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buoyed by the excellent hospitality of GCSPF and understanding the
threat which faced Allied forces in 1942.
Given the size of Myanmar and the time constraints, the itinerary was
selective. Whilst Gurkha Regiments saw action in all areas of the coun-
try, it was impossible for the Tour to encompass everything. The itin-
erary focused upon the First Battle of Sittang, Taukkyan Cemetery, the
crossing of the Irrawaddy, and the Battle of Mandalay. The most obvi-
ous absentee was Meiktila, which was made impossible by recent eth-
nic violence. The Arakan campaign and both Chindit operations were
not feasible with only six days in the country. Likewise the parachute
Elephant Point is now the site of a military base which made visiting
the Drop Zone impossible. The historical aspects of the Tour were
paired with cultural visits, most notably the temples of Bagan and the
Shwedagon Paya Pagoda in Yangon.
Throughout the Tour Professor Marston led a series of seminars which
were largely interactive and encouraged debate. Events which were
not covered on the ground were still discussed in detail in the class-
room. From the outset the aim was to relate the past to the present. The
tactics employed in the 1940’s were discussed and compared with
those used now. Similar to ‘Pamphlet 5’ today,
‘The Jungle Book’
in
World War Two was the tactical authority for commanders on the
ground. The touring party consisted solely of Officers and SNCO’s,
thus unsurprisingly discussions focused upon leadership as well as
jungle tactics. One did not have to look far to find examples of out-
standing leadership: the initial defeat in 1942 was characterised by te-
nacity in the face of adversity, whilst both Chindit Operations and the
successes of 1945 were characterised by innovative thinking. The ex-
amples raised throughout left members with suggestions about how
they, perhaps, could improve their own leadership style!
On the first full day in Myanmar the party visited Taukkyan War
Cemetery. The cemetery has been impeccably maintained by the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission and is only a short drive
from central Yangon. The group paid their respects to the fallen mem-
bers of the antecedent Gurkha Regiments. In particular the graves of
Major F. G. Blaker VC (9 GR), Captain M. Allmand VC (6 GR) and the
