General Irwin believed in meticulous 1917-style planning. In the Arakan jungle, this handed every advantage to the Japanese. Listen as we dissect (to put it mildly) the leadership flaws in our latest episode. #Leadership #History #WWII

Were the Donbaik bunkers made of armour plate? Despite the rumours, in truth they were log and earth walls five feet thick. In our new episode, we reveal how these defences became a tactical nightmare that stymied the infantry, tanks, and artillery. #Bunker #Burma #WW2Podcast

Today's belated #MapMonday can only be this Google Earth image of the Donbaik chaung, still mostly paddy either side.This is a dangerous area today, but I'd love to go and have a look where the three Valentines fell into the chaung to the right of the label, survivors went R to L ending on the beach

Part two of our three part series on the First Arakan Campaign is out today - a real lesson in how not to lead. Catch it now on your podcast app 👇

The new episode is out! Jack and Rob explore the brutal stalemate at Donbaik. Hear how rigid 1917 tactics failed in the jungles and paddy fields. We examine more leadership clashes between enemy-of-the-show Irwin and our old friend Wavell. #Podcast #Arakan #MilitaryHistory

Tomorrow, we step back into the furnace of the First Arakan Campaign on The Forgotten War Pod. Why did the British advance grind to a halt at Donbaik? Discover the brutal jungle reality and the origin of the myth of Japanese invincibility. #BurmaWar #WWII #History

Wonderful talk from Charlotte Carty on Jessami, Kohima, her grandfather ‘Bruno’ Brown, and the 39 hours. I’m also very excited about her book on this story later this year from @chiselbury

On my way to the lovely London Scottish House for the Second World War Conference - looking forward to seeing some old mates, and meeting some new ones 🤝

I found it very difficult not to swear at various points in this mini series on the First Arakan Campaign.

"I can't be rude. I'm senior." The personal friction between Noel Irwin and Bill Slim significantly impacted the Arakan campaign. We discuss why Irwin sidelined the only commander with experience fighting the Japanese, leading to a "barking mad" command structure. #History #WW2 #Slim

It doesn’t.

"Dig in." At Donbaik, the Japanese forces used the terrain and bunkers to halt an entire battalion. Jack reads from Kawakami Takao’s account, revealing how the Japanese "made the most out of the least" to maintain their grip on the peninsula #Military #BurmaCampaign #WWIIPodcast

My #ThingThursday this week is a cigarette card of the 18 (Eastern) Division from the First World War. My great-great uncle Denis Crotty fought in the Machine Gun Corps in 18 Division, beginning as a replacement for casualties on the first day of the Somme...

Did you know that in 1942, for every battle casualty, 120 men were sick with disease? Malaria alone caused 40% of British casualties. We explore how the environment was often a deadlier foe than the enemy, and the lack of preparation for these conditions. #MilitaryHistory #WWII #Health

Colonel Rawden Wright’s courage deeply moved the Nagas (pictured). Despite severe leg wounds, he refused to be carried, walking the hills to set up the Watch and Ward system. Learn about the birth of the Zemi V-Force network in this episode. #MilitaryHistory #Bravery #VForce

Why was Akyab the "jewel in Arakan’s Crown"? With its vital airfield and port, it was the key to striking Rangoon and protecting Calcutta. We break down the strategic obsession with this island and why the amphibious plans were tragically cancelled. #Strategy #WW2History #Burma

Noel Irwin is quite possibly the most unlikeable Allied soldier in the Burma Campaign.

Who was General Noel Irwin? A "1917 general" whose rigid plans and ego clashed with the reality of jungle warfare. Rob and Jack discuss how his attitude toward Bill Slim and his "seniority" complex arguably doomed the Arakan offensive from the start #WWII #Leadership #History

Bank Holiday #MapMonday is a revealing one about the Battle of the Admin Box: it was just one part of the Japanese Ha-Go offensive. The entire 7 Indian Division took part, and of course the battle at the division's adminarea was the most dramatic part with the non-combatants fighting in the line ...

Our mini series on the First Arakan begins today, with the first encounters on the Donbaik Chaung. We also meet one of the genuine ‘bad guys’ in the Burma Campaign: it is really quite difficult to say anything nice about Noel Irwin …

Our new episode is live! We explore the Donbaik disaster & the start of 1 Arakan - 1st of a 3 part series. From the mud of the monsoon to the dry paddy at the Donbaik chaung, Jack & Rob examine the high price of strategic & tactical errors. Listen now on all major platforms. #Podcast #WW2 #Military

Tomorrow we dive into the First Arakan Campaign. A story of command failure & the harsh reality of the Burmese jungle. Join Jack & Rob in the first of a three part series as they dissect a pivotal, brutal moment in history.Why did the British struggle? Find out in just 24 hours #WWII #History #Burma

Next weekend I'm speaking the SWW Conference in London, on a panel with Paul @ww2tv.bsky.social Woodadge & @jamesjhistory.bsky.social & also hosting a Burma Breakout room with Charlotte Carty. Looking forward to seeing @lmbd1418.bsky.social. You can get your free tickets here👇 tinyurl.com/bp8nh3z6

For those who want to hear more and from Ursula herself, you can catch her 1985 interview with Prof. Alan MacFarlane here 👇 Part 1 youtu.be/oKy3I5afxEA?... Part 2 youtu.be/RSMhZqf2FiY?...

Not really sure if this week's #ThingThursday is something my Grandfather had made, or was given formally when he left the army (former seems more likely). It's another little reminder of his short time as a National Serviceman in the late 1940s, driving Sexton SPGs in Germany, mostly at Sennelager.

