The British Fourteenth Army was a multi-national force comprising units from Commonwealth countries during the Second World War . As well as British Army units, many of its units were from the Indian Army and there were also significant contributions from the British Army's West and East African divisions. It was often referred to as the " Forgotten Army " because its operations in the Burma campaign were overlooked by the contemporary press, and remained more obscure than those of the corresponding formations in Europe for long after the war. For most of the Army's existence, it was commanded by Lieutenant-General William Slim .
58-510: The Indian XXXIV Corps was formed in March 1945 to be part of the British Fourteenth Army for Operation Zipper , the invasion of British Malaya . Significant formations under Fourteenth Army for 'Zipper,' possibly under XXXIV Corps, included 5th Indian Division , 23rd Indian Division , 25th Indian Infantry Division , and 26th Indian Infantry Division . Since Japan surrendered before
116-615: A field hospital in tents, was on a low hillock on the edge of the jungle between a southwards heading chaung and the pass. When Messervy reached the Admin Box, followed by several of his HQ personnel who had made their way in small parties through Japanese forces, he left the defence of the Box to Evans while he concentrated on re-establishing control over and directing the rest of the division. From 11 February RAF and USAAF Douglas Dakota transport aircraft parachute-dropped rations and ammunition to
174-408: A Japanese officer; they turned out to be a full set of operations orders for Ha-Go with troop timetables and sites marked where Japanese would form up before beginning an attack. On Wednesday 9th, Spitfires (the new Mark VIII flown by No. 81 Squadron from Imphal) and Hurricanes ( No. 28 Squadron ) engaged Japanese aircraft. Over 100 men of the 7/ 2nd Punjabi Infantry (of the 89th Brigade) reached
232-562: A local counter-attack, and perhaps even advance on Chittagong, the port on which XV Corps relied for supplies. Also, it was intended that by launching their attack (given the name Ha-Go or Operation Z ) in the first week of February, they would force the Allies to send reinforcements to Arakan from the Central Front, thus clearing the way for the main Japanese offensive there, planned to begin in
290-506: A makeshift, rectangular defensive position for Major-General Frank Messervy and his staff after their divisional headquarters was overrun on 7 February. During 1941 and early 1942, the Japanese army had driven Allied troops (British, Indian and Chinese ) from Burma. During 1943, the Allies had fought the Arakan Campaign 1942–1943 a limited offensive into Arakan, the coastal province of Burma. The aim had been to secure Akyab Island at
348-536: A scrub-covered central hillock, 150 feet (46 m) high and 200 yards long north-south, named "Ammunition Hill" with rations and other stores on the eastern side. To the south of the Ngakyedauk Chaung (which crossed east to west across the site) was the larger "Artillery Hill". Further supply dumps were across the site and there was a mule park and Motor Transport park with workshops. The Main Dressing Station,
406-579: A war crime, thirty-five medical staff and patients were murdered. This may have increased the resolve of the defenders who were now aware what fate would befall them if they surrendered. The following morning, a company of the West Yorks with tank support attacks the MDS On 8 February, a company (about 110 men) of Japanese infantry was wiped out trying to infiltrate the box along a nullah (afterwards named "Blood Nullah"). Maps and other documents were recovered from
464-575: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a specific Indian military unit is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . British Fourteenth Army Before World War II the British Indian Army had been divided into regional commands supervised by the headquarters in New Delhi, GHQ India . One of the commands was Eastern Command , commanded by Sir Charles Broad . On or about 21 April 1942, Eastern Command
522-604: Is if you do. You are, and will remain "The Forgotten Army". The War Cemetery in Kohima has the famous inscription "When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today". The Kohima Epitaph is attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds (1875–1958), and is thought to have been inspired by the epitaph of Simonides written by Simonides to honour the Spartans who fell at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. Battle of
580-626: The American and Chinese Northern Combat Area Command , and the Chindits operating behind enemy lines under Major General Orde Wingate . In early 1944, the Allies began tentative advances into Burma. The Japanese responded with all-out offensives, intending to destroy the Allies in their base areas. The first Japanese move was a subsidiary attack in Arakan where XV Corps was advancing slowly south. After initial Allied setbacks, in which an Indian divisional HQ
