Road of Bones (71 page)

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Authors: Fergal Keane

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role in Japanese plan to attack India 116, 120

perimeter xvii, 226, 227, 231, 238, 239, 248, 249, 250, 251, 260, 261, 267, 268, 276, 306, 311, 317, 329, 330, 332, 334, 336, 337, 340, 342

political importance of xix, 368–9

preparations for attack 183, 185–6, 220–7, 229, 244

put in larger context of war, spring, 1944 281–2

refugees arrive in 27–8, 29–30

reinforcement of 185, 186, 209, 226, 252, 272, 273, 278, 285, 292, 312, 317, 353–6

relief of garrison 275, 312, 336, 337, 338–40, 345, 348, 354–6, 357–65,
400

reporting of conflict 283–4, 361–2

settlement of 32–4

siege of 233–394,
232, 315, 349

strategic importance of xvii–xix, 427–8

Summerhouse Hill
see
Garrison Hill

supply operation 227, 236, 240, 242, 245, 249, 278, 283, 288, 290, 302, 303, 304, 317, 321, 322, 324, 337–8, 339, 352, 357, 364, 368, 377

Supply Hill 226, 230, 260, 262, 271, 329, 336, 340–5, 346, 384

tennis court, district commissioner’s xvii, 226, 286, 305, 306–12, 317, 326, 328, 329, 330, 333–5, 337, 338, 340, 346,
349
, 352–3, 354, 374–6, 382–3, 384, 413, 436, 439

Treasury 225, 227, 251–2, 378, 384

uprising, 1931 41

water supply 220, 227, 244, 246, 247, 302–3, 304, 328, 329, 351, 380

withdrawal, Allied orders in the event of a 224–5

withdrawal from, Japanese 389–91, 396

wounded, treatment of
see
medical arrangements/dressing station

Kuki tribe 35, 37, 40–1, 191, 217

Kunomura, Major General 106, 114, 154, 393–4

Kuwaki, Dr Takehide 153, 287–8, 326, 398, 402, 447

Lambert, Lieutenant Colonel H. W. 66–7

Lambert, Mark xvii, 67, 68, 308, 337, 351

Laverty, Lieutenant Colonel John: appearance 95, 96

Arakan 121–2, 124, 127, 128, 135–6, 137–8

army career 97–8

and General Slim 435, 436

Burma, sent to 104

congratulates West Kent’s 359–60

deserters, treatment of 361

at Dimapur 176, 177, 359

family and childhood 96–7, 438

garrison staff, poor relations with 328–9

Kohima, arrives at 220, 221, 240, 241, 242, 244–5, 245n, 246–7

Kohima, leaves 355

Kohima, siege of 250, 251, 252–3, 255, 257, 262, 265, 267, 268, 271, 284, 285, 300, 302, 305, 306, 307, 312, 328, 336, 341, 348, 350, 352–3, 355, 432, 442

