William Edward Gregory
He was a shop assistant in an outfitting department.
- Family History
- Military history
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He was the son of Anthony and Mary Jane Gregory and the brother of Winifred Daisy and Ivy Victoria Gregory. In 1921, they lived on Breach Road, Heanor, Derbyshire. Wiliam Edward Gregory and Ada Horton were married towards the end of 1938 and their daughter Glenys was born in 1940. They lived at 65, Newtons Lane, Cossall, Nottinghamshire
TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY 7A E 27
In May 1944, the 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment was deployed in the Arakan region of Burma (now Myanmar), serving under the 71st Indian Infantry Brigade as part of the 26th Indian Infantry Division. Following their crucial role in the brutal Battle of the Admin Box earlier that spring, the battalion spent May 1944 engaged in intense monsoon operations, holding defensive lines, and clearing stubborn Japanese pockets in the Arakan jungle.
William Edward Gregory lost his life on 5 May 1944, right at the onset of the severe tropical monsoon season, which combined active jungle fighting with brutal weather and terrain conditions.
May 1944. Monsoon Hardships: By May, the tropical monsoon season had begun. The battalion faced torrential downpours, flooding, mud, and a severe spike in tropical diseases like malaria and dysentery alongside active combat.
Transition to Defence: Following the relief of the Ngakyedauk Pass and the conclusion of major offensive actions in the Arakan sector, the 1st Battalion pivoted to aggressive patrolling, securing supply routes, and holding tactical positions against Japanese counter-attacks.Bermudian
Reinforcements: Records from Wikipedia note that around May 1944, the battalion included an attached contingent of soldiers from the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (BVRC), who fought alongside the regular Lincolnshire units throughout the Burma Campaign.
Battle of the Admin Box: Just months prior, the battalion achieved fame during the defense and subsequent breakthrough of the "Admin Box".
The Victoria Cross: It was during that intense fighting that Major Charles Ferguson Hoey of the 1st Battalion was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross—the only VC awarded to the regiment during World War II.
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