638-583: The Sittang River , covering 200 miles (320 km) in a month. It was vital to capture Rangoon , the capital and principal port of Burma, to allow the Army to be supplied during the monsoon. In the event, IV Corps was held up 40 miles (64 km) north of Rangoon by sacrificial Japanese rearguards, but its advance caused the Japanese to abandon Rangoon, which was occupied after an unopposed amphibious landing (codenamed Operation Dracula ) on 2 May. The Fourteenth Army
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#1732868624145696-505: The north-east between 7th Division and the Admin Area; A squadron was with 5th Division on the other side of the Mayu range. 9th Brigade HQ ( "Sally" Solomons and his staff) arrived and set up. The site was about 1,200 yards (1.1 km) square. The majority of the ground was dry paddy fields separated by clay earth bund walls . Ammunition dumps were piled up at the foot of the western face of
754-469: The 26th Division captured a vital hill, named Point 551, which dominated the area and where the Japanese had won an important victory just under a year earlier. At this point, XV Corps' operations were curtailed to free transport aircraft and troops for the Imphal battle. As the monsoon began, it was found that the low-lying area around Buthidaung was malarial and unhealthy and the Allies actually withdrew from
812-404: The 5th Indian Division was supplied. The Japanese still holding Razabil and the railway tunnels area ( Doi Force ) launched a subsidiary attack to link up with Sakurai, and made smaller raids and diversions, while unexpectedly large numbers of Japanese fighter aircraft flew from Akyab to contest the skies over the battlefield. It was evident to all of XV Corps that the situation was serious. However,
870-564: The Admin Box [REDACTED] United Kingdom [REDACTED] Japan Second Sino-Japanese War The Battle of the Admin Box (sometimes referred to as the Battle of Ngakyedauk or the Battle of Sinzweya ) took place on the southern front of the Burma campaign from 5 to 23 February 1944, in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II . Japanese forces attempted a local counter-attack against an Allied offensive with
928-569: The Administrative Area which was being turned into a defensive box, and the HQ Defence battalion sent to intercept Japanese to the north Sakurai's force then followed up towards Sinzweya and the rear of 7th Division. A Japanese battalion (I/213 Regiment, known as Kubo Force from its commander), crossed the Mayu Range at a seemingly impossible place, to set ambushes on the coastal road by which
986-584: The Commonwealth and one of the largest armies in the world, with about a million men under command. Three African divisions, the 81st and 82nd West African Divisions and 11th (East Africa) Division , were attached to the army. There were many units and formations from the British Army , but the majority of the army was built around the British Indian Army , which was stated to be the largest all-volunteer army in history with 2,500,000 men. The Fourteenth Army
1044-545: The Fourteenth Army had spent much time considering counters to the standard Japanese tactics of infiltration and encirclement. The forward divisions of XV Corps were ordered to dig in and hold their positions rather than retreat, while the reserve divisions advanced to their relief. The next obvious objective for the Japanese was the administrative area at Sinzweya, defended by headquarters and line of communication troops, with 25 Light AA / Anti Tank Regiment, RA . As Messervy
1102-402: The Japanese fighters also shot down several Hawker Hurricane fighter-bombers and other aircraft.) Whatever the true figures, the Japanese fighters were quickly driven from the area. On the ground, the fighting for the Admin Box was severe and for the most part hand to hand. On the night of 7 February, some Japanese troops captured the divisional Main Dressing Station. In what was undoubtedly
1160-408: The Mayu area, under its Infantry Group headquarters commanded by Major-General Tokutaro Sakurai , no relation to the Army commander. (A Japanese division had a separate headquarters to administer its infantry units which, as in this case, could take tactical control of any substantial detachment from the division.) The Japanese were confident that they could repeat their success of the previous year in
1218-524: The Ngakyedauk pass and two batteries of 25th Mountain Artillery Regiment IA . The most vital reinforcements of all were two squadrons of M3 Medium tanks of the 25th Dragoons who crossed the pass on the night of the 4/5 February. The defenders were later joined by part of the 4th Battalion of the 8th Gurkha Rifles (from the 89th Indian Infantry Brigade , part of 7th Indian Division) and also
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#17328686241451276-510: The aim of drawing Allied reserves from the Central Front in Assam , where the Japanese were preparing their own major offensive. After initial setbacks, the Allies recovered to thwart the Japanese attack, pioneering the methods which would lead to further Allied victories over the following year. The battle takes its name from the "administration area" of the Indian Army 's 7th Division , which became
1334-454: The air, in the largest operation of its type to that date. In 1945, amphibious operations to recapture Burma had to be cancelled once again because of a shortage of resources. Instead, Fourteenth Army was to mount the main offensive. The Army was now subordinated to the headquarters of Allied Land Forces, South East Asia (ALFSEA), and consisted of IV Corps and XXXIII Corps. Since the Army's supply lines by land were long and precarious, air supply
