Chindits
A Chindit column crossing a river in Burma
Active	1942 – 1945
Country	United Kingdom, India
Allegiance	Allies of World War II
Branch	British Indian Army
Type	Special forces
Role	Asymmetric warfare
Garrison/HQ	Jhansi, India
Engagements	Burma Campaign of World War II
Decorations	Four members awarded the Victoria Cross
Commanders
Notable commanders	Orde Wingate, Walter David Alexander Lentaigne

The Chindits (Officially in 1942 77th Indian Infantry Brigade and in 1943 Indian 3rd Infantry Division) were a British Indian Army "Special Force"^[1] that served in Burma and India from 1942 until 1945 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post- partition) army of the Republic of India. In most countries special forces (SF is a generic term for highly-trained Military teams/units that conduct specialized operations such as Reconnaissance Asymmetric warfare originally referred to War between two or more belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly Jhansi ( Urdu: جھانسی Hindi: झांसी Marathi:झाशी is a city of Uttar Pradesh state of northern India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since Major-General Orde Charles Wingate, DSO and two bars ( February 26, 1903 &ndash March 24, 1944) was a Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines. A Long-range penetration patrol group or force is a Special forces military unit able to remain in and move long distances behind enemy lines far away from direct contact For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.

Contents 1 Beginnings 2 Operation Longcloth 3 Interlude 3.1 Plans 4 Operation Thursday 5 Change of command 6 The move north 7 Final operations 7.1 Kohima 8 The end 9 London memorial 10 Military legacy 11 Order of battle 12 See also 13 Bibliography 14 Notes 15 External links

Beginnings

The Chindits were the brainchild of British Brigadier Orde Charles Wingate when he was serving under Archibald Wavell, the Supreme Commander of the Far Eastern Theatre in India. Major-General Orde Charles Wingate, DSO and two bars ( February 26, 1903 &ndash March 24, 1944) was a Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell 1st Earl Wavell GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, PC (5 May 1883 – 24 May The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in India, Thailand, For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British The name was suggested by Captain Aung Thin (DSO) of the Burma Army. Chindit is a corrupted form of the suggested name of the Burmese mythical beast Chinthé or Chinthay, statues of which guarded Buddhist temples. The Chinthe ( tʃʰìnθḛ is a leogryph (lion-like creature that is often seen at the entrances of Pagodas and Temples in Burma and other Southeast Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices

In the Abyssinian campaign of 1940 Wingate had begun to explore the ideas that he later used with the Chindits, when he created and commanded a group of Abyssinian partisans. Known as Gideon Force, they disrupted Italian supply lines and provided intelligence to British forces. The Gideon Force was a small British -led African regular force which acted as a Corps d'Elite amongst the irregular Ethiopian forces fighting the Italian As Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East in 1940 , Wavell had given permission for the Gideon Force for political reasons, because he had thought Wingate's idea to be militarily too unorthodox. After the disbandment of Gideon Force, Wavell requested Wingate for service in Burma in 1942 where it was intended that he raise irregular forces to operate behind the Japanese lines similar to the manner in which Gideon Force had operated in Ethiopia. Rather than organize irregular forces in Burma, Wingate spent his time touring the country and developing his theory of long range penetration on paper. During the final stages of the British retreat from Burma, Wingate had himself specially flown back to India while the rest of the army walked out. Once in Delhi, he presented his proposals to Wavell.

The 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, otherwise known as the Chindits, was gradually formed in the area around Jhansi during the summer months of 1942. Jhansi ( Urdu: جھانسی Hindi: झांसी Marathi:झाशी is a city of Uttar Pradesh state of northern India. Wingate took charge of the training of the troops in jungles of central India during the rainy season. Half of the Chindits were British infantry soldiers from the 13th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment (nominally a second-line battalion which contained a large number of older men), and men from the Bush Warfare School in Burma who were formed into 142 Commando Company. The King's Regiment (Liverpool was one of the oldest Infantry Regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th The British Commandos were first formed by the British Army in June 1940 during World War II as a well-armed but non-regimental raider force employing unconventional The other portion of the force was made up of the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles (a battalion which had only just been raised) and 2nd Burma Rifles. The 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles was a Regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army The Burma Rifles were a regiment of the British Indian Army created in 1917 Wingate trained them as Long-Range Penetration units that were to be supplied by stores parachuted or dropped from transport aircraft. Usual armament was rifles, Thompson submachine guns, pistols, mortars, grenades and knives. The Thompson submachine gun is an American Submachine gun that became infamous during the Prohibition era A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories A mule transport company carried their supplies. In its common modern meaning a mule is the offspring of a male Donkey and a female Horse, which is classified as a kind of F1 hybrid. The Chindits were organized into columns under the command of group headquarters which were ultimately under the command of a brigade headquarters. RAF sections were attached to each column for the purpose of air coordination.

