Prelude to Victory: Burma, 1942
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- čas přidán 10. 02. 2022
- In late 1941 and early 1942 the Imperial Japanese Army swept through the Asia-Pacific region like a wildfire. The Allies appeared powerless to stop them. With the British Army in Asia reeling, and pushed back to the frontier of India, something had to be done to stem the tide. “Prelude to Victory: Burma, 1942” provides context for Field Marshal William J. Slim and the 14th Army’s struggle to retake Burma from the Japanese.
Slim was one of those rare generals who could actually look at his failures, evaluate the lessons honestly, then come back stronger than ever to win the war. You can debate as to who the greatest WW II general was, but you'd have a hard time finding one more humble or self-aware than General Slim.
And a leader who generated confidence and loyalty from those who served under him!
@@dynevor6327 : How so, sir?!! Kindly articulate & explain your meaning here regarding FM Bill Slim!! Check George MacDonald-Fraser’s, “Quartered Safe Out Here! (Harvill:1993).” His memoirs & personal recollections as a young conscript soldier in the Burma Campaign during 1944-45! In it, he aptly & accurately typifies & encapsulates the common rank & file’s confidence, trust & faith in Slim & his staff regarding their leadership, conduct & performance directing the war & in the the care, resources & time they took to look after their huge, diverse retinue of men, supplies & equipment under 14th Army’s control on the March to retake Burma & SE Asia campaign then!!
@@dynevor6327 : This claim (The Fairbridge School one), despite the spurious finger-pointing accusations has never been substantially proved nor confirmed in any legal way by any legitimate ’Court of Law,’ either in Australia 🇦🇺 or the UK 🇬🇧! The accusers had not to date being able to furnish proper evidence other than unsubstantiated hearsay against the good name & reputation of FM, the Viscount Slim! If these scurrilous accusations were true, then why wait 35 years or so after Slim’s death in 1970, to publish such scandalous accusations? The 2nd Viscount Slim, Slim’s son was fully prepared to make a legal case on his deceased father’s behalf against these false-accusers & wrongful detractors until these mendacious accusations abated or had effectively subsided from the public arena either in Australia 🇦🇺, the UK 🇬🇧 or elsewhere up to his recent death, which will according to their published family resources be likely also pursued subsequently, if ever required by the present Viscount &/or other family members, &/or their supporters too!
This is merely another baleful & scandalous case of attempted character-assassination of the Illustrious Dead!! They all know that “Dead Men” cannot defend themselves publicly nor bring about massive & punitive “libel & slander” lawsuits against false accusers & witnesses &/or their real backers in these slanderous & spurious accusations, the Australian Leftist Establishment types & their vociferous & influential media & related organizations!!
They do this to sully & undermine a leading historical & constitutional figure in Slim’s case a Field Marshal (Extremely popular both with the Australian War Veterans & the general Australian public there), a Viscount, a senior British National, & a former Governor General of Australia, thus a prime & convenient target to slander & defame for whatever reasons, in order to insidiously & surreptitiously advance & promote their leftist, anti-monarchist & republican agenda in Australia!! 🇦🇺
It may be also pointed out that there were no other instances of this nature ever raised or accused against William Slim throughput his long military or administrative career in public service either in Britain or anywhere else overseas, where he had dutifully served!!
@@dynevor6327 : Say what you will! It’s an easy one, to slander or libel the Dead! No prizes or kudos involved for that however!…
@@dynevor6327 : No, in the wake of the then well-known DJ & TV personality’s retinue salacious scandals & another one also involving a hitherto famous Aussie-British Artist & BBC & ABC TV host & others to a spate of numerous other actual or possible similar cases to mention all over the place at that time, it was not surprising that the “Powers that Be” in both countries 🇬🇧🇦🇺 wished to avoid similar cases emerging, whether they were true or otherwise, from the woodwork, especially ones that may have implicated erstwhile or present members of the government or the Royal Family!!
They (The 🇦🇺 Authorities) panicked & ran for the hills, as usual, apparently then coughed up a large, class-action, ‘out-of-court-settlement’, presumably in order to quietly, hush up these or similar sorts of things, involving other well-known figures, any further in future! Convenient scapegoats needed to be found & Slim’s profile just probably fitted into it (After him already being dead for some 35 to 40 years & with only dubious or very tenuous claims or accusations against him at best, &/or little or no serious evidence available against him to back up these doubtful & controversial claims too!), without then also having the basis or otherwise requiring the probable need for any subsequent counter-suits being issued in any courts in either jurisdiction!
