by Frank McLynn
Epilogue
pp. 446–456
• 1. Mountbatten Diary, p. 209. • 2. DIV, pp. 516–20. Slim probably overrated Aung San, to judge from the following hyperbolic statement: ‘I have always felt that, with proper treatment, Aung San would have proved a Burmese Smuts’: ibid., p. 520. • 3. See ‘Patriotic Burmese Forces and Anti-Fascist Organisations, Burma’, WO 203/4404. • 4. Jon Latimer, Burma. The Forgotten War (2004), p. 409. • 5. See Alanbrooke Diaries, pp. 713, 721. • 6. Mountbatten Diary, p. 211; DIV, pp. 521–2. • 7. Leese. • 8. Robert Lyman, Slim, Master of War (2004), p. 256, says: ‘Mountbatten’s instructions had either not been clear or else Leese was so determined to remove Slim from command of 14th Army that he was prepared simply to ignore them.’ • 9. Philip Ziegler, Mountbatten (1985), p. 295. • 10. One version of the Leese–Christison conference is that the army to invade Malaya would be a completely new force but would have the title of 14th Army to utilise its propaganda value, while the real 14th Army was rebranded as 12th Army: Lyman, Slim, op. cit., p. 256. • 11. Later in life Leese admitted that Mountbatten had given no such order and could not be held accountable for his own blunder: Ronald Lewin, Slim. The Standard Bearer (1976), p. 238. • 12. Ziegler, Mountbatten, op. cit., p. 294. • 13. M. Hickey, The Unforgettable Army (Tunbridge Wells, 1992), p. 231. • 14. Ziegler, Mountbatten, op. cit., p. 294. • 15. On which one can only comment that if he was worried about it, he should have given clear and unambiguous instructions in the first place. • 16. Lewin, Slim, op. cit., p. 243. • 17. A. Greenwood, Field Marshal Auchinleck (Durham, 1991), p. 256. • 18. Mountbatten Diary, p. 207. • 19. Lewin, Slim, op. cit., p. 241. • 20. D. Smuthwaite, ed., The Forgotten War. The British Army in the Far East 1941–1945 (1992), p. 49. • 21. Alanbrooke Diaries, p. 698; Mountbatten Diary, p. 220. • 22. Alanbrooke Diaries, pp. 700–1. • 23. DIV, pp. 531–4. • 24. Lewin, Slim, op. cit. • 25. Barbara Tuchman, Sand against the Wind (1971), p. 511. • 26. Ibid., p. 519. MacArthur seems to have harboured no grudge that in 1944 Stilwell turned down his request for manpower from China. He wanted 50,000 labourers from Chiang for backup operations but Stilwell told him that the Chinese economy was so fragile it could not sustain such a loss, adding, however, that if China was properly run, there would be no problem about meeting the request: C.F. Romanus & R. Sunderland, Stilwell’s Personal File: China-Burma-India 1942–44 (1976), v, 2448. • 27. Tuchman, Sand against the Wind, op. cit., p. 520. • 28. Philip Knightley, The War Correspondent as Hero and Mythmaker from the Crimea to Iraq (2004), p. 303. Wedemeyer complained to Marshall in December 1944 along identical lines to Stilwell, making it clear that the problems in China were not due to a Stilwell–Chiang personality clash and thus exposing the ‘big lie’ of the pro-Chiang apologists; C.F. Romanus & R. Sunderland, Time Runs Out in CBI (Washington DC, 1959), pp. 165–6. • 29. Mountbatten Diary, pp. 221–3. Here Mountbatten displays rare self-knowledge, as Pownall often accused him of liking the sound of his own voice: Ziegler, Mountbatten, op. cit., pp. 339–41. • 30. Mountbatten Diary, p. 225. • 31. Ziegler, Mountbatten, op. cit., p. 297. • 32. Larrabee, Commander in Chief, op. cit., p. 309. • 33. This case is strongly argued in Andrew Roberts, Eminent Churchillians (1994). • 34. See David Leigh, The Wilson Plot (1988). • 35. Simon Heffer, Like the Roman (1998).
