Category: Burma Campaign, 1942
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May 4th 1942 – Calcutta
I am ordered to fly the Hurricane to Myithyina and then DumDum with long range tanks. Weather very bad and much rain, and everyone leaves Loiwing for Myithyina and India. (Like hell I go to Myithyina!! I set course direct for Calcutta!!). But the road from Bhamo is down (up) due to the heavy rain. […]
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April 30th 1942 – Loiwing, China
Laskio in Jap hands now. All they have to do is to drive to Namtu and then march by jungle tracks for three days north and they are here. After writing the last entry there is an alarm and the usual noise heralding the approach of Japanese bombers. Very high, 20,000′, I just see between […]
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April 28th 1942 – Last Man in to Bat
I go down the road that evening and see nothing much except a few lorries at Konghai-ping crossroads. Further up I squirt at two lorries, the first stops and men rush out and hide, I miss that, but the second I catch in a pass on a winding gradient corner; but the burst kicks up […]
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April 25th 1942
The Japs are coming Yohoho! Pierce does a recce between Heho and Namsang on the road where they have broken through. He sees lorry loads who fire rifles and tommy guns at him. I am sent off in a Blenheim and we go down as far as Loilem without seeing much, though we get fired […]
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April 22nd 1942 – Lashio
Sherkham of 59th here on his way to Maymyo and a staff job. He says 2/13th are in 17 Division and lost Lt Col Guy at Prome. I go down to Myittha for another recco as Meiktila getting too hot. Best camouflaged strip I ever saw, and when you get there it’s some time before […]
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April 16th 1942
Pierce does quite a safe recce and I go down yesterday evening to Meiktila. First time up for three weeks but I manage OK and navigation is good. I have to taxi for half an hour under cover and over newly cut down bunds so that the engine nearly blows up by the time it’s […]
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April 13th 1942
Still alive. The Hurricane arrives late, but he tries yesterday but comes back owing to bad weather. Today he has taken her up to Loiwing to get some plastic wood for the airscrew. Yesterday Doc Waterman and I go up to Nantu where the lead and silver mines are. We are invited into the Club […]
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April 11th 1942 – Lashio
Not much hope of getting to India, it seems. Now as a sop to the army and the Chinese we are to do reccos again. Rikki and two others patrolling Loiwing above 10/10 cloud runs out of petrol, gets lost and all prang. Yesterday Navy ‘O’s over Loiwing at 6am and ground strafe 28 a/c […]
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April 7th 1942 – Lashio, Burma
I get very drunk with Byles on “Samsu” at 1/- a beer bottle full. Drunk for 8 annas and the G/C turns up. But I recover with a bath and am alright by dinner time. A troops concert where I render “Craven A” to no great success, but the AVG come and visit us afterwards […]
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April 3rd 1942 – Loiwing, China
We have a party with a roast (or boiled) pig, and I collect a couple of American matrons too, Mrs Davidson and Porritt. We brew our rum punch and sing songs. Yesterday I go swimming at my “Somerset Maughan” pool and very nice, with Biles the cypher officer who has spent 20 years in the […]
A Story of War 