On 13-14 February 1945, 79-years ago this month the 7th Indian Division commanded by Major General Geoffrey Evans secured crossings over the Irrawaddy at Pakkoku and Nyaung-U/Bagan.
Sean, what an amazing story! I’ve read it out this morning to some of my friends here in Myanmar. absolutely fascinating. Thank you so much for sharing this.
If you’d like, I can add some photos. Unfortunately, none are related to military operations, but they might be of interest to some of your friends there.
Very interesting article about an often-ignored theater. My wife’s grandfather, Dr. B.S. Joshi, graduated from university (where he was a classmate and good friend of Ne Win) and medical school in Rangoon. When the Japanese invaded, he walked to India just days ahead of them with his wife and infant daughter (my wife’s aunt, the actress Indira Joshi) in tow. After putting them safely in Jullundur (or is it Jallander) near Amritsar, he ended up as an officer and doctor in the Indian British Army and served somewhere out there near or on the front lines. The only story I have heard about that time was the one in which he removed a soldier’s appendix by the light of a Jeep’s headlights. I wish we knew more about his military service, but he died in 2009 at a ripe old age. We are reasonably certain that he was a survivor of, and lost his father at, Jalliawala Bagh, which is how he ended up in Burma, as his mother took him there to his uncle’s home. After the war, he had a distinguished career in the Burma medical service as a Civil Surgeon, before retiring and settling in Dehradun in the 60’s, where he helped found ONGC Hospital. When Ne Win made a state visit to India, the Indian Government asked if there was anything in particular he wanted to see or do during his visit. Ne Win’s response was to ask if the Indian Goverment could find his old pal, Dr. Joshi. We have a photo of the Joshi family with Ne Win and his wife. Joshi liked Ne Win, but didn’t like his politics, which is why he wanted to get his family out of Burma. When I was talking to him once about his university days in Rangoon, I asked him what Ne Win studied there. His answer was a forceful “NOTHING!” Apparently, Ne Win was a poor student.
" Forcing the INA to surrender" is not necessarily a happy memory for many Indians in general and Bengalis in particular....but thank you for the post. Have you read Deepti Navals childhood memoir which has a very poignant chapter on the exodus of some of her family from Burma? It's very sad... especially the differential treatment meted out to Indians in the routes...
Sean, you can email them to me. I’d love to see them
Sean, what an amazing story! I’ve read it out this morning to some of my friends here in Myanmar. absolutely fascinating. Thank you so much for sharing this.
If you’d like, I can add some photos. Unfortunately, none are related to military operations, but they might be of interest to some of your friends there.
Sean Maloney
Very interesting article about an often-ignored theater. My wife’s grandfather, Dr. B.S. Joshi, graduated from university (where he was a classmate and good friend of Ne Win) and medical school in Rangoon. When the Japanese invaded, he walked to India just days ahead of them with his wife and infant daughter (my wife’s aunt, the actress Indira Joshi) in tow. After putting them safely in Jullundur (or is it Jallander) near Amritsar, he ended up as an officer and doctor in the Indian British Army and served somewhere out there near or on the front lines. The only story I have heard about that time was the one in which he removed a soldier’s appendix by the light of a Jeep’s headlights. I wish we knew more about his military service, but he died in 2009 at a ripe old age. We are reasonably certain that he was a survivor of, and lost his father at, Jalliawala Bagh, which is how he ended up in Burma, as his mother took him there to his uncle’s home. After the war, he had a distinguished career in the Burma medical service as a Civil Surgeon, before retiring and settling in Dehradun in the 60’s, where he helped found ONGC Hospital. When Ne Win made a state visit to India, the Indian Government asked if there was anything in particular he wanted to see or do during his visit. Ne Win’s response was to ask if the Indian Goverment could find his old pal, Dr. Joshi. We have a photo of the Joshi family with Ne Win and his wife. Joshi liked Ne Win, but didn’t like his politics, which is why he wanted to get his family out of Burma. When I was talking to him once about his university days in Rangoon, I asked him what Ne Win studied there. His answer was a forceful “NOTHING!” Apparently, Ne Win was a poor student.
Sean Maloney
" Forcing the INA to surrender" is not necessarily a happy memory for many Indians in general and Bengalis in particular....but thank you for the post. Have you read Deepti Navals childhood memoir which has a very poignant chapter on the exodus of some of her family from Burma? It's very sad... especially the differential treatment meted out to Indians in the routes...