Road of Bones (68 page)

Imphal, advance towards 384–5

Kohima, advance towards 272–8, 312, 313–16, 337, 339, 350

Kohima, offensive against 378–87, 387n

Kohima, relief of 354–6, 370–4, 400

Kohima-Imphal road, opens 394

sacking of commander xx, 384–7

3 West African Infantry Brigade 180, 411, 437

4th battalion, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regimen xvii, xviii, 61, 65, 82, 303, 307, 311, 312, 317, 333, 341–2, 343, 350, 355, 383

A company 241, 242, 247, 252, 254, 255, 306–8, 309, 310, 341, 343, 344–5, 346, 348, 353, 354, 412

across Chindwin and into Burma, harries Japanese 410–15

Arakan 104, 121–38, 175–6, 220, 256, 309

artillery accidentally shell own men 136–8, 220, 256

Assam Regiment, relations with 328–9

B company 129, 135, 136–7, 138, 261, 270, 309, 310, 329, 348, 360, 430

C company 127, 136, 137, 175, 220, 243, 247, 249n, 251, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 266, 267, 268, 269, 271, 297, 312, 332, 340–1, 343, 355, 429

casualty numbers 61, 65, 125–6, 134–5, 136–7, 138, 311, 333, 355

character of 58–9, 61, 98–104, 288

command 66–7, 95–6, 98
see also
under individual commander name

D company 103–4, 127, 135, 138, 178, 242, 247, 248, 255, 260, 262, 263, 268, 271, 333, 340–1, 345, 346, 348, 359, 360, 431

deserters 360–1

Dimapur, flown into 176–9, 185

Dunkirk 61–2

France, role in fall of 61–2, 98

fresh troops supplement 62, 66, 104

India, arrival in 68, 69, 70–4

Iraq 67–8, 69

Kentish character of 58–9, 98–9

Kohima, arrival at 219–20, 242–9

Kohima, relieved at 354–6

Kohima, return from Dimapur to 240–1

Kohima, siege of 242–9, 250, 251, 252–3, 254–71, 272, 273, 297, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304–10, 312, 317, 328–9, 330–1, 333, 334, 336, 337, 338, 340–5, 346–8, 350–1, 352–3

Milestone 42, guard position at 360

morale 220, 304–5, 331–2

motto 61

moved out of Kohima to Dimapur 221–3, 225

North Africa 62–6, 98

161 Brigade, 5th Indian Division, becomes part of 67, 95

Operation Jericho 124–9, 256

prisoners, capture first 134

Ranchi, journey to 71–4, 92

Razabil 124–9, 134

roots of 58

Territorial Amy unit 58, 60, 62–3, 66

training 46, 93–5, 98, 122, 124

4 Corps 115–16, 140, 170, 170n, 175, 175n, 194n, 201, 210, 234, 278, 280, 291, 339, 368, 384

4/5 Mahratta 194, 198, 203, 206, 207

4/7 Rajputs 67, 124, 125, 134, 176, 212, 252, 341, 345, 348

5th Indian Division 67, 170, 170n, 173, 176, 185

6 Infantry Brigade, Durham Light Infantry 366, 372, 374, 376, 380

7th Indian Division 87, 129–30, 130n, 132, 135, 170, 278, 381, 385

7/2 Punjab 89, 382, 447

8th Army 63

11 Army Group 184n, 223n

14th Army xviii, xix, 23, 71, 82, 83, 84, 93, 123, 134, 140, 171, 273, 339, 361, 363, 364, 367, 387n, 395

battles
see
under individual area, battle, campaign and place name

Burma, retreat from 13–28

Burma, pursue Japanese retreat into and across 410–17

command xviii, 23–8, 416–17, 435
see also
Slim, Major General, Sir William

creation of 23

‘forgotten army’ 284, 415–16

health of 82

homecoming of soldiers 425–33

Indian Army, importance of within 84–90

jungle warfare, adapting to 71, 83–4, 93–5, 98, 122, 124, 339

Kohima
see
Kohima

make up of 84–90, 428

morale 76, 87, 90, 123–4, 134, 160, 220, 257, 279, 304–5, 312, 330, 331–2, 336, 384

mule, use of 92–3, 112, 121, 124, 177–8, 204, 276, 277, 278, 281, 324

plan first offensive against Japanese in Burma 76, 79, 83–4, 90, 91, 104, 111, 115–16