Index
ABDACOM, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 44, 187
‘Aberdeen’ (formerly ‘Templecombe’), 275, 279, 280, 285, 287, 288, 342, 345
Abyssinia, 17 see also Ethiopia
Admin Box, 251
Battle of the, 253–4, 255, 256
Agra, 177
aircraft
Beaufighter, 379
Blenheim bomber, 30, 104
B-24 Liberator bomber, 104, 170, 257, 379
B-25 Mitchell bomber, 65, 110, 261, 288, 289, 431
B-29, 215, 216, 227, 390, 391
C-46 Commando, 170, 257
C-47 Dakota, 170, 261, 275, 279, 280, 281, 282, 302, 303, 326, 378, 413, 414
DC-3, 302
Hurricane, 30, 104, 422
P-40 Tomahawk, 30
P-51 Mustang, 26, 344, 352, 358
Sikorski helicopter, 261
Spitfire, 256–7, 283
Tojo, 257
Wellington bomber, 257
Zero fighter, 30, 57, 257, 310, 422
airdrops, 82, 147, 149, 236, 316
airpower
Japanese, 24, 30, 34, 56–7, 256, 257, 31, 422
Allied, 29–30, 65, 104, 115–16, 128, 162, 171, 181, 256–7, 260–1, 269, 280, 281, 282, 286–7, 297, 302–3, 306, 310, 320, 325–6, 352, 355, 374, 377, 378–9, 394, 398, 413, 414, 416, 419, 421, 422, 428, 431, 433, 435, 439
see also Flying Tigers; RAF; USAAF
Akyab, 30, 98, 99, 100, 104, 132, 137, 218, 244, 378, 433, 434, 443, 448
Alamein, 134, 326, 432
Alanbrooke, Alan Brooke, Viscount
and ABDACOM, 22
reaction to British defeats, 25
and Wavell’s promotion, 96
and TRIDENT conference, 165, 166
and Stilwell, 165, 201, 361–2
and Quebec conference, 174, 175, 187
and Wingate, 174, 177
and Churchill, 183, 190–1, 369–70
and appointment of supreme commander for South East Asia, 189, 190–1
disappointed in ambition to be supreme commander of OVER-LORD, 190–1
and Mountbatten, 186–7, 190, 193, 194, 195, 196–7, 211, 240, 244, 339, 369, 382–3
persuades Wavell to withdraw his resignation, 187
and Cairo conference, 216–17, 218, 219–21, 222, 223
and Tehran conference, 226
and AXIOM, 244, 246
pessimism about Burma situation, 324
and DRACULA, 368–9
and second Cairo conference, 372
and Giffard, 382
and Browning’s appointment, 383
and Leese’s attempt to replace Slim, 449
and dismissal of Leese, 450
brief references, 173, 212, 321, 342, 367, 389, 447
Alexander, General Harold
background and career, 27
appointment as commander in Burma, 26, 27
and the British campaign and retreat, 27–8, 32, 33, 34, 36–7, 39, 40, 62, 64, 65, 90–1, 108, 241–2
Slim’s opinion of, 33–4, 40, 108
and Stilwell, 55–6, 60–1, 62, 64, 67, 241, 407
and the Chinese, 33, 60, 80, 92
brief references, 30, 31, 146, 194, 263
ALFSEA, 450
Alison, John, 260
Allanmyo, 32, 33, 440, 444
Allenby, General Edmund, 18
Alsop, Joseph, 161, 230, 389, 403
American Volunteer Group see Flying Tigers
Amery, Leo, 173, 188
Amin, Haj, 71
ANAKIM, 118, 160, 161, 165
Andaman islands, 118, 174, 212, 218, 220, 223–4, 232
Anglo-Indian forces see British Army / British Indian Army
Anglo-Iraq war, 18
animals, Burmese, 9–10
Arabs, 71, 72
Aradura ridge, 322
Arakan
