The Forgotten War Podcast: Burma Campaign WW2

This week Jack and Rob are back to some eyewitness accounts - this time the Valentines Tank Massacre on 1 February 1943 at Donbaik. This is a fascinating one as the accounts are all from the after action report found in the 146 Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps' war diary - held in The National Archives, Kew, ref. W)172/2261.

Jack and Rob get into the detail of the Ledo Road - later called the Stilwell Road - one of the greatest engineering marvels in history, undertaken by the USA to support China.

Jack and Rob are joined by Caroline Alexander, author of Skies of Thunder, all about the Hump Airlift.

This week Jack and Rob welcome Dr Alan Jeffreys, author and curator at the National Army Museum, about the retraining of the Indian Army from 1943.

This week Jack and Rob get right into the details of the second half of 1943, where the ashes of the 1942 retreat and 1943's First Arakan debacle were turned into a phoenix that would go on to victory in 1944/45.

In the final episode of our First Arakan mini series, Jack and Rob finally get to its awful end. Irwin continues his poor behaviour, and his men pay the price.Note there were some sound issues at Jack's - apologies, dear listeners.

In the second of three episodes on the First Arakan Campaign, Jack and Rob continue the series of tragic disasters, under enemy-of-the-show Noel Irwin.

This week, in the first of a three part mini-series, Jack and Rob begin the to look at one of the most important events of the Burma Campaign - and one of the most depressing. The First Arakan Campaign, and the events at Donbaik.

In part 2 of Jack and Rob's interview with Catriona Child we look at Ursula Graham Bower's war. Listeners should not that there was a technical problem while recording these two episodes, where part 1 was re-recorded - there are one or two small points that are repeated. Apologies.