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Can you help?Can you confirm the identity of a unit with the initials 'BRVC' and which formed part of the Burma Army before 1941? The photograph below was taken at the British hill station at Augban, between Pindaya and Boutaloke Lake, almost certainly before the outbreak of war with Japan. A note with the photograph identifies the men as serving with the 'BRVC'. There is no record of such a unit. Best guess to date is that the initials might stand for 'Burma Rifles Volunteer Corps'. If you can help in any way, please contact Steve Rothwell.
UpdateThe mystery is solved? The BRVC were apparently the Burma Railway Volunteer Corps. I wish to thank the person who contacted me with this find - unfortunately I have lost the original e-mail. Please contact me. The guess is that this unit was later reformed as the Burma Railways Battalion. Any details gratefully received. An internet search finally turned up two references: 1. An article on
medals - 'ABBREVIATIONS FOUND ON BRITISH MEDALS' 2. A reference to an American who died and was buried in Burma in the late 1800s. Update 2 - 30 January 2004Lance Vissier writes: The battalion was known as the Burma Railways Volunteer Corps between the 1890s and 1917 when the Imperial Defense Force (which later was renamed the Indian Aux. Force) was formed. The name was changed at that time. The information is from one of the army lists. The unit was originally raised around 1880 as The Rangoon and Irrawaddy State Railway Volunteer Rifles Update 3 - 30th April 2011A further update indicates that the location is actually Aungban in the Southern Shan States. See also: http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php?title=Burma_Railways_Volunteer_Corps 30 April 2011 |
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