"Syria, but was under orders to move to India. In August 1943, Major General Orde Wingate persuaded the leaders at the Quebec Conference to expand his Special Force, commonly known as the Chindits. In order to do so, the 70th Infantry Division was broken up. Although Symes was senior to Wingate in age, rank and length of service, he agreed to serve as Wingate's deputy. At their first meeting, Wingate asked Symes if he had ""faith in his methods"". Symes replied that ""If I hadn't, I wouldn't be meeting you today."" After Wingate was killed in a plane crash on"
"Orde Wingate Orde Charles Wingate & Two Bars (26 February 1903 – 24 March 1944) was a senior British Army officer, known for his creation of the Chindit deep-penetration missions in Japanese-held territory during the Burma Campaign of World War II. Wingate was an exponent of unconventional military thinking and the value of surprise tactics. Assigned to Mandatory Palestine, he became a supporter of Zionism, and set up a joint British-Jewish counter-insurgency unit. Under the patronage of the area commander Archibald Wavell, Wingate was given increasing latitude to put his ideas into practice during World War II. He created units"
"Artillery and became the regiment's commanding officer and later regimental colonel. He died in 2000 at the age of 56, and was survived by his wife and two daughters. He was also related to Reginald Wingate and Ronald Wingate. The Governor of Malta, Sir William Dobbie, was his uncle. Orde Wingate Orde Charles Wingate & Two Bars (26 February 1903 – 24 March 1944) was a senior British Army officer, known for his creation of the Chindit deep-penetration missions in Japanese-held territory during the Burma Campaign of World War II. Wingate was an exponent of unconventional military thinking and the"
"Chindit Memorial Chindit Memorial is a war memorial in London that commemorates the Chindit special forces, which served in Burma under Major General Orde Wingate in the Second World War. The Chindits – officially designated the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in 1943, and the 3rd Indian Infantry Division in 1944 – were organised by Wingate to serve behind Japanese lines in the Burma Campaign, in 1943 and 1944. The memorial was erected in Victoria Embankment Gardens in 1990, near the Ministry of Defence headquarters, and also commemorates Wingate, who died in 1944. The Chindits are named after the mythical chinthe,"
"and decorations in 1997. Calvert died in his 86th year on 26 November 1998 in Richmond-upon-Thames. Up until his death he was a supporter of The Chindits Old Comrades Association and other charities for the support of ex-servicemen. His body was cremated at the Chilterns Crematorium in Amersham, in the county of Buckinghamshire. Mike Calvert James Michael Calvert (6 March 1913 – 26 November 1998) was a British soldier involved in special operations in Burma during the Second World War. He participated in both Chindit operations and was instrumental in popularizing the unorthodox ideas of General Orde Wingate. He frequently"
"in Abyssinia and Burma. At a time when Britain was in need of morale-boosting generalship, Wingate attracted British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's attention with a self-reliant aggressive philosophy of war, and was given resources to stage a large-scale operation. The last Chindit campaign may have determined the outcome of the Battle of Kohima, although the offensive into India by the Japanese may have occurred because Wingate's first operation had demonstrated the possibility of moving through the jungle. In practice, both Japanese and British forces suffered severe supply problems and malnutrition. Wingate was killed in an aircraft accident late in the"
"It was intended that he would raise irregular forces to operate behind the Japanese lines, in a manner similar to Gideon Force. Wingate arrived in Burma in March 1942 and for two months, as Japanese forces advanced rapidly, toured the country developing his theories of long-range penetration, during the two months preceding the Japanese conquest of Burma. After returning to Delhi, he presented his proposals to Wavell. The name Chindits was suggested by Captain Aung Thin (DSO) of the Burma Rifles. Chindit is a corrupted form of the Burmese mythical beast ""Chinthé"" or ""Chinthay"", statues of which guarded Buddhist temples."
"were unable to hold any defensive lines and were forced to abandon much equipment and fall back almost to the Indian frontier. The second action was controversial. Under the command of Brigadier Orde Wingate, a long-range penetration unit known as the Chindits infiltrated through the Japanese front lines and marched deep into Burma, with the initial aim of cutting the main north-south railway in Burma in an operation codenamed Operation ""Longcloth"". Some 3,000 men entered Burma in many columns. They damaged communications of the Japanese in northern Burma, cutting the railway for possibly two weeks but they suffered heavy casualties."