The Authorities concerned both in Australia 🇦🇺 & Britain 🇬🇧 wanted to defuse these problems & limit the spread of such ‘so-called’ or purported, dubious & lurid scandals to also either restrict the damage & fall out caused by their publicity, despite their unfounded & highly-questionable veracity, & hence their resulting adverse exposure to the international media; or else their (The Australian Authorities) wish to direct or decoy such negative & harmful publicity towards certain directions to perhaps avoid further scrutiny, official investigations & likely possible additional, damaging revelations & the like, in then currently more sensitive & even higher-profile cases!!
My grandfather was from Chin Hills Battalion, Burma Regiment. He survived the war, and never wanted to talk about it. He used to say, that they had to kill so many, and he did not feel glorious about it.
Before my grandfather passed away he used to tell me about his experiences during WW2 and he was a little boy when he said he interested in joining British army and he was refused by the army because he’s only a 15 years old. He said these Japanese troops are short and run fast, but some Gurkha soldiers were betraying the British alliance troops. Due the WW2, he turn 19 years old and he just joined the Karen National Liberation Army and he was retired after few years of service in military and became an pastor.
I read an excellent book about General Slim when young, have always had thoughts about how he turned defeat into victory. An amazing man.
Gurkhas were in the Indian division under 14th Army during the Burma campaign.
So many battle honours and last man standing during battles but heard less about them and their sacrifice.
Which indian divisions, there were 13 indian divisions in the 14th army
my father-in-law was in the American army in Burma during World War II. He drove on the Burma Road. He was an ambulance driver/truck driver. He had his pistol military issue with him when he came home after the war. He kept it as a souvenir. He returned fire, by snipers with that pistol…
when he returned home, he got married and had two kids. One of them as my wife.
his wife, my wife’s mother did not like having that gun in the house. She made him put it somewhere, I don’t know where, is it the two children could not get their hands on it..
when my father-in-law died. My mother-in-law packed up his clothes and his belongings and give them to the Salvation Army. She took his pistol to the local police station. She saw a policeman coming out of the building in uniform. She pulled up beside him and handed him the pistol out the window of her car. She said this belonged to my husband, he died two weeks ago. I don’t want it in the house..then she drove away.
Defeat into victory is one of the best books ever to be written on war
Almost thru it, something about the CBI theater is fascinating.
Singapore The Pregnable Fortress was also a good read
It's stunningly honest.
At a time when so many others were busy glossing over their shortcomings, Slim laid his out for all to see and learn from.
George MacDonald Fraser, who wrote the Flashman novels, served in the Border Regiment, part of the Black Cat 17th Indian Division in the 14th Army. He wrote a wonderful book entitled Quartered Safe Out Of Here which retailed his time in Burma, which I heartily recommend to all those with appreciation for the old army of the British Empire.
He was a vile racist.
'Quartered Safe Out Here' is, above all, beautifully honest as a memoir. Fraser neither sugar coats nor apologizes for anything he has to say about the War or India during the final years of British Rule. He just lays it out there and the book is all the more powerful for it.
No wonder he was an admirer of Slim...
Fraser's book is a fine gritty memoir
Well presented progression of personalities, events, and problems facing those leaders cast into this furnace of disaster and mismanagement. It ends really at the beginning of cohesive leadership, planning, and training for coming battles, and eventual triumph over a well trained and hardened foe.
Skillfully done.
That’s a really good intro to WW2 in Asia
Learnt a lot
Awesome video .....In this battle Indians paid a very high price we lost so many men and experienced NCOs and officers that after this war Indian army were finished as a fighting force .....
Apparently not.
My grandpa was Major Vishwanath Panch, KIA in the Battle to retake Rangoon. Was shot 9 times...died three days later. Commemorated in the Kohima War Memorial.
I learned a lot from all of your videos keep up the good work thank you
Came to this video while reading " A War of Empires" Robert Lyman. Slim gets a positive mention.
Slim sexually abused children.
Until recently, India has ignored the role that the 14th Army played in uniting the country toward future independence,. Realizing what a terror the Japanese were, the people flocked to join the fight against them. The largest volunteer army in history.
My Father in Burma and made it back home!
It would be very interesting if you could present the actions of the Chindits under Wingate
Thanks,...
It was said that Montgomery was Britain's best known general. Slim, however, was Britain's best.
Monty was the best known AND the best general. Without him Britain would have lost Egypt, North Africa, and would be out of the war. It was a turning point along with Stalingrad.
@@paulhughes7079 Oh sure. He happened to get the more critical assignments and sufficient logistics to boot. Slim had to have a secondary theatre and an unworkable supply system. Despite these, he saved India and retook Burma without sacrificing an entire Airborne division for a dubious narrow front campaign. I have read both Monty's self promoting memoirs and Slim's Defeat Into Victory. I still think Slim was Britain's best.
