´óÏó´«Ã½

Story told to Story gatherer at Duxford VE event.

In Burma I was in the 7th Indian Division. We'd gone over a pass when we were cut off. We had been told to fight to the last man and not to retreat. I was in the Admin Box —the administration part of the army. As we got cut off we had to be the front line soldiers. It was Arican where we were cut off. There were a few hundred of us to the Chief of Staff. We really had to hold our own.

In all we were cut off for three weeks. Once or twice we got called out. I was a gun fitter — so I had to see if I could fix them and keep a look out.

The first night we were there it looked as if the Japanese were coming for us as they were heading in our way. But then they disappeared, we never knew where they went they just vanished! We didn’t have any supplies mainly only biscuits, jam and tea, but we did get an air drop. I think Mountbatten organised it for us. It certainly kept us going.

In the end tanks arrived to help get us out. When the tanks arrived we felt very relieved. We then had to take our guns back to the beaches to await further order.

We then went though Burma, The regiment I belong to had done 5 years but I had only been with them for 3 so I had to join another regiment.

I was in hospital with jungle soars when the atom bomb dropped. I never did anything heroic I was just there.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.