Operation Longcloth

In February 8, 1943 in Operation Longcloth, 3000 Chindits, Wingate with them, begun their march into Burma. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Chindits (Officially in 1942 77th Indian Infantry Brigade and in 1943 Indian 3rd Infantry Division) were a British Indian Army "Special Force" that served Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The original intent had been to use the Chindits as a part of a larger offensive but it was cancelled. Wingate convinced General Wavell to send the Chindits into Burma in spite of the cancellation of the larger offensive.

The Chindits crossed the Chindwin River on February 13 and faced the first Japanese troops two days later. The Chindwin River ( Chindwin Myit) is a river in Burma (Myanmar and the largest Tributary of the Ayeyarwady River. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed They were divided into seven columns. Two columns marched to the south and received their air supply drops in broad daylight to create an impression that they were the main attack. They even had a man impersonating a British general along with them. RAF mounted air attacks on Japanese targets to support the deception. These columns were to swing east at the beginning of march and attack the main north-south in areas south of the main force. One column successfully carried out demolitions along the railway but the other column was ambushed. Half of the ambushed column returned to India.

Five other columns proceeded eastward. Two, those of Michael Calvert and Bernard Fergusson, proceeded towards the main north-south railway in Burma. James Michael Calvert DSO and Bar ( 6 March 1913 &ndash 26 November[[ 998]] was a British soldier involved in special operations in Bernard Edward Fergusson Baron Ballantrae, KT, GCMG, GCVO, DSO, OBE (6 May 1911 &ndash 28 November 1980 was a Brigadier On March 4 Calvert's column reached the valley and demolished the railway in 70 places. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Fergusson arrived two days later to do the same. The railway was put out of action only for a very short period.

On many occasions, the Chindits could not take their wounded with them; some were left behind in villages. Wingate had in fact issued specific orders to leave behind all wounded, but these orders were not strictly followed. Since there were often no established paths in the jungle along their routes, many times they had to clear their own with machetes and kukris. The machete (məˈʃɛti is a large cleaver -like cutting tool The kukri ( Devanāgarī: खुकुरी(also sometimes spelled khukri or khukuri) is a curved Nepalese Knife used as both A single RAF squadron of 6 planes supplied them by air.

Once in Burma, Wingate repeatedly changed his plans, sometimes without informing all the column commanders. The majority of two of the columns marched back to India after being ambushed by the Japanese in separate actions. After the railway attacks, he decided to cross his force over the Irrawaddy River. The Ayeyarwady River or Irrawaddy River ( is a River that flows from north to south of Burma (Myanmar However, the area on the other side of the river turned out to be inhospitable to operations. Water was difficult to obtain and the combination of rivers with a good system of roads in the area allowed the Japanese to force the Chindits into a progressively smaller "box".

In late March, Wingate made the decision to withdraw the majority of the force, but sent orders to one of the columns to continue eastward. The operations had reached the range limit of air supply and prospects for new successful operations were low given Japanese pressure. The columns were generally left to make their own way back to India. On the journey back, the most difficult actions involved crossing back over the Irrawaddy River. The Japanese had observers and patrols all along the river bank and could quickly concentrate once an attempt at a crossing was detected. Gradually, all the columns broke up into small groups. Wingate's headquarters returned to India on its own ahead of most of the columns. Through the spring and even into the autumn of 1943 individual groups of men from the Chindits made their way back to India. The army did what they could for the men. In one case, an airplane was landed in an open area and wounded men were evacuated by air. Part of one column made it to China. Another portion of the men escaped into the far north of Burma. Others were captured or died.

By the end of April, after the mission of three months, the majority of the surviving Chindits had crossed the Chindwin river. They had lost a total of 818 or more men. Of the other men, Wingate almost hand picked those few he would retain. Both battalions, with the hand-picked exceptions, were put back under the normal army command structure.

Interlude

Although British army officers in India criticized the effectiveness of the Chindits (Japanese railway communications had been out of commission for less than a week), their effect on the morale of the allied troops in India was refreshing, and they were given plenty of publicity.