rainfall, 8
campaign in 1942–3, 98–103, 104, 107, 134
plans for operations in, 179, 181, 218, 232, 242
campaign in 1943–44, 250–7, 272
Slim is relieved of responsibilities in, 376
operations assigned to Christison, 384
campaign 1944–45, 433–4
brief references, 79, 96, 137, 139, 174, 178, 271, 273, 275, 293, 299, 302, 303, 324–5, 333, 336, 378, 414
Ardennes, 432
Arnhem, 369, 432
Arnold, General Henry ‘Hap’, 116, 160–1, 176, 193, 240, 241, 260, 261, 283, 286, 433, 452
Ashley, Edwina see Mountbatten (née Ashley), Edwina
Assam, 36, 38, 39, 53, 79, 91, 98, 110, 115, 121, 122, 126, 143, 150, 155, 178, 181, 198, 252, 256, 294, 364
Assam-Bengal
railway, 38, 115
Astor, Mary, 183
Atkinson, Brooks, 452
Attlee, Clement, 167, 190, 368, 451
Auchinleck, Sir Claude (‘The Auk’)
becomes commander-in-chief of the Middle East, 19, 77
Wingate’s meeting with, 77–8
becomes commander-in-chief in India, 108, 166
respected by Slim, 108
Wingate’s proposals sent to, 174
response to Wingate’s proposals, 175
approves Slim’s plans, 179
and food supplies, 181–2
displeased with Mountbatten’s appointment, 190, 195–6
and Wingate’s views on the Indian army, 195, 258–9, 393
wife’s affair with Peirse, 197
refuses to visit Burma front, 238
and Wingate’s return from Quebec, 259
and departure of the Chindits, 276
and Mountbatten’s move to Kandy, 338
Stilwell writes to, 407
opinion of Slim, 449
brief references, 109, 172, 177, 178, 194, 201, 210, 263, 270, 275, 326
Auchinleck, Lady, 197, 382
Aung San, 6, 97, 143, 378, 438, 442, 446
Aung Thin, 88
Australasia, 23 see also names of countries
Australia, 24, 44, 50, 367, 393, 451
Australians, 23, 179, 368
Ava bridge, 36, 37, 98, 437
AXIOM, 244–5, 246
Baldwin, Air Marshal John, 280, 282, 325, 326, 433
Balfour Declaration, 71
Ba Maw, 6, 446
Bamwe Taung hills, 144, 145, 146
Bangalore, 178
Bangkok, 104, 276
Barrackpore, 209, 211, 384
Barrett, Colonel David, 214, 388
Bataan peninsula, 214
Baw, 149, 156
BBC, 64–5, 132, 352
Beaverbrook, Lord, 237
Belgaum: Senior Officers’ School, 17
Bengal, 91, 96, 98, 174
East, 178
Bengal, Bay of, 30, 94, 100, 118, 129, 133–4, 209, 220, 433
Bengal Club, 102
‘Ben Nevis’, 308
Bhamo, 8, 62, 130, 150, 232, 345, 356, 399, 403, 421
Bhamo-Lashio road, 149, 267
Big Tree Hill, 321, 322
Bihar, 91, 95, 98, 122
Bilin, River, 25
Birmingham, 16, 105–6
Birmingham University: Officers Training Corps, 16
Bishenpur, 304, 309, 310, 312, 313, 364
Bishenpur-Silchar track, 309, 311
Bissell, Colonel (later General) Clayton L., 50, 53, 115–16, 161, 162
BLA (Burmese Liberation Army), 146
‘Black and Tans’, 72
‘Blackpool’, 343, 344, 357
BNA see Burmese National Party
Boatner, General H.L., 233, 234, 246, 333, 348, 353, 354, 356, 361
Boer War, 18
Bombay, 95, 363
Bongyaung gorge, 144, 267
Bongyaung railway station, 144
Bonin islands, 221
Boothby, Robert, 197