1392-598: The area to spare themselves losses to disease. The Japanese had moved the 54th Division to Arakan, and concentrated a force of four battalions under Colonel Koba of the 111th Infantry Regiment against the 81st (West African) Division in the Kaladan Valley. With support from a unit of the Indian National Army and local Arakanese, this force mounted a successful counter-attack against the isolated West African division, forcing it to retreat and eventually withdraw from
1450-517: The artillery of 8 (Belfast) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery and 6 Medium Regiment RA. Under Evans, drawing on his experience of the war in North Africa, the area was converted into a defended area. He established a quick perimeter turning it into a "box" similar to those of the Western Desert fighting Two squadrons, B and C, of the 25th Dragoons were ordered back from a position to
1508-463: The battle. The 36th Infantry Division in Calcutta and 26th Indian Infantry Division at Chittagong , were in reserve. The advance began cautiously at first, but steadily gained momentum. On 9 January 1944, 5th Indian Infantry Division captured the small port of Maungdaw . While they reduced Japanese positions south of the port (the village of Razabil and a hill known from its shape as the "Tortoise"),
1566-425: The battlefield. For the first time in the Burma campaign , Japanese tactics had been countered and indeed turned against them. This was to be repeated on a far larger scale in the impending Battle of Imphal . In terms of morale also, the fact that British and Indian soldiers had held and defeated a major Japanese attack for the first time was widely broadcast. The value of Allied air power had been demonstrated and
1624-465: The besieged forces in Assam. Also, XXXIII Corps was moved from southern India, where they had been training for amphibious operations, to relieve the garrison at Kohima and then push on to relieve Imphal. The result of the battles was a crushing Japanese defeat. The Japanese suffered 85,000 casualties, mainly from sickness and disease after their supplies ran out. The Allies had been continually supplied from
1682-404: The box that day and were sent south to 33rd Brigade. Japanese fire caused heavy casualties in the crowded defences and twice set ammunition dumps on fire. All attempts to overrun the defenders were thwarted by the tanks, to which the Japanese had no counter once their few mountain guns were out of ammunition. The Japanese tried an all-out attack on the night of 14 February and captured a hill on
1740-531: The corps prepared to take the next major objective. This was part of the Mayu Range where two disused railway tunnels provided a route through the hills linking Maungdaw to the towns of Buthidaung and Letwedet in the Kalapanzin Valley. To reposition troops and resources for this attack, the engineers of the 7th Indian Division improved a narrow track, known as the Ngakyedauk Pass ("Okeydoke Pass"), across
1798-684: The end of the Mayu Peninsula. The island possessed an important airfield, from which the Japanese Army Air Force had raided Calcutta and other Indian cities, and which also featured prominently in Allied plans to recapture Burma. This offensive had failed disastrously. Because the British Indian Army was being massively expanded, most of the Indian (and British) units committed to the attack lacked training and experience. Exhausted units were left in
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1856-448: The enemy's infiltration and encircling tactics abortive. (b) Allied air superiority, which so disrupted Japanese supply lines, both in Burma and further afield, that starvation and illness overtook thousands of Japanese troops facing Fourteenth Army and also denied them the essential supplies of fuel, equipment and material with which to fight a better equipped and supplied, Allied Force. In
1914-526: The first week of March. Beginning on 5 February, Sakurai Force infiltrated the front lines of the 7th Indian Division, which was widely dispersed and moved north undetected on the small town of Taung Bazaar . Here they crossed the Kalapanzin River and swung west and south, and on the early morning of the 6 February they attacked the HQ of 7th Division at Luang Cheng a few miles to the south-west of Taung. The HQ
1972-523: The following months, the Allies reorganised, engaged in extensive jungle training, and prepared for a renewed effort in 1944. Under the Fourteenth Army , the offensive was to be launched by XV Corps (Lieutenant General Philip Christison ). The Mayu Peninsula consisted of a coastal plain, indented by several chaungs (tidal creeks), and separated from the fertile valley of the Kalapanzin River by
2030-513: The former capital which was of major significance to the majority Burman population. The result of the Battles of Meiktila and Mandalay, known as the Battle of Central Burma , was the destruction of most of the Japanese units in Burma, which allowed the subsequent pursuit. Fourteenth Army now advanced south. While XXXIII Corps advanced down the Irrawaddy River, IV Corps made the main effort along