Wingate on returning to India wrote an operation report. The report was controversial for many reasons including attacks on officers under his command. The report had a tendency to excuse any mistakes made by its author (Wingate) while viciously attacking other officers often based on limited information. Eventually, through his political allies in London, a copy of the report was given to Winston Churchill who was impressed and took Wingate with him to the Quebec Conference. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 The First Quebec Conference (codenamed "QUADRANT" was a high level military conference held during World War II between the British, Canadian There they were promised support of a whole air task force. Much of the air transport available for the second operation was provided by C-47 aircraft from the USAAF 1st Air Commando Group which was created to support the Chindits. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. The 1st Air Commando Group was a US Army Air Forces group of fighters bombers transports Military gliders and small planes that operated in the The US Army also began its own plans for the group that would later become Merrill's Marauders. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Merrill’s Marauders, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional, was a United States Long range penetration Special forces unit

The forces for the second Chindit operation were called Special Force, officially 3rd Indian Infantry Division, or Long Range Penetration Groups, but the nickname, the Chindits, had already stuck.

As the members of the first expedition were making their way back to India, a second Long Range Penetration brigade, 111 Indian Infantry Brigade, (which, despite the name, was formed like 77th Brigade from British and Gurkha units only) was being formed by General Wavell without Wingate's knowledge or approval under Brigadier Joe Lentaigne. Wingate's plans for the second expedition demanded a greatly increased force, of six brigades. Wingate refused to use Indian Army formations in this force, because he maintained their training in long-range penetration techniques would take longer and their maintenance by air would be difficult due to the varied dietary requirements of different Indian castes and religions. See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post- partition) army of the Republic of India. Castes are Hereditary systems of occupation, Endogamy, social culture, Social class, and Political power. ^[2] Wingate also made no secret of his dislike of the Indian Army and its officers.

Whatever the reason, large numbers of trained British personnel were required quickly, and three brigades (14th, 16th, 23rd) were added to the Chindits by breaking up the experienced British 70th Infantry Division, much against the wishes of General William Slim and other commanders, who wished to use the division in a conventional role. The British 23rd Infantry Brigade was a Second World War Brigade which eventually became a Chindit formation during the Burma Campaign, before The 70th Infantry Division was a British Army division during the Second World War. Field Marshal William Joseph "Bill" Slim 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, KStJ A sixth brigade was found by taking a brigade from the British 81st (West Africa) Division. The 81st (West Africa Division was formed under British control during World War II.

The expanded Chindit force trained in Gwalior. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Gwalior ( Hindi: ग्वालियर) is a city in Madhya Pradesh in India In addition to men from previous regiments, new men came also from 2nd Battalion King's Own, 2nd Black Watch, Queen's Royal, Leicesters, Lancashire Fusiliers, 2nd Yorks and Lancs and two regiments of Royal Artillery, with three Battalions of the Nigeria Regiment and more Gurkhas. The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster was an Infantry Regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised on July 13, 1680 The 2nd Battalion Black Watch was formed in 1881 when the 42nd Regiment of Foot and the 73rd Regiment of Foot were amalgamated to form the Black Watch (Royal The Black Watch 3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS is an Infantry Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The 2nd (The Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot was the title given to The Tangier Regiment, when regimental numbering was introduced in Britain in 1751 The Royal Leicestershire Regiment was an Infantry Regiment of the line in the British Army, with a history going back to 1688 The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British Infantry Regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal The 2nd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment was formed by the redesignation of the 84th (York and Lancaster Regiment of Foot in 1881 The York and Lancaster Regiment was an Infantry Regiment of the British Army. The Royal Artillery, is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, is an Arm of the British Army. The Nigeria Regiment, Royal West African Frontier Force, was formed by the amalgamation of the Northern Nigeria Regiment and the Southern Nigeria Regiment Men were trained in crossing rivers, demolitions and bivouacking. Demolition is the opposite of Construction: the tearing-down of Buildings and other Structures It contrasts with deconstruction A bivouac (pronounced /ˈbɪvuˌæk/ biv-oo-ak traditionally refers to a military encampment made with Tents or improvised shelters usually without shelter or protection from Brigadiers Calvert and Fergusson took command of two of the brigades. Wingate himself was gone for much of the training period being first out of the country at the Quebec Conference and then struck ill with typhoid from drinking bad water in North Africa on his return trip.

Plans

The planning process for the operations went through many revisions. At one point it was intended to be part of a larger offensive by the Chinese and Indian Armies into northern Burma. But eventually it was decided to send in the force on its own, as in 1943. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The methods of the Chindits in 1944 differed from those of 1943 . Wingate had decided on a method of creating fortified bases behind the Japanese lines which would then send out raiding columns over short distances. This change was in part forced upon him by improved Japanese patrols along the frontier making a repeat of the successful infiltration in 1943 unlikely. ^[3] The lavish air support provided by the 1st Air Commando Group also allowed him this option.

