From: "Jeff Wood", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I always read my comic's obituary notices, mostly in
the hope of seeing my enemies predecease me, but often
because that is the only chance of reading
about some very interesting people.
A depressingly regular feature of the present pages
is the death of Gurkha heroes from World War 2. The
latest chap to pass on managed to win the Military
Medal and the Victoria Cross, both within a month.
His exploits, and those of his comrades, make my
hair stand on end. I tend to think of the
Gurkhas as the Poles of Asia, fearless, indomitable,
and put upon.
The campaign in Burma by the 14th army, consisting of
Indians, British, Gurkha, Australian and presumably
New Zealand troops tends to be somewhat neglected in
history.
When the subject came up here some time ago, a#
correspondent reminded me of the book "The Jungle Is
Neutral" by, I think, Spencer Chapman. It doesn't seem
to be in print any longer, but if you come across a
copy then from memory of my boyhood reading, I do
recommend it.
Does anyone have information on the Burmese?
Immediately after Independence the country became an
armed camp and the gangster state it remains. I believe
that many swallowed the anti-imperialist propaganda of
the invading Japanese; what happened when they found
out the truth?
Older US readers may have been led to believe by
Hollywood that the war there was won by Erroll Flynn.
It occurs to me that many of the actors in the early
war movies, like Audie Murphy, must have been veterans
of the campaigns they were re-enacting. Surely there is
a story or two in this?
Yours sincerely
Jeff Wood
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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