大象传媒

In March 1945 鈥楥鈥� Company 7th Worcestershires had advanced to the outskirts on Mandalay. Part of Mandalay city is built on a great rock rising abruptly from the plain to about eight hundred feet high and dominating the whole north-eastern quarter of the city. It鈥檚 steep sides are covered with temples and pagodas.

In 1945 these were now heavily garrisoned with Japanese troops with machine-guns.
Throughout the day and night of the 9th March 1945, the fiercest hand-to-hand fighting went on, as a Gurka Battalion stormed up the slopes, bombing and Tommy-gunning their way into the concrete buildings.

The Japanese holding out in cellars until the last defenders, were destroyed. It was not until the 11th March that the hill was completely taken. The other Japanese stronghold, Fort Dufferin, in Mandalay city, was a great rectangular walled enclosure, consisting of one and a quarter miles of parkland. This was dotted with official residences, barracks and the fantastic, teak-built Royal Palace of Theebaw, the last Burmese king. All round lay the moat, over two hundred feet wide, studded with lotus plants.

For the next few days, the 19th Brigade, fought their way street by street through the city, suffering heavily from snipers. It was on the 15th March that the desperate Japs made their last full-scale attack against the British. The last time they came charging with all their savage fury, yelling and screaming with the banner of the Rising Sun. It was the last time we saw bayonets like a waving wall of steel. It was a time that we felt great fear and exhilaration as our bren-gunners, strategically placed, mowed them down as they attempted to over-run us.

The Japs lost three hundred and seventy men in fifteen minutes. They counter-attacked at several places along the 2nd Division鈥檚 front and then they virtually gave up Mandalay.

After all the fighting, I remember it was a glorious evening. The sky was ochre and pale blue. I remember the sun setting like a ball of fire. A message came through from Brigade H.Q, 鈥淧roceed south towards Rangoon.鈥�!!

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