Wingate also had plans for a general uprising of the Kachin population of Northern Burma. He fought over his plans with the leadership of Force 136 (an organisation set up to liase with resistance forces in Japanese-occupied countries), which was concerned that a premature uprising of the Kachins without a permanent British military presence would lead to their slaughter by the Japanese at the end of operations. Force 136 was the general cover name for a branch of the British World War II organization the Special Operations Executive (SOE Force 136 also had their own plans for a rising to be coordinated with the arrival of the regular army into Burma. Wingate was eventually convinced to scale back his original plans. ^[4] Further complicating relations between the organisations were orders issued by Wingate to the commander of Dah Force not to coordinate operations with Force 136 for security reasons. ^[5]

During the last months of 1943, planning was conducted to carry out the strategy for India as originally determined at the Quebec Conference. The overall plan eventually focused on the use of the Chindits in the reconquest of northern Burma when in November the strategic plans for the dry season campaign of 1944 were decided at SEAC. South East Asia Command (SEAC was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during World War II. The strategic plans were approved by the Combined Chiefs of Staff at the Cairo Conference and although other offensives in Burma were scaled back or cancelled, Stilwell's Northern Front offensive with the Chindits participation survived the cuts. The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS was the supreme military command for the Western Allies during World War II. The Cairo Conference (codenamed "SEXTANT" of November 22 - 26 November 1943 held in Cairo, Egypt, addressed the Allied But the uncertainty of the strategic plans, meant that the plans and contingency plans for the use of the Chindits repeatedly changed up to the very start of operations. ^[6]

The Chindits were assigned the task of helping the forces of Joseph Stilwell push the Ledo Road through northern Burma to link up with the Burma Road and re-establish an overland supply route to China. Burma and Ledo Road 1944 - 1945jpg|250px|thumb|right|Burma Road and Ledo Road in 1944]]Ledo Burma Roads Assam-Burma-China The Burma Road is a Road linking Burma (also called Myanmar with China. The Chindits were to aid Stilwell with a long range penetration operation behind the Japanese opposing his forces on the Northern Front. It had originally been intended that the IV Corps would attack on the Central Front and cross the Chindwin to tie up Japanese forces which could otherwise be used to aid the Northern Front. As the Japanese launched their own attack on the Central Front, this advance did not meet its objectives, but it still meant that most Japanese forces were tied on the Central Front and not available to reinforce the Japanese 18th Division on the Northern Front. The Japanese offensive on the Central Front resulted in further proposals and refinements of the plans for the Chindits. ^[6]

To facilitate theses strategic orders on February 4 1944 General Slim, commander of the Fourteenth Army, and USAAF General George E. Stratemeyer, commander of Eastern Air Command, issued a joint directive to Wingate and Phillip C. Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Lieutenant General George Edward Stratemeyer (1890-1969 was World War II chief of Air Staff and United States Air Force Far East Air Forces Cochran, the commander of the 1st Air Commando Group, to march and fly into Indaw and from there under the command of the Fourteenth Army carry out the objectives of:

(i) Helping the advance of Stiwell's Ledo force on Myitkyina by cutting the communications of the Japanese 18th Division, harassing, it rear, and preventing its reinforcement. The 1st Air Commando Group was a US Army Air Forces group of fighters bombers transports Military gliders and small planes that operated in the Indaw (Sagaing Burma is a town in northern Burma. In World War II, a major campaign was fought here in 1944 between Japanese and British forces Myitkyina ( in English pronounced myiʔʧíná) is the Capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar (formerly Burma located 919 miles from
{ii) Creating a favourable situation for the Yunnan Chinese forces to cross the Salween and enter Burma. The Salween River (သံလွင်မြစ် θànlwìn myiʔ also spelled Salwine) rises in Tibet ( after which it flows through Yunnan
(iii) Inflicting the greatest possible damage and confusion on the enemy in North Burma. ^[7]

Operation Thursday

On February 5, 1944, Fergusson's 16th Brigade left Ledo for Burma. Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. They avoided Japanese forces by traversing exceptionally difficult terrain. The rest of the Brigades were brought in by air to create fortified bases with airstrips.

