CHINDITS 1944 Pickett, Irwin Leonard

John Robertson

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Staff member
  • SURNAME
Pickett
  • FORENAME
Irwin Leonard
  • UNIT
Somerset Light Infantry,attached 3 Bn 9th Gurkha Rifles (D Coy) (77 Ind.Bde)
  • RANK
Major
  • NUMBER
145192
  • DATE OF DEATH
27th March 1944
  • AGE
31
  • GRAVESITE
Taukkyan War Cemetery,Myanmar 7.F.18
  • ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born 30.12.1912 Brentford, Middlesex
resided Yorkshire (1941)
son of Florence Zillah Pickett
husband of Grace Marie Wilhelmina Picket,Hounslow,Middlesex
former Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
KIA Burma
 
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John This is my Grand Uncle on my Fathers side and I would like to find out more information about his service. Could you please point me in the right direction on this please

David Whittaker
 
Hi, Tony, thank you for your message. I have worked out that you must be from the Thelma Pickett branch of the family. My grandfather (died March 1971) was her younger brother, Harry. He was one of four brothers, the others being William, Leslie, and of course Irwin.
My father (also Harry, died December 2011) was very close to Irwin, his favourite uncle, who died when my father was 12 or 13. The story goes that Irwin, as a linguist, was very much a Teutonophile, wouldn't fight the Germans as he had too many friends there, so fought in the Far East instead. We have always had his Kukri, even before my grandparents passed away, and I am immensely proud to have it now. My father was also in vague contact with a Nepalese Gurkha who served with Irwin, and regularly donated to his retirement home in Kathmandu. I expect said Gurkha has now passed away too?
Please contact me directly on my email pickettovi@btinternet.com, I do have further information somewhere, including the dispatches letter sent when Irwin died, I believe. But there's a lot of my Dad's stuff up in the attic, and it'll take a while to locate!
 
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