I Remember ..... Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

The Kohima Epitaph

In March, early at daybreak, mail had arrived which was so important, with news of home. One I received was posted four days previous in England; a credit to our postal service! I was reading a letter, close to the ground, a line of Frontier Force Rifles (Indian Troops) were passing over our position, when a Japanese machine gunner opened up, raking our position and the advancing troops. I was hit, which caused me to be twisted around and down. The bullet had entered my right arm. It smelt like burning flesh and soon swelled up. A field-dressing from my pocket was soon applied and I was assisted out of the fray. During my days in Burma, I had often thought of seeing Mandalay. In the words of the song ‘Come ye back ze British soldier. Come ze back to Mandalay’. To think I was 14 miles short. Many of my comrades made some sarcastic remarks, "You lucky …etc!" The other bodyguard, called Archer had been wounded in the back. We were put on a jeep. The driver was also wounded but we were going the right way and got to a clearing behind the artillery and flown out by Auster aircraft. The pilot wanted to go and look at our position and I told him, in simple terms, 'to get the hell out of it'! We landed after a short trip, in the corner of a clearing under a tree. I was apparently X-rayed and operated on in the open air, to wake many hours later with a fellow mate Jumbo Brown (Bere Alston) who had received injuries to his hand, a couple of days previously, standing over me. His first words were "I thought you were dead," as I had slept so long. I still have the GSW (gun shot wound) X-ray, showing six pieces of bullet in my forearm. Incidentally, there was a footnote 'broken bone in wrist'. I went over my murky past. They use to tie the beach donkeys to a horizontal pole, near the entrance to Teignmouth Pier and as a boy, I used to tightrope on the pole, and once fell because the pole was wet. My doctor, Dr Kilpatrick said it was sprained. My friend Dennis Steer also fell off that day. His doctor said he had broken his. He always had ‘one over me’!

On examination of my wound, a couple of days later, I was ordered back to the B.G.H. (British General Hospital) at Comilla and from there to Dacca another B.G.H. Whilst recuperating, I had to do some needlework (cushion covers) to assist my arm, and also called into the office, to do some typewriting. I attended several court martials, typing the evidence. The Presiding Officer took it down in writing. It was whilst there, we heard with great relief, the end of the war with Germany on 8 May 1945. Several of us in the ward, had our heads nearly inside the wireless, listening to the broadcast but the war with Japan continued. Whilst out in Dacca, after going to a cinema one evening, in hospital blues (not service uniform), I was heavily stoned but received no injuries. It was painfully apparent that we were no longer welcomed in Pakistan or India.

Leaving the G.B.H at Dacca, I arrived at Calcutta, where I received a modest payment of a few Rupees (worth about one shilling and sixpence each) and stayed about a week there to join the Battalion, which had been flown out from Burma, to Ahmednagar near Poona, W India. I rejoined my Company ("C" Company), now rather depleted in numbers and recuperated. I was transferred to the Mortars in Headquarter Company. We had many young members drafted to us.
I was promoted sergeant, and our time was spent with various sports - football, hockey, cross-country and mortar training etc. The rumour was abroad, that we would be going to Hong Kong, but the Americans were advancing on Japan and then dropped the two atom bombs and the Japanese surrendered. I heard the announcement in the canteen and on returning to our lines, many would not believe it. It was 15th August 1945 (now known as V.J. Day). I make no comment about the use or otherwise of the atom bomb except to say that there was a drastic change of plans. Men who served in Burma were granted one month’s leave in England, by way of a draw. I saw the Commanding Officer and he told me, that in view of me going to Hong Kong, I would not go into the draw but promised I would be included next time. Our next move came quickly - off to Malaya, then Singapore, from Bombay by sea. On arrival at Singapore, we travelled by train to Kulang, about 70 miles north of Singapore. Sergeants were billeted in a bungalow and the rest in a school. Our task was to transfer the Japanese troops in Malaya, on surrendering, to Singapore. Each night, one company would escort them by train to Singapore, to return to Japan. About 1,000 Japanese troops were escorted every day.

The Mortar Platoon was joined by a number of Dutch officers (ex Dutch resistance fighters) and we instructed them on the 3" mortars, so that they could go on to the Dutch East Indies to deal with the terrorists in the jungle. They were older than us and on one occasion we did a route march. They went off at a quick time, singing, "O here we go a-wandering along the mountain side" getting faster and faster. We eventually caught up with them. We had difficulty with the language. I often recommended observation posts to be out of the line of fire! Safety first! We had a mosque adjoining the school and early each morning, we were awoken by the call to prayer, which could be heard in the village. The Malayans were a quiet race, chiefly wandering out to fish each day, yet the Chinese who had infiltrated the country, were speculators. The orchids were everywhere, some magnificent. I became the Battalion Orderly Sergeant, under Sergeant Major Sammy Mallet, mounting the guard each evening and typing company orders etc. Captain Hill was Company Commander. The mortar storeman was Jackie Elvin, who polished boot toecaps like a sweep’s backside! As promised by the commanding officer, I was granted one month's leave (in advance of 'Python').

The Commander in Chief of the South-East Pacific Forces, the American, McArthur, issued an order that there was to be no trophies of war taken. However, our 14th Army Commander, Bill Slim ordered that anyone who served in Burma could receive a Japanese Sword and prior to going on leave for a month to England, I was presented with a sword by Captain Hill. Homewards at last; from Singapore, in a rough steamer, to Calcutta and then flew home in the bomb bays of a Lancaster bomber, via Karachi, Tripoli in Libya, North Africa and Marseilles (France). Because of bad weather, it felt cold after what I had been used to. Flying into England on 10 March 1946, there was snow lying at the bottom of hedges. How very grateful to be home in Teignmouth, at last. Demobilisation, at the conclusion of the war, was done by age, length of service etc. My demob number was high - 47. Having been granted leave, I had already written to the war office and in spite of my demob number, I was granted 'B' release to join the Devon Constabulary, on 3rd May 1946.

The 14th Army became known as the ‘Forgotten Army’, as when peace had been declared in Europe in May 1945, war was still continuing in the jungles of Burma until August 1945. In a fitting tribute, I finish my account with the words from the famous Kohima Epitaph in India:

When you go home
Tell them of us and say,
For your tomorrow, we gave our today!

Ex Sergeant Ronald Cox 14237222
1st Battalion
The Devonshire Regiment
20th Indian Division

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