Three landing zones, codenamed Piccadilly, Broadway and Chowringhee were selected. Calvert's 77th Brigade prepared to fly by glider into Piccadilly on the night of March 5. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a A last-minute reconnaissance revealed Piccadilly to be covered with logs, making landing impossible. In some accounts of the incident, Wingate insisted that the operation had been betrayed and that the other landing zones would be ambushed. To proceed would be "murder". Slim accepted the responsibility of ordering a willing Calvert to proceed with the operation, using Broadway instead. Broadway was a worse landing ground and there were many casualties in crash landings, but Calvert's men were just able to make the strip fit to take transport aircraft. Chindit gliders landed on Chowringhee the next day. It was later revealed that the logs on Piccadilly had been placed there to dry by Burmese teak loggers. The real problem was the failure to maintain observation of the landing zones (e. g. with high-flying Spitfire photo-reconnaissance aircraft) before the forces were deployed. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Over the next week, 600 sorties transferred 9000 men to the landing zones. Chowringhee was abandoned once the fly-in was completed, but Broadway was held with a garrison which included field artillery, anti-aircraft guns and even Spitfire fighters for a brief period. Fergusson's brigade set up another base named Aberdeen north of Indaw, into which 14th Brigade was flown. Indaw (Sagaing Burma is a town in northern Burma. In World War II, a major campaign was fought here in 1944 between Japanese and British forces Calvert's brigade established yet another, named White City at Mawlu, astride the main railway and road leading to the Japanese northern front. 111 Brigade set up ambushes and roadblocks south of Indaw (although part of the brigade which landed at Chowringhee was delayed in crossing the Irrawaddy River), before moving west to Pinlebu.

Ferocious jungle fighting ensued around Broadway and White City. At times, British and Japanese troops were in close combat, bayonets and kukris against katanas. A bayonet (from French baïonnette) is a Knife - Dagger - or spike-shaped Weapon designed to fit on or over the muzzle The kukri ( Devanāgarī: खुकुरी(also sometimes spelled khukri or khukuri) is a curved Nepalese Knife used as both A is a type of Japanese sword ( nihontō) and often is called a "samurai sword On March 27, after days of aircraft attack, Japanese attacked Broadway for several nights before the attack was repulsed with flown-in artillery and the aid of Kachin irregulars locally recruited. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates

However, a setback occurred when Fergusson's brigade tried to capture Indaw on March 24. Indaw (Sagaing Burma is a town in northern Burma. In World War II, a major campaign was fought here in 1944 between Japanese and British forces Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland The original intention had been to seize the town and its airfields on March 15 but Fergusson had to report that this was impossible. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Wingate appeared ready to change the brigade's mission but on March 20, he reinstated Indaw as the target. Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. ^[8]. The brigade was already exhausted from its long march, and there was no time to properly reconnoitre the objective. The units were dismayed to find that the Japanese controlled the only water sources. Fergusson expected that 14th Brigade would cooperate in the attack, but they moved west instead. Also, Japanese reinforcements had moved into Indaw, which was a major road and rail centre. Fergusson's battalions, attacking separately, were each repulsed. After this, most of the tired 16th Brigade were flown out.

Change of command

On March 24, Wingate flew to Imphal to confer with air force commanders. Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Imphal is the capital of the Indian state of Manipur. In the heart of the town and surrounded by a moat are ruins of the old Palace of Kangla On the return journey, his aircraft is believed to have flown into a thunderstorm, and crashed in the jungle-covered mountains. All aboard were killed.

Slim, the commander of Fourteenth Army which had loose operational control over Special Force, selected Brigadier Lentaigne to be Wingate's replacement after conferring with Brigadier Derek Tulloch, Wingate's Chief of Staff. The British Fourteenth Army was a multinational force comprising units from Commonwealth countries during World War II. The choice was made on the grounds that Lentaigne was the most balanced and experienced commander in the force; he had been an instructor at the Staff College at Quetta, had commanded a Gurkha battalion with distinction during the gruelling retreat from Burma in 1942, and had commanded a Chindit Brigade in the field (albeit for only a few weeks but none of the other Brigade commanders had more experience). As an officer of Gurkha troops, he had a similar outlook and background to Slim. The other Brigade commanders were unknown quantities, mostly without staff qualifications with some having never even commanded a battalion sized unit in combat before 1944 , and Wingate's staff officers lacked the necessary combat experience^[9].

What Slim ignored was complaints inside the Chindits that Lentaigne was an outsider in Wingate's force and had been critical of Wingate's methods and techniques. In this respect, he would be opposed to several of the Brigade commanders and staff of the Chindits. Wingate had disliked him because he was selected by Wavell without Wingate's approval. (Wingate also tended to hold Indian Army officers, and Gurkha Officers in particular, in total contempt. )

It is probably fair to say that nobody could have filled Wingate's shoes. Wingate had sustained his force outside normal army command through political connections that no successor would have available. The other dilemma of any successor was that they would constantly be second-guessed by those who thought they knew exactly what Wingate would have done in a particular situation. The same officers who would go to extraordinary lengths to justify even the most flawed decisions by Wingate would attack any successor whenever the opportunity presented itself.

