大象传媒

On 3 April 1944 I started my 14 days embarkation leave. On 4 May 1944 we moved to Liverpool where we caught special trains to the dockside where we boarded S.S.Stratheden.

We set sail early on 5 May 1944 in the morning. We travelled north from Liverpool, round the North of Ireland to the Azores Islands then on to Gibraltar, through the Mediterranean to Port Said, through the Suez Canal to Aden and thence on to Bombay.

Whilst on board ship I was helping to get the food and dish it out and then to clean up the plates afterwards. After 2 to 3 days sea-sickness I was fine.

We travelled in a convoy of ships with one cruiser and about 6 destroyers as escorts. The Empress of Australia and the Strathmore travelled with us. We used to do quite a lot of boat drill which was warm work in the Med!

We disembarked on June 1st 1944 in Bombay and were taken by train to Deolali. At the transit camp at Deolali there were a number of Indian 'wallers'. One would shave you, the Char-waller brought tea and cakes, the fruit-wallers had baskets of fruit and the dhobee waller did the laundry. A shave cost about 6d (2 annas), a banana 3 annas, and washing was 2 annas per article.

On June 2nd 1944 we were transferred to the R.A. depot from the transit camp and I was put in No. 2 battery where I did 6 weeks signal training. I had slight touches of malaria and dysentery but got over them. It was very hot on parade and the monsoon rains came soon after we got there. It started to pour down and continued for 2 to 3 hours.

The storm ripped a roof off one of our huts. We used mosquito nets every night and you could hear the insects buzzing and hitting the nets all night.

On 28th July I was posted with some of the lads to 4th Field Regiment R.A.. We travelled on an Indian train from 28th July to 4th August,our destination Calcutta. The train had wooden seats and we had to sleep on it at night while stopped. Fried eggs and tea were available for breakfast, supplied by Indians at the stations.

At Calcutta we were billeted in a transit camp but were soon on our way to Comilla,the 31st Reinforcement Camp. To get there we had to cross the mouth of the Ganges by a large river boat to Chittagong before rejoining the train. On arrival at Comilla we had to walk about 3 miles in the boilng sun with full kit to the camp.We arrived there on August 5th and had a meal before finding our billets. Our training there was to get us used to life in the open and consisted mainly of route marches and P.T., assault courses, rifle training etc We had to drink a full mug of salt water after breakfast and then fill our water bottles.

This was to maintain energy for the route marches. We were only allowed to drink when given the order. Chaps used to pass out and have to be taken back to camp sometimes.
On 20th August 1944 we were told that we were going to join our regiments. I was going to the 4th Field Regiment R.A. We travelled to Imphal by air in a Dakota, my first experience of air travel. Once there we were taken to a temporary transit camp. We slept in the open that night as there were no sides to the hut and the following day we were taken to our regiments.

September 24th saw us on the move, this time into action. Up at 4.30 a.m. we were ready to move by 5.30. The road was flat until we reached Milestone 34 and then the hills started. They were huge. The first night we stayed at Milestone 82, just inside the Burmese border.

On 27th September we continued to milestone 100 after a really hard day.The hills were treacherous. That night the wind was blowingand it was raining hard. In these conditions we set up our tents. Next day we reached milestone 109, and thence to Milestone 126, the Manipur River. We set off every morning at 5 a.m. to keep ahead of the Japanese.We stayed on the river bank until October 1st when we crossed the river to set off for our first 'action' position at milestone 143, passing many Japanese tanks, but without seeing any action.

Supplies were dropped by air, collected by men from the Indian Army and taken to the supply depots. Whilst in this position we maintained and guarded a perimeter. On October 18th we moved to Milestone 158 which was 4 miles from the village of Tiddim. Here I had my first taste of warfare and heard my first gunfire. I went in to the Battery office learning the Pay Clerk's job.
On 20th October we moved to Milestone 2 past Tiddim and 5 days later, by moonlight to Milestone 7, the Chocolate Staircase. Here we came under enemy fire and our guns were firing every day and also at night. A big attack was made on November 3rd which was successful. We were within a mile of Kennedy Peak which was 8,800 feet above sea level. We were issued with greatcoats and battle dress to keep us warm.

