-----er 1943, the ----- -----, Burma.
Lt Price, 1st platoon, A company, 2nd KOA.
Reports confirmed that Sgt Battersby of the 146th RAC recce troop was the sole survivor of a recce into Japanese territory. He was reportedly hiding in a fishermans abandoned hut on the banks of the --------------river.
The platoon advanced along the ------ road until an enemy road block was observed. I immediately ordered Cpl Pearce to lead his section through the less heavily jungled right flank along with our mortar. I took Cpl Caunt and Cpl Boston's sections with our anti tank rifle through the dense left flank.
As we advanced to the tree line we observed a small platoon of infantry with a small armoured tank bearing down. A group of the enemy was seen running towards the hut and Cpl Caunts riflemen cut two of them down immediately and forcing the rest to hit the dirt. This immidiately drew the ire of the armored car which began to spray the tree line with hmg fire wounding pvtes Langham and Figg. Things would have been a lot more desperate if L.Cpl Dickinson and pvte Gers hadn't doubled to the roadside and in a single shot put the tankette out of commission.
While Caunts section kept up a galling fire on the pinned enemy section by the hut an enemy mortar fired a few wild shots towards us and own mortar began to zero in on them.
Cpl Pearce led his section from cover and broke for the hut and they were taken by surprise when a single Japanese sword wielding officer and his batman charged them with suicidal bravery they were beaten to the ground and dispatched by the number of our men. The sword has since disappeared. Pearces section came under rifle fire from the the lone survivors of the section cut down outside the hut and also from a small coppice of trees on the river bank, pvte Hodge was killed here and L.Cpl Story-Moore was wounded twice in the left arm. Pearce ordered his men into the hut, spurning gunfire for fear of hitting Sgt Battersby. I.Cpl Keane was first through the door bayoneting one before pvte Chettle disabled the other. The Sgt secured pvte Woan lead him back to safety.
Meanwhile Caunt's Bren gun team has brought down a mortar man and had rallied somewhat from the heavy fire. Seeing the new enemy open fire I led Cpl Boston's section in a bayonet charges across the open ground Boston's men far outpaced me and by the time we joined the melee only three of the enemy were still standing and they were dead before I could fire a shot. Pvte Ashton is nursing a stab wound to the shoulder an do te Turner was knocked out cold. Sadly pvte Meligue was to badly injured and expired before he could be dragged back. All seemed quiet and my men began to pull back whenwe percieved a lone soldier attempting to make his way back to the enemy lines. Sgt Harper and I both waded into the river firing pistol and SMG at the man til he was bowled over.
Total losses. KIA 2, WIA 5, MIA 0
Enemy losses KIA 24, WIA 0, POW 0.
Sgt Battersby secured and vital intelligence recovered.
covers the basics for this WWII theater of war.