The move north

Several major changes were made at the highest level. Much of the air support was diverted to the critical battles of Imphal and Kohima, where troops were cut off and could only be resupplied by air. The Battle of Imphal took place in the region around the city of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur in North-East India from March until July The Battle of Kohima (the " Stalingrad of the East" was the turning point of the Japanese U Go offensive into India in 1944 in World War II 23rd Brigade, yet to fly in, was also despatched to Kohima. Kohima ( Hindi: कोहिमा is the hilly capital of India 's north eastern border state of Nagaland which shares its borders with Burma Those Chindits already operating in Burma were ordered to assist US General Joseph Stilwell on the northern front. General Joseph Warren Stilwell ( March 19, 1883 – October 12, 1946) was a United States Army four-star General

In April, Lentaigne ordered the part of 111 Brigade that was west of the Irrawaddy, now commanded by John Masters, to leave their earlier outposts, move north near Hopin and to build a new stronghold, codenamed Blackpool, and block Japanese supply routes. Lieutenant Colonel John Masters, DSO (1914&ndash1983 was an English officer in the British Indian Army and Novelist. Calvert was ordered to abandon White City and Broadway and support Masters.

Masters's force established Blackpool on May 8 and were almost immediately engaged in fierce fighting. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Whereas White City had been deep in the Japanese rear, its defenders had had plenty of time to prepare their defences and its attackers had been a mixed bag of detachments from several formations, Blackpool was close to the Japanese northern front, and was attacked by two regiments from the Japanese 53rd Division, with heavy artillery support. Because the monsoon had broken and heavy rain made movement in the jungle very difficult, neither Calvert nor Brodie's British 14th Infantry Brigade could help Masters. Finally, Masters had to abandon Blackpool on May 24, because the men were too exhausted after 17 days of continual combat. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned 19 Allied soldiers, who were so badly injured as to be beyond hope of recovery and could not be moved, were shot by the medical orderlies ^[10].

Final operations

On May 17, Slim had formally handed control of the Chindits to Stilwell. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Stilwell insisted that the Chindits capture several well-defended Japanese positions. The Chindits had no support from tanks or artillery and this led to heavier casualties than before. Some have considered these operations to be abuse, but others have pointed out that if the Chindits cannot carry out such operations, their usefulness in practice is open to question. And given Wingate's lack of concern over casualties in the first Chindit operation, its difficult to suggest that the losses in these battles were inconsistent with his methods.

Over the period June 6-June 27, Calvert's 77th Brigade took Mogaung and suffered 800 casualties (50%) among those of the brigade involved in the operation. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Mogaung is a Town in the northeast of Kachin State in Burma. Fearing that they would then be ordered to join the siege of Myitkyina, Calvert shut down his radios and retreated to Kamaing, Burma. Myitkyina ( in English pronounced myiʔʧíná) is the Capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar (formerly Burma located 919 miles from Kamaing is a Town in the Kachin State of northernmost part of the Union of Myanmar. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. A court-martial was likely until Stilwell and Calvert met in person, and Stilwell finally appreciated the conditions under which the Chindits had been operating.

111 Brigade, after resting, were ordered to capture a hill known as Point 2171. They did so, but were now utterly exhausted. Most of them were suffering from malaria, dysentery and malnutrition. Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including Dysentery (formerly known as flux or the bloody flux) is an infection of the digestive system that results in severe Diarrhea containing mucus and blood Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet. On July 8, at the insistence of the Supreme Commander, Mountbatten, doctors examined the brigade. Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, Of the 2200 men present from four and a half battalions, only 119 were declared fit. The Brigade was evacuated, although Masters sarcastically kept the fit men, "111 Company" in the field until August 1. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman

The portion of 111 Brigade east of the Irrawaddy were known as Morris Force, after its commander, Lieutenant-Colonel "Jumbo" Morris. They had spent several months harassing Japanese traffic from Bhamo to Myitkyina. Bhamo is a city of Kachin State in northernmost part of Myanmar, located 186 km south from the capital city of Myitkyina. They had then attempted to complete the encirclement of Myitkyina. Stilwell was angered that they were unable to do so, but Slim pointed out that Stilwell's 30,000 Chinese troops had also failed in that task. Morris Force was evacuated about the same time as 77th Brigade.

