Secret operations in Burma

Discussion in 'RAMC' started by Jerry Quayle, May 10, 2020.

  1. Jerry Quayle

    Jerry Quayle New Member

    My father (now deceased) spoken only a few times about being dropped into Burma by parachute as the medic with a platoon of soldiers. Their operation was to find and train local tribes on the use of modern guns to fight the Japanese. He seems to have spent several weeks in the jungle caring for his fellow soldiers. The group was decimated by decease during this time.
    upon completing the task, they walked out. My dad temporarily lost his sight due to malnutrition and lost a significant amount of weight. He was returned to India, into a filed historical and then back to Britain on a hospital ship later 1945. Hi name Leslie Quayle. his army record show nothing of this. Anybody got any ideas or assistance please.
     
    kopite likes this.
  2. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Hi and welcome
    OK, what else have you got? Medals, letters, photos, memorabilia as well as this one story?
    When you say you have his records, are they his actual Service Records from the MoD, not an internet website?

    Sounds like a Chindit style operation, we have several experts here who may hove into view shortly.
    You had me scratching my head about the field hospital!! :)
     
  3. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Training indigenous peoples behind enemy lines was normally an SOE function and SOE did carry out a number of such missions in Burma along the lines that you describe.

    See Spencer F Chapman The Jungle is Neutral (take a care though the title has been used for a number of books)
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2020
  4. Jerry Quayle

    Jerry Quayle New Member

    Hi kevin
    Thanks for the reply. i have my dads full army record, from the Army Office, I had hoped for more information but as he was an NCO's there appears to be little incentive to make it anything other than brief. He arrived in India on 7th June 1942 and was assigned to 4 FA, first in Poona and then Doolali (a record dictated to my mother when he was blind in later life - not recorded in his Army record). He was awarded Advanced NO 'C' class I 26/04/43. In the narrative from my mother, Dad say a notice asking for Volunteers to Brigadier Wingates Airborne Division. He joined and after training was dropped into the jungle. A platoon of 22 men, they trained Naga tribesmen to fight modern warfare. When complete they walked out to India!! 9 of 22 made it back.
    Dad recuperated in a Tea plantation and when fit, joined a hospital ship to nurse hois passage back to the UK. The war ended during that passage home. Prior to demob he nursed inmates at a Prison and demobbed in York. his record show he was posted to to the Depot upon returning home and then 8 Coy and discharged 8th September 1946. I am happy to upload the scan I have of his records if you think they will help?
     
    KevinBattle likes this.
  5. Jerry Quayle

    Jerry Quayle New Member

    Hi Robert

    I tried SOE and had an email conversation with Richard Duckett, he couldn't find any reference to my Dad in his research and pointed me at this group and RAMC Diaries, which I find difficult to research (to be honest). I provided more info in my reply to Kevin Battle. i have ordered the book you suggested.
     
  6. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    I had a quick look through my Chindit records, but no mention of Leslie I'm afraid. The description of the operation sounds more like Force 136 than any Chindit raid I have read about. If I do find more, I will come back.
     
  7. Jerry Quayle

    Jerry Quayle New Member

    Hi Bamboo, thanks, regrettably Dad, like many, didn’t want to talk about any of his war experiences, he found nothing about it worth remembering especially as a medic treating god knows what and seeing death on a Constant basis. Or only did he did he spend time in this campaign but was also part of the BEF and left Dunkirk on a stretcher having been buried on the beach after being bombed by a Stuka. Thanks for your help.
     

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