The Far Setting Sun
Far East Living History Group
Gallery
Here are a few photo shots,
representing some of the unit. Our
Photo Bucket Galley is updated after events, so why not follow the link at the
bottom of the page.
Some of our Burma Rifles in
front of the American Club Wagon
Note the Urdu Script under the
word “Chindit”.
It means “the van of tea”.
Left to Right: Rfm Hassan, L/Naik. Mirza, Rfm. Ghalib
(Beltring
2006)
NNR (
The Commanding Officer
in the slit trench.
The White shirt is an example of
why jungle troops dyed their kit.
This white shirt would draw fire.
(This Photo was taken to highlight the issue)
A re-staging of a famous picture
The famous picture,
showing Brigadier “Mad Mike” Calvert, briefing some officers at MOGAUNG.
Calvert at the time was the
Brigadier commanding 77 Brigade, 3rd (Chindit)
Indian Div. But later
Went on to be a leading figure in
the post war SAS.
Our “Column Serjeant
Major”
(The Senior Warrant Officer in the
column, and the next most senior to the RSM himself)
Serjeant Major Mike McEllaney, pictured giving instruction in elementary drill .
Drill or ”Square Bashing” was an integral part of the
soldier training, and therefore practice and
repetition was the mainstay of
the training program with us, as it was in WW2.
CSM McEllaney
is pictured wearing the Drill Sash the Rifle Regiment way (the opposite
shoulder) as a
dress distinction to the Burma Rifles.
Gavin Kruyer Photography
Gavin Kruyer,
an award winning photographer took a photo shoot of us, and here are some of
the excellent pictures his award winning eye caught!
“The scouts of column 44 advanced
down the bank of the Chindwin”
“The Chindits
were weighed down with packs weighing in excess of 80lbs, and would march
distances exceeding 30 miles per day on a regular basis”
“The American President, Franklin
D. Roosevelt pledged American Support to the Chindits,
and even raised an American Chindit Style Force,
Trained by General Windgate himself. Here we see a soldier part of 5307th
Composite Force (Galahad Force), later known as Merrills
Marauders”
“The men of the 1st
Battalion of The Essex Regiment were regular army soldiers, and were veterans
of campaigns earlier in the war, before they reached Burma. Some like the RSM were veterans of small
conflicts before the war itself, such as the 1936 revolt in Palastine. Many had been to India before, with 2nd
Battalion in the 30s, and some had fought in the Afridi
& Redshirt Uprisings in 1930/1. These were “Old Sweats” who had more than
proved themselves before”
“The war in the far east has
become known as the forgotten war….. it was no
different in late 1943. General Wingate was
keen to publicise the war, and so he staged photographic re-enactments
of highlights of his campaign earlier in the year. Here we see a Bren
Light Machine gun in a position The NCO in charge personally bringing
ammunition to the “No 1”. Prominent is
the division symbol, largely removed on active service, but worn proudly in
training… and of course for publicity photographs”
“Fires were not forbidden in the
jungle, as many native villages were found throughout the jungle. Here we see a briefing round the fire by the
column commander, to the RSM and a Lance Corporal, who are to lead two patrols
to gather intelligence and food from a small patrol of Japanese sighted
nearby. The Chindits
took from the Japanese as frequently as they could.”
Do you like
Gavin’s Pictures?
Contact Gavin here for more information on how you
can arrange your own photo shoot or have portraits taken by this award winning
Photographer.
Some Real Chindits…
“The Boss” as it were.
Major-General Orde
Charles Wingate DSO*
Pictured here in 1940
whilst in Abysinnia.
A Japanese Prisoner is taken to
the local prison, after he has been captured by
this Chindit, thought to be from Column 44 (1st
Essex)
A Bofors
Light AA Gun, at an outpost near “The White City”
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Click the link below.
http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n14/farsettingsun/