War is often a struggle against hunger. For six weeks, Ursula survived on just 30 rupees, losing thirty-five pounds while patrolling the jungle. Hear how her dedication eventually won over senior commanders like Bill Slim. #Resilience #JungleWar #ArmyLife

Authority in the hills was defined by red blankets. Ursula had to scramble for military supplies to ensure her scouts were respected by the local village leaders. This badge of office remains a prized sign of status today. #NagaHistory #Leadership #WW2

Love a good timeline to help me visualise things, & this one has helped me properly realise that in January 1945 in #WW2 #Burma, every #African unit of the British Army in Burma, except for 3 #Nigeria Brigade, was in action. #History @historybowsh.bsky.social @badsocialism.bsky.social

Love found its way into the jungle when Colonel Tim Betts visited Ursula under the pretext of collecting butterflies. Engaged in three days and married in three weeks, their story is a unique wartime romance. #WarBride #History #WartimeRomance

Plenty more to come!

We passed fifty episodes this week without even realising! Plenty of hours of play left in the day before we draw stumps, and we’ve still got gruelling away test series in 1944 and 1945 to come 🏏 [Please note, we are not a cricket podcast🫡]

My #MapMonday was a fascinating find at the National Archives - a map from the Chinese Nationalists report on the 1942 campaign showing their different armies' movements down to divisional level. The file is the English translation, with the original included.

Part two of our interview with Ursula Graham Bower’s daughter Catriona Childs is out now! Having done her early life, we are now onto her war - and how she managed her watch and ward scheme for V Force.

Out now! Dive into the life of Ursula Graham Bower. From survival on 30 rupees to leading the Zemi Naga V-Force, we explore her legacy with her daughter. Discover why this "white lady among headhunters" became a WW2 legend. #ForgottenWar #History #UrsulaGrahamBower

Ursula Graham Bower's incredible story continues with her bravery in the Burma Campaign, out tomorrow. Her daughter, Catriona Child (R), joins us to reveal how one woman led indigenous forces against Japan. A tale of resilience you won’t want to miss. #BurmaCampaign #VForce #WW2

In 1942 Ursula joined V-Force, creating a watch&ward system with Naga villagers in Laisong(pic3)to warn of Japanese movements. Her leadership helped win over the local community, turning a tea party into a powerful moment of solidarity.Pic2 her specially made V Force brooch #WW2 #Burma #History

You can buy the kind of Naga clothing Ursula Graham Bower fell in love with from our sponsor the Kohima Educational Trust - and you’ll help a charity supporting the people of Nagaland kohimaeducationaltrust.net/shop

Ursula felt an immediate connection to the Naga Hills, describing it as a world she had always belonged to. She saw deep parallels between the scenery, clan systems and motifs of the Naga people and her own Scottish ancestry and highland traditions. #Naga #History #Scotland

My #ThingThursday is a cap badge for possibly my favourite tank regiment in the Burma Campaign - 3 Carabiniers. They fight in the Battle of Imphal like a fire service being deployed to threatened sectors across the perimeter of the plain, including up in the mountains around the Silchar Track...

I nearly spiralled into chat about these beautiful Aston Martins in this episode 😬

Presented at court in ostrich feathers, Ursula Graham Bower looked "absolutely miserable". She used an Aston Martin (not the actual one in pic2!) to escape the marriage circuit, eventually organizing her own expeditions into the remote Indian mountains. It is a wild tale. #WWII #History #India

Some of these ends were quite shocking 👇

The Bower family was full of adventurers who served across the Empire.From the Bower manuscript, Polish-Lithuanian soldiers (Stanislaus Bower pic2)to tragic ends on the frontier or at sea,Ursula carried this DNA of personal agency into her own incredible work in the Naga Hills #History #WWII #Travel

It's a two for one on #MapMonday - 4 Corps' operations in the reconquest of Burma, in the first map in red. 19 Div was originally 4 Corps but when the deception advance down the Gangaw Valley was decided it was switch to 33 Corps - so it changed to green partway through the campaign.

This was a real pleasure, the first of a two-parter on Ursula Graham Bower, with her daughter Catriona Child. This week UGB’s fascinating early life up to the Japanese invasion in 1942.

Our new episode is live! Catriona Child tells the early story of her mother, Ursula Graham Bower, known as the Naga Queen. From Roedean to the remote hills of India, learn how she led a vital watch and ward scheme against the Japanese invasion. #Podcast #WWII #India

Tomorrow on The Forgotten War Podcast, we explore the life of Ursula Graham Bower. Her daughter Catriona Child (R in pic1) joins Jack and Rob to discuss how a London debutante became a legendary guerrilla leader in the Burma campaign. Get ready! #History #WWII #Burma

As my maternity leave comes to an end, a reminder that I’m now offering an archive photography service primarily for museums/archives in the south east England (IWM, TNA, BL etc etc) to help make ends meet. Details below: lucybetteridgedyson.com/archive-rese...

What I love about Slim is that he is always so polite and understated about adversaries after the war. For example, he described a discussion with Wingate about guerrilla warfare as a ‘lively discussion’ - knowing Wingate and knowing Slim’s postwar code, that was a blazing argument 😂

The friction between Orde Wingate & General Slim shaped the Burma Campaign. One was a relative traditionalist, the other a radical insurgent. We discuss how their conflicting visions for victory impacted the war against Japan & the high costs of Wingate's drive #History #Slim #BurmaWar