2088-434: The front line, and their morale declined. Allied tactics and equipment were not suited to the jungle-covered hills, and Japanese units repeatedly achieved surprise by crossing rivers and hills which the Allies had dismissed as impassable. Finally, the Allied command structure was inefficient, with an overworked division headquarters trying to control a large number of sub-units and also a large line-of-communications area. During
2146-405: The hills, while a large administration area, later to be known as the Admin Box was established at Sinzweya , near the eastern end of the pass. The Twenty-Eighth Army (Lieutenant General Shōzō Sakurai ), defended Arakan and southern Burma. Its 55th Division (Lieutenant General Tadashi Hanaya ) occupied Arakan. Most of the division's troops (five battalions) were grouped as Sakurai Force in
2204-603: The jungle-covered Mayu Range of hills. The 5th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Harold Briggs ), which had fought in East Africa and the Western Desert, attacked down the coastal plain. The well-trained 7th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Frank Messervy ) attacked down the Kalapanzin Valley. The 81st (West Africa) Division was advancing further east down the Kaladan River valley but would not directly affect
2262-472: The newly raised Indian XXXIV Corps . General Slim was promoted to command Allied Land Forces in South East Asia. Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey was appointed to command Fourteenth Army. A seaborne landing on the west coast of Malaya, codenamed Operation Zipper , was being prepared but was forestalled by the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Japanese surrender. Zipper
2320-562: The operation could be executed, the corps, under the command of Lieutenant-General Ouvry Roberts , did not see wartime service. It did, however, see occupation duty after the conflict was over. XXXIV Corps was still active in September 1945 in Malaya, with HQ 2nd British Infantry Division, 25th Indian Division, 50th Indian Tank Brigade , and 150th Indian Infantry Brigade , which was en route to Hong Kong . This Indian history-related article
2378-579: The perimeter. The 2nd West Yorkshire with support from the tanks recaptured it the next day, although they suffered many casualties. By 22 February, the Japanese had been starving for several days. Colonel Tanahashi, commanding the Japanese 112th Infantry Regiment, which provided the main body of Sakurai's force, stated that his regiment was reduced to 400 men out of an original strength of 2,150 and refused to make further attacks. On 24 February (19 February by other sources), he broke radio communications and retreated without authorisation. On 26 February, Sakurai
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2436-417: The second week of March, the 161st Indian Infantry Brigade (part of the 5th Division) finally captured the "Tortoise" and the other fortifications around Razabil by a flanking manoeuvre, before the division was withdrawn into reserve. The 26th Indian and 36th British divisions resumed the offensive in late March and early April. The 36th Division captured the railway tunnels by 4 April. On 6 April, troops from
2494-505: The time they reached Akyab in early March, the Japanese offensive was nearing its end. The battalion subsequently marched up the Kaladan river and progressed slowly but successfully against Commonwealth African units before crossing the Burma-India border to occupy Mowdok, near Chittagong. Holland notes the presence of INA troops around the dressing station and their apparent participation in
2552-413: The troops, including the defenders of the Admin Box. They flew a 714 sorties, dropping 2,300 long tons (2,300 t) of supplies. The Japanese had not foreseen this development. While they ran short of supplies, the Indian formations could fight on. The Japanese tried to supply Sakurai Force with a convoy of pack mules and Arakanese porters, following the route of Sakurai's original infiltration but this
2610-455: The valley. Akyab remained in Japanese hands until January 1945, when a renewed Allied advance combined with amphibious landings drove the Japanese from Arakan, inflicting heavy casualties by landing troops to cut off their retreat down the coast. The lightly armed 1st battalion of the Indian National Army 's 1st Guerrilla Regiment had been directed to participate in the Japanese diversionary attack. They left Rangoon in early February, but by
2668-410: Was ambushed and the supplies were captured. The first air-drop missions met opposition from Japanese fighters and some transport aircraft were forced to turn back but three squadrons of Supermarine Spitfires , operating from new airfields around Chittagong, gained air superiority over the battlefield. Sixty-five Japanese aircraft were claimed shot down or damaged for the loss of three Spitfires (though
2726-485: Was appointed to the command of the Army. At least two sources report the story of Mountbatten's first or one of his initial meetings with Slim, who reportedly told Mountbatten "..Let's change this ghastly name Eastern Army. Let's just get a number." Fourteenth Army's principal subordinate formations were IV Corps in Assam and XV Corps in Arakan . During the early part of 1944, the Army also had loose operational control over
