2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment

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Grandfather's Story
A CIVILIAN GOES TO WAR, (AND RETURNS UNSCATHED)

by
Cpl. Arthur George Pike 14260370
Page 8

 

hadn't they? Not a wise judgment, but it worked. As it got dark the mule corporal wisely opted out of coming with me. I didn't realise he was new to the front, but he outranked me, so I went on in the dark by myself. The voice that said "Halt, who goes there?" I have considered to be the best sound I have ever heard. I went back and brought the mules in and then scuttled back to HQ as fast as I could. During this episode in the dark I passed any number of people, and I assume none of them were enemy. Perhaps I was born lucky?

I was given the job of manning an O. P. in the cathedral tower. I could see men digging defensive positions, but the message came that the C.O. did not want enemy fire directed at the cathedral, and I came down.

While we were clearing the city, Scott was with the force attacking Mandalay Hill. Much more dramatic, but we were successful, and the Battalion were soon chasing the enemy who had escaped through the sewers.

I was sent on an advance party to Maymyo to relieve the Welch, who had captured it with a broad sweep on the left flank. Maymyo was a hill-station and had a golf course, and a wag later asked me if the Japs stood still while I was putting! It was a much cooler place and a pleasant break until we were off again towards Rangoon. The advance was so rapid that our supporting force had to wait for 5 Div to clear the track ahead. It was important to get to Rangoon before the monsoon storms arrived.

Our task down the Rangoon Road was to guard the left flank at Toungoo where there was a road leading eastwards. The huge force of enemy cut off to the west of the Sittang River would try to escape back to Japan up this road. So we began the battle of the Mawchi Road. There were tin mines at Mawchi, and a good road to Toungoo for the lorries. A 'staircase' looked an ideal defensive position, but they hadn't the strength to try to hold it.

Initially the enemy tried to stop our advance, and one evening we were standing by to thwart their reinforcements. Nothing happened and it seems likely the Karen native forces had dealt with them.

There was a left fork to Thandaung's tea estate, and the junction became known as Gerrards Cross after our Brigadier when he captured it. I was with the force which captured the tea factory, and we actually had a roof over our heads for a very brief period.

Our units took turns to garrison villages on the Rangoon Road and advance up the Mawchi Road. The commander of the enemy force in the trap made meticulous plans to escape and went ahead after we had captured a copy of his plan. We weren't involved in any interception at Zeyawadi or Nyaungchidauk.

About now, hostilities came to an end, and we settled into the job of occupying the villages. There were still stories of individual enemy not giving up. In December my name came up in the monthly draw for Blighty leave. It was my last draw, and I had been

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Cpl. Arthur George Pike
Cpl. Arthur George Pike 6400751

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