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Auction: 24111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 655

Five: Bombardier E. R. B. Rixen, 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, who served as a Chindit (Special Force) in Burma during 'Operation Thursday'
1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45; Efficiency Medal, Territorial, G.VI.R. (849835 Bmbr. E. R. B. Rixen. R.A.), very fine (5)

Edward Ernest Beaumont Rixen was born on 9 November 1913, the son of Anthon & Ethel, who lived at 4 Peldon Avenue, Richmond, London. Rixen enlisted in the Royal Artillery in October 1935 and initially served with 64th Field Brigade and transferred to 60th Field Regiment in September 1941.

In January 1941 the Regiment left for the Middle East. They fought in Iraq with Habforce in the relief of the besieged RAF base at Habbaniya and then took part in the invasion of Syria and bombarded the Vichy French Fort at Palmyra into surrender. A cease-fire was agreed a week later.

The 60th Field Regiment returned to Egypt in September 1941. Re-equipped with 25-pounder guns, they were now part of the 7th Support Group of the 7th Armoured Division of the 8th Army, the famous 'Desert Rats'. In November 1941, the regiment crossed into Libya to take part in "Operation Crusader". This led to the battle against the German Panzer tanks at Sidi Rezgh, with the 60th Field Regiment at the forefront. The Grimsby Battery fared particularly badly. Many of their men were killed, wounded or taken prisoner and almost all of their guns were put out of action before they withdrew. In the end, Operation Crusader fizzled out. The 60th Field Regiment returned to Egypt the Syria to re-form.

With the Japanese invasion of Burma, the Regiment was posted to Calcutta. A second Chindit expedition into the jungles of Burma was being planned and the 60th Field Regiment had to give up their 25-pounders and start learning to be guerrillas. The 60th Field Regiment became numbers 60 and 88 Columns in the 23rd Brigade, one of Major-General Orde Wingate's six new Chindit brigades and on the 22 April 1944, their Columns went into action. Climbing up and down the mountains of the Naga hills, deep behind the enemy lines and established a "stronghold" (which they called "Grimsby") from which Platoons were sent on 5 day trips looking for Japanese in the area. The two columns spent six weeks at "Grimsby" and returned to Imphal on 25 July 1944. They were repatriated home in November 1944.

After Christmas leave the men were told that the 60th Field Regiment was now in a state of "Suspended Animation" and most of the men were posted to other units, Rixen joining 119th Field Regiment.

Having married Ysabel Guardia in 1956, he died in Surrey in July 1998; sold together with copied research.

All the King's Enemies - The Remarkable Deeds of the Lincolnshire Gunners was published by Jack Bartlett & John Benson and tells their story in better detail.

George Wilton also penned ‘The Forgotten Chindits – 23 British Infantry Brigade’ for The British Journal for Military History.

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Sold for
£210

Starting price
£70