Firsthand accounts & autobiographies, Burma

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Wilhar, Feb 23, 2019.

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  1. Wilhar

    Wilhar Active Member

    Hi everyone,
    Much of my WW2 library consists of books about the Burma campaign, and my absolute favourite reading material on this subject are the firsthand accounts of the fighting. I already have a few such books, including Fraser's Quartered Safe Out Here and Masters' The Road Past Mandalay, both of which occupy places on my list of all-time favourite reads. I just picked up Randle's Battle Tales from Burma and Shipster's Mist Over the Rice Fields.

    I'm currently about halfway through Norman Hanson's excellent Carrier Pilot, which covers his service in both the Pacific and Indian oceans with the Fleet Air Arm, and due to the latter is thus somewhat germane (albeit maybe tenuously) to the subject. I also picked up some time ago (but haven't yet read) Mohawks Over Burma by Gerry Beauchamp, which looks like an interesting account of the early air battles over Burma from the perspective of the RAF pilots who flew in them.

    Bruce Wright's The Frogmen of Burma is the very readable retelling of the exploits of a little-known special forces unit, the Sea Reconnaissance Unit (SRU), by the Canadian officer who organised and commanded it. For those who can read French, André Baleriaux's Un Belge Face Aux Japs tells the story of another little known unit, the 10th Belgian Congo Casualty Clearing Station, from the perspective of an officer who was attached to it (although it must be said that much of this book is about his time in the Belgian resistance -- still very interesting!).

    I'm always looking for suggestions, so does anyone else have any "must reads" in this genre?
     
    bamboo43 and CL1 like this.
  2. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Have you read 'Mad' Mike Calvert's Prisoners of Hope or Bernard Fergusson's Beyond the Chindwin?

    Both very well-known and excellent books.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2019
  3. Wilhar

    Wilhar Active Member

    Hi Charley,
    No, I haven't read them yet, but I was aware of both. Will make sure I tackle them - thanks!
    Just realized I forgot to mention the most obvious firsthand account of them all: Defeat Into Victory by Field Marshal Slim... although admittedly I am looking mostly for works by men who were on the front lines.
     
  4. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    To go along with CF's suggestion, any of Bernard Fergusson's books about his Chindit experiences are worthy reads. Thanks for you view on Frogmen of Burma, which is a title I've been attracted to for a while, but have not got around to reading.
     
  5. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    There's a link on this thread to an online copy of Forgotten Voices From Burma.

    9th Border Regt
     
  6. jimbop

    jimbop Banned

    Tricky Dicky likes this.
  7. Wilhar

    Wilhar Active Member

    Thank you all very much for these suggestions.
     

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