ABDA-CBI-SEAC. Book thread.

My copy of Journeys Hazardous arrived today and what a great start to my read.......a fantastic quote about the nature and qualities of former Chindit, Colonel Nick Neill of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles. Thanks to sol for his astute recommendation.

 

This is a lovely little book, written as a personal account of three operations into Borneo during the Confrontation. Certainly brings home the incredible achievements of the Gurkhas and other British Regiments during that time.

 

One of the best about the First Burma Campaign, "Mountain Battery" by Pat Carmichael is now available in the Kindle format on Amazon and it is even quite cheap. I hope that some other rare books could follow.

 

Is there anything good about First Arakan, or indeed anything at all?

 

Is there anything in it about 204's weaponry? From what I've found so far they used some short Mausers and ZB LMGs in China.

 

I'd need to check which volume of the British official history covers it, but this is an alternative:
Arakan Operations - AbeBooks

 

Oh, I'm aware of the official histories, but has anyone since done a serious book-length study of CANNIBAL? It sure deserves a book all to itself.

 

Arakan operations are very scarcely covered in general, and with somewhat exception of the Battle of the Admin Box, there are very few general histories or even personal memories written about them. As far as I know not a single book solely covers the operations in Arakan during 1942. General histories like Prasad's "The Arakan Operations 1942-1945" or Kirby's "The War against Japan, Vol.2" are probably the best choice to learn more, at least for now.

 

Perhaps the Army did so much soul-searching at the time that there's nothing left to say...

Probably the best alternatives - though it's not their focus - would be in Marston's Phoenix from the Ashes and Moreman's The Jungle, Japanese and the British Commonwealth Armies at War, 1941-45. There's also Jeffreys's Approach to Battle that should pick up on the lessons learned.

 

I am with you TTH, as I would love to learn a lot more about First Arakan. However, I am currently reading Prasad's book, and even though a little dry, as all Official Histories are, it covers the Arakan well. Cannibal gets about 60 pages.

 

What a beaut! I had the printed version tagged since a pair of years ago, waiting for it to go cheap, and now it will be a lot easier to get it.

Thanks for the intel, mate.

 

A quote from page 74 answers your question rather well:

We had no problems settling into our new barracks at Kiyang, which we shared with the Chinese Surprise Battalions, as they were called. We were not fazed by their German styled uniforms, nor were we too worried about switching to Chinese-made, German Mauser rifles and Czechoslovakian Bren guns as these were fine weapons. We did acquire a few Thompson sub-machine guns from the British commando stores to supplement our armoury.

 

Just received these two from the Cumbria Museum of Military Life - histories of 51st (Westmoreland and Cumberland Yeomanry) Field Regiment (51 Fd Regt) and 9th Battalion, Border Regiment (9 Border). Ordered over the phone as they were having issues with their online ordering, but persevered as at least the money goes straight to them.



Books Archives - Cumbria's Museum of Military Life

Prices include domestic postage.

 

This one has arrived today from Lulu. The author was 3/6 GR and served as the Chindits' GIII(Ops). There are about 80 pages on his career up to THURSDAY, 70 on his participation - he was at BROADWAY 26 April to 12 May - and 50 rounding off.

 

Be interested to hear what you think about the book idler. There isn't too much out there from the point of view of Gurkha units on Chindit 2.

 

What's the publication year on that? Is this a reprint or a long-after publication?

 

There is a preview of the book available on the Google Books

The Lost Battalion

But I am also very interested to hear an opinion about book.

 

This is peer review pressure, isn't it?

 

In your own time!

 

I'll see if she lets me have some...