The Forgotten War Podcast: Burma Campaign WW2

This week Jack and Rob look back on the last series, from the 1942 mop-up episodes to our most recent eyewitness accounts, with a few teasers for next series. Fear not dear listeners, because there are still two more episodes of this series left! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jack and Rob look at a series of eyewitness accounts about the first Chindit expedition - Operation Longcloth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jack and Rob are back to some eyewitness accounts - this time the Valentines Tank Massacre on 1 February 1943 at Donbaik. This is a fascinating one as the accounts are all from the after action report found in the 146 Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps' war diary - held in The National Archives, Kew, ref. W)172/2261. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack and Rob get into the detail of the Ledo Road - later called the Stilwell Road - one of the greatest engineering marvels in history, undertaken by the USA to support China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack and Rob are joined by Caroline Alexander, author of Skies of Thunder, all about the Hump Airlift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jack and Rob welcome Dr Alan Jeffreys, author and curator at the National Army Museum, about the retraining of the Indian Army from 1943. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jack and Rob get right into the details of the second half of 1943, where the ashes of the 1942 retreat and 1943's First Arakan debacle were turned into a phoenix that would go on to victory in 1944/45. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of our First Arakan mini series, Jack and Rob finally get to its awful end. Irwin continues his poor behaviour, and his men pay the price. Note there were some sound issues at Jack's - apologies, dear listeners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second of three episodes on the First Arakan Campaign, Jack and Rob continue the series of tragic disasters, under enemy-of-the-show Noel Irwin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, in the first of a three part mini-series, Jack and Rob begin the to look at one of the most important events of the Burma Campaign - and one of the most depressing. The First Arakan Campaign, and the events at Donbaik. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part 2 of Jack and Rob's interview with Catriona Child we look at Ursula Graham Bower's war. Listeners should not that there was a technical problem while recording these two episodes, where part 1 was re-recorded - there are one or two small points that are repeated. Apologies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack and Rob have the great pleasure of talking to Catriona Child, daughter of the legendary Ursula Graham Bower. In this first of a two part interview, we discuss Ursula's early life up until the end of 1942. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Rob and Jack continue tackling Operation Longcloth and the Chindits, looking at - to use a cliché - Wingate; the man, the myth the legend! Was he mad? Was he a genius visionary? We cover the period up to the end of 1943, Operation Thursday will come in a future series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Jack and Rob as they tackle one of the most famous stories of the Burma Campaign - Operation Longcloth, the first Chindit expedition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week Rob and Jack discuss the story of the very remote Naga village of Pangsha in the Second World War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jack and Rob welcome KS 'Sree' Nair to the pod to discuss the Indian Air Force - its origins and early work in the Second World War. We will of course have him back in later series to discuss the IAF up to 1945, including its change to the Royal Indian Air Force in 1945. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Rob and Jack are joined by Charlotte Carty, historian and granddaughter of Lt. Col. William Felix “Bruno” Brown who raised and commanded the 1st Battalion of the Assam Regiment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jack and Rob are joined by Walter Reid to discuss India and Indian Independence - a controversial topic that is thoroughly misunderstood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining Rob this week is Gautum Hazarika, discussing the research behind his book The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jack and Rob look at the defences of the Indo-Burmese border, in particular the stay-behind, watch and ward, guerrillas V Force. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Landlubbers Jack and Rob are taking off their dusty jungle boots and removing their monsoon capes to take a look at the Royal Navy in the 1942 Burma Campaign - from the Royal Marine Force Viper raiding up the Irrawaddy, to Admiral Sir James Somerville's Eastern Fleet's shadow boxing with Admiral Nagumo's 2nd and 5th Carrier Divisions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics: in this episode Jack and Rob talk about preparing Assam and Manipur for war - including the incredible effort by the Assam Tea Association. Their vital work not only made it easier to defend an invasion, but would also be needed if Japan were to be pushed out of Burma in the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jack and Rob go through the extraordinary and harrowing tale of John 'Tim' Finnerty, a subaltern in the 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and one action at the Battle of Yenangyaung, April 1942. This episode was recorded at the same time as our last episode 'Last Ditchers' but Jack and Rob waffled on too long, and so the FWP team split it into two parts. Hosted on Acast. See aca...

In this episode, Jack and Rob explore the annotated diary of Bernard Kane, a last ditcher out of Rangoon demolishing telecoms equipment. His story is really quite extraordinary. This was recorded with another story but Jack and Rob got so into it, that the FWP team decided to split it into a two parter - hear thedramatic story of Major John Finnerty, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, next week. Hosted...

This week Jack and Rob are going back to 1942 to cover the air war, having missed it out last series. You may detect that Jack is rather taken by the Flying Tigers ... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.