The Chindit Column the Boldest Measures Are the Safest
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AUTUMN 2016 the Chindit Column The boldest measures are the safest Our Aims and Objectives for the Society To protect and maintain the legacy and good name of the Chindits and their great deeds during the Burma Campaign. To carry that name forward into the public domain, through presentations and education. To gather together and keep safe Chindit writings, memoirs and other treasures for the benefit of future generations. The Chairman’s Message At the beginning of this year I sent letters to all the Chindits To assist families and other registered with the Chindit Old Comrades Association interested parties in seeking out the informing them of The Chindit Society’s intentions. This was history of their Chindit relative or followed by the inaugural newsletter in March, which loved one. included an invitation to become a member of the new Society. I am pleased to announce that we currently have a Wherever possible, to ensure the Chindit membership of 100 and a family and friend’s continued well being of all our membership of 218. I could never have envisaged such a Chindit veterans. superb response. Thank you all for your support. Inside this issue New Books Alec Gibson Griff Richards PageBooksChindboo 3 Page 8 Page 9 Reviews for Love An obituary in Read about a Letters From a remembrance of a Chindit nephews Chindit and The Longcloth veteran. visit to White City Wild Green Earth. and beyond. 2 The Chindit Column Autumn 2016 Chindit Peter Heppell Remembers Sgt. Peter Heppell, a member of 82 Column on Operation Thursday recalls: I am proud to have been a Chindit. I couldn’t really talk about it for quite a long time. I felt it was of no real interest to people. I was in Burma for five months and saw only one road and I crossed that on my stomach! Burma was so different to European warfare. It is amazing how quickly one adapts to living rough. The day we flew in was 5th March 1944, which was my 21st birthday; quite a nice birthday celebration don’t you think! As we came in to land I heard the pilot say, Christ Japs! And I thought, what a good start. We landed in darkness; the instruction was, out of the glider and into the jungle. And so it began. Chindit Duncan Bett (seen in the photograph below), a soldier on the first Wingate expedition remembered the sense of isolation in the Burmese jungle: We were most scared of being left behind. When we dropped down exhausted at night it was so dark under the jungle canopy that you could not see your hand at the end of your nose. It was like a tomb. I remember waking up suddenly one time and I couldn’t see a thing or hear a sound. No mules, no sentries, nothing. I thought I had been left behind when the column moved on before dawn. I scrabbled around in a panic feeling for another body and the relief was indescribable when I felt someone else there on the ground. The heartfelt words of a Longcloth survivor, who asked graciously to remain anonymous: Fear is an emotion I now respect and understand, It keeps you awake the moment before an action. It sweats you out as you brew your tea, And makes you think more and more of home. No real man is immune from the sense of fear, It drives you on for those first few yards, But vanishes instantly at the sound of the first bullet. Out here, fear is not in the dying, just in those who are left behind. Anon. The Chindit Column Autumn 2016 3 Recent book publications with Chindit connections New from Pen & Sword books, Pamela Towill, comes a re-publication of widow of 111th Bernard Fergusson's, Wild Brigade Intelligence Green Earth. Officer, Bill Towill has recently published This is an account of the her sixth book: Love author's second foray into Letters from a Chindit. Burma in 1944, when he led as Bill sadly passed Brigadier, the 16th British away in 2013 after the Infantry Brigade. couple had been married for sixty-five Charged with leading a mightier force than the year years. before, but still having to march into enemy territory, unlike the other Chindit Brigades which entered Pam recounted: “When turning out an old chest Burma by air; Fergusson recounts the trials and of drawers, I came across a bundle of letters tied tribulations of his journey, including the with a blue ribbon, which I hadn’t read since interminable march to Indaw and of course the receiving them from Bill in 1944. Bill had such a shocking loss of his commander. wonderful way with words. I was moved and amazed as I read them and recalled