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Created from Indian Auxiliary and Territorial Force units transferred from the Indian Army when Burma separated from India in April 1937. The Burma Auxiliary Force consisted of British and Anglo-Burmans and Anglo-Indians while the Burma Territorial Force was mainly Burmese. In 1937 the units were: Burma Auxiliary Force
The Rangoon Field Brigade manned its 18-pounder guns at Dry Tree Point, near Rangoon, in September 1939. The guns were later replaced by 6-inch guns from England and the 18-pounders used to equip 5th Field Battery Royal Artillery, Burma Auxiliary Force, a battery of the the Field Brigade. The Field Brigade continued to man the battery at Dry Tree Point. The Rangoon Battalion provided guards for important facilities in and around Rangoon. On the outbreak of war with Japan, the Armoured Car Section and a platoon of Bren-gunners were sent to Mingaladon airfield to assist with the ground defences of the airfield. On the 13th January 1942, the AA Company of the Rangoon Battalion was formed consisting of five officers and 130 ORs. It was equipped with Browning .5” AA machine guns which were originally intended as part of Lease-Lend material from America to China. This company was sent to Mingaladon where it relieved the Bren-gunners. See photographs and surviving fragments of the war diary here. The Armoured Car Section, Rangoon Battalion, BAF, was embodied on 6th December 1941. It was equipped with four Rolls Royce Indian Pattern armoured cars, each equipped with a single Vickers .303inch machine guns. Two cars were damaged beyond repair by Japanese LMG fire whilst trying to reach Martaban on February 8th, 1942. The third was lost on the retreat from Bilin to Mokpalin on February 21st. The last car was lost to the Japanese on February 22nd by the Sittang Bridge. See the war diary of the Armoured Car Section here. The section was attached to higher commands as follows:
As the threat of war with Japan grew in 1941 a new Auxiliary Force unit was created for air defence. This was the 1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Burma Auxiliary Force. It was formed with two batteries:
However the guns were not available immediately and training went ahead without them. The guns arrived just before the outbreak of war with Japan. Both the heavy and light guns were stationed in and around Rangoon with a detachment at the oil refineries at Syriam. Surviving men and guns were evacuated from Rangoon on 7th March 1942. The regiment eventually reached in India and in May 1942 and the 3rd Light Antiaircraft Battery was stationed at Mhow in India where it was subsequently disbanded. By mid-March 1942, all three battalions of the Burma Auxiliary Force were withdrawn to Mandalay. On 23rd March 1942, they were amalgamated into a single battalion - the Burma Battalion, BAF consisting of the Rangoon, Tenasserim and Upper Burma Companies. The survivors of the Rangoon Company left Burma for India from Katha on 2nd May 1942.
03 November, 2008
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