The Forgotten 14th - still forgotten 70 years on

[AllanL]

It's not often that the British Legion annoy me but just yesterday I got an envelope looking for donations and offering to drop off a memorial card on the beach at the anniversary of D-Day.

While the anniversary of D-Day is still a month away, and an Uncle went ashore with some of the first tanks, we are two months into the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Imphal, and although it went on until July '44 I would bet that it will go unmentioned throughout the period.

Back then the European Front was more immediate in affecting Britain, but in our modern connected world it should not be beyond the wit of the Legion to recognize the sacrifices of Bill Slim's 14th Army.

I don't suppose my father and his companions in 23 Ind Div would have been surprised.

I did find one reference online to a memorial event in Imphal; the only foreign attendee was.................the Japanese Ambassador.

[Paul K]

Indeed, the still Forgotten Army, Allan. They inflicted the biggest ever defeat on the Japanese army, and yet hardly anyone mentions it now. Some historians consider Bill Slim to be as the best general the western Allies had, in any theatre.

http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=188

[Tomliner]

I have a very good friend living nearby who is now a very spiritely 90 years old and who fought the Japenese at Kohima.He still feels aggrieved that the Burma campaign receives so little recognition.I'm pretty sure that he was with the Royal Scots.
He left the army after the war but couldn't settle so he decided to join the Parachute Regiment and went on to fight in the Malayan campaign and also took part in the Suez campaign in 1956 which he said was such a hurried arrangement that they didn't even have enough reserve 'chutes for everyone and he jumped without a reserve.Some man!
I know that he jumped from aircraft including the C47,Hastings and Beverley.
He has a daughter living near Newark and when he visited her recently I spoke to Newark Air Museum who agreed to let him aboard their Hastings which brought back many memories for him.
Sorry if I rambled on a bit.
EricT