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| Buthidaung street | ||
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Went for a walk around
village
Everyone turned out to
have a look at us
All friendly
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| Buthidaung street | ||
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Path along back of
village
Possibly the route we
followed before crossing Mayu River in an attempt to outflank
Japanese
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| Buthidaung street | ||
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Main street
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| Buthidaung street | ||
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Street scene
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| Buthidaung street | ||
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Everyone turned out
Including a Gloucester
Old spot ?????
Free range
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| 1st Arakan Campaign | ||
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In May 1942 the Allies
evacuated Akyab
Began retreating
The Japanese followed
By June 1942 reached a
line to the north of the Buthedaung Maungdaw road
This is the road we
are about to travel
At this point the
monsoons started and fighting stopped
This marked the end of
the longest retreat in British history
And the start of one
of the longest campaigns in British history
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| 1st Arakan Campaign | ||
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First Arakan Campaign
In September 1942, General Wavell had issued directives for a British return to Burma, and the same month the 14th Indian Division left Chittagong on a journey south through Cox's Bazaar and down to the bottom of the Mayu Peninsula. The only road south was a four-foot wide track, and although the heavy supplies were sent by sea part of the way, much had to be carried by the troops and progress was almost imperceptible.
Thirteen inches of rain fell on one
day in November and monsoon conditions reigned in the Bay of
Bengal, but by the beginning of December the division was
slogging towards Cox's Bazar towards Tumbru and Bawli Bazar
where the two brigades separated, one holding to the coast and
the other driving parallel on the left for Buthidaung as the
first drove for Maungdaw. A flank guard of irregulars operated
inland to provide intelligence led by Lt-Colonel J.H. Souther.
On arrival, the brigades found
Japanese units holding strong defenses along the line of the
road between Maungdaw and Buthidaung, and were then instructed
to wait for the arrival of two more brigades, 123rd and 47th
Indian Brigades who arrived on 17th December.
The Lincolns were part
of 47th Indian
Brigade. I left Calcutta onboard the troopship Ethiopia for
Chittagong where we transferred to a paddle steamer for a night
time trip down coast to land just above Maungdaw.
It
was then discovered that the Japanese had withdrawn into the
Peninsula itself, but it was January before the Division was
ready to move forward again.
The Lincolns advanced
along the side of the Mayu Mountain Range
This was because we
were equipped with mules for transport
The Japanese had in fact dropped
back into strong defenses around and south of Kondan protecting
the town of Rathedang. The Japanese waited and watched and even
allowed a patrol from the 47th Indian Brigade to reach Foul
Point, but when first a company and then a battalion attempted
to follow up a week later than ran into a well-laid trap of
fox-holes deep in the scrub.
The 14th Indian Division pressed
forward, while more battalions of the 47th Indian Brigade
followed on down the Mayu Peninsula and attempted to storm
Donbaik and the Japanese defense lines in vain. Units from 123rd
Brigade split on both sides of the Mayu river, one battalion
attempting a direct attack on Rathedaung itself, the rest trying
to take Kondon from the north.
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| 1st Arakan Campaign | ||
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The Japanese positions held and
while the two Indian Brigades were battling fiercely but making
little headway a new Japanese division was being assembled under
an expert commander to take advantage of the extended positions
of the Indian units.
Throughout February and March, the
Kondan-Donbaik- Rathedaung triangle was the scene of bitter
fighting. March saw Wavell release the experienced the British
Brigade to mount an assault on Donbaik and a new force was
created to guard the eastern Arakan flank. However, by the end
of the month the growing evidence pointed toward a powerful
Japanese threat growing across the Kaladan, and the British and
Indian units in the Arakan had lost over 3,300 killed and
wounded during the attack on Donbaik. All close observers were
convinced that the whole enterprise had been ill-advised from
the start.
During February and March 1943 the
first Chindit Operations had taken place. Wavell, however, did
not agree and rejected the advice of General Lloyd, commander of
14th Division and dismissed him, replacing him with General
Lomax who was more optimistic. Wavell and Lomax exhorted the
units east of the Mayu range to 'stick it out' and the survivors
of the 6th British Brigade to hold fast around Donbaik. Both men
felt the approaching monsoons would enable the brigades to build
up their strength for success when the monsoon ended. They did
not take account of the rising toll from malaria.
On 1st April, the 47th Brigade
commander realised that the Japanese were infiltrating between
his positions and moving towards the coast. He abandoned his
heavy equipment and made for the coast. However, a Japanese
column was well-ahead of him and had a roadblock set up on 3rd
April at Indin. 6th Brigade units destroyed this and the orders
were, at last, issued for a complete withdrawal from the
Peninsula back to the Buthidaung-Maungdaw line, but two nights
later a strong Japanese force surrounded Indian and captured the
Brigade commander and his staff, all of whom died in a
reportedly barbaric fashion not far off in the jungle.
The remaining British and Indian
troops marched northwards as the Japanese planned to occupy the
tunnels of the Buthidaung position and pursue the British out of
the Arakan. On 14th April Lt-General William J. Slim was
appointed to command all troops in the area.
At the beginning of May, the
Survivors of the 14th Indian Division were back behind the
Maungdaw-Buthidaung line and the Japanese 55th Division was
pressing them hard. General Slim had a hope of salvaging
something and sent down two fresh brigades but once he realised
the condition of the men of the 14th Division he made plan for a
further gradual withdrawal.
On 3rd May, a battalion of
Lancashire Fusiliers was attacked in their positions on the left
flank. The Japanese drove through and across the Tunnels road
and there was no practical alternative to a hasty withdrawal to
the new line curving up from Nhili to Bawli and Goppe Bazars,
then down across the Mayu. There the Japanese were content to
leave the British almost undisturbed.
The first Arakan campaign had been a failure, the chief reason being as Wavell said 'a small part of the Army was set a task beyond their training and capacity'. General Slim would see that such did not happen again. |
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Travel Through Tunnels |
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Early next morning we set off for Maungdaw We are introduced to our transport for the day |
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Travel Through Tunnels |
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Looking back from our
lead pickup truck
Note 2 outriders
Peter had a go at this
later!!!
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Travel Through Tunnels |
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We have a convoy
Complete with military
motorcycle outriders
Who were both friendly
and obliging
Not sure who or what
they were protecting
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