I found this interesting piece of the White city stronghold http://etd.lib.ttu.edu/theses/available/etd-05122009-31295015505661/unrestricted/31295015505661.pdf It includes this excellent map of the stronghold. co-ordinates 24°29'0.66"N 96°11'11.11"E Mike
Extracts of Fire in the night Colin Smith Fire in the night, Colin Smith, war correspondent, expert on military history " Meanwhile, the Chindits themselves were involved in rather more pressing causes. Calvert had moved down to Mawlu to establish his block. But the Japanese were already there and he immediately become embroiled in a small action - there were no more than a hundred or so on each side - that would become the high water mark of Wingate’s rejuvenation of the British infantry in Burma. Calvert had taken with him some Gurkhas and his battalion of South Staffords. The Staffords were part of Wingate’s inheritance from 70th Division. In theory they were a regular battalion - the same newly arrived unit which had done so badly in Tiberias in 1938 when the Arab raiders came in. Since then they had seen action in the western desert, notably at the siege of Tobruk and a lot of its old sweats were dead or in prison camps or had been rotated home. Their replacements were often conscripts and their officers wartime volunteers with respectable peace time jobs to go back to. Men for instance like the lanky mortar platoon officer Lieutenant George Cairns, a scholarship boy from a Fulham grammar school who had landed a job with Banque Belge in the City of London. Cairns was newly married and in his early thirties, a bit long in the tooth for an an infantry subaltern. But he fitted in well with a regiment who knew their worth and were without pretension ; where the accents to be heard in its officers’ and sergeants’ messes were often indistinguishable. Now some of the Staffords, Cairns among them, had got themselves in trouble. they have moved onto the railway line itself and were trying to dig in when the Japanese opened fire with machine guns and mortars from some nearby low hills. They were without proper cover and beginning to take casualties. Calvert, who had taken to wearing a flat service cap with his newly acquired brigadier’s red band around it, set off with his headquarters company to investigate, spoiling for a fight. “I was determined that we must win our first engagement.” He got to a ridge where he could observe the Japanese “milling about a pagoda on top of a little knoll”. On another small hill but lower down, were the Staffords - clouds of dust coming from the mortar bombs exploding around them. They were trying to retaliate with their Vickers machine guns and their own mortars. But the Staffords were in a hopeless position, overlooked and without much cover. It looked like the Japanese had seized the initiative and thwarted Calvert’s plan to establish a rail and roadblock before he could get started. While the Gurkhas cleared the Japanese off another of the hills Calvert ran down to the Staffords accompanied by the RAF liaison officer Bobbie Thompson, Corporal Young, his Anglo-Chinese batman and Paddy Dermody who had once earned his living as a jockey. He arrived a little breathless to be greeted by cries of, “Thank God you’ve come sir.” Calvert looked around him and saw a number of dead and wounded, noted the absence of cover, and realised that something had to be done quickly: I then told everybody that we were going to charge Pagoda Hill. There were reinforcements on our left flank (the Gurkhas) who were going to charge as well. so, standing up, I shouted out “charge” and ran down the hill with Bobbie[Thompson] and the two orderlies. Half of the South Staffords joined in. Then looking back I found a lot had not. So I told them to bloody well “Charge, what the hell do you think you’re doing.” So they charged. Machine-gunners, mortar teams, all officers - everybody who was on that hill. Among them were Lieutenants Norman Durant, who was in charge of the Vickers guns, and his friend George Cairns. Calvert, who was carrying a rifle with a fixed bayonet, was originally in the lead but as they ran down the hill the Staffords had been occupying, crossed the dirt road to Mawlu and began to climb Pagoda Hill he was soon overtaken by Cairns and Durant who recalled: I went up the hill like a two-year-old...To this day I’m not quite certain what I expected to see - the place deserted or the Japs on the run I suppose, but what I actually saw was a Jap section climbing out of their trenches... and coming straight at me; the leading two with bayonets fixed and rather unfriendly expressions being about 20 yards to my right. I fired my revolver twice and nothing happened - I was later to find the hammer had worked loose. Durant