2784-444: Was forced to break off the operation. The 26th Indian Division had relieved 5th Division, which sent a brigade to break through the Ngakyedauk Pass to relieve 7th Division. Kubo force was cut off and suffered heavy casualties trying to return to Japanese lines. Although total Allied casualties were higher than the Japanese, the Japanese had been forced to abandon many of their wounded to die. Five thousand Japanese dead were counted on
2842-543: Was in the jungle, out of contact and possibly dead, Christison, the corps commander, ordered Brigadier Geoffrey Evans , who had recently been appointed commander of 9th Indian Infantry Brigade , part of the 5th Indian Division, to make his way to the Admin area, assume command and hold the against all attacks. Christison also ordered 5th Division to send 2nd Battalion, the West Yorkshire Regiment (from Evans brigade) over
2900-469: Was nevertheless mounted unopposed as the quickest method of introducing troops to Malaya to enforce the surrender of the Japanese there and repatriate Allied prisoners of war . Fourteenth Army was renamed Malaya Command on 1 November 1945. The Fourteenth Army, like the Eighth Army , was made up from units that came from all corners of the Commonwealth. In 1945 the Fourteenth Army was the largest army in
2958-527: Was once again to be vital. The Japanese attempted to forestall the Allied attacks by withdrawing behind the Irrawaddy River . Fourteenth Army was nevertheless able to change its axis of advance. IV Corps, spearheaded by armoured and motorised units, crossed the river downstream of the main Japanese forces and seized the vital logistic and communications centre of Meiktila . As the Japanese attempted to recapture Meiktila, XXXIII Corps captured Mandalay ,
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#17328686241453016-462: Was overrun, the surrounded units defeated the Japanese at the Battle of the Admin Box . A vital factor was the resupply of cut-off units by aircraft. The main Japanese offensive was launched on the central front in Assam. While a division advanced to Kohima to isolate IV Corps, the main body attempted to surround and destroy IV Corps at Imphal . Since the Japanese attack in Arakan had already failed, battle-hardened units were flown from Arakan to aid
3074-463: Was reorganised as Eastern Army. It had both control of operations against the Japanese Army in Burma, and large rear-area responsibilities, stemming from its pre-war task. In July 1942, Broad retired and Lieutenant General Noel Irwin assumed command. The army HQ exchanged its location and role with that of XV corps for the Arakan campaign (1942–1943) . After the failure of this offensive, Irwin
3132-519: Was replaced by General George Giffard in May 1943. In late 1943, South East Asia Command was created, with Lord Louis Mountbatten as Commander-in-Chief. Eastern Army was split. A reformed Eastern Command took over the rear areas of Bihar , Odisha and most of Bengal . Eastern Army remained responsible for operations against the Japanese, as part of British 11th Army Group (commanded by Giffard). Lieutenant General William Slim , then commanding XV Corps,
3190-547: Was supported by the Women's Auxiliary Service (Burma) who provided a canteen service for the troops of Burma Command and moved down through the country with the Army. Shortly after the fall of Rangoon, the Army headquarters was relieved of responsibility for operations in Burma. A new Twelfth Army headquarters was formed from XXXIII Corps HQ and took over IV Corps. Fourteenth Army HQ now moved to Ceylon to plan operations to recapture Malaya and Singapore . It controlled XV Corps and
3248-784: Was the Second World War 's largest Commonwealth Army, with nearly a million men by late 1944. At different periods of the Second World War it was composed of four corps: A total of thirteen divisions served with the Fourteenth Army: Some smaller fighting formations also served: Also serving with the 14th Army were a range of army, corps and divisional units not organic to the combat divisions. When you go home don't worry about what to tell your loved ones and friends about service in Asia. No one will know where you were, or where it
3306-489: Was to be a vital factor in the overall Allied victory in the Burma campaign. At the Japanese surrender meetings in Rangoon on 11 September 1945, Major General Ichida read a statement which identified two unforeseen and vital factors which had put the Japanese at a "disastrous disadvantage": (a) Allied air supply, which permitted ground forces in Burma to consolidate their positions without being forced to retreat and thus rendered
3364-406: Was up on a hillock. There was heavy close fighting, but 7th Division's signallers and clerks eventually had to destroy their documents and equipment and split up into small parties and retreat to the Admin Box. (Other radio operators listening on the division's frequency heard a voice say, "Put a pick through that radio", then silence.) The Motor Transport, with 22 radio sets, had already been sent to
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