Rangoon Battalion: Foreword and Preface - Part 1

PART 1
FOREWORD

Other people mentioned in Parts 1-11 of this story: Jack Villiers, Donald Price, Jimmy Hunter, G/D/O Strong, W/C Milward, Toby Nash, M/O Dr Pratt, Maj. Skelton, 2nd Lt Mayhew, Capt. Joe Slade, Capt. Oscar Milton.

My father, Alfred (Fred) Millem, was working for Burma Corporation in Rangoon before the war began. In 1940 the Governor of Burma in conjunction with the General Officer Commanding, Army in Burma issued statements addressed to European British Subjects in Burma informing them that they would not be permitted to leave Burma to join the armed forces in the UK. A register would be compiled in order to classify the British Europeans and determine the most suitable form of military service for various individuals including any categories (eg highly skilled technical experts) who might be returned to the UK. It was desirable to have some manpower situated in the East, to be drawn upon if the war spread to these areas. Fit men of military age were urged to join one of the Burma Auxiliary Force units for military training. Fred joined the Rangoon Battalion BAF which later formed part of the Burma Battalion.

The two letters that follow were written by Fred in 1942 to his parents and brother in England. They describe his experiences in Burma during that year culminating in his escape to India. Fred spent the remaining war years in India working for the Department of the Attorney General, rising to the rank of Major. He married Margaret Bosher (who had worked for the BBC in London during the war) and after his demobilisation in 1946 returned to Rangoon where their two daughters were born. Fred worked for Burma Corporation until his untimely death in 1958. He was buried in Rangoon, the land that he loved.

PREFACE

c/o Lloyds Bank Ltd
37 Chowringhee
CALCUTTA

1942

My dear Mum, Dad and Henry,

This is going to be a long long letter and will take a long time to write. It is the first letter I have been able to attempt since mine dated 1st December 1941 — nearly seven months ago! These seven months have been the most eventful of my life so far and whilst I sincerely regret not having written to you therein I think you will agree, when you have read this letter, that the opportunities for writing have been few and far between and if they have occurred at all the circumstances were hardly conducive to the production of a reasoned letter. I have tried to bridge the gap by sending you a cable now and again to let you know that, despite many attempts by the Japs to introduce me to the next world, I was still alive and kicking. I also thankfully received your cables in Rangoon congratulating me on being commissioned and in Mandalay in reply to mine from there. I was also delighted to get Aunty Mina’s cable in April last.

Remembering Mum’s unfailing habit of always reading the end of a book first (and how it used to annoy me, at home) I will start this story at the end by telling you what you presumably want to know most — that I arrived in India from Burma in good health and unscathed after being on active service throughout the entire Burma campaign. I lost a good deal of weight, however, having dropped from about 9 stone 7 lbs to 8 stone 6 lbs. This loss I am now regaining under the influence of rest and good food once again. I am starting this letter in Mhow where I arrived on 18th June and am resting for a few days preparatory to going on 31 days leave. I have lost everything that I ever possessed except my cash in the bank, having arrived in India with nothing more than the shirt and shorts which I was wearing, my topée, my boots and socks, a mud sodden blanket and a waterproof cape. Of these only the boots and topée were really my own and they cannot be worn again in a civilised community. Everything else is gone with the yellow wind but what the hell, so long as I still have my life and health!

Before I start my story let me explain that some of the events I am about to describe may not appear in their chronological order and some of the dates I mention may not be accurate. I did not keep a diary — even had I done so it would have been lost — and whilst “on the job” one was inclined to be oblivious of the date or day of the week. Also I am writing from memory starting from seven months ago and some of the memories may not come back to me in their proper order although I shall do my best to encourage them to do so. However, I do not suppose this will worry you so long as you have a cohesive account of my adventures. Here, then, is the story:-

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