psychology of 22, 28, 83, 279, 321–2, 333, 344, 345

Slim transforms 23–8, 82, 171, 279, 364, 416, 427

supply operations 23, 28, 45, 73, 80, 81, 82, 83–4, 94, 111, 113, 115–16, 122, 123, 128–30, 133, 134, 136, 157, 161, 193, 200, 201–2, 204–5, 224, 227, 236, 240, 245, 278, 283, 288, 290, 302, 303, 304, 317, 321, 322, 324, 339, 352, 357, 364, 368, 377, 407, 420

tour of duty reduced 416

training 46, 71, 83–4, 93–5, 98, 122, 124

15 Corps 89–90, 91, 120, 121–38

17th Indian Division 45, 140, 141, 170, 175

20th battalion, Royal Fusiliers 103

20th Indian Division 140, 141

33 Corps 172, 223, 316, 365, 385, 396

33 Indian Brigade 381, 385

33rd Engineer Regiment 21

50th Indian Parachute Regiment 170n, 193, 194, 197, 199, 200–1, 202, 203, 204, 205, 209, 209n, 210

75th Indian Field Ambulance 256, 298, 302, 367

91 Royal Bombay Field Company 189

132 Brigade 63

152nd battalion, 50th Indian Parachute Regiment 194, 197, 200–1, 202, 203, 204, 205, 209n

153rd battalion, 50th Indian Parachute Regiment 198, 205, 209n

161 Brigade 67, 95, 124, 185, 212, 212n, 222, 223, 225, 241, 242, 249, 252, 257, 257n, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 279, 284–5, 312, 337, 338–40, 350, 359, 385,
400

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 160

Assam Rifles 52, 156, 161, 183, 213, 252, 267, 321, 336, 340, 341, 343, 362

Burma Auxiliary Force 4, 5, 11, 16

Burma Corps 23, 28, 105

Burma Rifles 4

Cameron Highlanders Regiment 43, 274, 275, 316, 374, 380, 381, 448

Chindits xx, 25, 46, 93, 112–13, 112n, 114, 149, 156, 165–7, 165n, 170n, 171, 180, 278, 316, 368, 399, 401, 401n, 411, 459

Dorset Regiment 274, 275, 380, 382–3, 384

Essex Regiment 97, 98, 399

Force 131 47n

Force 136 157n

Gurkhas 21, 23, 41, 88, 130, 132, 202, 204, 204, 220, 229, 230, 236, 239, 251, 286–7, 293, 387n, 388–9, 390

Indian Armoured Corps 188

Indian Corps of Signals 129

King George V’s Own Bengal Sappers and Miners 68, 88, 244, 264

Lancashire Fusiliers, 1/8 280, 314

Mahratta Regiment 183, 194, 198, 203, 206, 207, 249n

Punjab Regiment xxi, 67, 84n, 88n, 89, 124, 125, 134, 176, 212, 212n, 221, 252, 285, 341, 345, 348, 350, 351, 353, 382, 447

Queens’ Royal Regiment 316, 381, 390

Royal Armoured Corps 382

Royal Army Medical Corps 187

Royal Artillery 70, 238, 285, 382

Royal Berkshire Regiment 354, 372, 376

Royal Engineers, The 383

Royal Indian Army Service Corps 45, 227

Royal Signals Corps 378

Royal Warwickshire Regiment 241

Royal Welch Fusiliers 307, 313–14, 380, 381, 447

Shere Regiment 227, 229, 230, 231, 236, 237, 239, 244, 251–2, 272, 288, 305, 353

Territorial Army 58, 60, 62–3, 66, 160

V Force 47–50, 47n, 52, 54, 55, 56, 147, 148, 156, 157n, 161, 165, 189, 190, 191, 192, 194, 194n, 195, 212, 214, 229, 293, 296, 364, 365, 401, 406, 409

Worcestershire Regiment 31, 103, 186, 274, 275, 276, 277, 285, 314

Z Force 47n, 157n, 194n

Brooke, CIGS (Chief of Imperial General Staff) General Sir Alan xx, 12, 79–80, 83, 172, 281–2, 369, 417

Brooke-Popham, Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert 5, 8, 12

Brown, Lieutenant Colonel W. F. ‘Bruno’ 159–61, 159n, 162, 211, 214, 217, 218, 219, 226, 247, 252, 356, 413, 442

