War in the Wilderness

The Chindits in Burma 1943-1944

Tony Redding

• Publisher: Spellmount
• Year: 2015
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9780750978002
• Subtopic: World War II
• Index: History

War in the Wilderness offers the disturbing and harrowing first-hand accounts of no less than 50 veterans of Major-General Orde Wingate's two bitterly-fought campaigns in North Burma in 1943–44. Chindit service in the Burmese jungle was widely acknowledged as the most demanding ground combat role given to any Allied troops in World War II. Landed by glider on rough and remote jungle airstrips, hundreds of miles behind Japanese lines, the men lived on emergency rations for months, battling the monsoon conditions, disease, and a ruthless enemy. They marched for 1000 miles in tropical conditions, across some of the wildest country on Earth, with half their bodyweight on their backs. The Burma campaign left thousands dead and virtually all survivors were hospitalized. But those who did return remained Chindits for the rest of their lives. Their suffering and achievements were recognized by their place of honor, at the head of the annual Cenotaph parade.

Table of contents

• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword by Alice Wingate
• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• Introduction
• 1 An Exceptional Man … an Extraordinary Personality
• 2 Operation Longcloth: an Experiment in Chindit Warfare
• 3 Behind Japanese Lines
• 4 Getting Out: the Struggle to Survive
• 5 A Costly Yet Convincing Demonstration
• 6 Operation Thursday Takes Shape
• 7 The Men Who Became the Chindits
• 8 Training for War in the Wilderness
• 9 The Toughest March
• 10 When Sunday Became Thursday
• 11 The Fly-in Continues
• 12 White City: Establishing the Block
• 13 Aberdeen Garrisoned … White City Held
• 14 Engaging the Enemy
• 15 Reinforcing Success
• 16 The First Phase Ends
• 17 Attacking Supply Lines
• 18 A Shift of Emphasis
• 19 Moving North to Blackpool Block
• 20 111 Brigade Under Siege
• 21 Isolated and Overwhelmed
• 22 Mokso Sakan – the Rallying Point
• 23 Saving the Wounded and Sick
• 24 Calvert Continues
• 25 Taking Mogaung
• 26 New Objectives
• 27 Point 2171 and Hill 60
• 28 Coming Back From Hell
• 29 Aftermath
• 30 Remembering
• Postscript
• Appendix 1 Column Composition
• Appendix 2 American K-Rations
• Glossary and Acronyms
• Awards
• Bibliography