Distant Battlefields by Harry Fecitt;

Author:Harry Fecitt;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Book Network Int'l Limited trading as NBN International (NBNi)
Published: 2019-07-25T16:00:00+00:00

22.3 Map of Lushai Brigade advance eastwards into the Myittha Valley

The seizing of Haka was great news for the Chins as the Japanese had occupied it and the surrounding region since November 1943. However, the good news did not reach the RAF swiftly enough as they subsequently bombed the town, luckily without killing anyone.

HQ 33 Corps then sent orders for the Lushai Brigade to move into the Myittha Valley in as conspicuous a manner as possible to deceive the enemy into thinking that this was a major British advance and not a subsidiary one. The Brigade plan used the Brigade HQ, the Assam Rifles, the Jats and the Punjabis, working from a secure base on the side of the valley, to clear the Valley east to the Chindwin, south to Myintha and north to Kinyan Mauk. Further north the Chin Levies from Falam were directed towards Natchaung and Sihaung Nauk and then eastwards to the Chindwin; the Levies from Haka also got a sector to operate in. The Bihars and 8 ‘V’ Ops were to operate around Kan from a firm base but not move east to the Chindwin. It was hoped that any Japanese withdrawing from Kalemyo would be intercepted.

After marching over some appalling ground the Lushai Brigade was in its operating areas by mid-November and on 1st December enemy craft on the Chindwin were being sunk. Jemedar Nehemias, a Christian Oraon in the Bihars, gained a Military Cross with the citation:

On the 27th November Jemedar Nehemias was commanding the forward platoon of his Company in an advance to unlocated Jap positions in the jungle. When his Platoon came under heavy fire at short range this Viceroys Commissioned Officer continued the advance, personally going forward with the leading section

By his personal example and disregard of danger he encouraged his men to move forward until he fell seriously wounded. He continued to direct their movements until he became unconscious. His great gallantry and offensive spirit towards the enemy were a magnificent example to all.

In December 7/14th Punjabis were placed in 5th Indian Division – they had operated well in the Hills and were a loss to the Lushai Brigade which now only had two regular battalions. Scrub typhus began to affect other units particularly the Jats and the Levies, but one advantage of being in the Valley was that airstrips could easily be constructed and light planes could evacuate wounded and sick men. The enemy effort to backload supplies deteriorated significantly when a raid on Lema by the Levies from Haka found and destroyed a large supply dump containing: 48,000 pounds of rice, 1,000 cases of biscuits, 1,000 cases of fish, 200 tubes of fish and two large warehouses containing ammunition and clothing. No doubt the Levies ate very well for the following days and nights. The Levy patrol commander, Captain George Wilson, Royal Engineers, was awarded a Military Cross and his citation is shown in Appendix 2.

The advance on Gangaw

The next Brigade objective was Gangaw which lay on the

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