"Mike Calvert James Michael Calvert (6 March 1913 – 26 November 1998) was a British soldier involved in special operations in Burma during the Second World War. He participated in both Chindit operations and was instrumental in popularizing the unorthodox ideas of General Orde Wingate. He frequently led attacks from the front, a practice that earned him the nickname amongst the men under his command of ""Mad Mike."" Calvert was born at Rohtak in India, son of a member of the Indian Civil Service. He was educated at Bradfield College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, from which was commissioned"
"support that had enabled the Allies to be successful, the result was disastrous and ultimately led to defeat at both Kohima and Imphal, and later on the plains of Burma in 1945. Three of the Brigade commanders on ""Operation Thursday"" (two of whom had also served in the first Chindit expedition) subsequently wrote autobiographies, which contained their comments on the Chindits' concept and practice of operations. Bernard Fergusson, originally an enthusiastic supporter of Wingate, later came to feel that Wingate lacked both consistency and flexibility in his plans, which contributed to Fergusson's long, pointless march from Ledo and his defeat"
"Chindits The Chindits, known officially as the Long Range Penetration Groups, were special operations units of the British and Indian armies, which saw action in 1943–1944, during the Burma Campaign of World War II. The creation of British Army Brigadier Orde Charles Wingate, the Chindits were formed for raiding operations against the Imperial Japanese Army, especially long-range penetration: attacking Japanese troops, facilities and lines of communication, deep behind Japanese lines. Their operations were marked by prolonged marches through extremely difficult terrain, by underfed troops often weakened by diseases such as malaria and dysentery. There is controversy over the extremely high"
"Chindits. The Chindits were a special force of 3,500 which in February 1942 launched a deep penetration raid, (code-named Operation Longcloth) into Japanese occupied Burma. They went in on foot using mules to carry supplies. The operation was not a military success, but was a propaganda boost for the Allies, because it showed that Allied forces could successfully move and fight in jungle terrain well away from roads. On the back of the propaganda success, Orde Wingate, the eccentric commander of the Chindits, was given the resources to increase his command to divisional size and the USAAF supplied the 1st"
"Rachel O. Wingate Rachel Orde Wingate (c. 1901-11 June 1953) was an English linguist and missionary to Xinjiang (Western China). She served with the Swedish Missionary Society. Wingate was the eldest daughter of Colonel George Wingate, the founder of the Central Asia Mission. Her brother, Major General Orde Wingate, led the Bamar Chindits into Burma during World War II, he is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington D.C. and a memorial stands in Charlton Cemetery, South East London. Many in the family were active members of the Open Brethren. Wingate studied Arabic, Persian and History at Cambridge University where she"
"next served as brigade major in the 114th Indian Infantry Brigade before being ""poached"" by Joe Lentaigne, another officer from the 4th Gurkhas, to be brigade major in 111th Indian Infantry Brigade, a Chindit formation. From March, 1944, the brigade served behind the Japanese lines in Burma. On the death of General Orde Wingate on 24 April, Lentaigne became the Chindits' overall commander and Masters commanded the main body of 111 Brigade. In May, the brigade was ordered to hold a position code-named ‘Blackpool’ near Mogaung in northern Burma. The isolated position was attacked with great intensity for seventeen days"
"putting one of the main railways in Burma out of action, then Wingate led them deep into Burma and over the Irrawaddy River. However, they found conditions very different from what their intelligence had led them to expect. The area was dry and inhospitable and criss-crossed by motor roads which the Japanese were able to use to good effect, particularly by intercepting supply drops to the Chindits. They soon began to suffer severely from exhaustion and shortages of water and food. On 22 March, Eastern Army HQ ordered Wingate to withdraw his units back to India. He and his senior"
"upstream prevention for the army, was named in tribute to the Chindits. Chindits The Chindits, known officially as the Long Range Penetration Groups, were special operations units of the British and Indian armies, which saw action in 1943–1944, during the Burma Campaign of World War II. The creation of British Army Brigadier Orde Charles Wingate, the Chindits were formed for raiding operations against the Imperial Japanese Army, especially long-range penetration: attacking Japanese troops, facilities and lines of communication, deep behind Japanese lines. Their operations were marked by prolonged marches through extremely difficult terrain, by underfed troops often weakened by diseases"
