JUNGLE WARRIORS

The final victory in Burma came in no small part thanks to a series of special operations behind enemy lines, and in particular the actions of one British Army officer

- DR RICHARD DUCKETT

Two Japanese sentries came within 150ft (45m) of where they were laid up, and at least four positions had been observed, but they had orders not to open fire until the main attack went in. Consequently, the men were probably a bit bored, waiting for what seemed like an interminable time, especially as the night drew swiftly in. The dark and the jungle may have put other men on edge, but these men remained comfortable but alert, watching, patient.

Below them, the Yu River joined the mighty Chindwin, and they observed fires made by the enemy on both sides of the river. It was the night of 14 January 1944, and these soldiers belonged to P Force. The 'P' stood for Peacock, the officer in charge of this irregular unit.

An imposing man, Major Edgar Peacock stood over six feet (182cm) tall and was well built. He had led P Force since March 1943, when he had arrived at Imphal, near the Indo-Burmese border. Finally, he was going to where he believed he would be most useful to the war effort; he was going back to the jungles and forests of Burma, a place he knew intimately.

Peacock had first arrived in Burma in 1914, fresh from forestry college at Dehra Dun in India. Becoming a forest warden meant that, much to his consternation, he was unable to sign up when the First World War began shortly after taking his posting in Burma. The next 18 years of his career in forestry and as a game warden took him all over the country, from Mawlaik up on the Chindwin to Mergui down in the long tail of Burma on the Andaman Sea. He knew the people of this land, he knew the languages and the culture, and he thrived in its remote jungly environments.

Return to Burma

Getting back to Burma had taken some time and effort.