36th Division's Crossing of the Irrawaddy - RE Report December 1944

From WO 165/86.

 

Excellent find Don Juan, thanks for posting it.

This is one of the rafts built by 236 Fd Coy using local country boats, as mentioned on the first page of that document. At Tigyaing the heaviest loads carried over were 236 Fd Coy's D4 bulldozer, an airborne tractor and an airborne grader (the latter two ex-Chindit kit salvaged from the landing grounds along the way). It's an incredible and inspiring feat of improvisation I think:



For anyone interested, attached is a book excerpt (in PDF) covering 29 Brigade's Christmas celebrations at Tigyaing and the subsequent Irrawaddy crossing.