Britain’s Longest Campaign
Burma 1942, Japanese soldiers marched towards the country of mountains known as Burma. These soldiers sought to stop supplies getting into China, as well as the British Commonwealth country known as India. On this campaign the Japanese experienced many confrontations with Canadian soldiers, and eventually encountered the Burma Bombers.
Known as Britain’s longest campaign of World War II, the Burma campaign did not attract a lot of attention. Canada, Britain, and America were so busy fighting on the shores of England and France that they didn’t really pay too much attention to the Japanese when they captured Burma. Throughout 1943 the British Commonwealth soldiers lacked resources and organization as they defended the road to India. On March 7, 1943, the Japanese attempted an attack on the Fourteenth Army who were protecting the road to India. New tactics allowed the allies to hold off the Japanese which grew their confidence enormously. Thanks to an air supply, the surrounded Commonwealth soldiers managed to drive the Japanese back causing the greatest casualties ever suffered by the Japanese army. Out of 85,000 soldiers 30,000 were killed. With increased confidence, the Commonwealth armies could do anything.
Eight thousand Canadians served in the Burma Campaign, a few hundred of those were not soldiers as one might expect, in fact Canadians were deployed throughout Asia to monitor radar areas. They worked alongside fighter pilots in Burma, much of China, and South Asia. The American B-24 Liberator was an aircraft they communicated with regularly; these were very effective bombers, with many of their crew being Canadian. These men were known as the Burma Bombers as they served in Burma from the time the campaign started until it ended. These aircrafts built in America were used to end both the wars in Asia and Europe.
Burma’s climate, especially in the 1940s was extreme. From the months of May until November the heat would be blisteringly painful. The other thing that Burma’s weather had to offer were the monsoons. Monsoons kept the Canadians and British armies from fighting the Japanese. It was so bad that one man stated, “fighting in Burma was at least as bad as fighting in the trenches during WWI”. In December of 1944, Canada and the allied countries launched further attacks, although the Japanese should have been more worried about fighting disease rather than the allies. The fact that the Japanese were sick and dying off from various tropical diseases, helped Canada and her allies take back Burma.
Finally, in the summer of 1945, the Japanese soldiers retreated from Burma, and the allies could breathe. Over the three years of fighting, the combined number of casualties equalled 53,000. Canadians were thankful to bid farewell to the mountainous jungle in which they had been fighting for so many years. Few Canadian and allied soldiers stayed in Burma after the victory, but a few Japanese did remain in the nation. This mountainous country in Asia, was able to enjoy its peace once again, as the Allies celebrated a well-deserved victory.
Known as Britain’s longest campaign of World War II, the Burma campaign did not attract a lot of attention. Canada, Britain, and America were so busy fighting on the shores of England and France that they didn’t really pay too much attention to the Japanese when they captured Burma. Throughout 1943 the British Commonwealth soldiers lacked resources and organization as they defended the road to India. On March 7, 1943, the Japanese attempted an attack on the Fourteenth Army who were protecting the road to India. New tactics allowed the allies to hold off the Japanese which grew their confidence enormously. Thanks to an air supply, the surrounded Commonwealth soldiers managed to drive the Japanese back causing the greatest casualties ever suffered by the Japanese army. Out of 85,000 soldiers 30,000 were killed. With increased confidence, the Commonwealth armies could do anything.
Eight thousand Canadians served in the Burma Campaign, a few hundred of those were not soldiers as one might expect, in fact Canadians were deployed throughout Asia to monitor radar areas. They worked alongside fighter pilots in Burma, much of China, and South Asia. The American B-24 Liberator was an aircraft they communicated with regularly; these were very effective bombers, with many of their crew being Canadian. These men were known as the Burma Bombers as they served in Burma from the time the campaign started until it ended. These aircrafts built in America were used to end both the wars in Asia and Europe.
