52
plaque for Subedar Netra Bahadur Thapa VC (5 RGR) were visited. A
Nepali service of remembrance was again led by Captain Prem Gu-
rung. As the senior RGR officer present, Major C. Conroy (OC A Com-
pany) laid a wreath on behalf of RGR. The visit also provided members
with an opportunity to engage with local media. For several Gurkhas
within the party whose grandfathers had fought in Burma, the day was
emotional but hugely worthwhile.
Similarly the visit to Sittang Bridge was completed in a day trip from
Yangon. Led by Professor Marston the party analysed the retreat taken
by Allied forces from the town of Bilin towards the River Sittang in the
early weeks on 1942. The discussions ranged from the strategic conflict
of interests within Allied High Command, to the tactical problems at
platoon level. Standing on Pagoda Hill the view was west out across
the river. First-hand accounts were read which highlighted the chaos
and disbelief on both sides when the bridge was demolished. The re-
mains of the original bridge are still clearly visible and the scale of the
river is a harrowing reminder of the obstacle which the men of 1/3 GR,
1/4 GR and 2/5 GR faced in February 1942. The first-hand accounts
from J.P. Cross’
Gurkhas at War
brought the events to life and the group
also benefited from recently translated Japanese accounts.
A stop over in Bagan was a must on the cultural itinerary; the plain of
ancient pagodas is breath taking for its scale and architecture. From a
historical perspective Bagan was also important as it marked the larg-
est river crossing of World War Two. The crossing of the Irrawaddy
surpassed that of the Rhine in terms of the scale of the obstacle that had
to be traversed. A seminar was conducted overlooking the stretch of
river where the 14
th
Army created a bridgehead on the road to Man-
dalay in January 1945. Securing the bridgehead required heavy fight-
ing in which both 1/6 GR and 4/6 GR saw action. Professor Marston
brought the events to life with copies of the original maps. Again les-
sons were drawn from the past and applied to the present; in this in-
stance that of discipline and effective co-ordination. During the opera-
tion an entire Corps was moved in radio silence undetected by the
Japanese, enabling it to cross the river at a point least expected, thus
gaining the element of surprise.