Bose, Subhas Chandra, 252, 313, 378, 420, 429, 442
Brahmaputra, River, 94, 294, 317
Brahmaputra valley, 181, 295, 301, 337
Brett, General George, 22
Briggs, Harold R., 180–1, 251, 252
Britain, 21, 22, 40, 44, 45, 47, 48, 50, 64–5, 72, 94–5, 111, 116, 126, 129, 130, 132–3, 158, 160, 161, 164, 165, 166, 174, 192, 193, 213, 214, 215, 217, 218, 230, 245, 246, 372, 392, 398, 436, 446, 454, 456
and international context before Burma campaign, 1, 2, 5, 6–8, 19
see also British Army/British Indian Army; Churchill, Winston; names of commanders
British Army/British Indian Army
Armies
Eastern, 98
8th, 381, 384, 385
12th, 433–4, 447, 448, 449, 450
14th, 106, 209–10, 211, 249–56, 259, 270, 271, 272, 286, 294–322, 338, 341, 362, 364–6, 366–7, 373–5, 376–7, 379, 384, 385, 407, 413–14, 415–33, 436–8, 439–43, 444–5, 447, 448, 449, 450
Army Group
11th, 266, 303
Brigades
2 Burma Brigade, 25, 38
3 West Indian Brigade, 272, 278
4 Brigade, 319
5 Brigade, 317, 319
6 Brigade, 319, 322
7 Armoured, 24, 31, 33
9 Brigade, 18, 302, 322, 365
10 Indian Brigade, 17, 18
13 Brigade, 34
14 Brigade, 260, 278, 285, 286, 288, 342, 344, 345, 359, 360
16 Indian Infantry Brigade, 260, 267, 273, 276–8, 280, 288
23 Brigade, 260, 278, 286, 318
28 East African Brigade, 416, 419
32 Brigade, 310
33 Brigade, 309, 321, 423, 424
37 Brigade, 296
47 Brigade, 102
48 Brigade, 34, 36, 311, 441
49 Brigade, 296, 299–300
50 Armoured Brigade, 96
50 Indian Parachute Brigade, 443
50 Tank Brigade, 101
63 Brigade, 310, 426
64 Brigade, 421
77 Brigade, 82–6, 88, 136–58, 259, 267, 272, 273, 279, 282, 288, 342, 343, 351, 352, 353, 356, 357
99 Brigade, 441
111 Brigade, 172, 259, 267, 273, 279, 282, 342, 343, 344, 359–60
114 Brigade, 423
116 Brigade, 287
123 Brigade, 302
161 Indian Brigade, 254, 302, 314, 315, 317
254 Tank Brigade, 379
255 Tank Brigade, 379, 417, 425, 440, 441
268 Tank Brigade, 415, 418
6300 Brigade, 426
Lushai Brigade, 373–4, 416, 419
West African, 260, 272, 288, 343, 351, 359
Corps
4 Corps, 90, 93, 94, 137, 148–9, 157, 172, 266, 294, 298, 303–4, 320, 342, 373, 374, 375, 376, 379, 415, 416, 417, 419, 420, 421, 423–4, 426–7, 437, 440–3
14 Corps, 429
15 Indian, 94, 96–7, 101, 137, 178, 250–5, 256, 257, 259, 439, 442, 444
33 Corps, 303, 304, 373, 375, 379, 415, 418–19, 420–3, 427, 428, 430–1, 434, 438, 439–40, 444
BURCORPS (Burma Corps), 31–2, 34–5, 36–9, 40, 90, 93, 209
Medical Corps, 85–6
Royal Armoured Corps, 260
Royal Artillery, 69, 260
Royal Engineers, 37, 83, 260
Divisions
1 Burma Division, 31, 35, 45, 57
2 British Division, 303, 304, 317, 379, 418, 421, 422, 431, 436, 437, 438
5 Indian Division, 17, 180, 250, 251–2, 254, 302, 303, 304, 305, 324–5, 365, 373, 374, 375, 429, 440, 441, 442
7 Indian Division, 250–1, 252, 253, 304, 317, 320, 321, 324–5, 376, 379, 417, 423, 440
11 East African Division, 365, 373, 416