The Special Operations Executive in Burma 1941-1945

When we commemorate the world wars, and wars since, we obviously think about those who lost their lives, and we remember and thank those who were 'at the sharp end'.  For example, it is often said that we remember 'The... Continue Reading →

For VJ Day last year, the exploits of Major Turrall were presented HERE.  This year, similar to the post for VE Day 75 HERE, what follows will be extracts from the reports of various officers of Force 136 in Burma. ... Continue Reading →

Photo Credit Hereford Times What were the men of SOE Burma doing while Victory in Europe was celebrated?  Compiled from various reports and operational diaries, here's their 8 May 1945: Lt.Col. John Cromarty Tulloch, officer commanding Walrus area of Operation... Continue Reading →

Although it is difficult to calculate exactly how many Burmese personnel were recruited by SOE for operations within the country, we do know that it was in excess of 20,000.  Those personnel represented at least fourteen different ethnic communities, from... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  The shortage of equipment for the Southeast Asian theatre of operations during the Second World War are well known.  From the supply of... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  Map Credit In the Far East, the Special Operations Executive (SOE) is now fairly well known as 'Force 136'.  This name was only... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  Photo courtesy of Simon Leney, son of W/T Sergeant Roger Leney Many of the post-operational reports written by the officers in charge of... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  Much has often made of the fractious relationship between the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS,) and the Special Operations Executive (SOE).  The words used... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  Map Credit The two SOE operations in Burma which have had the most exposure are Operation Character and Operation Nation.  The former was... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  This post is purely about data.  The aim is simply to show the extent of the SOE / Force 136 commitment to Burma... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  General Slim & Lt.Col. Cumming At the end of December 1944, as XIV Army were poised to push into Burma and chase the... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  A supply drop to Operation Character in 1945 Based upon reports from late 1942 and the early part of 1943, the following post... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  HMS Scarab, from 'The Navy's Most Important Ship' This post is specially for K.T. Lwin, ex Burma Navy. What follows is likely to... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  The Japanese Emperor, Hirohito, made his first radio broadcast in the afternoon of  15 August 1945.  In it, he told his nation that... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  Anglo-American war-time relations in the Far East, and particularly in Burma, are often characterised as being fractious.  This is primarily based on divergent... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  As anyone with an interest in the Chindits will tell you, there was no such column as 'Danforce' as this archive file suggests,... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  Picture Credit: British Library, IOR L/POS/12/2241 At the beginning of the war against Japan, Chiang Kai-Shek was apparently 'very anxious to give direct... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  On 19 January 1943, Burma Country Section (BCS) dropped their first team back into occupied Burma.  Two Karen agents, Saw Archibald Kino and... Continue Reading →

If you like what you see on my website consider clicking HERE, or buying my book HERE  The name of Major Eric Battersby permeates SOE's Burma files.  There are numerous documents signed off 'Eric B, Maj' which put him squarely... Continue Reading →