Remains of 3rd Carabiniers Lee tank in Chin Hills

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by sol, Feb 17, 2015.

  1. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Found these photos today and as photos of tanks left behind in Burma and the North West India are quite rare, even in the sorry state like this one, I thought to post them here. These and some other photos and the original article could be found here:

    Ghosts of Old Battles


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    In second half of 1944, after the battle at Imphal was won and the Japanese started their withdrawal to Burma, 5th Indian Division started its advance down the Tiddim Road. It was accompanied by two troops Lee tanks from C Squadron 3rd Carabiniers led by Major Dimsdale. Soon three tanks returned to Imphal and only five left in the unit. Two of those were lost during advance, one near the Kennedy Peak and the other somewhere further south, down the road. Both tanks were lost due landslides. Bryan Perrett, in his book "Tank Tracks to Rangoon" mentioned only one:

    The weather was vile, the continuous rain turning the ground into a morass, and in places the engineers were forced to cover the hillsides above the road with enormous stretches of tarpaulin to prevent them being washed away. At one point, the road collapsed under a tank, which slid over the edge and crashed down the slope for 1,000 feet; one man who jumped was crushed beneath the vehicle, but remainder survived, badly battered by the 75-mm ammunition which had broken loose inside.

    In "Soldiers Sons Don't Cry" Malcolm Connolly give a little more details

    Back down on the road trouble was encountered that was not of the enemy’s making: the last of the three tanks was passing over one of the precipitous sections when the road gave way and the tank tilted over. It had to wait for over an hour for help to arrive in the shape of a D4, which was hitched up to it to pull it back on the road. But when the driver started his engine it backfired and set fire to some petrol that had leaked out. This spread to the rest of the tank and the ammunition exploded and the whole vehicle erupted and became a complete write-off. Fortunately no one was hurt in this incident. The squadron now had only four tanks.

    A second such incident happened about three days later when a much larger section of the road gave way under the weight of a passing tank. It fell somewhere between 1,000 to 1,500 feet, trapping the crew inside except two members: one, who had been sitting on the front, jumped and escaped unhurt, but a second crew member was hurtled from the vehicle, crushed and killed. All the other members suffered severe injuries. The process of recovering these crew members was indeed a mammoth effort but I still remember the help and assistance given by all who happened to be passing, men of all colours, race and creed; this indeed was the true spirit of 14th Army.

    Remaining three tanks reached Kalemyo safe. Article states that this remains are lying somewhere near Fort White so I guess that this could be remains of the second tank from the Connelly's text.
     
  2. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Video from the British Pathe which, among other things, shows a Lee tank in the Chin Hills

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QngcDiaPYho
     
    Owen likes this.
  3. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Many thanks sol,

    Probably my biggest regret from my visit to Burma in 2008 was not being able to push deeper into the jungle scrub around the Chindit strongholds of Blackpool and White City. Our group contained men and women of retirement age, one Chindit veteran was 97, this meant that the guide would not allow us to walk too far into these areas.

    One of the local villagers from Henu told me that they often found 'war relics' in the scrub jungle that was once White City, items such as shell cases, various types of smaller ammunition and rations boxes. I would have loved to have picked up such souvenirs.
     
  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Bamboo

    Sounds to me as though you are setting yourself for a return trip :rolleyes:

    TD
     
  5. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi TD,

    Yes, I will be back. I'm waiting to see if there are further improvements in allowing trips into the Shan and Kachin States. I would love to go to the small village where my grandfather was captured by the Japanese in May 1943. When I was out there in 2008, I did not have any of the knowledge I possess today, I wasn't even sure of my grandfather's column placement back then, so couldn't really connect the places we visited.

    Cheers

    Steve
     
  6. zahonado

    zahonado Well-Known Member

    Steve, have you got a plan yet?! It will be so different knowing what you know now....
     
  7. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    No plan as yet. It was an extremely emotional trip for my family last time, with all I know now it is likely to be all the more poignant.
     
  8. Bernard85

    Bernard85 WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    good day sol.very senior member.yesterday.08:16 pm.#1 re:remains 3erd carabiniers lee tank,chin hills.and #2 video clip.excellent photo's of tank remains.great video of bombers at work.thank you for posting regards bernard85
     
  9. imphalcampaign

    imphalcampaign Active Member

    Malcolm Connolly, who drove the other tank is still survive today. He is 93+ and still active today. He has written many memoir on his participation at Battle of Kanglatongbi as well. Lion Boxer has done an extensive research and Malcolm Connolly was his subject for many years. I think Lion Boxer can give some detail account.

    Raj.
     
  10. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Yes, I believe that the jungle is still hiding a lot of remains on the war. But also I guess that, due the climate there, many are in quite poor state.
     
  11. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    I didn't know that he is still alive. Two years ago I bought and read his book "Soldiers Son's Don't Cry". It's a very good book, one of the few written by those who served in armoured units in Burma.
     
  12. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

    Sol PM me I have Malcolm's contact details should you wish to speak to the great man in person.He turned 93 this week and really is remarkable!
    Lionboxer
     
  13. Bernard85

    Bernard85 WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    good day malcolm connoly.just to wish you happy birthday.93.may you have many more.regards bernard85 :group2:
     
  14. mapshooter

    mapshooter Senior Member

    Given that there were only two UK RAC units in Burma (one in each of the two Indian Armd Bdes), then the limited number of accounts is hardly surprising. In his memoir Slim recounts asking one of the bde comds how reliable the Shermans were before the big breakout, the reply was Ok providing there's time a couple of hours maintenance each night. Slim's response was 'You'd better be right.'
     
  15. lionboxer

    lionboxer Member

    The Lee's/Grant's were obsolete in other theatre's by this time but we're plenty good enough to do all that's was asked of them during this intense jungle warfare. They went where it was thought impossible for tanks to go most notably at Nungshigum but also at many other locations equally formidable.
    Having had the privilege to visit Nungshigum and other places where the 3rd Carabiniers were in action I take my hat off to those men like Malcolm Connolly who drove and fought in those monstrous tin cans.
    Lionboxer
     
  16. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Well there were a little more than just two. Units of the RAC which served in Burma:

    2nd Royal Tank Regiment
    7th Queen's Own Hussars
    3rd Carabiniers
    25th Dragoons
    116th Regiment RAC (9th Gordon Highlanders)
    146th Regiment RAC (9th Duke of Wellington's Regiment)
    149th Regiment RAC (7th King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry)
    150th Regiment RAC (10th York & Lancaster Regiment)

    Beside Connelly's I know for only several other books written by those who served in armoured units in Burma. Two were written by former members of 25th Dragoons - Ground and Leyin, another one was in fact a collection of letters from 25th Dragoons trooper who died in Arakan. Freer, another member of 3rdd Carabiniers, wrote two novels/crime books based on his experiences in Burma.

    Also there is a Smeeton's book about his experience in the war. He led 5th Probyn's Horse in the Central Burma during 1945.
     
    denwar1 likes this.
  17. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    I agree, crews of armoured units who fought at Imphal and Kohima did almost unbelievable things with their tanks, with both Lees/Grants and Stuarts. I don't say that crews in other parts of the Burma theater have any easier task but what some men succeeded to do with their tank in the hills around Imphal and Kohima sounds really amazing.
     

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