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The War in Burma

Dad was another one who didn't get his medals and wouldn't claim for them - but Mam did it for him. Now he's willing to bring them out when I ask him, and he has begun talking about his time there to his eldest grandchild. He went into Burma on a glider (one glider on each wing of the plane!) & along with oxen who weren't even attached up. On asking what to do if they started moving about, he was told "you'll know what to do when it happens".
 
I have just purchased a book "The Raiders of Arakan by C.E.Lucas Phillips".Like many, my late father who was shot in Burma would not talk much of his war experience.He did say however to read this book to get an idea of fighting in Burma.
 
i had two brothers both serving in burma they didn t talk too much about it only to say they lived in appalling conditions,and spent most of their time up to their waist in water. They also said that snipers were their worst nightmare, and they had to fight with bayonets.
 
The civilian population was also abused my son who married a daughter of a young Burmese who went through hell during the second World War as being a young girl she found shelter in a Leper colony.this was one place where the Japanese would not visit.fortunatly she got through the war unscathed and married an Irishman who worked for the Indian Railways,the stories I was told was unbelievable
 
Quite a number of Bill Slims 14th Army refuse to talk about what
they went through, Enids Uncle Fred wouldnt even send for his medals/
I think the Mind must close down to save the men reliving all the
horrors that the Japs put them through. They certainly have a lot to
answer for. my Dad used to say"The lord doesnt pay his debts in
money" Bernard
 
Hello

Watched a programme on yesterday which featured a man named Alistair Urquhart. I was so impressed with his survival during the war, that I bought the book. The Forgotten Highlander. He is a very angry man and rightly so...
Sue
 
I mentioned in post 62 I had just purchased a copy of 'The Raiders of the Arakan'.It gives a vivid indication of what our soldiers had to endure.I am now into the first 100+ pages of Field Marshall Bill Slim's 'Defeat into Victory' and it is a compulsive read.It is truly remarkable how some of our soldiers managed to make it back from the jungles of Burma.
 
Hi Lesri,As i have stated here before read the book,Conspiracy to Silence about how hundreds of British and Australian troops were killed as prisoners of War by the Japanese in Borneo this is an eyeopener I tell you this is compulsive reading.
 
In my youth I read a book called "Naked Island".
Starting off as a hilarious account of his life as a Gunner, in the Australian Artillery, Russell Braddon penned what becomes a horrifying account of his experiences as a POW of those cute, rather likeable, little Japanese people.
I hope it's still in print.
 
lesr1 said:
I mentioned in post 62 I had just purchased a copy of 'The Raiders of the Arakan'.It gives a vivid indication of what our soldiers had to endure.I am now into the first 100+ pages of Field Marshall Bill Slim's 'Defeat into Victory' and it is a compulsive read.It is truly remarkable how some of our soldiers managed to make it back from the jungles of Burma.Quote
I think Bill Slims book was recognized as the best of the wartime generals.He was well liked in OZ as Govenor General Bernard[/
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Centurian and Maypolebaz:Thanks for the prompt on both books.Luckily both are held by my local library.Naked Island is also a Free book downloadable on the net.Still got to get through another 500 pages of Bill Slim yet.
 
I had two brothers in burma they didnt see each other till they passed each other on the train when coming home,i remember the stories they told about the nips shooting them from tree tops and the horror of fighting with bayonets thankfully they survived
 
jjj.3679.abc.com said:
I had two brothers in burma they didnt see each other till they passed each other on the train when coming home,i remember the stories they told about the nips shooting them from tree tops and the horror of fighting with bayonets thankfully they survived
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My brother in law served in Burma WW2. I once asked him what it was like, he replied, after what I`ve seen, how can anyone believe in god.
 
Sorry to come to this thread so late. I hope there are those who are still interested. My uncle fought in Burma during WW2 as a Seaforth Highlander (sadly now disbanded). He was transferred to the Seaforths from the South Staffs to make up numbers after losses leading up to Dunkirk. Whilst in Burma his unit was inspected by General Slim, who stopped in front of my uncle while walking down the ranks and asked 'What part of Scotland are you from son?'. To which my uncle replied in his broad Brummie accent 'Birmingham Sir!' Apparently this went down well with Slim who had lived in Brum.
 
Last Thursday I was privileged to parade our branch British Legion standard at the funeral of a Burma Star veteran.
It was sad to see that the Burma Star assn. wasn't represented.
There can't be many members left now.
 