threw a grenade and immediately threw himself down the side of the hill, catching a bullet in the leg as he did so. Then the subaltern, who despite his wound was still able to get to his feet, limped back up the hill, picked a Japanese rifle off the ground and attempted to join the extraordinary melee taking place at the summit where bayonets and rifles butts, Kukris and Samurai swords were all being employed. One of the first things Durant saw was George Cairns and a Japanese soldier wresting on the ground. He watched Cairns break free, pick up a rifle and bayonet and, “stab the Jap again and again like a madman.” It was only when I got near that I saw he himself had already been bayoneted twice through the side and that his left arm was hanging on by a few strips of muscle. How he found the strength to fight was a miracle...There were a lot of our dead and Jap dead lying about. But the Japs still held the top of the hill and things were looking critical. We might have been pushed back if the Brigadier had not shouted, “Come on now, one more effort, you’ve got them on the run...and before we knew what was happening the Japs were running. The battle of Pagoda Hill was over. The Staffords’ casualties were twenty-three killed and sixty-four wounded. Calvert said that the savagery of the fighting was, “not unlike that depicted in scenes from ancient battles”. According to Calvert and other eyewitnesses George Cairns was not bayoneted but had an arm practically severed by a Japanese officer wielding a Samurai sword which Cairns picked up after shooting the officer. A sergeant literally kicked the head in of a Japanese soldier who had feigned death and shot another lieutenant in the Staffords. In all, fourteen British officers participated in the charge of whom three were killed and four wounded. Cairns lingered for three days before he died of his terrible injures. On Calvert’s recommendation he was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. Many of his officers and men thought Calvert himself had earned a VC for the valour and leadership he displayed that day. His prompt action had saved the block which he now reinforced with the rest of his brigade. Soon it would have its own air strip, a battery of field guns, anti-aircraft guns and bunkers roofed with sleepers torn out of the railway. With almost daily supply drops from the RAF and Cochran’s Air Commandos there were soon so many parachutes hanging off the surrounding vegetation that the pilots gave it the name White City." Lieutenant George Albert Cairns VC, Chindit Chindits VC's : Lieut. Cairns Mike
The Burma Star Association W/SGT BILL CLIFT - CHINDIT/SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGT Clift " He has written to his relatives that General Wingate under whom he was serving, offered 200 Rupees to the first man to capture a Japanese sword. Sgt. Clift won that money and still has the sword. He writes "A Japanese officer was firing at us with a light machine-gun from behind a pagoda. I was lucky enough to get close without being hit, and I kicked him out of it. He got up and tried to cut me with his sword. He took a swipe but it hit my bayonet and bounced off so I slit his body and then hit him with the butt. He stayed dead but his pal threw a grenade and knocked me stupid and so I will be here in hospital for a few weeks. I think I can safely say '"Bent" this Christmas'. One never knows, it may be Jerry scrapping soon. God knows I've seen enough of these slit-eyed beasts out here but they look better dead that alive". Sergt Clift is 25 years of age, attended Leegt and Hesketh Fletcher Schools and was formerly employed at St. George's Pitts, Tildesley. In the Army he has won several cups for boxing and swimming. His younger brother James is a first-class stoker in the Royal Navy. " More on the remarkable Bill Clift BBC - WW2 People's War - Bill Clift A Lancashire Chindit Mike
From The Special Forces Roll of Honour Special Forces - Roll Of Honour G A Cairns Special Forces - Roll Of Honour - Gallery - G.A. Cairns Noel Day Special Forces - Roll Of Honour - Gallery - N.E. Day Again from Fire in the Night " A sergeant literally kicked the head in of a Japanese soldier who had feigned death and shot another lieutenant in the Staffords. " I think this may have been Lt Noel Day CWGC :: Casualty Details unsure if Sgt Clift was the Sgt mentioned. There are photographs of other men who took part in the Pagoda hill action on the Special forces site. A S Lomax, D G L Scholey, E F O Stuart ( Calvert's Bgde Major ) G P Richards, J C White, M A Stagg, Ron Degg, Bill Clift, and of course Brigadier ( mad Mike ) Calvert. There may be others. I'm unsure of the rank of these men, but as find them will edit. Source of names Calvert's ' Prisoners of Hope ' Mike