lecture tour 411, 436

nickname 96

personality 96, 97

post-war attitude towards Japanese 448

post-war life 437–9, 448

rebuilding of regiment, comments on 359

Richards and 181, 244, 245n, 246–7, 329, 433–7

takes over command of West Kents 95–6, 98

Laverty, Patrick 97, 434, 438, 448

Laycock, Doctor Handley 26

League of Nations 108n

Leal, Mrs 3

Ledo 78n, 169

leeches 94, 122, 196, 233, 314

Leese, General Sir Oliver 416–17

Lewis, Edward 49

Life
13–14

Linlithgow, Lord xix

Lipmann, Walter xix–xx

Litan 199

Long, Lance Corporal W. 24

Loverseed, John 415–16

Lowry, Major Michael 133, 316, 381

Lunn, Captain A. N. 439

Lunt, Captain James 15–16, 17

Lyman, Robert 417

MacLachlan, Captain WPG 283–4, 329

Malaya 1, 9, 10, 17, 18, 77, 78, 85n, 106, 110, 111, 149, 415, 428

Malins, Philip 447, 448

Manchukuo 143

Mandalay 2, 13–14, 105, 147, 411

Manipur 30, 39, 39n, 40, 50, 51, 82, 292, 292n, 441n

Mao Songsang 221

Mao Tse-Tung 427

Massar, Sepoy Wellington 160, 218, 335, 413

Mato, Captain Keizo 326

Maymyo 105–6, 113–14, 116, 117, 118

Mayu range 75, 91, 124, 129, 134, 135

McCann, Fusilier John 384

McDonald, Alexa 50

McDonald, Lance Corporal 22

McLeod, Major General D. K. 4, 12

Mechieo, Salhoutie 293

Mellican, Donald 11–12, 16

Mellican, Patrick 16

Mellican, Reggie 16

Messervy, General Frank 130, 385

Midway, Battle of, 1942 76–7

Milestone 42 257, 360

Millem, Corporal Fred 5, 10

Mills, J. P. 408–9

Mingaladon airfield, Burma 10–12

MI6 157n

Miyazaki, Major General Shigesaburo 234

anger at losses of men 399

character 146

Kohima, arrival at 235

Kohima, march to 234

Kohima, retreat from 399

Kohima, siege of 291, 317, 318–19, 333, 373, 377, 389

pet monkey 146, 399

prisoners, treatment of 208

Sangshak 198–9, 201, 204, 205–6, 208, 209, 209n, 215, 233

Sato’s funeral, attends 423

suicide attacks, asserts non-approval of 318–19, 333

Ukhrul 166

monsoon 24, 30, 32, 35, 36, 53, 73, 76, 92, 114, 116, 140, 243, 290, 291, 292, 318, 322, 323, 324, 373, 395–6, 407, 412, 416

Morton, Flight Sergeant Jack 321

Moses, Ken 325

Mountbatten, Edwina 80, 171, 172

Mountbatten, Lord Louis 362, 365, 442

aircraft, diverts to Imphal front 323, 339, 366, 368, 369

Americans, relationship with 80, 169, 170, 171–2, 279, 323, 339, 366, 368, 369

Arakan, visits troops in 123–4

Burma, visits with King

Giffard, sacks 416

Imphal, visits front 280–1, 282

INA, asks for intelligence assessment of 86–7

Kohima, visits 407

Leese and 417

reinforcements, campaigns to gather for Imphal front 169–70, 171–2, 173

SEAC, appointed head of 79–80

weaknesses as a commander 79–80

Mullen, Lance Corporal 165, 166n

Murray, Lieutenant Colonel E. D. ‘Moke’ 192

Mutaguchi, Lieutenant General Renya 104, 147, 155, 165n, 169, 235, 236, 238, 280, 282, 384, 459

appearance 106

army career 107–11

birth and early life 106–7, 108, 109

bushido ethic 106, 106n

in China 109, 110, 110n

coup, 1936, role in 110, 111

death 107

Dimapur, failure to attack 154n, 289–90, 339

dissenting voices, eliminates 114, 117–18, 289

dismissed as commander of 15th Army 406

drinking 110

18th Division command 106

15th Army, appointed to command 110

ignores reported new spirit in British Army 114

ignores vital intelligence 113, 114

Imperial Way and 110

Indainggyi headquarters 391

Kohima and Imphal operations, role in defeat 112–20, 140, 141, 146, 147, 148, 149, 149n, 150, 154, 155, 163, 165n, 204, 235, 236, 238, 291, 316, 319, 371, 389, 390, 391–4, 395, 305, 397, 398

Marco Polo Bridge incident 110, 110n

Maymyo headquarters 106, 113–14, 116, 117, 118, 155, 370

military ethics and training 106, 107–8, 107n

plan to attack Indian frontier 112–20, 140–1, 148–9

post-war life 423–4

retreat towards Chindwin 404

sacks commanders 114, 392, 404

Sato and 141, 154, 289–92, 316, 319, 370–1, 389, 390, 392–4, 370, 371, 392–4, 404–5, 423

self-justification 423–4

self-serving nature 392–3

supply operation for 15th Army in India, role in failure of 112–20, 148–9, 150, 204, 307, 291, 319–20, 326

temper 289

unable to grasp reality of defeat 391

underestimates enemy 371

war criminal, acquitted as 423–4

war game, Maymyo 116, 118

wounded 106, 110

Nag, Sajal 409

Naga Hills xvii, xx, 29, 30, 32, 34, 35, 36–57, 140, 146, 149, 158, 179, 182n, 184n, 189, 338, 339, 340, 364, 396n, 441n

