Tank Tracks to Rangoon (17 page)

There is silence, then the Sahib says, ‘He is holding a message. He must be all right. Here goes!’

He opens the turret flap. Then it all happens. Shades of Rama, may I never experience the like again! Explosions—smoke—shouting.

An order, ‘Abandon tank, and fight like hell!’ There is a foot in my back, another on my head. I am choking with smoke. I must surely die. Then I try to get out of the driver’s hatch. I cannot move. I am caught. I hold my breath. Then I take another breathful of smoke. My ears sing and I shake. This is the end. I give one more heave. Something gives and I struggle out and fall in front of the tank. There is smoke all round, and shots, and explosions, and shouting. They are all shouting in a strange language. I see that I am near a culvert, and dive into it. I hear a voice calling, ‘Come away anyone who is left, I will cover you!’ Then there is another rushing of feet, and more shooting. From the end of my culvert I see a Jap fall dead out of a tree. Everything is quiet, except for chattering, and then that ceases, and everything is quiet. I feel a string across my face. It is my lanyard which has broken. That is what caught in the tank. If I had not been caught, I should have been killed with the rest. I bless that lanyard.

I wait. All is quiet. What shall I do? I cannot die here like a rat. I crawl to the khud side of the culvert and look out. The coast is clear. I gather my courage and make a rush down the khud. There is a shout and some shots, but I go down. Falling, rolling, slipping, bump! Am I dead? I lie quiet and dazed.

Jot Ram spent the next thirty-six hours wandering in the jungle before he stumbled into A Squadron’s harbour area in a state of shock. Apart from Risaldar Bharat Singh’s crew, he was the troop’s only survivor. During the afternoon of the day that Morgan and his men died, No 2 Troop under Captain T. O. Cole had set out to relieve him with a company from 10th Gurkha Rifles, but abandoned the attempt after they met Bharat Singh, who told them what had happened.

Two days later, a reconnaissance was made to establish whether it would be possible to recover Morgan’s derelict tanks. It was not, as the enemy had the position covered by fire from most directions, and was consolidating.

Four days later, on 22nd March, a formal attack was mounted on the area, which had become known as Fir Tree Hill. Cole’s troop, joined by Bharat Singh, who badly wanted his revenge, supported 10th Gurkha Rifles, and the position was completely overrun with many Japanese being killed.

The enemy had fought back hard, and had penetrated Jemadar Ram Gopal’s tank with a 75-mm AP shot which killed the gunner. In spite of this, the vehicle remained in action until success had been obtained. Cole’s tank was struck on the engine deck by a 4-inch mortar bomb which blew in the plating and started a fire. Pulling the main extinguisher, Cole carried on with the action, until a Japanese carrying a fire bomb tried to clamber aboard the rear of the vehicle. Cole shot him dead through the pistol port, but the damage had already been done, and the tank was on fire for the second time. Ordering his crew out, he covered them with Browning until they were clear, and then jumped clear himself. Bharat Singh now took over the troop, and made his enemies suffer. He was the fastest loader in A Squadron, and his passage through the Japanese position was marked at short intervals with piles of 37-mm cases.

‘It was considered great fun to stand literally ten feet away from the slit of a bunker and pump every available round into it, also to run backwards and forwards over the bunker until the whole thing collapsed.’

For this action, and another two days later, Captain Cole was awarded the MC Risaldar Bharat Singh, who is spoken of as being a great man and the best type of long service VCO, was awarded the Indian Order of Merit; he eventually became his regiment’s Risaldar-Major.

Vindictive fighters the men of the veteran Japanese 33rd Division might be, but there is every reason to believe that Morgan, Cole and Bharat Singh had given them a taste of 7th Light Cavalry they would rather forget.

The fighting at Fir Tree Hill took place in the area of Milestone 99. On 22nd March, the enemy established a road block
behind
A Squadron, at Milestone 96. A simultaneous attack from north and south was planned to shift them, but when this went in on 26th March, the Japanese fled at the sight of the
tanks, throwing smoke grenades over their shoulders to mask their withdrawal.

On the 27th No 4 Troop, under Lt Harpartap Singh, set off with an infantry company to contact 17th Division, and Morgan’s tanks were recovered. Just after noon on the 29th General Cowan’s men began to pass through A Squadron, and by the evening of the 30th the whole division was through. Thereafter, A Squadron formed the rearguard for the remainder of the withdrawal to the Imphal plain. Once or twice, the Japanese tried to interfere, but would not press the point when the Stuarts appeared, and usually took to their heels.

‘It did all our hearts good to know that after all the tanks had proved their worth,’ wrote an officer of A Squadron. It was a quiet understatement, very much in the regimental tradition.

25th Dragoons begin bunker-busting in the Arakan. (
Imperial War Museum
)

Close quarter action at Hill 1070, Ngakyedauk Pass. (
Imperial War Museum
)

B Squadron 3rd Carabiniers and 1st Dogras begin to climb Nunshigum. (
Imperial War Museum
)

British infantry, supported by Lees, clear a village during the Imphal battle. (
Imperial War Museum
)

An historic meeting—Jem Karnail Singh of 7th Light Cavalry welcomes the leading troop of 149 Regiment RAC at Milestone 108 on the Imphal-Kohima road. (
Captain H. Travis
)

Waiting to cross. A troop of 7th Light Cavalry preparing to cross the Irrawaddy into 20th Indian Division’s bridgehead. (
Imperial War Museum
)

A Carabinier Lee comes ashore in 2nd Division’s bridgehead. (
Imperial War Museum
)

On the road to Mandalay. A Troop of C Squadron, 7th Light Cavalry, part of Stilettocol. (
Imperial War Museum
)

Tanks of 150 Regiment RAC, with Mandalay hill in the background. (
Imperial War Museum
)