If Lieutenant General Sir Bill Slim (he had been knighted by General Archibald Wavell, the Viceroy, the previous October, at Imphal) had been asked in January 1945 to describe the situation in Burma at the onset of the next monsoon period in May, I do not believe that in his wildest imaginings he could have conceived that the whole of Burma would be about to fall into his hands.
John, respectfully, I think you've missed the point. I'm talking about the role of SOE in enabling that particular part of the war (i.e. in Burma) to be successful. I'm not suggesting for a moment that winning in Burma won the war overall...
War-winning? Hardly. Burma was a sideshow like the rest of mainland Asia. Important, yes, but not vital.
John, respectfully, I think you've missed the point. I'm talking about the role of SOE in enabling that particular part of the war (i.e. in Burma) to be successful. I'm not suggesting for a moment that winning in Burma won the war overall...