THE FORGOTTEN WAR. The China India Burma theatre.

Hi SV,

Welcome to our forum. You're so right with regards the museums and other places of remembrance, I have visited Burma and the people there have no real connection with WW2, but still treat these sites with reverance and also the people (like us) who visit them.

Steve.

 

Welcome aboard, SV.

 

Should have posted this one here in the first place so it can be found if ever needed!

On my last visit to the National Archives I stumbled across some documentation which discussed the chances of any Missing in Action serviceman from the first Chindit operation surviving the ordeal and returning to India.

Attached are two statement letters which very usefully (for me) give the actual figures for MIA's on operation 'Longcloth'. These figures allowed me to test the clear theory of there being a 15% chance of man surviving being lost to the Brigade.

You may also note from the statements that the Officer clerk involved does not even get the correct regimental name for the British Infantry section of 77th Indian Infantry Brigade 1943!

Of the British MIA's totaling 420, I know that 96 survived the war. Most of these were POW's held for the duration in Rangoon Jail. However, even here the odds were not great as around 240 Chindits ended up as POW's.

The actual survival rate for MIA's (POW's) was:

Officers: 44 MIA, 27 survived, which is 61%!!
Other Ranks: 376 MIA, 69 survived, which is 18%.

So in essence the official figure was not far off the mark for Other Ranks, but not so for Officers.

The only reasons I can think of for the Officers surviving in greater numbers are that for a short while in Rangoon they did not have to take part in the work parties organised for the POW's. They also controlled the food purchasing in the jail and had slightly better living conditions in terms of numbers to a cell room.

They were also in general a lot younger than the average Other Rank. My Grandfather was 35 years old when he died in Rangoon Jail, while most of the 'Longcloth' officers were in their early 20's.

 

Human Interest story by John Cooper

may be of interest.

 

Nice photos, thanks for sharing.

And welcome to the forum.

 

Thanks Sol
It took a number of years to identify General Wingate
and Brigiadier Clavert are the officers in the photo.

I also have a number of other war time photo's to share as well.

JC

 

Thanks Sol
It took a number of years to identify General Wingate
and Brigiadier Clavert are the officers in the photo.

I also have a number of other war time photo's to share as well.

JC

People here like photos, so feel free to post them. You can do that here or maybe start a new thread.

 

I am starting research into my Uncle's unit, 44 Commando Royal Marines. I have their War Diary and it is pretty detailed. So I have a good insight into what they were doing.

The two main operations seem to have been Operation Screwdriver and the Kangaw Offensive, both in the Arakan.

I would like to place the activities of 44 Commando within the overall actions that were taking place in the Arakan at the time ie 1943 to 1945. However the few books that I have read on the subject all concentrate upon Kohima, Imphal and the Chindits.

Can you recommend some decent books on the Arakan Offensive.

PS Couple of nice maps in the War Diary. So if you are interested, I will post them up.

 

I am starting research into my Uncle's unit, 44 Commando Royal Marines. I have their War Diary and it is pretty detailed. So I have a good insight into what they were doing.

The two main operations seem to have been Operation Screwdriver and the Kangaw Offensive, both in the Arakan.

I would like to place the activities of 44 Commando within the overall actions that were taking place in the Arakan at the time ie 1943 to 1945. However the few books that I have read on the subject all concentrate upon Kohima, Imphal and the Chindits.

Can you recommend some decent books on the Arakan Offensive.

PS Couple of nice maps in the War Diary. So if you are interested, I will post them up.

Hi Peccavi, do you maybe know for this book

44 R.M. Commando: Achnacarry to the Arakan - A Diary of the Commando at War, August 1943 to March 1947: Amazon.co.uk: Tony MacKenzie: Books

Good book about Arakan campaigns in general is Turnbull's "Battle of the Box"

Yes please, we will like to see those maps.

 

Thanks for the recommendations. I have ordered both books.

Here are the maps I have discoverd so far - there are three additional ones but these are for excises in UK and India?

 

Peccavi, a link you may be intrested in. Royal Marines Online - 44 Commando Royal Marines

 

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Well done Eddie,

Good things come to those who wait, oh and work as hard as you do for it.

 

Greetings,

I am in a WWII Round Table group here in the States in Allentown PA. We have a USAAC Veteran from the CBI. Like those who served in the Pacific Theater both those theaters of war are pretty much forgotten or ignored on many US WWII websites.

My contacts from my father's Unit the 11 BGH are all family members, the men themselves were lost over the Pacific. No one or anything was ever recovered. On February 1, 1943 their last three B-17s of the 42 Squadron were lost with their entire crews. The 11 TH and its Squadrons were at Hickam on 12/7/1941 and lost men seconds into the start of WWII.

(It is the only American Army Air Corp BG to fight in the entire war from day one to the last day.)

The Squadron was brought back to Hickam to re-equip with B-24s and replacements.

I have made contact with a hand full of family members of lost 42 ND Squadron members and three men who replaced them in 1943.

Yes you are right it is the Forgotten War, and we must work to remind others and remember those who fought and died defeating the Japanese.

 

Interesting article (and nice photo of 2nd Division Bren Carrier too)

Deddington OnLine - Les Legerton

 

My father was in the india/burma operation but i am sure he was in the welsh fusiliers,am i right?

 

My father was in the india/burma operation but i am sure he was in the welsh fusiliers,am i right?

Welcome to the forum cley. Correct name was the Royal Welch Fusiliers and there was two battalions from the regiment in India and Burma, 1st and 2nd, but under different divisions. Do you know more about his service in ww2?

 

An article from the Indian Express: The battle that time forgot