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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
THE ARAKAN CAMPAIGN OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH INDIAN DIVISION March 1944 - March 1945

THE ARAKAN CAMPAIGN OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH INDIAN DIVISION March 1944 - March 1945

Anon

Paperback

Southeast Asian HistoryWorld War II

ISBN10: 1474542107
ISBN13: 9781474542104
Publisher: Naval & Military Press
Published: Dec 2 2025
Pages: 216
Weight: 1.12
Height: 0.59 Width: 7.50 Depth: 9.25
Language: English
A rare in its original 1946 printing, Indian Divisional history, with an excellent and detailed narrative. The Division was formed in Southern India in August 1943, under the Command of Maj/Gen HL Davies (CBE DSO MC). They were part of 15th Corps, The Division first saw action in the Arakan in March 1944 where it fought with distinction notably at Kangau which was one of the fiercest fought Battles in the Arakan Campaign. In January 1945 the Division took part in the first large scale Amphibious Operations in South-East Asia, They were ferried across the Four Mile wide Mayu Estuary to land on the Northern beaches of Akyab Island, in the course of the following weeks they Occupied Myrbaw, and Ruywa. The Badge of this unit was a black ace of spades on a green background This epic history is accompanied by 7 maps and concludes with a list of H&A to all ranks. Extract from a report in SEAC Souvenir Newspaper With the distinction of having concentrated more misery and hardship of the battlefield in its first spell of fighting than any other Indian division during the same length of time, 25 Div is also the most nicknamed of the Indian divisions. It has been known at various times as the Anonymous Division, the Unknown Division and the Spade Division, a name derived from its divisional flash bearing the sign of the highest colour suit in a game of cards. Soon after first going into action in March 1944, in the Arakan, the division presented the Japs with two headaches-one arising out of its mysterious identity which was kept obscure for security reasons, and the other due to the tenacity and hard fighting qualities of its fresh, young troops. Battle maps of enemy commanders showed a question mark wherever troops of the division struck. All attempts to gain identification met with failure. The dead carried no revealing papers and not one prisoner was taken. Under security silence its hard-won achievements remained unsung while the heroes of the Indian and British divisions up north, at Kohima and Imphal, were being proclaimed on the front pages of the world's newspapers. Regiments which comprised the division were: The 10 Baluch Regiment, -the 19 Hyderabad Regiment, 5 Mahratta Light Infantry. 18 Royal Garhwal Rifles, 2 Gurkha Rifles, 16 Punjab Regiment. York and Lancaster Regiment and the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. The division was formed in August 1941 at Salem, Madras. At that time a Jap invasion attempt on the Madras coastline was considered a possibility and the division was earmarked for an anti-invasion role. In April 1944 the division took over from 36th British Division in the area of Maungdaw-Buthidaung. Its task was to guard the Maungdaw Keep, maintain the Maungdaw-Buthidaung road, which runs across the Mayu range horn east to west, and watch 15 Corps' southern flank. Rains ended, the division left its Monsoon positions and started spreading out. In December they captured Buthidaun, with the help of the 82nd (West African) Division. Men of the Baluch Regiment, 2nd Gurkha Rifles and the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry took part in this operation. With Buthidaung in our hands the division began their advance down the Mayu Peninsula, and 11 days later they had reached Foul Point at its tip. Troops of the 5th Mahratta Light Infantry, the 18th Garhwal Rifles and the York and Lancaster Regiment advanced down the west bank of the Mayu river with the 82nd on the east bank. By the time the West Africans had captured Tinwa, north of Kyauktaw on the Kaladan river, it was obvious that the Japs were pulling out faster than expected. The rate of our advance surprised the enemy and it was decided at this stage to press home the attack as expeditiously as possible. Akyab was the next objective - a fair reward for long months of patient waiting. To save time, 25 Div was embarked across the Mayu estuary, early in the New Year.

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