大象传媒

BY PETER TORRANCE
(Submitted by his son, Barry Torrance)

January 1st Commenced Vehicle Maintenance Course at GOLAGHAT.

January 3rd To JORHAT to see Gordon Harker in "Mail Train''.

January 5th Purchased new watch. (Still in my possession 鈥� never been cleaned or serviced and still keeps good time - in spite of being immersed under the Chindwin on a few occasions).
January 10th To JORHAT to see Margaret Sullivan in "So Ends the Night"

January llth Vehicle Maintenance examination.

January 12th - 15th Carrier Course, GOLAGHAT.

January 16th GOLAGHAT - DIMAPUR on Studebaker Lorry ( 60 miles in 2hrs 40 mins.)

January 17th DIMAPUR - IMPHAL . (132 miles in 15 hrs).

January l8th IMPHAL - SHENAM. (36 miles in 2 hrs).

January l9th SHENAM - TAMU. (26 miles in 6 hrs).
A total of 254 miles over a period of 4 days!!!

January 23rd To Mobile Cinema to see "Champagne Waltz."

January 30th Pte Kershaw died of wounds from 3鈥� Mortar bomb during exercise. (Sadly a case of "friendly fire").

February 1st - 6th Platoon commanders Course.

February 7th Visited by Field Marshall Wavell.

February 24th TAMU - MYOTHIT.

March llth Left MYOTHIT on "Lion Patrol" to east of Chidwin River.
Crossed at TONHE. Spent Night near INTHA. 16 miles.
Carried in back pack:
6 Days light rations
Mosquito Net
Cardigan
Gym Shoes
Washing & Shaving Kit.

March 12th Left INTHA and vent N.W. for about 12 miles.
Some villagers hostile.
Ptes Wilson and Shadbolt fell to rear of Patrol, former with stomach cramp and latter with damaged knee.
Camped in Jungle. Saw light nearby about midnight. Sent patrol to investigate but nothing found.

March 13th Set out on compass bearing of 120 through jungle to NATHAN. Entered village that evening. Japs had been there. Got some Japanese currency from Burmese - also 10 parachutes.
NATHAN is on Jap patrol route and was last visited by them 3 weeks ago. They had 5 elephants and were carrying Mortars. Distance travelled 10 miles.

March 14th Left for WETKAUK and NAUNGANA. Got lost in jungle with C/Sgt Robertson. Distance travelled 10 miles.
March 15th Moved out of WETKAUK on small Recce Patro1. Took 5 Burmese for interrogation. Small Pox in PINGUQET. Tried to signal Regt H.Q. but this impossible due to height of trees. Distance covered 4 miles.
March 16th Left WETKAUK and met 2 other patrols. Then went on to NYINGBINTHA. Two of our planes came over low to see who we were. This was at KAMAING. Extremely HOT. Villagers very friendly. Distance covered 14 miles.
March 17th Left NYINGBINTHA for SETTAW, a distance of 8 miles.
Crossed Chindwin River and continued down bank to LEPANTHA. Again extremely HOT. Harboured for night at LEPANTHA.

March 18th Left LEPANTHA for SEDAW, a distance of 12 miles.
Purchased fresh vegetables and rice in THAUNGBUT and NYANTHIT. Grand change from normal rations.
Pte McGhee got drunk on native wine (rice) and shot his finger. This I amputated with a razor blade (Wilkinson Sword?)

March 19th Left SEDAW for MYOTHIT. Extremely hard climb especially with Chindits elephants coming in the opposite direction. (Mules and elephants don鈥檛 mix!!)
Arrived back at Regt H.Q. 1620 hrs. Distance covered 14 miles.

March 21st Built new 鈥渂asha" for D Coy Office.

March 29th Left MYOTH1T for TONHE. Took 2 days hard rations on men and 4 days light rations on mules. Distance covered 14 miles.

March 30th Ordered out to Pt25R near LEU. Took 5 days light rations and 1 days hard rations.
Crossed Chindwin river at TONHE. Spent might near NAMPAMAUNG.

March 31st Went on the banks of Chindwin and tried to get to NAMPAHOK but took wrong track. Spent night on River bank.

April lst Went on to Pt 25R to meet Lt. Hughes but he hadn鈥檛 been there at all. Met Lts Mackintosh and Black in Jungle near Pt25R. Remained at Pt25R for the might in the hope that Lt Hughes would send runner there.

April 2nd Went with Mackintosh, Black and McFarland to WETKAUK to see if any trace of Lt Hughes there and ran into Davies on banks of Chinthe Chaung. Returned to KYA-IN that night.

