War in the Wilderness ― The Chindits in Burma 1943-1944

War in the Wilderness offers the disturbing and harrowing first-hand accounts of no less than 50 veterans of Major-General Orde Wingate’s two bitterly-fought campaigns in North Burma in 1943–44. Chindit service in the Burmese jungle was widely acknowledged as the most demanding ground combat role given to any Allied troops in World War II. Landed by glider on rough and remote jungle airstrips, hundreds of miles behind Japanese lines, the men lived on emergency rations for months, battling the monsoon conditions, disease, and a ruthless enemy. They marched for 1000 miles in tropical conditions, across some of the wildest country on Earth, with half their bodyweight on their backs. The Burma campaign left thousands dead and virtually all survivors were hospitalized. But those who did return remained Chindits for the rest of their lives. Their suffering and achievements were recognized by their place of honor, at the head of the annual Cenotaph parade.

Tony Redding is a former journalist and the author of Flying for Freedom: Life and Death in Bomber Command and Best Endeavours: Inside the World of Marine Salvage. He is a member of the Institute of Public Relations.