The heroic account of a Heywood Chindit

The extended Grundy family taken sometime during the early years of WW2; Clifford is standing at the back wearing his Army uniform with his parents Joseph and Jane Ann and his brothers and sisters. Karen`s Grandma (Jane) is sitting on the chair at the front on the left and my Great Uncle Leslie is the baby on my Great Grandma’s knee

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On New Year’s Eve, as Rochdale Council Armed Forces Lead Member, I was contacted by the press about the sad passing of John 'Dusty' Miller, ex Chindit and with no remaining family for a military presence at his funeral, this information was duly passed onto the RBL and the Lancashire Fusiliers who ensured this happened.

As a consequence, knowing the Lancashire Fusiliers had a large contingent serving in the Chindits, I thought I would research a little more, this is the almost lost story of a Heywood Chindit and I am immensely proud I am able to convey this remarkable event and indeed remarkable man.

Everyone has heard of Captain Oates on Scott’s Antarctic expedition, who went out in a blizzard so that his compatriots would have a better chance of survival.

Until now, few have known of the heroism of Ellis Grundy, a son of Heywood, who gave his life for others.

I am proud to be the one to tell this story, that for so long has been hidden. No medals were won, but of such men are heroes made.

Pte. 3780240 Clifford Grundy

The soldier’s memoir written below was published in the Burma Star Association’s magazine ‘Dekho’ in the Spring 2011 issue.

It was an old veteran’s way of honouring his lost comrade from their days in the jungles of Burma in 1943. The short article was meant as a thank you from one man who lived to tell the tale to another whom sadly did not.

The Rangoon Memorial, the monument constructed to remember the men from the Burma campaign who have no known grave and who lie hidden somewhere in that far off land. You will find the names of the men mentioned in this story inscribed onto Face 5 of this memorial. Firstly, here is what Frank Lea had to say about his fellow Chindit comrade Clifford ‘Ellis’ Grundy. There are some minor adjustments made to his story in order to help the reader understand the context of the time: We of the first Wingate expedition in Burma had been ambushed by the Japanese, while on our way back to India. Myself, Frank Lea (3780184) having fractured my wrist a week earlier, was unable to fire my rifle, but was able to render assistance to a few who had been wounded. One chap was named Ellis Grundy, a Lancashire man from Heywood.

He had been shot in the upper arm and I believe that the humerus was fractured. After dressing the wound and improvising a splint and arm sling, I found that the main body of 8 Column had split up and that six of us were now alone. We set off in a generally North-westerly direction and collected other stragglers. Grundy kept dropping back, I brought him up to the front though he protested, saying that he was holding us up. For four days he kept on going, though he was in considerable pain. It was very rough terrain where we were, and clambering up river gorges was arduous enough even for a man with two good arms. I took his rifle to make his task a little easier and each day borrowed another field dressing to dress his wound. On the fourth day after the ambush we stopped at a friendly village called Kashang and it was here that Grundy resolved to stay until his wound healed. I tried to persuade him to carry on, but he was adamant, the headman of the village promised to look after him and provide shelter away from the village in case enemy troops passed through.

Ellis Grundy never came out. Twelve months later I re-visited the village with a patrol of Burma Riflemen. On questioning the headman, who did recognise me, I was told that Grundy had only stayed one night and the next morning had set off on his own. I realised that Grundy’s action in 1943 was but an heroic subterfuge and he had never intended to stay in the village. He knew he was slowing us down and used the village as an excuse to let us go on our way unhindered.

So there you have the story as remembered by Frank almost 68 years after the events of 1943.

His memoir added to the information already possessed about the 13th Kings, and began to add flesh to the statement made by Major Walter Scott, commander of Column 8 that year, when he said that he had lost 6 men killed and several missing after the action at the Kaukkwe Chaung.

The column had been caught by a Japanese patrol on the 30 April, the enemy had attacked the rear of the column as it tried to ferry its non-swimmers over the fast flowing Kaukkwe Chaung.

A number of NCOs had defended the retreating unit from the near bank as the others struggled to get across.

The Chindits were a British India ‘Special Force’ that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II.

They were formed to put into effect Orde Wingate’s newly developed guerrilla warfare tactic of long-range penetration.

The Chindits were trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines.

Their operations were marked by prolonged marches through extremely difficult terrain by underfed troops weakened by diseases such as malaria and dysentery.

Seen above is a wonderful photograph of the extended Grundy family taken sometime during the early years of WW2.

This has been sent by Karen Fazackerley, the great niece of Clifford Grundy. ”Clifford is standing at the back wearing his Army uniform with his parents Joseph and Jane Ann and his brothers and sisters. Karen`s Grandma (Jane) is sitting on the chair at the front on the left and my Great Uncle Leslie is the baby on my Great Grandma’s knee.”

Karen also said: When my Grandma (Clifford’s sister Jane) died I inherited all her photos and I have a photo of Clifford in Army uniform.

I also have a photo of his gravestone at Heywood Cemetery, near Rochdale. His parents wanted somewhere to go to feel close to him when his body never came home from Burma, the gravestone is a little weather-worn but you can still see the inscription. His parents were from Heywood and that’s where he grew up with his three sisters Jane, Bertha and

Temperance and I believe three brothers, his brother Leslie is still alive and aged 93. The family played a major role in the local Salvation Army.

Permission for article along with pictures with thanks to original author Steve Fogden http://www.chinditslongcloth1943.com/frank-lea-ellis-grundy-and-the-kaukkwe-chaung.html