14th Brigade and 3rd West African Brigade remained in action, assisting the newly-arrived British 36th Infantry Division in its advance down the "Railway Valley" south of Mogaung. The 36th Infantry Division was a Second World War British Army formation created from the Indian Army 36th Infantry Division during the campaign in Finally, they were relieved and withdrawn, starting on August 17. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli

The last Chindit left Burma August 27 1944. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan

Kohima

23rd Brigade, which had been diverted from the main Chindit campaign, nevertheless acted as a long range penetration unit behind the Japanese fighting at Kohima. From April to June 1944, they marched long distances through the Naga hills, mostly in monsoon weather which made movement very difficult. They contributed in a large measure to the starvation of the Japanese at Kohima, the decisive factor in that battle. Although not engaged in major battles, they accounted for large numbers of Japanese stragglers and foragers, suffering 158 battle casualties themselves.

The end

The Chindits had suffered heavy casualties: 1396 killed and 2434 wounded. Over half had to be hospitalised with a special diet afterwards. As bad as the numbers may seem, those suffered by the force in 1943 were proportionally much higher.

The healthy were sent to training camps to await new operations. However, when the army command evaluated the men and equipment required to return the Chindits to operational status, it was decided to transform the force into an Airborne Division in India. Beyond direct replacements, it was known that the British element of the Chindits would be decimated in 1945 by the need to repatriate personnel who had served more than four years overseas.

During the early months of 1945, several of the brigade headquarters and many of the veterans of the Chindit operations were reformed and merged into the 44th Airborne Division (India), while the force headquarters and signals units formed the core of Indian XXXIV Corps. The Indian 44th Airborne Division was a formation of the British Indian Army, created late in World War II. The Indian XXXIV Corps was formed towards the end of World War II to be part of the Fourteenth Army in Operation Zipper, the invasion of Malaya The Chindits were finally disbanded in February 1945. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar

London memorial

There is a memorial to Orde Wingate and also to the Chindits on the north side of the Victoria Embankment next to the Ministry of Defence headquarters in London. The Victoria Embankment, is part of the Thames Embankment, a road and walkway along the north bank of the River Thames in London. The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The memorial was unveiled on 16 October 1990 by HRH The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. The front of the monument is in memory of the Chindits and also mentions the four men of the Chindits awarded the Victoria Cross: Major Frank Gerald Blaker, Captain Michael Allmand and Lieutenant George Albert Cairns and Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since Frank Gerald Blaker ( VC, MC)( May 8, 1920 - July 9, 1944) was a Scottish winner of the Victoria Michael Allmand ( 1924 - June 23, 1944) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in George Albert Cairns VC ( December 12, 1913 - March 19, 1944) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, Tul Bahadur Pun VC (born 23 March 1923) is a living recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the The battalions who took part are listed on the sides of the monument. Non-infantry units are mentioned by their parent formations only. No distinction is made between those units who took part in 1943 versus those of 1944. The rear of the monument is exclusively dedicated to Orde Wingate and also mentions his contributions to the state of Israel. ^[11]

Military legacy

Military historians disagree on the Chindits' military significance. The debate is part of the ongoing one of whether the deployment of special forces are a net asset to a campaign or whether the investment in time, material and men that such operations demand outweigh the advantages gained. For example, did the interdiction of Japanese supply lines during Operation Thursday by the Chindits contribute more to Stilwell's advance than if the resources committed to the operation had been used to provide Stilwell with another regular division to fight alongside his X Force. X Force was the name given to the portion of the Kuomintang Chinese Expeditionary Force that retreated from Burma into India in

The views of the majority of the post-war British military establishment were made succinctly by Slim (commander of the Fourteenth Army), when he wrote ". . . the Chindits, gave a splendid examples of courage and hardihood. Yet I came firmly to the conclusion that such formations, trained equipped and mentally adjusted for one kind of operation were wasteful. They did not give, militarily, a worth-while return for the resources in men, material and time that they absorbed. . . . [Special forces] were usually formed by attracting the best men . . . The result of these methods was undoubtedly to lower the quality of the rest of the Army. " He makes several other arguments against special forces, about the danger of ordinary battalions thinking that some tasks could only be performed by special forces, and that special forces can only stay in the field for relatively short periods compared to regular battalions. He sums up that "Anything, whatever the short cuts to victory it may promise, which thus weakens the Army spirit is dangerous. " To underline his point he suggests that "This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier, who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree". He does acknowledge the need for small units to stir up trouble in the enemy's rear area but does not make it clear if he is talking about V Force or the actions of Force 136. V Force was a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering organisation established by the British during the Burma Campaign in World War II. ^[12]

Others, like Sir Robert Thompson, himself a Chindit, have asserted that the idea behind the Chindits was a sound one, but that they were just badly handled and used in operations for which they were not properly equipped or trained, for example in static defence. Sir Robert Grainger Ker Thompson KBE CMG DSO MC (1916&ndash1992 was a British military officer and Counter-insurgency A third view is that despite the relatively insignificant losses that the Chindits were able to inflict, their propaganda value in 1943 , at a time when the Army was on the defensive, was a moral boost to the people of India and Britain. Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people It has been hard to reach a consensus on any of these issues due to the partisan nature of the discussions surrounding Wingate himself.

