The British shoot their wounded

25th May 1944: In a brutally honest account of the war in Burma, one of the Chindit commanders discloses an uncomfortable reality

Extricating the wounded from the Chindit force was always difficult and sometimes impossible. None involved wanted to leave the wounded to be found by the Japanese.

In the depths of the Burmese jungle, the Chindit's 111 Brigade still hung on at the Blackpool strongpoint. 2000 men were isolated and under attack by a strong Japanese Force, well equipped with Anti-Aircraft guns that made re-supply from the air dangerous, if not impossible. The acting Brigadier, John Masters¹, had sent a Most Immediate message requesting permission to withdraw. He had still not received a reply.

John Masters (1914-1983) became a best-selling novelist after the war

Now Masters reached a decision. They would withdraw. The worst that could happen was that he would face a Court Martial for disobeying orders.

One by one, carbine shots exploded curtly behind me. I put my hands to my ears but nothing could shut out the sound.

Yet this was not the last difficult decision that Masters faced, he had to face up to what to do with men who were too badly wounded to be moved. There must have been other Allied commanders who faced the same problem. Masters was rare in being a man who was subsequently prepared to write about it, in detail: