Hi, does anyone with more Chindit experience/knowledge than me, help me with something please? I know the Chindits camped in the Tamu area in early February 1943 before the Northern and Southern groups began their LRP - Does anyone have any information about more specifically where they were camped in Tamu at all? Or any kind of map perhaps? (A long shot but worth an ask lol). I know where Tamu is in relation to the Road, Palel, Sittaung etc, I just wondered if it was known whereabouts in the Tamu area the Chindit camp was. I've started looking for diaries on Discovery but I haven't found much so far... This query comes as a result of me researching my Grandads war experience - he was part of a RE Company that was maintaining and widening various sections of the Palel-Tamu Road in January/February '43, and their section HQ was camped in Tamu. From the memoirs of one of his Section colleagues, an incident occurred when camped in Tamu, when a Panther entered the camp one night and the next morning it was found to have been in the Chindit camp nearby too..... So I'm hoping that if I can find out where the main chindit camp was in Feb '43, I'll have a better idea of where the RE Section camp was too. I know I'll never find the exact location of the RE Section camp, but it would be nice to narrow the location down a bit if I can find out where the Chindit camp location was. Either way, it's been great to find out that my Grandads Section had at least some interaction with the Chindits, as I'd never known of this before. (Plus they also helped out with Operation Thursday in a small way - see my other post about that one). (I've also found a diary entry from a Chindit who talks about moving through from the Imphal Plain to the Tamu camp and seeing soldiers who were widening and maintaining the Tamu Road, so I believe that was my Grandads Section as his was the only section that I know if so far, on the Tamu road in Jan/Feb 43.)
Hi, From all my research and reading re: Chindit 1, I have never come across any real description of the whereabouts of the 77 Brigade's camp at Tamu. The only mention of a location was given by a member of No. 7 Column stating that their camp was next to or adjacent to the Elephant Station in Tamu, of course we do not know where this was either!! I have attached to this reply the pages from the 13th King's (Liverpool) war diary for February 1943. These give a general description of the Northern Group column's journey from Imphal to the point at which they cross the Chindwin River. Tamu is actually not really mentioned, but many of the other minor villages on the route are. It might enable you to map out a more detailed pathway. Sorry I could not help out more. Steve
Thanks so much for your help Steve! That's really helpful! I've attached a pic of the Company diary at the end of January '43, and the entry on the 21st (obviously only a couple of weeks before the Chindits marched out of Tamu) mentions reconstructing the 'elephant track Sittaung', which ties in with your info about the elephant station - it seems reasonable to me to believe that the elephant track might have been one that extended from the elephant station at Tamu (on the You river plain), east, over the hills and towards or maybe even to the west bank of the Chindwin at Sittaung. I'm assuming that path was cut by the elephant crews carrying cargo etc to and from Tamu and the river? And it was then metalled by 36 Section, 864 ME Coy (or at least they began the job, before they were moved onto other areas) My Grandads Section (36) were about 55-60 strong and working along the entire Tamu Road section during the first few months of '43 and were the only section of 864 MD Coy there until another section joined them later on (I think march/April/may time, but I forget the exact date. It was after the Chindits had left Tamu though), although there may have been workers from other companies there at various points too, I guess
The Chindits 'borrowed' several of these elephants to help transport the larger items of their kit, but they sent them back shortly after crossing the Chindwin. I do know that April/May 1943 was a very busy time in the area you mention for returning Chindits as they attempted to regain the west banks of the Chindwin River. Soldiers from the Seaforth Highlanders and the 3/5th Gurkha Rifles were posted along the river with orders to assist the rescue of these men and to counteract any Japanese patrols in the area.
It seems surreal to know that elephants were still being used for transporting things then, as that feels more like something from the era of Genghis Khan! But I guess mule transport was still normal too, so elephants were just the local, heavy lifting variant! Thanks for the information on all the activity during that period, I'll cross-ref that with the RE Coy records as it'll add some extra interesting information to that time period, giving a clearer view on what that area must've been like to inhabit and work in then. I know my grandad came down with Malaria whilst still in the Tamu area in May '43, which didn't come as a surprise once I'd seen the Yu river plain that he was on then! No surprises why malaria was so prevalent and why it decimated his section at that time!
That's another great page on your website, and the photos are brilliant too! I was poking around in the Division history books yesterday and come across lots of info in the 23rd Indian Division book which shows them in the Tamu Road/Yu River/Chindwin area in Jan/Feb '43 as well. According to their history book, they were there to secure the areas up to the Chindwin (and to probe the eastern sides of it), to secure it for the Chindits to march through and cross when Longcloth started. 23 Div also feinted an attack down the Kabaw valley to deceive the Japanese whilst the Chindits crossed too. There's lots of placenames in the book and locations for where all if the Divisions units were, so I need to map those out when I get a chance. I think this ties into the information in the 864 ME Coy too, about waiting for fighting units to be forward enough to secure the he areas leading to Sittaung where 864 were building the road. The only thing I did map out late last night, were the 23 Div camps in and around the Tamu road in January '43, before they then moved forward towards the Chindwin. Below is a (crude) map of their camps. Tamu itself is obviously next to Moreh.
Sadly nothing like a map reference that I can see, which is obviously a shame! To be honest, I do t recall seeing anything resembling a map ref in any of their diaries.
That's a useful map, thanks for posting. I'm rubbish with Google Earth/Maps, I'm sure you are aware of them, but I've used the contemporary maps on the University of Texas website here: Burma AMS Topographic Maps - Perry-Castañeda Map Collection - UT Library Online
Thanks for that link, I didn't realise they existed! From the index map of that group, I've just found the U502 series too (adjacent to the series you posted a link to), which covers India and Pakistan, including the Imphal area! And that'll prove really helpful when mapping all of my Grandads movements in India, alongside the adjacent maps from your link. Below is a link to u502 maps just incase you or anyone else need them. India and Pakistan AMS Topographic Maps - Perry-Castañeda Map Collection - UT Library Online I was fortunate enough to obtain a ww2 era 'restricted' map of the Imphal plain a couple of months back, which came from the collection of a soldier who was there, but it's very fragile and with damage so I'm hoping to get that professionally restored and then to photograph it for reference, but the US maps above will help me speed up the mapping process and not having to wait/rely on the ww2 map etc.
I'm not that great with Google maps/earth either to be honest lol. But I find using them on my phone and then screenshotting them and adding markers is the easiest way at the moment, if not the most professional looking
I'm pleased that they were something new for you and you found the India maps as well. I have used these maps extensively over the last 10 years or so.
