Interview Major Neville Graham Hogan officer served with 2nd Bn Burma Rifles

Another remarkable man.

IWM Interview Major Neville Graham Hogan officer served with 2nd Bn Burma Rifles in 6 x ½ hour parts

Captain Neville Hogan is featured in the World At War Series, in the " Lovely Day Tomorrow " Episode

At 7.17 in Reel 3/6 " Had we not had that training, that discipline, many, many more of us would have fallen by the wayside, and I think that without being cruel, the chaps who did fall by the wayside were the blokes who, thought it was a load of 'bunkum' whilst we were in the middle of India, safe, and didn't take their training seriously, their map reading, their,.... for instance, I mean-you go to the loo-go in pairs-backs to the column-so many paces out-dig your hole-do your business-cover it up-about turn-march back-they wouldn't listen ... many ..chaps never came back, they'd either go this way, or that way, or this turn-around, or ...if they had done what they were trained to do they would have come back to the column. How? they never came back, some of them just never came back, and if a column moved off it just moved off because it couldn't just wait for one man or two men, and many a time they'd gone to the toilet and not come back and I know in some cases they caught up with us a week later. "

Object description

Karen Burmese private served with the Burma Auxiliary Force in Burma, 1939-1942; officer served with 2nd Bn Burma Rifles during Second Chindit Expedition in Burma, 1944; served with Force 136, Special Operations Executive in Burma, 1945; served with Karen insurgents in Burma, 1949
Content description

REEL 1 Background in Rangoon, Burma, 1923-1939: family and education; differing attitudes of Burmese and non-Burmese to British presence. Period with Burma Auxiliary Force in Burma, 1939-1941: role of unit; presence of Japanese civilians in Burma, 1939-1941; story of lying about age to enlist. Recollections of operations with Armoured Car Section, Burma Auxiliary Force during Japanese invasion of Burma, 1941-1942: Japanese Air Force attack on Mingladon, 12/1941; civilian evacuation of Rangoon, 12/1941; clash with Thai troops near Mataban 19/2/1942; rearguard action towards Sittang Bridge; reaction to premature blowing up of Sittang Bridge; problems of crossing River Sittang; how he crossed River Sittang and marched to Pegu. Treatment for leg wounds. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of retreat to India, 1942: retreat towards Mandalay; role driving supply vehicles and ferrying wounded between Mandalay to Meiktila; problems of thefts by Chinese troops; aid given to Japanese troops by Burmese civilians; misbehaviour of Indian Army troops towards refugees; aid given by Kachin villagers in crossing River Chindwin, near Kalewa; trek from Kalewa into India during Monsoon, 5/1942- 6/1942; arrival in Tamu-Imphal area, 6/1942. Period with Burma Auxiliary Force in India, 1942-1944: recovery from retreat in Ranchi; reforming of unit at Mhow, 10/1942; resisting being turned into gunner; application for officer training, autumn 1943. Commissioning and joining 2nd Burma Rifles, spring 1944. REEL 3 Continues: Period of Chindit training in India, early 1944: briefing about Chindits; reaction to prospect of operating behind Japanese lines; reasons why fellow recruit dropped out of training; Orde Wingate's reaction to unit's treatment of mules at Ranchi; nature of training; question of consequences of not observing training instructions later during expedition. Recollections of operations with Burma Rifles during Second Chindit Expedition in Burma, 1944: flying into Blackpool airstrip by Douglas Dakota; officer wounded in first night action at Blackpool; patrol from Blackpool towards Namkwin Chaung; mistaken clash with Burma Rifles unit in jungle; evacuation of Blackpool; conditions in Blackpool 'block'; impressions of John Masters; Japanese killing of Chindit wounded; living off jungle roots during evacuation of Blackpool. REEL 4 Continues: withdrawal to Indawgyi Lake; building of Karen church and service conducted by John M. Matthew at Moksosakhan, 29/5/1944; mission to contact 77 Bde and his losing contact with 101 Bde; role with Brigadier Andrews to contact Chinese to carry out diversion for 77 Bde attack on Mogaung; contracting tick typhus. Medical treatment in India, 7/1944-8/1944: transfer to Dibrugarh Hospital, 7/1944; stay at Viceregal Lodge in New Dehli, 8/1944; teasing of Irish nurse at Dibrugarh, 7/1944. Period of training for prospective third Chindit expedition in India, spring 1945. Recollections of operations with Force 136, Special Operations Executive in Burma, 1945: volunteering, 5/1945; nature of training at Kandy, Ceylon; reaction to having to serve behind Japanese lines again; parachuting into Mawchi Mines area to work with Karen levies; question of why little was carried out by this party with Karen levies. REEL 5 Continues: move to Ye; providing medicines for ex-Japanese POWs, summer 1945. Security duties Singapore during signing of Japanese surrender in Singapore, 1945. Recollections of period with Burma Rifles and Burmese Army in Burma, 1945-1949: reorganisation of Burma Rifles, 1945; checking loyalty of former troops; purge of British trained officers on Burmese independence, 1948; decline in discipline in Burmese Army, 1949; pursuit of Chinese bandits on border, 1949; dependence of Chinese bandits on opium smuggling. Circumstances in which he left Burma, 1/1950. Opinion of Japanese troops. Question of achievements of Chindit expedition in Burma, 1944. REEL 6 Continues: Participation in Karen rebellion at Meiktila, 2/1949 including how he fell under Karen suspicion.

Mike

 

Hi Mike,

Neville was one of the central figures in my research, he gave me the opportunity to attend the Chindit Old Comrades Association and some of the veteran annual dinners since 2009.

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/38601-major-neville-hogan-chindit/?hl=%2Bneville+%2Bhogan

 

Many thanks bamboo. I will look back on more of the Chindit threads, when I get a minute. wonderful that you met with him, a privilege I did not share. He, even in the World At War clips, always struck me as a very honest man, and was certainly at the sharp end for a very long time.

These interviews give information found no-where else, and are priceless.

Mike