Brown, Private Leonard 312, 331, 333

Burma 1–4, 369

British intelligence failures in 1–5

British loss of and retreat from 4, 6, 12–18, 19–28, 284

British re-take 410–18

British treatment of Burmese nationals within 7, 8, 25

Independence 427

Indians in 6, 8, 14, 15–16, 18

Japanese invasion of 1–23

Japanese occupation of 23, 105–6

Japanese spies in 3–4, 9

Japanese treatment of Burmese nationals within 15, 18

Mandalay 2, 13–14, 105, 147, 411

Maymyo 105–6, 113–14, 116, 117, 118

Mingaladon airfield 10–12

nationalism 8–9, 17–18

Rangoon 1–4, 5, 6, 10–12, 13, 16, 18, 23, 78, 91, 105, 114, 117, 147, 281, 411, 415, 417

Sittang bridge blown by British 20–2

Sittang River 19–22, 412

uprisings against British within 8

V Force in 49

Victoria Point airfield 10

Burma Army 4, 5, 9, 11, 20, 23, 28, 105, 180, 183, 250, 267, 293, 433
see also

British/Burmese/Indian/Nepalese Army units

Burma Auxiliary Force 4, 5, 11, 16

Burma Corps 23, 28, 105

Burma Frontier Force 4, 25

Burma Rifles 4

Burma Road 5, 78n, 189, 427

Burma Star Association 430

Butcher, Sergeant W. 24–5

Cachar Hills 51–3, 189, 190

Cadogan, Stuart 41, 42

Calistan, Major Albert 159–60, 219, 334–5, 340, 346, 356, 413, 443

Calvert, Major Mike 25, 25n

Campbell, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur 434, 435, 436

Campion, Sergeant Jim 280

casualty numbers: Allied 14–15, 15n, 27, 112n, 125–6, 130, 130n, 134, 136, 137, 138, 203, 209, 209n, 250, 255–8, 298–302, 311, 333, 343, 350, 355, 373, 374, 380, 381, 413

Japanese xvii, 126–7, 136, 198, 200, 202–4, 209n, 215n, 250–1, 260, 278, 286, 291, 373, 398–9, 401, 401n, 402, 403–4, 406

Cattle, Private Tom 382–3

Chaudry, Captain Abdul Majid 301

Chiang Kai-Shek 2, 3, 78, 78n, 112, 117, 280, 366, 368, 427

Chin 15, 49

Chin Hills 148

China: Allied supply ‘hump’ route into 2, 78, 112, 170, 172, 180, 280, 316, 323, 368, 427

Burma, Chinese troops retreat from 24, 30, 105

Chunking 2

Japan, war with 4, 5, 109, 110, 110n, 111, 150, 151, 152, 287, 318

Mao and 427

Nanking 150

Nationalist armies xx, 2, 3, 5, 23n, 30, 78, 79, 79n, 105, 111

Nationalist government 2

United States and xx, 171, 180, 316, 323, 427

Chindwin river, Burma xv, 30, 54, 146, 150, 153, 157, 161, 162, 164, 164n, 165, 189, 339, 369, 396, 401, 402

Japanese advance into India across 120, 140, 148, 163–6, 173, 176, 193, 194, 195, 196, 209, 291

Japanese retreat over 403–4

Chittagong 172, 173

Christison, General Sir Philip 85–6, 89–90, 120, 122, 124, 130, 132, 387n

Churchill, Winston xx, 13, 63–4

Americans, relationship with 77, 77n, 78, 78n, 157, 171, 224, 280, 369

amphibious landings plan, South-East Asia ‘Operation Culverin’ xx, 281–2, 369

Burma, role in loss of 4, 5, 16

D-Day and 281

Imperial redemption, dream of 77, 77n, 78, 78n, 427, 428

Indian Army, mistrust of soldiers within 83–4

jungle warfare, thoughts on fighting Japanese in 83, 79, 339, 369

Kohima, reaction to relief of 369

Kohima/Imphal, realises importance of 171, 224, 280, 369

Mountbatten and 79, 171, 280, 369

voted out of office 426

weakness for promise of dashing victories 79

Clarke, Major E. B. Stanley 434

close quarters/hand-to-hand fighting xvii, xx, 22, 132, 288–9, 306, 310–11, 333–4, 368, 373

Clow, Sir Andrew 413

Collins, Len 355

Collins, Private Horace 355

Comilla 174–5, 273, 278, 339, 364, 367

compassion/chivalry, moments of 21, 22, 132, 205–6

Congress Party 41, 43, 43n, 69, 70, 85n, 85, 385, 409, 427

Cook, CSM Tommy 316

Corlett, John 213

Cripps, Sir Stafford 43n

Crouch, Private Leslie 303, 333

Crowther, Freddie 323

Culverin, Operation 281–2

Daily Mail
362, 363

Danks, Billy 125–6