This is the only image I can find of Pagoda hill. This image used to be available on Sue Robinson's site, but is no longer available. There may be copyright issues, but I assume a link to the page won't be a problem. If it is, I will delete. Yahoo! Image Detail for - http://www.chindit.org.uk/images/pagoda%20hill.JPG Mike
Again from Special forces Roll of Honour Lt Norman Durrant Special Forces - Roll Of Honour - Gallery - N. Durrant From Chindit awards Chindits Awards List www.Chindits.Info Chindit Awards Mike
From Life magazine, rare photographs of White City Google Image Result for http://cbi-theater-1.home.comcast.net/~cbi-theater-1/life061244/p4.jpg Mike
Interesting stuff, I haven't got anything to add just enjoying what you've posted. Thanks Owen. I find it a fascinating subject. Brigadier James Michael Calvert. BRIGADIER MICHAEL CALVERT Strongly recommend Prisoners of Hope Mike
Excellent footage of Wingate from Critical Past British General Orde Charles Wingate briefs the British and Chindits units about the mission in Burma during World War II. Mike
Wingate's Order of the Day 13th March 1944 After the successful fly-in to Broadway and Chowringhee, Wingate issued the following Order of the Day on 13th March 1944 : " Our first task is fulfilled. We have inflicted a complete surprise on the enemy. All our Columns are inside the enemy's guts. The time has come to reap the fruit of the advantage we have gained. The enemy will react with violence. We will oppose him with the resolve to conquer our territory of Northern Burma. Let us thank God for the great success He has vouchsafed us and we must press forward with our sword in the enemy's ribs to expel him from our territory. This is not the moment, when such an advantage has been gained, to count the cost. This is a moment to live in history. It is an enterprise in which every man who takes part may feel proud one day to say 'I WAS THERE' ." From Chindits 2nd Campaign 1944 Operation Thursday Chindits 2nd Campaign 1944 Mike
A small contribution to this very interesting thread, here's a link to a painting by David Rowlands, depicting Lt. Cairns' action: Lieutenant George Cairns VC, at the Battle of Pagoda Hill, Burma 13th March 1944 by David Rowlands (GL) - Military Print Company
Thanks Warlord. I notice the site dates the action as 13th March. There seems to be a bit of doubt as to the actual date of the battle. Perhaps a war diary would solve it ( if there is such a document? ) I have seen it as 15th, 16th and 17th March. I think the CWGC has it as 17/3/1944 They took off on the 5th of March not sure how long it took Calverts 77th Bgde units to hack their way to Henu/White city. Mike
In citation for his VC stay 13th March 1944. According to the CWGC's record he died on 19th March 1944. Chindits VC's : Lieut. Cairns CWGC :: Certificate
Mike, I knew I had posted a picture of Pagoda Hill on the forum somewhere, this is circa 2008, on my trip to Burma. The stronghold area has hardly changed in looks from all those years ago. The people of Burma do not look upon these WW2 locations with any interest. This is in no way a criticism, it just is not part of their historical or cultural mind set. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/burma-india/22996-burma-india-%91forgotten%92-victoria-crosses-4.html
That footage of Wingate and Phil Cochran on Critical past is great. I am sure I have seen Cochran's brief for operation Thursday, just prior to the first Gliders taking off. It was very stirring stuff. Bamboo.
Here is another photo of White City from 2008. It is the view from Pagoda Hill down across the White City entrance, which is more or less the very centre of the picture in the low ground. The railway is on the left handside as we look and now obscured by the small line of trees, as I said previously it has changed very little.
bamboo43. Thank you for posting these excellent photographs. They are the best I have ever seen of the area. If you have any more please feel free to post them, or any other information. Mike
Thanks Mike, I just wish we could have stayed longer at Henu and had a really good rumage in the wooded area of the block itself. Time was against unfortunatly and I also think the guide was concerned about people venturing away from his control. Apparantly previous tours had got to go deeper into the stronghold and had even picked up small mementos such as bullet cases and shell fragments, so you can see my frustration. Fantastic tour nevertheless. Steve.
This is a great thread Mikky, and as per the norm great input your end Steve, it seems that Burma/India is getting some great coverage on here of late and that is very pleasing given that so little comes up about it.
