On This Day/ 13th February

[John_D]

Wingate's Order of the Day, 13th February 1943

Today we stand on the threshold of battle. The time of preparation is over, and we are moving on the enemy to prove ourselves and our methods. At this moment we stand beside the soldiers of the United Nations in the front line trenches throughout the world. It is always a minority that occupies the front line. It is still a smaller minority that accepts with a good heart tasks like this that we have chosen to carry out. We need not, therefore, as we go forward into the conflict, suspect ourselves of selfish or interested motives. We have all had opportunity of withdrawing and we are here because we have chosen to be here; that is, we have chosen to bear the burden and heat of the day. Men who make this choice are above the average in courage. we need therefore have no fear for the staunchness and guts of our comrades.

The motive which had led each and all of us to devote ourselves to what lies ahead cannot conceivably have been a bad motive. Comfort and security are not sacrificed voluntarily for the sake of others by ill-disposed people. Our motive, therefore, may be taken to be the desire to serve our day and generation in the way that seems nearest to our hand. The battle is not always to the strong nor the race to the swift. Victory in war cannot be counted upon, but what can be counted upon is that we shall go forward determined to do what we can to bring this war to the end which we believe best for our friends and comrades in arms, without boastfulness or forgetting our duty, resolved to do the right so far as we can see the right.

Our aim is to make possible a government of the world in which all men can live at peace and with equal opportunity of service.

Finally, knowing the vanity of man's effort and the confusion of his purpose, let us pray that God may accept our services and direct our endeavours, so that when we shall have done all we shall see the fruit of our labours and be satisfied.

O.C. Wingate, Commander,
77th Indian Infantry Brigade.

Aye

John_d

[Rogue Chef]

Ahoy there JD,
Stirring.
OW was the stuff of legend. Unfortunately Wingate died in an air crash on 24 Mar 44. Who could say what he might have achieved had he lived longer.
For us "jungle bunnies" Orde Charles Wingate, his Chindits and of course Spencer F Chapman legendary. Quite rightly so.

[John_D]

As you stated Chef, who knows where he could have ended up
a briliant tacticle mind, and guts to go with it

Aye
John_D

[John_D]

Special Force, The 2nd Chindit Expedition 1944

Quadrant Conference 1943 In August 1943 Churchill, Roosevelt and the Combined Chiefs of Staff met in Quebec at the Quadrant Conference to discuss future Allied strategy. Accompanying Churchill was Wingate.

At the conference Wingate presented his plans on how Long Range Penetration brigades would march into Burma to disrupt enemy communications behind their front lines and prepare the way for the main forces to recapture north Burma.

Wingate's proposals won American support and the conference agreed to a second Chindit operation.

To show their support the Americans offered to form an American Long Range Penetration Group to be trained and commanded by Wingate (this group later became known as Merrill's Marauders). When the British requested a supply of American light aircrafts for evacuating the wounded, the Americans instead offered to provide an air task force consisting of light bombers, fighters, transport Dakotas, light aircrafts and gliders.


Brigades and Regiments The second Chindit force was given the name Special Force but was also known as 3rd Indian Division, Long Range Penetration Groups, and still better known as Wingate's Chindits.

The force was composed of six brigades -

16th Brigade (Brigadier Fergusson)
51st/69th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
2nd Queen's Royal
2nd Leicestershire
45th Reconnaissance Regiment

77th Brigade (Brigadier Calvert)
1st King's (Liverpool) Regiment
1st Lancashire Fusiliers
1st South Staffordshire
3/6th Gurkha Rifles
3/9th Gurkha Rifles
111st Brigade (Brigadier Lentaigne)
2nd King's Own Royal
1st Cameronians
3/4th Gurkha Rifles
4/9th Gurkha Rifles

14th Brigade (Brigadier Brodie)
1st Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
7th Leicestershire
2nd Black Watch
2nd York and Lancaster

3rd Brigade (Brigadier Gillmore)
6th Nigeria Regiment
7th Nigeria Regiment
12th Nigeria Regiment

23rd Brigade (Brigadier Perowne)
60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
2nd Duke of Wellington's
4th Border Regiment
1st Essex Regiment

Aye
John_D