It has also been argued that the Chindits also contributed to the overall success of the Allied armies in Burma through the innovations in air supply techniques and organisation which their operations required. The Allied air forces were later to use these tactics to supply increasingly large forces which were cut off by enemy forces, or were operating independently of road or rail lines of communication.

Three of the Brigade commanders on Operation Thursday subsequently wrote autobiographies, which contained their comments on the Chindits' concept and practice of operations. Bernard Fergusson, originally an enthusiastic supporter of Wingate, later came to feel that Wingate lacked both consistency and flexibility in his plans, which contributed to Fergusson's long, pointless march and his defeat at Indaw. John Masters, who was a close friend and supporter of Lentaigne, felt that the Chindits' mobility was sacrificed in holding fixed defensive positions or attacking strong Japanese positions, without the necessary support. In criticism of the whole Chindit concept, he points out that the Chindit force had the infantry strength of two and a half line divisions, but, without supporting arms, it had the fighting strength of less than one. Michael Calvert, who was closest to Wingate, remained an absolute unquestioning defender of Wingate and his methods.

Order of battle

See:

• Order of Battle of the Chindits#First Chindit Expedition 1943. Codenamed Operation Longcloth
• Order of Battle of the Chindits#Second Chindit Expedition 1944. Codenamed Operation Thursday

See also

• LRRP

Bibliography

• Allen, Louis. Order of Battle of the Chindits an Allied special force which carried out two deep penetration raids behind Japanese line during the Burma Campaign in the Order of Battle of the Chindits an Allied special force which carried out two deep penetration raids behind Japanese line during the Burma Campaign in the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, or LRRP (pronounced and sometimes spelled "LuRP" were special small four to six-man teams utilized in the Vietnam War Burma: The longest War 1941-45, J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd, 1984, ISBN 0-460-02474-4
• Davis-Poynter, R. Callahan. Wingate in Burma 1942-1945, (1978)
• Latimer, Jon, Burma: The Forgotten War, John Murray, (2004). Jon Latimer (1964 -) is an historian and writer based in Wales. ISBN 0719565766.
• Masters, John, The Road Past Mandalay
• Prasad, S. Lieutenant Colonel John Masters, DSO (1914&ndash1983 was an English officer in the British Indian Army and Novelist. N. et al. Official History of Indian Armed Forces in the Second World War: Reconquest of Burma, volume 1: June 1942-June 1944. Delhi (?): Combined Inter-Services Hist, 1958
• James, Richard Rhodes. Chindit,

  Hardcover 256 pages (August 1980) Publisher: J Murray; ISBN 0-7195-3746-0

  Paperback 224 pages (10 September, 1981) Publisher: Sphere; ISBN 0-7221-5102-0

  Hardcover (November 1980) Publisher: Academic Pr Canada Ltd; ISBN 0-7195-3746-0

• Slim, William (1956) Defeat Into Victory. Field Marshal William Joseph "Bill" Slim 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, KStJ Citations from the Cassell 1956 edition, but also available from NY: Buccaneer Books ISBN 1-56849-077-1, Cooper Square Press ISBN 0-8154-1022-0; London: Cassell ISBN 0-304-29114-5, Pan ISBN 0-330-39066-X.
• Robert Thompson, Make for the Hills, an autobiography, Pen & Sword Books/Leo Cooper, 1989, ISBN 0-85052-761-9
• Tulloch, D. Sir Robert Grainger Ker Thompson KBE CMG DSO MC (1916&ndash1992 was a British military officer and Counter-insurgency (Wingate's Chief of Staff) Wingate in Peace and War

Notes

External links

• Material on Wingate's Burma Campaign (histories, personal accounts, biographies)
• Royal Engineers Museum Engineers with the Chindits
• http://www.wolftree.freeserve.co.uk/Burma/Burma4.html
• The Chindits
• Office of the US Surgeon General: Office of Medical History: Book 4, With Wingate's Chindits index
• G. V. Faulkner, MD, MC. Medical Report on Operations, 77th Indian Infantry Brigade
• Chindits 1943 / 1944 roll of honour, awards and images.
• http://www.thechindit.co.uk

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