@@gilanbarona9814 you’re entitled to your view of course, as am I. To be a master of the battlefield when it involved millions of men and tanks, landing across the sea against a formidable enemy well dug in is completely different to a battle across a tennis court. I’m not belittling Slim by any means, in fact my father, who fought in both Europe and Burma said Slim was the best we had. I am saying that if we had lost Egypt, we would have been out of the war and the yanks would have never been able to land in Europe.
@@paulhughes7079 I was a soldier. I fought insurgents for a few years. Slim was a commander who would have been an inspiration to follow. Monty, I would have followed only because of my professional ethics as a soldier.
Not one mention of the Gurkhas, Check out the History of the Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles to find out their contribution.
Thank you Army University Press I love you more❤
nice clip, where's follow up?
Out of curiosity, are these being newly produced or is this an existing series being made available on CZcams?
AUP produces all new material. Unfortunately it’s not often enough for me. EVERY one of their presentations are a 10 so I guess it takes time for quality products.
Slim was also badly wounded in East Africa in WW2.
What a great story. I have always been amazed at how they did so much in an environment as hostile as that and were successful. It shows that if it is possible, it can be done. Some things are impossible also.
I am sad virgin pristine forests and animals birds reptiles living those forests were killed forests destroyed...
What? Great Story? Propaganda, but NOT History, has led us to believe that the Empire of Japan began its territorial expansion in the 1930’s, invading China, creating the puppet State of Manchukuo and “Provoking” the war with the Western Powers. But, Propaganda does NOT say that for centuries, all Asia was invaded by Western Powers. England occupied India, Burma (Myanmar); Singapore, Malaysia and China (Hong Kong, Nanking, Shanghai, etc). France dominated all Indochina. The Netherlands intervened by the Force of its Arms, to all of Indonesia. And Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and of course, also the United States were in South East Asia cuz, for example this country, the US, occupied the Philippines since 1898. (Spanish-American War). Thus the panorama in the 30's, the Empire of Japan, when defeating to the Tsarist Russian Empire, it also decided to "Grow" by invading its neighbors. In those years, all European nations had colonies in Africa, India, the Middle East, Asia and America. (England came to occupy almost ¼ part of the planet). For its part, the US, in 113 years of existence as a nation in those years, had "Grown" 711 the size of its territory from its original 13 colonies. Now is the picture clear? Japan for its part, had fought on the side of the winners in World War I (1914-1918), and they, the Japanese, not awarded any "Gain". The western victors of WWI divided the world. Japan was excluded. Thus, Japan's motives for attacking and expanding as the Europeans and the US did seem clearer, right? Then they, the Japanese, attacked China in 30’s, which was occupied by 6 Western Powers for almost a century. None of the Western Powers occupying China at this time, OPPOSED or fought Japan for Invading China. NONE! Then, 11 years later after having occupied the territory of China and coexisted without any problem with the Western Powers within China, they, the Japanese, attacked Hawaii, which in turn, this Island had been occupied and annexed by the US in 1898. (In 1900-01, Hawaii became US territory and Hawaii ceased to be an independent nation after more than 630 years of sovereignty. By the time Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the United States had just completed the 40th anniversary of the military occupation and annexation of Hawaii). They, the Japanese, attacked Singapore, which was then a Colony of England. They, the Japanese, attacked the Philippines, which were occupied by the US and whose Gov’r, Douglas MacArthur reined as Emperor. Yup… Truly like an Absolute Autocrat. Therefore, the Japanese did NOT attack (In the 40’s), Singapore, Burma, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Borneo, Timor, the Philippines, etc. In reality, the Japanese attacked England, France, Belgium, Holland, the US, etc. That is, the Japanese attacked the Western Powers invading all of Asia. That is the verifiable truth.
I take it that there will be following parts.
Por favor traducir en español latino gracias por decir la verdad de la historia
Nice history actually my papa grand father deth in BURMA 1942 war
where is the gurkha rifle ?
That's where my father fought with the 11th airborne .
How come no one talks about major Seth kobla Anthony's (from Ghana)contribution to the victory in Burma?
Is that where the phrase, "Slim Pickings" comes from?
No its about the nose stuff he kept in a small box in his pocket
@@joqqeman Slim Putting's?
Drugs are very useful in time of war. The thinking should include at least one ground level mind! If taken at just the right time, drugs can make hard to stop, liquidators.
😢😢😢
The commentary refers several times to the “Commonwealth,” which did not exist during WW2. The British Empire and British imperial forces should be the correct terms.
www.foundingdocs.gov.au/resources/transcripts/cth11_doc_1926.pdf
You might want to read this.
General welliam slim
The Jungle is neutral is a classic work
The RAF bombed the hell out of the Japanese as the army advanced on them throughout the campaign.
Too much is made of Wingate.