Burma’s climate, especially in the 1940s was extreme. From the months of May until November the heat would be blisteringly painful. The other thing that Burma’s weather had to offer were the monsoons. Monsoons kept the Canadians and British armies from fighting the Japanese. It was so bad that one man stated, “fighting in Burma was at least as bad as fighting in the trenches during WWI”. In December of 1944, Canada and the allied countries launched further attacks, although the Japanese should have been more worried about fighting disease rather than the allies. The fact that the Japanese were sick and dying off from various tropical diseases, helped Canada and her allies take back Burma.
Finally, in the summer of 1945, the Japanese soldiers retreated from Burma, and the allies could breathe. Over the three years of fighting, the combined number of casualties equalled 53,000. Canadians were thankful to bid farewell to the mountainous jungle in which they had been fighting for so many years. Few Canadian and allied soldiers stayed in Burma after the victory, but a few Japanese did remain in the nation. This mountainous country in Asia, was able to enjoy its peace once again, as the Allies celebrated a well-deserved victory.
The Allies move forward
attempting to capture Burma
attempting to capture Burma
Burma Veteran - Alan Alexander Kay
Alan Kay a young man who was an engineer was sent to Bombay from where he would travel to Burma. While on his journey he was riding a horse which kicked him off breaking his spine. He was in the hospital for a few months. During that time he and other injured soldiers picked up hepatitis. When in Burma he traveled to Rangoon where he and his fellow soldiers made a train bridge, and instead of having normal trains they made their own by taking off the wheels of a jeep and setting it upon the rails. These trains supplied the allied soldiers and helped win the war. We don't know what happened to Alan after 2009, but we know how to honor him. |
Burma Campaign Pictures
Works Cited and Consulted:
"Burma - History of WW2." History. AETN UK, 2015. Web. 1 December 2015. <http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/burma>
"The Burma Campaign." Veterans Affairs Canada. Government of Canada, n.d. Web. 1 December 2015. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/historical-sheets/burma-campaign>
"Britain's Longest Campaign of World War II - Burma." World War II Today. WWI Today, 2008 - 2015. Web. 1 December 2015. <http://ww2today.com/featured/burma-britains-longest-campaign-of-world-war-ii>
"Canadians in Asia and the Pacific. Canada at War. WWII.CA, 2005 - 2012. Web. 1 December 2015.
<http://www.canadaatwar.ca/content-32/world-war-ii/canadians-in-the-asia-the-pacific/>
Hudson, Christopher. "Revealed: the terrible suffering and extraordinary courage of the British WW2 soldiers fighting the Japanese in the Burmese jungle." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers Ltd., April 7, 2009. Web. 1 December 2015. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1168185/Revealed-The-terrible-suffering-extraordinary-courage-British-WW2-soldiers-fighting-Japanese-Burmese-jungle.html>
"Veteran Stories: Alan Alexander Kay." Historica Canada - Memory Project. The Memory Project, 2015. Web. 1 December 2015.
< http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/1047:alan-alexander-kay/>
"Burma - History of WW2." History. AETN UK, 2015. Web. 1 December 2015. <http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/burma>
"The Burma Campaign." Veterans Affairs Canada. Government of Canada, n.d. Web. 1 December 2015. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/historical-sheets/burma-campaign>
"Britain's Longest Campaign of World War II - Burma." World War II Today. WWI Today, 2008 - 2015. Web. 1 December 2015. <http://ww2today.com/featured/burma-britains-longest-campaign-of-world-war-ii>
"Canadians in Asia and the Pacific. Canada at War. WWII.CA, 2005 - 2012. Web. 1 December 2015.
<http://www.canadaatwar.ca/content-32/world-war-ii/canadians-in-the-asia-the-pacific/>
Hudson, Christopher. "Revealed: the terrible suffering and extraordinary courage of the British WW2 soldiers fighting the Japanese in the Burmese jungle." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers Ltd., April 7, 2009. Web. 1 December 2015. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1168185/Revealed-The-terrible-suffering-extraordinary-courage-British-WW2-soldiers-fighting-Japanese-Burmese-jungle.html>
"Veteran Stories: Alan Alexander Kay." Historica Canada - Memory Project. The Memory Project, 2015. Web. 1 December 2015.
< http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/1047:alan-alexander-kay/>