HE WAR IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA BEGAN BADLY FOR THE BRITISH. HONG KONG, SINGAPORE AND MALAYA HAD QUICKLY FALLEN, ALLOWING THE JAPANESE TO DRIVE THROUGH BURMA TO THE INDIAN FRONTIER. AT THE VERY GATES OF INDIA, THE FIGHTBACK BEGAN WITH THE CHINDITS ESTABLISHING THEMSELVES FAR BEHIND ENEMY LINES, AND ALLIED DIVISIONS ADVANCING INTO THE ARAKAN AND OTHER SECTORS OF BURMA.
T
STORY FERG HANDLEY ART OLIVERA COVER JANEK MATYSIAK
4 THEN, IN THE SPRING OF 1944, THE JAPANESE MOUNTED A MASSIVE OFFENSIVE OF THEIR OWN. THEIR TROOPS MADE IT INTO INDIA ITSELF ONLY TO RUN INTO DOGGED BRITISH RESISTANCE AT IMPHAL. HOLD YOUR POSITIONS, LADS!
UUURGH!
THE NORTH KENT FUSILIERS HAD BEEN IN CONSTANT ACTION FOR TEN DAYS. DURING A BRIEF RESPITE THE SURVIVING TROOPS OF A RIFLE PLATOON WENT TO WORK ON THEIR SHELL-TORN POSITIONS. I TELL YOU, MATE, I’M FLAMING WELL EXHAUSTED.
YEAH, AND WE’RE AT LESS THAN HALF-STRENGTH NOW. AND THAT’S NOT COUNTING THE LADS WITH FEVERS.
5 THE PLATOON’S FIRST SECTION WAS POSITIONED ON THE RIGHT FLANK. THEIR SERGEANT — JACK BAILEY — HAD BEEN KILLED IN THE LAST ACTION, SO ANOTHER VETERAN HAD BEEN PROMOTED IN HIS PLACE. WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO WITH HIS GEAR, CORP...I MEAN, SARGE?
JUST PUT IT WITH THE OTHERS, JONES. AND SHARE OUT HIS AMMO, EVERYONE’S RUNNING LOW.
THE MEN HAD FIRST MET BAILEY BACK IN ENGLAND. THEY WERE ROOKIES WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THEIR BATTALION AND HE’D BEEN FIRM BUT FAIR DURING TRAINING.
SARGE, MY FOOT’S KILLING ME...I THINK IT’S A BLISTER.
ALL RIGHT, DOBBS, FALL OUT AND HAVE AN ORDERLY TAKE A GANDER.
6 A BOND DEVELOPED, AND IT BECAME CLEAR THAT BAILEY GENUINELY CARED ABOUT HIS MEN. MONTHS LATER, ON THE SHIP OUT EAST, HE TOOK THEM ASIDE FOR A WORD.
IT WAS HEARTFELT ADVICE AND THE MEN DISCUSSED IT LATER.
REMEMBER THIS, LADS. YOU WON’T BE SOLDIERS FOREVER SO TRY TO RETAIN YOUR HUMANITY FOR WHEN YOU’RE CIVVIES AGAIN.
THAT WAS SOME SPEECH. IT MADE SENSE TO ME.
IF YOU SAY SO, MATE. PERSONALLY, I DON’T THINK THERE’LL BE MUCH TIME FOR SENTIMENT WHEN THE FIGHTING STARTS.
BEFORE LONG THE UNIT WAS IN THE FRONT LINE IN BURMA. BAILEY PROVED TO BE A GOOD COMBAT LEADER, ALWAYS KEEPING HIS HEAD WHEN THE GOING GOT TOUGH. THE JAPS ARE TRYING TO SET UP A MACHINE-GUN. HIT THEM NOW, BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
YES, I SEE ‘EM.
7 SIX MONTHS OF FIGHTING IN BURMA SAW THE MEN BECOME VETERANS. THEN THEY WERE THROWN INTO THE CARNAGE AT IMPHAL.
COR, LOOK AT THE STATE OF THIS PLACE!
IT’S A MESS ALL RIGHT. BUT YOU CAN HANDLE IT, TURNER, YOU ALL CAN.
THEIR COMPANY DUG IN BUT THEIR POSITIONS WERE UNDER CONSTANT ENEMY SHELLFIRE. CASUALTIES SOON MOUNTED. AAARGH!
STRETCHERS! STRETCHERS, OVER HERE!
8 CONDITIONS WERE DREADFUL. MANY TROOPS FELL ILL BUT ONLY THE WOUNDED WERE TAKEN OUT OF THE LINE. C-CAN’T STOP...SHAKING... CORP.
EASY, MATE, TRY AND GET SOME WATER DOWN YOU.
THERE WAS LITTLE TIME FOR REST. THE ENEMY WERE CONSTANTLY ATTACKING AND PROBING THE BRITISH LINES. HERE THEY COME AGAIN!
STOP FIRING, WAIT UNTIL THEY’RE IN EFFECTIVE RANGE!
9 THEN CAME YET ANOTHER ASSAULT. THE JAPANESE GOT IN CLOSE AND AS BAILEY RELOADED AN ENEMY BULLET FOUND ITS MARK. BRITISH APE!
NO…AAARGH!
BAILEY FELL LIFELESSLY TO THE FOOT OF HIS FOXHOLE BUT WAS INSTANTLY AVENGED. YOU SCUM!
HNGH!
10 THE PAYBACK WAS LITTLE CONSOLATION, THOUGH, NOR WAS HIS SUBSEQUENT PROMOTION. ALL THE NEW SERGEANT COULD FEEL WAS HATRED TOWARDS THE ENEMY FOR ALL THE DEATHS HE’D SEEN. SARGE, YOU OKAY?
I WILL BE... ONCE EVERY JAP IN ASIA’S BEEN PUT IN A GRAVE.
THEN THERE WAS MOVEMENT IN THE DISTANCE AND SHOUTS WENT UP ALL ALONG THE LINE. MORE JAPS…AND LOTS OF THEM!
HERE WE GO AGAIN, LADS. GET READY!