First time the Japanese lost on land was by Australian forces in Papua the Germans at Tobruk
Right!, so only ozzy's at tobruk then, is that what your projecting?..
no mention of the Chinese rescuing the British and Indians in Yenangyaung eh?
What rescue was that?
The worst country to fight, insect , jungle,, dense, destruction by illness, poor supply chain, humidity horror, rain, mud ,hills valleys, Bobby traps, snipers,snakes, tigers, killer fish , crocodiles,
Engaging range, 2 metres if you were lucky, if wounded unlikely to survive, shot by your own, mercy killing, or given revolver to kill yourself ,
The suffering was acute, for them commonwealth soldiers, living hell, my fathers diary's, in every detail, he died of infection on the hospital ship coming home, supermen , not many got out
I moved to Asia, and have experienced humidity , most unpleasant experience of my life. 0:54
The British Army in the Far East (1941/1942) was probably the WORST ARMY in the history of Great Britain.
The British Army (14th Army) in the Far East (1944/1945) was THE BEST ARMY that Great Britain has ever deployed. Nothing comes close.
May I suggest that it was the officer corps in 1941/42 that was the worst, rather than the troops ill-served and led by them? Certainly the 14th Army was superbly led and deserved their victory. George MacDonald Fraser, author of the Flashman novrld, gives a wonderful description of the jungle war in Burma as he served in the Border Regiment in the Black Cat division.
That's correct, but you have to lay the responsibility at feet of the senior officers. The Officer Commanding Singapore Garrison Sir Arthur Percivil is a prime example.
British Indian army. Not the British army. Stop trying to take credit from others
@@Rudraksh-ql4ce The British Army fought in Burma. The Fourteenth Army had the British 2nd Infantry Division and British 36th Infantry Division assigned to it. Futhermore, every Indian army brigade had at least one British Army battalion attached to it e.g:
Indian 5th Infantry Division:
9th Indian Infantry Brigade:
2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (British Army)
3rd Battalion, 9th Jat Regiment
3rd Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment
123rd Indian Infantry Brigade:
2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (British Army)
2nd Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
3rd Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment
1st Battalion, 17th Dogra Regiment
3rd Battalion, 9th Gurkha Rifles
161st Indian Infantry Brigade
4th Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment (British Army)
1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
4th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment
3rd Battalion, 4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles
Pakistani army general niazi participated in this war.
Singapore post de na
First time select au na a chain post na de na
France legion Singapore police ani chakra (coomusit rad party
If Churchill hadn't starved the Bengal and ultimately killed millions, would there have been a more effective fighting force in Burma. That's a serious question that needs to be asked. Most if the other fighting forces of India was placed in other theatres of Africa. Yet the starvation of millions in Bengal surely had a direct effect on manpower. Churchill should be treated as a mass murderer. Most of his directives in the Bengal famine are in his own hand.
You’ve got some pretty strong feelings about Churchill and based on some of your other comments, Montgomery and the rest of the British Army. The thing is, other than the previously mentioned British Army, neither Winston nor Montgomery are even mentioned in this film. Which begs the question, did you actually watch the film or did you just come here to pontificate?
Churchill did not starve Bengal. The region suffered famine, both before and after 1943, principally due to inefficient farming methods, poor hygiene and healthcare, exacerbated by over-population and, in 1943, rice blight. Churchill in Cabinet records insisted that food supplies from as far afield as Australia and Iran be directed to Bengal. If you know of evidence that Churchill ordered famine in the region "in his own hand" kindly provide links.
super smart, thanks for the history lesson, the people of earth need to realize that this planet we inhabit is a special place in the cosmos, I thank us army for keeping our earth free of racist fascists, blind communists, and debaucherous secret societies. thanks eh...
As usual the British with bad tactics sacrificed men. Singapore was a capitulation although with superior forces. Monty was actually a failure without the US forces to back him up. Just because he was a British general he got the respect. Like wise Churchill. A failed military strategist.
Monty succeeded pretty well in North Africa without American back up. On the whole, he was a good general. His men thought he was great because he tried to take care of them. Everyone else hated him because he was an arrogant arsehole.
Was you there ?
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😂 lol they didn't control a quarter of the globe through bad tactics. Granted they were helped massively but do you know of any nation through out history that fought on so many different fronts
Monty had beaten Rommel before the US even landed in North Africa.
Again more British excuses
Stupid Yankee
Fighting half way across the globe while trying to maintain multiple fronts in Europe and Africa with incompetent officers and lack of strategy. Oh boy excuses excuses
This is an American army channel. Slim made no excuses and, ultimately, needed none.
Never disperse power to protect territory, give up territory for time for concentration of force and counterattack
100 % For sure. It's not what the British do though.. and arrogant bastards expect so much from us