The Burma Campaign

What's New - Archive

"Burma 1942" - an account of service with the Burma Auxiliary Force and the Burma Intelligence Corps by Major A.H. Jenner

During the first Burma campaign, Major Jenner served with the antiaircraft artillery of the B.A.F.  He later served with the Burma Intelligence Corps in the Arakan.   31st December 2017

8th Heavy Antiaircraft Battery, Royal Artillery

Often confused with the 8th Indian H.A.A. Battery, a brief history of the unit which fought during the first Burma campaign and later in the Arakan.   31st December 2017

8th Indian Heavy Antiaircraft Battery, Indian Artillery

A brief history of this antiaircraft unit, often confused with the British 8th H.A.A. Battery which fought alongside its Indian counterpart during the first Burma campaign.   31st December 2017

Operations in Tavoy and On Moulmein Aerodrome by Captain N.R. Watts, MC.; WO 203/5691

Captain Watts was a company commander involved in the fighting for Tavoy town in January 1942. He later commanded the troops defending the aerodrome at Moulmein.   10th December 2017

6th Burma Rifles, Tavoy, January 1942 – Captain W.R. Andrews Narrative; WO 203/5691

An account of the 6th Burma Rifles action at Tavoy in January 1942.   10th December 2017

** New Design for the Web Site **

A new look and new navigation menus for the web site.   9th December 2017

** New ** - Documents Section

A new section presenting transcriptions of war diaries and official and personal narratives.   9th December 2017

1st Battalion, The Burma Regiment

A new, full account of the 1st Battalion which served at Kohima, Burma and Sumatra.   12th October 2017

* Book *: "Not Forgetting the 9th; The War Diary of Sgt. Cyril Grimes, 1944-1945"

The diaries of Sergeant Cyril Grimes who served with the 9th Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment in Burma 1944-1945. 

Click this link to open a PDF summary of the book.    14th August 2017

3rd Chin Rifles

Post-war served as the Chin Hills Battalion then, briefly, as the 1st (Chin Hills) Anti-Tank/Mortar Regiment before reverting to an infantry battalion.  Re-titled as the 3rd Chin Rifles in 1949.   7th August 2017

6th Battalion, The Burma Rifles

A much revised account of the action at Tavoy, with situation maps.  26th July 2017

Northern Shan States Battalion, Burma Frontier Force

Added details of the Chin Hills Battalion detachment at the Shweli Bridge action in May 1942.  1st May 2017

1st Chin Rifles

The 1st Chin Rifles was one of the first Government units to be engaged at Insein in January/February 1949. 26th April 2017

2nd Battalion, The Burma Regiment

A history of this battalion of the Burma Regiment which in 1946 fought Chinese deserters. 12th April 2017

* New Book *:  Reporting the Retreat: War Correspondents in Burma

There were some twenty-six accredited war correspondents covering the campaign, and almost half of them wrote books about their experiences, mostly within a year or two of the defeat.  Click the link above or below to be taken to Amazon for further details (opens in new window).

1849047170

Reporting the Retreat: War Correspondents in Burma 
Philip Woods

£20.00

7th (Burma Police) Battalion, The Burma Rifles

Group photograph of officers and G.C.O.s of the battalion dating from late 1940 or during 1941.  22nd November 2016

1st Burma Rifles

A history of this battalion of the new Burma Rifles regiment, formed for the new Burma Army in 1945. 14th September 2016

3rd Burma Rifles

A history of this battalion of the new Burma Rifles regiment, formed for the new Burma Army in 1945. 8th September 2016

2nd Burma Rifles

The veterans of two Chindit operations were reorganised to form a battalion of the new Burma Army.  31st August 2016

3rd Battalion, The Burma Rifles

Added details of the battalion's actions at the Sittang Bridge, February 1942.  30th August 2016

4th Burma Rifles

A history of this battalion of the new Burma Rifles regiment, formed for the new Burma Army in 1946. Revised 24th August 2016

5th Burma Rifles

A history of this battalion of the new Burma Rifles regiment, formed for the new Burma Army in 1946.  Revised 24th August 2016

6th Burma Rifles

A history of this battalion of the new Burma Rifles regiment, formed for the new Burma Army in 1947.  Revised 31st August 2016

2nd Chin Rifles

A brief history of this battalion of the new Burma Army, raised from the Western Chin Levies in 1945.  Revised 24th August 2016

The New Burma Army 1945-1949

A history of the planning raising and post-independence operations of new Burma Army.  25th July 2016


9th (Reserve) Battalion, The Burma Rifles

A much revised and extended history of this holding battalion.  25th June 2016

4th Battalion, The Burma Regiment

A history of this battalion of the Burma Regiment which fought with the Northern Kachin Levies. 7th June 2016

The Karen Rifles

Brief history of the three battalions of the Karen Rifles, part of the new Burma Army from 1945-1949. 7th June 2016

Kokine Garrison Battalion, Burma Frontier Force

Update to include details of companies recruited and trained by the Chin Hills Battalion, BFF. 23rd May 2016

Southern Shan States Battalion, Burma Frontier Force

Updates to include details of a company of the Battalion that came under command of Captain Thompson's party.  16th May 2016

Researching Ancestors in the Burma Army

Added details of the "British Army, Indian Volunteer Forces Long Service & Good Conduct Medal, 1915-1939"
register available on the FindMyPast web site.  Awards made to members of the Burma Auxiliary Force and its 
predecessors may now be found.  25th February 2016

The Burma Intelligence Corps - Platoon Histories 

Brief, fragmentary histories of each of the sixteen platoons of the Burma Intelligence Corps. February 2016

The Burma Intelligence Corps 

A much expanded history of this corps of interpreters.  February 2016

2nd Battalion, The Burma Rifles 

New details added describing the role of the Battalion with the Chindits.  6th November 2015

Indian Army Lists Online 

Added by FIBIS in September 2015 are links to the Indian Army Lists online at the Digital Library of India.  September 2015