 19th Indian
Divisions. Richard also served during the war as a Lieutenant and was
involved in the Normandy Landings in June 1944. He subsequently caught
diphtheria and, presumably, was invalided out. This may somehow explain the
change of initial." |
Memorials Commemorated on: |
Chippenham Town War Memorial |
Yes |
Photo courtesy of Simon Beck
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Last updated -
23/03/2017
If you have any more details about this person, please
contact me and I will update the page.
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