his deep and Over the course of my research, and not least sincere love for me as a girl of 17, this love because my own grandfather was found to be a lasted throughout our long life together.” member of 5 Column in 1943, I have read many of Bernard Fergusson's books. It is wonderful to see this The new book is published by Pegasus under new impression of The Wild Green Earth, as in my Pam’s maiden name, Pamela Justine Dowley- opinion the author's writings are always skillfully Wise. Pam had an interesting war as an Army delivered and prove most worthy reads. decoder. On July 31st 1945, she decoded a Review by Steve Fogden. message that referred to the imminent use of the Atom Bomb at Hiroshima. To find out more about the new publication, please Review by Tony Redding. follow the link to the Pen & Sword website: http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk To find out more, please follow this link: http://www.amazon.co.uk Did You Know? In 1944 the Chindits became known as Special Force and had expanded to six Brigades, with personnel now totaling over 20,000. Three of these new Brigades, 14th, 16th and 23rd had come in to being with the break up of the 70th Infantry Division. Each Chindit Brigade was given a special codename: 3rd West African Brigade were known as Thunder 14th British Infantry Brigade as Javelin 16th British Infantry Brigade as Enterprise 77th Indian Infantry Brigade as Emphasis 111th Indian Infantry Brigade as Profound 23rd British Infantry Brigade did not enter Burma in 1944, but did excellent work during the battle of Kohima. 3 4 The Chindit Column Autumn 2016 Sgt. Fred Thompson Freddy Thompson sadly passed away on the 14th On Operation Longcloth, he February 2016, he was 98 years old. was sometimes in charge of planning the column's He was formerly with the Royal Welch Fusiliers in 1942, route during the march before being posted overseas and attached to the 13th out through Northern King's at their training camp in Saugor in the Central Burma and Yunnan Provinces of India. Although very proud to be a Chindit Province. in 1943, Fred told me he was always a RWF at heart. He told me a fabulous He was placed into 7 Column for Operation Longcloth, story about a rather commanded by Major Kenneth Gilkes. He explained to short conversation he me that he felt rather like a 'spare part' in the column, once had with his as all the main roles for NCO's were already taken up. commander, whilst He eventually was given the job of Intel Sergeant in 7 travelling through some Column HQ. unchartered territory in the Kachin Hills: Fred was one of the many Chindits who marched over 1000 miles inside Burma, eventually exiting in June Gilkes: "So Thompson, where do you think we are 1943 via the Chinese Borders. He had an aversion to then?" rice, which often made him quite ill. He remembered during the trek out, that he was given some delicious Fred Thompson: "I am not sure sir" curry at a Chinese village in Yunnan Province; he later discovered that he had eaten rat! Gilkes: "Well Sergeant, you should jolly well know where you are, you have the maps!" Fred and I spoke several times on the telephone back in 2013, when he gave me some wonderful insights into Fred Thompson: "Yes sir, but there is nothing 7 Column's activities in 1943. He was a wonderfully bloody well written on them!” bright and humorous man and sent me his hand-written memoir describing his time during WW2 for inclusion on God Bless Fred and thank you for your generosity my website. of spirit and most of all your humour. Article by Steve Fogden. Listen to a Chindit Memoir The Chindit audio memoir for Arthur Baker can now be listened to on line. Please follow the link below to the website of the Imperial War Museum and enjoy hearing about Arthur’s experiences with 71 Column on Operation Thursday. http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80012029 Bill Smyly, From Burma to Bedford (creator Chris Smyly): http://vimeo.com/122133444 The Silencing of Chindit Mules, an article from the pages of the British Medical Journal, December 1983: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1550202/?page=1 The Chindit Column Autumn 2016 5 In My Father’s Footsteps I had already been to India in search of the places where my parents spent their early-married life, using their love letters as the basis for my itinerary. I then began transcribing my father’s war diary, which led me into whole new areas of research and the discovery of fascinating information about his career as a young officer in India and Burma.