Researchable 8th Indian Division RAMC Major BD blouse, MC recipient

**Loupie1961** · 11-18-2012, 05:15 PM

Hello everybody! I have recently purchased an Indian made Battle Dress blouse badged to a Major of the RAMC, serving in the 8th Indian Division. On the whole the BD blouse is very coherent: produced in 1942, right campaign medal ribbons. As long as i know, RAMC officers served with the division along with officers belonging to the Indian Medical Services, so the RAMC titles are not odd.... i am wondering how could it be possible to research such an officer. Does the serial K 8524 could be some kind of Indian Army service number? Thank you so much in advance for your knowledge and all the very best, Loupie.

**Jerry B** · 11-18-2012, 05:51 PM

Nice BD. Do you have his name? I would try and see if the divisional war diaries are available as there can't have been many RAMC majors with the div.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 11-18-2012, 05:53 PM

Hi Loupie, the number "K8524" is certainly not a service number.

Without a name this is always going to be tricky: you will need access to one of the detailed Divisional histories. I would try:

One More River: The Story of The Eighth Indian Division. Bombay: H.W. Smith, Times of India Press.

Hopefully this book may well include your possible man. Given he had a fairly high rank and a decoration he could well be mentioned. You just have to hope only one Medical Major got the MC....

Cheers, Ade.

**Loupie1961** · 11-18-2012, 06:32 PM

by Bond

Nice BD. Do you have his name? I would try and see if the divisional war diaries are available as there can't have been many RAMC majors with the div.

No, Bond, alas no name, that would have made thing much simpler....

**Loupie1961** · 11-18-2012, 06:34 PM

by Adrian Stevenson

Hi Loupie, the number "K8524" is certainly not a service number.

Without a name this is always going to be tricky: you will need access to one of the detailed Divisional histories. I would try:

One More River: The Story of The Eighth Indian Division. Bombay: H.W. Smith, Times of India Press.

Hopefully this book may well include your possible man. Given he had a fairly high rank and a decoration he could well be mentioned. You just have to hope only one Medical Major got the MC....

Cheers, Ade.

thank you Ade: I have got the booklet, is a quite thin one, I am afraid I will not find much.. I have tried with the London gazette web pages, but no luck with the supposed service number (as such, it could be the service number of somebody enrolled in auxiliary corps... no RAMC I am afraid...), and ... too much of it with the search terms RAMC Major and MC ...

**Loupie1961** · 11-18-2012, 07:21 PM

by Adrian Stevenson

Hi Loupie, the number "K8524" is certainly not a service number.

Without a name this is always going to be tricky: you will need access to one of the detailed Divisional histories. I would try:

One More River: The Story of The Eighth Indian Division. Bombay: H.W. Smith, Times of India Press.

Hopefully this book may well include your possible man. Given he had a fairly high rank and a decoration he could well be mentioned. You just have to hope only one Medical Major got the MC....

Cheers, Ade.

just finished to peruse "One more river": no mention of any RAMC MC... not really surprising, if you take into account that in Italy the Division earned FOUR VCs and 145 MCs only for the regular units, plus 15 for the units attached.....