My wifes father was with the RA in Burma & taken prisoner in 1942 , he survived Changi pow camp only to be killed in an accident near Shrewsbury in 1952 when she was 5, the little information we have came mostly from my late brother in law and the odd snippet we have come across on web sites,but we keep digging & hope to to find out more as we have very little to go on.
Every one was a HERO.
 
I watched the Vera Lynn is 100 television programme a couple of weeks ago and it was mentioned that she was one of a small number of entertainers to visit the troops in Burma. However, the first act to be flown over to entertain the troops in Burma was Gert and Daisy (Elsie and Doris Waters). They are described as cockney pals with funny and inspiring banter. Elsie Waters accepted the Burma Star in 1986 on behalf of her late sister and herself. Dave.
 
maypolebaz said:
Last Thursday I was privileged to parade our branch British Legion standard at the funeral of a Burma Star veteran.
It was sad to see that the Burma Star assn. wasn't represented.
There can't be many members left now.
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You are right. My uncle died several years ago now. Here is a picture of him in his pomp. He was not somebody to mess with.

Seaforth.jpg
 
lesr1 said:
Centurian and Maypolebaz:Thanks for the prompt on both books.Luckily both are held by my local library.Naked Island is also a Free book downloadable on the net.Still got to get through another 500 pages of Bill Slim yet.
Click to expand...
Thanks to this postI downloaded the book as suggested and have just finished the Naked Island. Don't know how he managed to survive thru all that hell. And he still was able to keep his sense of humour after the finish and was able to put it down in a book!
 
Can anyone help with explanations in the text of my Dad's WW2 military records please. (He came out of Burma in 1946.)
- Leave with RA - Admitted hospital 27 CCS and 80BGH
 
Glennys Jean said:
Can anyone help with explanations in the text of my Dad's WW2 military records please. (He came out of Burma in 1946.)
- Leave with RA - Admitted hospital 27 CCS and 80BGH
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I can have a go Glennys,
"Leave with RA" could mean Leave with Royal Artillery.
The 2nd is probably 27 Casualty Clearing Station
and the 3rd is likely to be 80 British General Hospital.
Was your Dad a casualty ?
 
He entered 'the concessional area' in March 44. He then left 'concessional area' in Aug 44, and was admitted to hospital 3 times between then and Feb 45. He was then posted to Deolali transit camp pending embarquement for leave in UK.
As far as I know he wasn't wounded, but suffered from dysentery and malnutrition. So you may be right that those references are the hospitals he went into for recuperation. Many thanks for that maypole baz.
 
Glennys Jean said:
He entered 'the concessional area' in March 44. He then left 'concessional area' in Aug 44, and was admitted to hospital 3 times between then and Feb 45. He was then posted to Deolali transit camp pending embarquement for leave in UK.
As far as I know he wasn't wounded, but suffered from dysentery and malnutrition & malaria. So you may be right that those references are the hospitals he went into for recuperation. Many thanks for that maypole baz.
Now found this on the web :
Click to expand...
The Casualty Clearing Stations were the front line medical units, whose role was to accept the sick and wounded, assess the casualties, carry out emergency treatment and evacuate the casualties to a general hospital behind the lines. They were highly mobile military hospitals.
 
Dad in India.jpg dad + 2 friends.jpg

My late, dearly beloved Dad, was a Burma Star holder although as far as I know not a member of the Burma Star Association.
He enlisted in the Royal Marines and served in Europe and Asia.
He didn't talk a great deal about his service experiences but I have his service and discharge papers together with his medals which include the Burma Star.
I look at the photo posted last and see his face and he looks so young, hardly old enough to fight for his country.
I have a few more pictures of the ship he served on, a LCG, and I'll post them later if members want to see them.

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A few more pics showing the Landing Craft (Guns) that my Dad served on. Whether they were taken in around Burma I don't know as he was also involved in the Italy/Sicily landings before being posted to the Far East.

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My dad, Norman Stanier, served in Burma during WW2 and never claimed his medals. He was in the Kings Own Royal Regiment. I recently applied for his medals and received them just last week. They are very precious to me as we lost him in 2007. He was another one who never spoke about the war and I didn't want to ask him for fear of upsetting him. How I wish now that I had spoken to him about it. He may have opened up about it but probably didn't want to because he had 4 daughters and probably didn't think it would be appropriate. I think he was one of the Chindits and would love to find out more if anyone can help.
 
welcome to the forum tinjim if you havnt already have you thought about applying for your dads service records as they my give you some useful information

lyn
 
I have just printed the forms out so just need to fill them in and post them. Thank you for replying.
I was wondering if there was anyone on here that knew anything though.
 
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