2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment

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Trouble Ahead
Extracts from an unpublished book
by
L/Cpl. William Joseph Lowe 14640525
Page 7

 

.....C Company put in an attack on a village on the bank of the Irrawaddy. We then passed through and took the lead driving the Japs before us. They fled and left 75mm gun. Soon after we perimetered for the night. Next morning we moved off again, having to cross a chang waist deep in water.

.....Here we captured 150mm gun. Japs not being able to get it across the water. We covered 12 miles bringing us to the river 160x wide which was thought that the Japs would hold. Arriving there at about 18.00 hours, Company started to cross river in open formation, the Bren-guns covering from the bank. We got across without incident much to our surprise and formed a bridgehead.

.....Early next morning Major XXXX sent out a patrol to a village one and a half miles away, locals having reported Japs there. Our patrol got half way through the village when Japs opened up with automatics. Killing one Jap and wounding four, Sgt. XXXX put down smoke to get the wounded out, but could not get Pte. XXXX out. Withdrawing and reporting back, R.A.F.F.O. came up and Tank Commander and attack was planed. Artillery barrage to go down first. One Platoon to go round the village as cut off, and tanks in support of attacking troops. Barrage went in, and tanks moved forward. By now the whole village of Udine was on afire. Tanks would not enter village owing to the intense heat. So the two remaining Platoons went in, Japs fleeing before them, being killed by the cut off Platoon. Consolidating at the other end of the village, we moved up with the mules. Passing through some tall grass we were opened up on by 3 Japs from close range, all of us were very luck to escape. We managed to get into a small nullah and started to return the fire. L/Cpl. XXXX and two other .S.B. seeing our danger got round to the rear of the Japs and threw 3m 36 grenades and then went in with our pistols, killing three Japs. One Officer, W.O. and first class Pte.

.....During the whole battle we killed 13 Japs. We stayed there for the rest of the day and had a rest. Next day at about 12 noon, we had orders to proceed south, passing through, burning elephant grass, men passed out with the heat. We came upon the swamps north east of Madaya, where we wandered around, getting all split up. Finally, at dusk we managed to meet up again. One man missing, he has not been heard of since.

P 1 :: P 2 :: P 3 :: P 4 :: P 5 :: P 6 :: P 7

 

 

 

L/Cpl. William Joseph Lowe
L/Cpl. William Joseph Lowe

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