April 3rd Left KYA-IN for PENGAKET track where Hughes was lying in ambush and stayed in ambush position that night.

April 4th Hughes went reccying near WETKAUK area. Major Costens came and gave good information about Jap Whereabouts.
Moved during night to vicinity of PINKAGET as we had seen some Burmese acting suspiciously there.

April 5th Went to new harbour on banks of Chinthe Chaung opposite WETKAUK.

April 6th 鈥淎鈥� Coy joined us there.

April 7th Went to KAMAING to get food for Coy.

April 8th Went again to KAMAING to get 2 cows but they escaped. Got more rice and bananas instead.

April 9th Burmese brought cows into our harbour which were slaughtered for meat for the Companies.

April 10th Companies left harbour for THAPANZEIK. I was taken to SETTAW with the sick and the mules by a Burmese guide.

April 1lth Left for SEDAW. I sent the sick by boat. I went overland, crossing to the opposite bank of the Chindwin at THAUNGDUT. Some difficulty in getting the mules over the river.

April 12th Returned to MYOTHIT with 1 Mule and driver and Ptes. Chipston, Nicholl, Anderson and McFarland, Left SEDAW 0740; arrived MYOTHIT 1610.

April 14th Remainder of Company returned to MYOTHIT.

April 15th "B" Coy bumped into Japs 0900. Lt Barnard seriously wounded and 3 of his Platoon were killed and 14 missing.

April 19th Lt Frost鈥檚 Platoon bumped Japs at KYA-IN. Frost and 9 members of his platoon not heard of since.

April 21st Left MYOTHIT for SEDAW. Heard there were Japs in TONHE, but this report proved to be false.
Lt. O鈥橬eill bumped into Japs at NAMPANAUNG.
Imphal bombed.

April 22nd Arrived SEDAW.

April 24th NAMPANAUNG bombed.

April 25th Took over from "B" Coy at NANTHAGIT.
LIMMU bombed.

April 29th Left NANTHAGIT for MYOTHIT and banks of River TARET, a tributary of the Chindwin).

April 30th Arrived banks of TARAT.

May lst Arrived MINTHA area.

May 2nd Returned to TAMU to take over P.R.I.

May 3rd Went to IMPHAL for beer etc.

May 4th Stayed over at WAITHOU.

May 6th Left for TAMU.

May 7th Arrived TAMU - Went to MOREH and then returned to TAMU.

May 9th Went to Bn. harbour at m. s. 13.

May 10th Issued beer and other canteen goods.

May 17th Returned to MOREH.

June 5th To IMPHAL for more beer etc.

June 6th At WAITHOU.

June 7th Returned to MOREH; issued beer etc.

June 20th Left MOREH - Road in terrible condition - Supply trucks had to be continually dug out.

June 21st Arrived WAITHOU.

June 26th Admitted to 41 Indian General Hospital at KANGLATONGBI with Malaria and Dysentery.

July 6th Discharged from Hospital.

July 7th Bn. arrived WAITHOU.

July 8th 鈥� August 7th At WAITHOU.

August 8th Bn. left WAITHOU for SHILLONG.

August 9th 鈥� October 17th At Shillong.

October 18th Left SHILLONG 1400.
Arr. PANDU 1830
Left AMINGAON 2010

October 19th Arr. PARBATIPUR 0715
Left PARBATIPUR 0815
Arr SEALDAH Sta 1530 (Calcutta)
Left HOWRAH Sta 2030 (Calcutta)

October 21st Arr. AGRA 0430
Left AGRA 1730
Arr. DELHi 2130

October 22nd Left DELHI 1810
October 23rd Arr DEHA DUN 0820
Left DEHA DUN 1000
Arr. MISSOURI 1145

October 24th 鈥� 31st On leave on MISSOURI.

Nov lst Left MISSOURI.

Nov 2nd Arr. AGRA

Nov 5th Left AGRA

Nov 6th Arr. CALCUTTA

Nov 10th Left CALCUTTA

Nov 12th Arr. IMPHAL.

Nov 13th Arr. WAITHOU.

Nov 19th Went to SHUGANU Rest Camp m. s. 30.

Nov 20th 鈥� Dec 12th No diary notes but must have returned to WAITHOU during this period.

Dec 13th Left WAITHOU.

Dec 14th 鈥� 20th Arrived CALCUTTA and stayed there.

Dec 21st Admitted B.M.H. Calcutta with B.T. Malaria.

Dec 22nd 鈥� 31st Being treated in Hospital.

(Chapter 3 on A6494817)

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