Force 136: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:03, 20 November 2005

Revision as of 12:41, 21 November 2005

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====Burmese political links====

In 1942, when the Japanese invaded Burma, the majority [[Burman]] people had been sympathetic to them (or at least hostile to the British and the Indian community). During the years of occupation, this attitude changed. Force 136 was able to establish contact with [[Aung San]], commander of the [[Burma National Army]] which originally operated under Japanese control, and induce the BNA to change sides in [[1945]]. The BNA was renamed the Burmese Patriot Forces, and played a part in the final campaign to liberaterecapture [[Rangoon]], and eliminate Japanese resistance in Central Burma. In arranging the acceptance of Aung San and his forces as Allied combatants, Force 136 was in direct conflict with the more staid Civil Affairs Service Officers at South East Asia Command's headquarters.

====Field Operations====

Force 136 was also active in more conventional military-style operations behind Japanese lines. Such an operation typically comprised a group of about 40 infantry (such as [[Gurkhas]]) with officers and a Radio Operator, infiltrating Japanese lines on intelligence and discretionary search and destroy missions. Such missions, which could last several weeks (supplied by [[Douglas Dakota]]) kept close wireless contact with operational bases in India, using high-grade ciphers (changed daily) and hermetically-sealed wireless/morse sets.

Every day (Japanese permitting) at pre–arranged times, the Radio Operator (with Gurkha escorts) climbed to a high vantage point (usually necessitating a gruelling climb to the top of some slippery, high, jungle-clad ridge), and sent the latest intelligence information and the group’s supply requests etc, and received further orders in return. The Radio Operator was central to a mission’s success and his capture or death would spell disaster for the mission. To avoid capture and use under duress by the Japanese, every SOE. operative was issued a cyanide pill.

One such Radio Operator was [[James Gow]] of [[Argyll]], [[Scotland]] (originally [[Royal Corps of Signals]]), who recounted his first mission in his book [[“From Rhunahaorine to Rangoon”]]. In the summer of 1944, the Japanese push toward India had been stopped at the [[Battle of Kohima]]. In the aftermath of the battle, Japanese forces split up and retreated deep into the jungle. As part of the initiative to find out if they were reforming for a further push, he was sent from [[Dimapur]] with a 40-strong group of Gurkhas, to locate groups of Japanese forces, identify their strengths and their organised status.