"ideas to Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and many other leaders. Wingate proposed creating strongholds in enemy territory that would be supplied by air and be as effective against the enemy as conventional troops. Wingate was given command of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade that acquired the name of Chindit from a suggestion by Captain Aung Thin of the Burma Rifles. The name was a corruption of the mythical beast that guards Buddhist temples called 'Chinthé' or 'Chinthay'. The unit was supported by the United States Army Air Forces 1st Air Commando Group and carried out two major operations. The"
"logistics generally. When Special Force launched itself into Burma in March 1944, Wingate’s ideas, so enchantingly laid out for Churchill, rapidly proved unworkable."" However, the Japanese commander, Mutaguchi Renya, later stated that Operation Thursday had a significant effect on the campaign, saying ""The Chindit invasion ... had a decisive effect on these operations ... they drew off the whole of 53 Division and parts of 15 Division, one regiment of which would have turned the scales at Kohima"". On 24 March 1944, Wingate flew to assess the situations in three Chindit-held bases in Burma. On his return, flying from Imphal"
"Army. Although not wholly inaccurate, they were widely resented. Irwin's successor, General George Giffard, concentrated on restoring the army's administration and morale. The second action was much more controversial. Under the command of Brigadier Orde Wingate, the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, better known as the Chindits, infiltrated through the Japanese front lines and marched deep into Burma with the initial aim of cutting the main north-south railway in Burma. The operation (codenamed Operation ""Longcloth"") had originally been conceived as part of a much larger coordinated offensive, which had to be aborted due to lack of supplies and shipping. Rather than"
"Ascent has since been translated into Chinese as well. Rachel O. Wingate Rachel Orde Wingate (c. 1901-11 June 1953) was an English linguist and missionary to Xinjiang (Western China). She served with the Swedish Missionary Society. Wingate was the eldest daughter of Colonel George Wingate, the founder of the Central Asia Mission. Her brother, Major General Orde Wingate, led the Bamar Chindits into Burma during World War II, he is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington D.C. and a memorial stands in Charlton Cemetery, South East London. Many in the family were active members of the Open Brethren. Wingate studied"
"he opposed the participation of Great Britain, and by extension Burma, in World War II. He resigned from the Legislative Assembly and was arrested for sedition. In 1940, before Japan formally entered the Second World War, Aung San formed the Burma Independence Army in Japan. A major battleground, Burma was devastated during World War II. By March 1942, within months after they entered the war, Japanese troops had advanced on Rangoon and the British administration had collapsed. A Burmese Executive Administration headed by Ba Maw was established by the Japanese in August 1942. Wingate's British Chindits were formed into long-range"
"on the Persian Gulf. When five of his colleagues were arrested for consuming alcohol, to handle their case Taylor had to learn elements of Sharia Law. During this period, he wrote ""Born of War"" (McGraw-Hill), a historical novel about Orde Wingate, the controversial British officer who defeated the Italians in Ethiopia and led the famous Chindits in Burma during World War II. ""Library Journal"" commented that the book provided ""good historical background in a variety of settings"" and that it was ""smoothly written."" ""Born of War"" was optioned several times by Hollywood executives but was never produced. In 1982 Taylor's"
"beast, statues of which guarded Burmese temples) were the brainchild of Brigadier Orde Wingate, who intended that long-range penetration raids behind enemy lines would become the main effort against the Japanese in Burma. In 1943, he mounted Operation ""Longcloth"" by the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade. In 1944, they staged a much larger operation which involved disbanding the 70th British Infantry Division, Its three brigades together with three more brigades were grouped as ""Special Force"" and referred to for cover purposes as 3rd Indian Infantry Division. Chindits were in fact ordinary infantry units arbitrarily selected for the mission on the basis"
"that is symbolic of a guardian, usually found guarding the four corners of a pagoda. It has a human head and torso and lion hindquarters. It is comparable to the sphinx. During the Second World War, the British Brigadier Orde Wingate was given command of forces charged with Long-range penetration operations behind Japanese lines in Burma. At the suggestion of Captain Aung Thin of the Burma Rifles, Wingate decided to call this force ""The Chinthes"" - a name which became corrupted to ""The Chindits"" and is as such remembered in the annals of World War II. Chinthe The Chinthe (,"
