War in the Wilderness by Tony Redding

Author:Tony Redding
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780750956550
Publisher: The History Press
Published: 2013-11-07T05:00:00+00:00

Keeping contact: a Royal Signals Detachment and wireless. (Peter Allnutt)

A Japanese fighter decided to have a go at us in bright moonlight. It was “interesting” to see the glowing rounds pass through the cabin. Fortunately, no-one was hurt, although one man had a very lucky escape — a bullet struck his mess tin.’

Shortly before this encounter, Arnold looked out as his aircraft crossed the Chindwin in brilliant moonlight:

‘We had several mules and they were surprisingly well-behaved during the flight. My feelings were of relief rather than apprehension. We had been training for a very long time and I felt glad we were on the move at last.’

Charles Carfrae, Arnold’s Column Commander, described the departure from Lalaghat: ‘The pilot smiled and shook my hand and one by one we stepped into the dark stomach of his aircraft. After dumping our great packs by the door, we sat on metal seats, facing one another. It was the first time any of the Africans had been inside a plane, but the Dakota might have been another three-ton lorry, for all the impression it made upon them.’3

The plan was for 12 NR (commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Hughes) and 7 NR (led by Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Vaughan) to march to White City. 6 NR would garrison Aberdeen. 6 NR landed at Broadway on 9 March and one of its Columns, 66, had been dispersed on the way to Aberdeen. Brigade Major Gordon Upjohn took over from Lieutenant-Colonel P.G. Day.

The Commander of 3 (WA), Brigadier Gillmore, took command at White City on 9 April. The way was now clear for 77 Brigade’s Brigadier Calvert to begin offensive operations outside the Block. Later, Gillmore would be succeeded by Brigadier Ricketts.

Peter Allnutt was Staff Officer to 12 NR’s Pat Hughes, who led 43 Column. Allnutt was among those delayed for 48 hours at Lalaghat due to rainstorms, which turned strips into mudbaths. Allnutt struggled with successive late changes to the loading manifests. Eventually, most 12 NR elements flew in over three successive nights. Allnutt snatched rest when he could. His only comfort was the constant ‘cha’ produced by his Orderly, Alijebba Dumel. As for the American aircrew and ground personnel at Lalaghat, Allnutt couldn’t help noticing that they appeared to subsist entirely on a mixed diet of ice cream and movies.

Those waiting at Lalaghat heard on the grapevine about the heavy fighting at White City. This was confirmed by the arrival of growing numbers of wounded, flown out from Aberdeen. In the language of the time, men still kicking their heels at Lalaghat were ‘browned off’. Peter Allnutt heard Sergeant ‘Dapper’ Brown, a machine-gunner from Liverpool, sum up everyone’s thoughts: ‘The whole ******* war will be over and all the rest of the ******* Battalion killed before we get out of this ******* place.’

Allnutt had his own worries, not least the problem of ‘Horace’. This goat had wandered into the Battalion’s jungle training camp and had since led a charmed life. It was fortunate indeed to have survived the huge feast prepared to celebrate the end of jungle training.

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