Naga people 33, 34, 194, 216, 334

appearance of 36

attack Japanese on retreat from Kohima 401–2

British attitude towards, post-war 441–2

British wartime use of/attitude towards 36, 43, 46–50, 52–6, 158–9, 184n, 189–91, 212, 223, 293, 296, 352, 363, 364–5

Bower and
see
Bower, Ursula Graham

Civil war, 1955 440, 440n

compensation for those killed in action, British 296

culture 36–8, 50–1

effect of war upon 292–3, 407–9

headhunting 50, 56, 220, 408

intelligence of 295

intelligence gathering 36, 46–50, 52–6, 184n, 189–91, 212, 223, 293, 295–6, 364–5

interpreters 296

Japanese, relations with 196, 233–5, 237–8, 293, 326, 401

looters and deserters attack villages 293, 364

National Council 439, 440

Pawsey and
see
Pawsey, Charles

porters 36, 293, 294, 295, 378

post-war 407–9, 439–40, 441–3

present-day 441

rebellion, history of 36–44

refugees 292, 292n, 352, 363–4

rewards for intelligence gathering, British 295–6

shelling of villages by British 293–4

support for British 43, 46–50, 52–6, 218, 223, 224, 237, 268, 276, 293, 294–5, 352

as part of V Force 47–9, 36, 46–50, 52–6, 184n, 189–91, 212, 223, 293, 295–6, 364–5

Nagaya, Major 258, 264

Naka, Lieutenant General 154

Namkiabuing 54–5, 189, 190, 410

Nangadeikon 402

Napper 330–1

Natsume, Soseki 318

Nazi Party 3, 158

Nehru, Jawaharlal xix, 43n, 70, 439

Neild, Captain Eric 199, 201, 203, 206

Nepalese Army, Royal 183, 226, 227, 229, 230, 231, 236, 237, 239, 244, 251–2, 272, 288, 305, 353

Ngakyedauk tunnels 134–8, 175, 220, 256, 309

Ngulkathang, Sepoy 218–19

Nishida, Susumu 118–19, 146, 162, 163–4, 166, 202–3, 204

Nomonhan, battle of, 1941 143, 143n

Norman, Private Bill 19, 20, 22

Norman, Private H. F. 177, 221, 240, 249, 249n, 260, 264, 265, 266, 268, 269, 270, 341, 343, 351–2, 353, 357, 358

North Africa 62–5, 66

O’Donnell, Frank Hugh 40

Obata, Major General 114

Old, Brigadier-General 133

Ollier, Private Gordon 276

Ord, Lieutenant Colonel 49

Orwell, George 5, 7

Owen, Frank 362

Page, Lieutenant Geoffrey 314

‘parajute’ 81

Pardoe, Captain Thomas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Paschar, Krusischi 293, 363–4

Patrick, Captain Jimmy 251–2

Pawsey, Charles 53, 158, 160, 216, 226, 268, 279, 286, 407, 413, 457

appearance 29

Bower and 52, 57

bungalow 33, 34, 44, 226–7, 239, 243, 251, 302, 305–12, 336, 346, 358, 380, 382, 383, 384, 439

character 31, 33–4, 57, 340

deputy commissioner, Kohima 31, 32, 34

Dimapur, evacuated to after relief of Kohima 352, 363, 364

First World War 31, 40, 340

India, first goes to 31–2

Indian Civil Service 32

intelligence gathering 46, 55–6

Kohima, arrival at 35

Kohima, decision to stay in 225

Kohima siege 299, 303, 340

leaves India 441

leaves Kohima 352

Naga Hills, first arrives in 35, 41

Naga intelligence gathering, role in 46, 52, 55–6, 57

Naga loyalty to British, encourages 36, 43

Naga separateness, ensures 42–3

Naga Village shelling, attempts to stop 293–4

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