"the face of the enemy. The original 1943 Chindit operation was supposed to be a coordinated plan with the field army, but the Army's offensive into Burma was cancelled. Wingate then persuaded Wavell to let him proceed into Burma anyway, arguing the need to disrupt any Japanese attack on Sumprabum as well as to gauge the utility of long-range jungle penetration operations, and Wavell eventually gave his consent to ""Operation Longcloth"". Wingate set out from Imphal on 12 February 1943 with the Chindits organised into eight separate columns to cross the Chindwin river. The force met with initial success in"
"group to escape ""via"" the Bray-Dunes. The regiment reformed after Dunkirk at Sherborne, where Tyacke married Diana in June 1940. After a period defending Selsey Bill during the Battle of Britain, and then at Southampton under Montgomery, in 1943 Major Tyacke was posted to Burma to serve under Orde Wingate. Tyacke was attached to the Chindit staff for Operation Thursday, and was the last staff officer at Chindit HQ to see Wingate alive on 24 March 1944. After this the Chindits were under the command of the US General Joseph Stilwell and Tyacke remained on the staff at Shaduzup in"
"only a few weeks. After the war, certain of his rivals used the comments of his Brigade Major John Masters with regard to Lentaigne's age out of context to attack him. Lentaigne had been a distinguished battalion commander who had fought during the 1942 Burma campaign. The other Chindit brigade commanders were unknown quantities lacking Staff College qualifications or significant time in command of even a battalion-sized formation. Additionally, there was no clear successor to Wingate even among his closest followers. Each of them thought that they would have been (or were) Wingate's obvious successor. Field Marshal Lord Slim wrote"
"also move a sizable force of troops. The general immediately spread a map on the floor and planned how his Chindits, airlifted deep into the jungle, could fan out from there and fight the Japanese"". With his new glider landing option, Wingate decided to proceed into Burma anyway. The character of the 1944 operations differed from those of 1943 in that they aimed to establish fortified bases in Burma out of which the Chindits would conduct offensive patrol and blocking operations. A similar strategy would be used by the French in Indochina years later at Dien Bien Phu. Wingate planned"
"let the Chindits' training be wasted, Wingate nevertheless carried out the operation, even though its original purpose was invalid. Some 3,000 men entered Burma in seven columns. They caused some damage to the communications of the Japanese in northern Burma, cutting the railway for possibly two weeks. However, they suffered heavy casualties: 818 killed, wounded or missing, 27% of the original force. Those who did return were wracked with disease and quite often in dreadful physical condition. Though the operational results were questioned, both at the time and subsequently, the raid was used to great propaganda effect to prove to"
"14th Chindit Brigade. After months of training and waiting for the right opportunity Operation Thursday began on 5 February 1944: this was the second large scale Chindit operation (Operation Longcloth happened in 1943). The 14th Brigade was flown into a landing strip (called ""Aberdeen"") cut out of the jungle by the 16th Brigade. From ""Aberdeen"" the battalion sent out missions to attack Japanese supply lines and communications. After the death in a plane crash of the commander and creator of the Chindits Maj.Gen. Orde Wingate on March 24, decisions were made and the plans were changed. Without the force of"
"died on 8 December 1997 at the age of 73, after being diagnosis with cancer. Ernest ""Chick"" Tsikerdanos Ernest ""Chick"" Tsikerdanos (June 2, 1924 – December 8, 1997) was a veteran of OSS, 82nd Airborne. He served in Burma with the OSS Detachment 101. Tsikerdanos had a close relationship with General and Madame Chiang Kai-shek and was held in high esteem by them and other Chinese Nationalist leaders. On the last day of the war, August 9, 1945, Tsikerdanos was wounded in the right eye by a Japanese mortar shell fragment when his battalion of Burmese Kachin irregulars were ambushed"
"still assigned almost superhuman powers by their opponents. The second attack was much more controversial; that of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, better known as the Chindits. Under the command of Major General Orde Wingate, the Chindits in 1944 penetrated deep behind enemy lines in an attempt to gain intelligence, break communications and cause confusion. The operation had originally been conceived as part of a much larger offensive, which had to be aborted due to lack of supplies and shipping. Almost all of the original reasons for mounting the Chindit operation were then invalid. Nevertheless, it was mounted anyway. Some"
"14th and 77th Infantry Brigades and merged into the 44th Airborne Division (India), while the force headquarters and signals units formed the core of the Indian XXXIV Corps. The Chindits were finally disbanded in February 1945. There is a memorial to Orde Wingate and the Chindits on the north side of the Victoria Embankment next to the Ministry of Defence headquarters in London. The memorial was unveiled on 16 October 1990 by HRH The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. The front of the monument is in memory of the Chindits and also mentions the four men of the Chindits awarded"