Major 53699 Eric Knowles Dean, 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment...

...was born the 20th of October 1910, at Eastbourne, the son of the Reverend John Samuel Dean MA and Amy Dean. Eric was baptised at St Michael and All Angels, Southwark on the 4th of December 1910.

The 1911 census finds Eric with his family at 85, Mint Street, Borough, Southwark. John aged 51 was a clergyman of the established church born Sierra Leone. Amy aged 41 was born Shirley, Hampshire. The couple have been married for twelve years and have produced three children, one of which died in infancy. Children recorded are John Herbert Alston aged 4 and Eric Knowles Dean aged 5 months both born at Eastbourne. Two servants are Nelly Carpenter aged 20 born Eastbourne and Minnie Ada Carter aged 44, a monthly burse born Battersea, Surrey.

Eric Knowles Dean joined the army around 1929. The Army List records that he was in the ranks for three years, two hundred and forty seven days before receiving his commission as 2nd Lieutenant 1st September 1932 progressing to Lieutenant 1st September 1935; Captain 20th of October 1939 and later to Major.

Posted to India, the 1st Devon’s formed part of the 80th Brigade in the 20th Division and in April 1944 were despatched to defend the Shenam Ridge in Assam, on the road from Tamu to Palel, which formed an approach to the towns of Imphal and Kohima. The ridge ran alongside the twisting road down which the Japanese 15th Division advanced.

On the 11th of April, the 1st Devons, led by Lieutenant Colonel G.A Harvester, were ordered to attack “Nippon Hill”, a hill on the Shenam Ridge. The Japanese had dug themselves into the hill with a labyrinth of trenches and tunnels, well supported by artillery. RAF Hurri-bombers and Indian artillery bombarded the enemy positions as part of the softening up process before C and D companies of the Devonshire Regiment went into the attack.

The action was a success and the Japanese were dislodged from the hill, but casualties were heavy for the battalion, with over eighty men killed, including Major Dean, and every officer and NCO wounded. The Japanese made three ferocious attempts to retake the hill, all were repelled leaving behind “piles” of Japanese dead.

Conditions for the defenders were appalling, monsoon conditions prevailed and the smell of the unburied dead was unbearable. On the 15th the Devons were relieved by the 9/12th Frontier Force Regiment which lost the hill the following day in an overwhelming Japanese attack.

Major Dean has no known grave and is one of 26,847 names remembered on the Rangoon Memorial, who have no known grave.

He is also remembered on a brass plaque in St Mary Magdalene Church, New Milton, Hampshire and on the family grave at Eastbourne (Ocklynge) Cemetery. - Freda Elvira Dean, daughter of Rev. J. S. And Mrs. Dean; she died on April 24th 1906, aged 4 years. Reverend John Samuel Dean MA who died August 21st 1930 and his beloved wife Amy who died on April 9th 1942. Also - their younger son Major Eric Knowles Dean 1st Bn, The Devonshire Regiment killed in Action at Nippon Hill, Burma on the April 11th 1944.