On 5th November we moved on to Milestone 19 and a half past Kennedy Peak and the Echelon came to Milestone 13 and a half on 8th November. On the 9th, we moved to milestone 26 and a half which was through Fort White.
Whilst in action we were only allowed one Air Letter Card a week and they were strictly rationed out. Whilst travelling in these parts we used to look down thousands of feet into the valleys below. The hillsides were heavily wooded and we were often above the clouds. Sometimes we even saw aeroplanes below us! We had to do our own washing with cold water and soap and all our own darning and mending.

On November 10th we moved to Milestone 26
and a half and then on the 12th to Milestone 37 and a half. Here I took over from the Pay Clerk after only three weeks training.
On 2nd December we moved out of action, down the Tamu Road to Imphal. We camped there temporarily before moving on along the Dimapur Road to milestone 82. While there I went to an ENSA show at a nearby camp which was very good.

We spent Christmas here and for Christmas dinner there were all kinds of good things: Duck, Christmas Pudding and Cake, nuts, apples, sweets and chocolate!!

On 29th December an Advance Party left to have a look at a new Divisional area. On January 3rd we moved to the new position at Jorhat, north of Dimapur, the rail centre.
I was promote to unpaid Lance Bombardier on December 12th and Full Bombardier on February 1st 1945. Whilst at Jorhat we had a number of ENSA shows including George Formby. Day wear was just shorts and shoes but we needed to cover up at night because of mosquitos.

On March 10th we moved into action again, this time near Mandalay. This was quite a distance , via Dimapur, Kohima,Imphal,Palel to Tamu and then to Kalemyo, sleeping all the time by the wayside. Then we went to Kalewa where we crossed the Chindwin River by what must have been the largest floating Bailey Bridge in the world: it was 365 yards long. We crossed the River Irrawaddy by ferry at Monywa and then went on to Meiktila via Myingyan.

Our first day in action was 22 March 1945, south west of Mandalay. I was in the Echelon and the battery was further forward. The Japanese were patrolling a lot and that night one of our soldiers was killed accidentally by a Sergeant Major when he failed to respond to a challenge. Also, we found ourselves under fire from the Indians who must have thought we were the enemy. I crouched in my trench, thinking it would be just my luck to be caught by enemy fire!! Luckily, no-one was hurt that night.

On 30 March 1945 we moved an armoured column to Meiktila where we stayed in Gunners Box. The wind and rain seemed relentless and we were soon soaked to the skin.

On April 12th the Japanese attacked the HQ of 28th Field Regiment R.A. by plane and hit 8 ammunition lorries with their bombs and strafing. Moving up the road later, we saw the burnt out lorries. On 14th April, we passed through Yamethin after passing Meiktila and Pyawbwe. The village of Yamethin was first shelled by our guns and then by-passed as it had been left full of mines by the Japanese. From there we went to Pyinmana and Toungoo. One night I was in the office jeep with the driver and the Sergeant Major. We crossed the river at Toungoo, where we were shelled and travelled at night down the road. We were separated from our convoy and actually travelled past the encampment, to find ourselves being stopped by infantry and told that we were almost on the Japanese position. We managed to retrace our steps and find our unit.
On 8th June we went from Waw to Meiktila and thence to Kalaw in the hills. We left there on 30th August for Yamethin. From there we tavelled back to Meiktila on September 5th and to Pegu in October. From there we went to Moulmein.

On 9th November I was told I was going home for 28 days leave. I was very excited and left camp on 12th November. That morning I got up at 4 a.m. and left by lorry for Rangoon. I left for the docks on 9th December when the boat had arrived and sailed for home the next day. By now I was a sergeant and was in charge of a mess table on board ship. We spent Christmas Day at Suez and after a rough journey through the Mediterranean and Atlantic, we arrived at Liverpool on January 5th 1946. From there we were taken to a transit camp and I arrived home late the same night.

That was the end of my time in Burma, but in 1946 I was awarded the Burma Star in recognition of my time there.

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